With two full-scale wars in “our neighborhood” and many more alarming incidents of hostilities, civil wars and threats that could shake the entire planet, humanity has largely begun to hold its breath, more and more people have begun the calls to Their gods, even those who do not believe.

Pleas, for reason to prevail over insanity, humanity over hatred and vengeful fury, peace over warmongers. Supplications that take on prayer dimensions with the coming of the New Year.

And in fact, at a time, as many agree, when the first victim of a war is not the “truth”, but the civilians, the women and children, even compared to the two World Wars that humanity experienced in the 20th century, the gruesome savagery of which still haunts their scholars and disenfranchised families.

The cinema, many times functioned as propaganda mechanism about wars or militarists, with many heroic war adventures – even by renowned directors, but there are not a few times that I anti-war creationsthey troubled the public, they opened the eyes of people who did not know or did not want to know, they condemned all militaristic logics, they sent the hate ideologies and their instruments to hell.

On the occasion of the wars in Middle East and to Ukrainethe war cries, the spectacular and disgusting explosions in hospitals or schools, in homes and in parks, but also the crying of thousands of mothers, fathers and children, let’s take a look at seven old, perhaps forgotten, of the best anti-war films , which at the same time are included, not unjustly, among the greatest creations of cinema.

All Quiet on the Western Front

The most important – by far – film based on the famous novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, is this creation by Louis Milestone, which was shot in 1930 and won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. In itself, Remarque’s shocking book provides the potential for a film that will shock the viewer, as it reflects on the truth of war and the lies of heroism, but also on how far heroism is from the willingness to sacrifice. The harsh images – especially for the era – of the battles and living conditions of the soldiers are almost shocking even today. A German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm fades as he witnesses the horrors firsthand. Starring Lew Ayres, Louis Vollheim, Arnold Lucy, John Ray, etc.

La Grande Illusion

In 1937, the great Jean Renoir creates an authentic anti-war masterpiece, although only five or six shots are heard during the film. The story was based on the experiences of a general during World War I, met by Renoir, and concerns the efforts of three different soldiers – the first, a French officer of aristocratic origin, the second, a humble engineer lieutenant, and the third, a wealthy Jewish bourgeois. – to escape from a German camp where they are being held. Starring Jean Gabin, Julien Caret, Marcel Dalio and in a unique role the famous director Erich von Stoheim.

Rome, Unwalled City (Roma Città Aperta)

Emblematic anti-war film shot by Roberto Rossellini in 1945 and while the war was not yet over, in adverse conditions. A worthy example of neorealism, which highlights the resistance of the Italians and the hideous convulsions of the soul-bleeding beast, Nazism. The scene of the death of the heroine who falls dead from the blast of the Nazi machine guns still chills the blood today. In the role of the heroine, the heartbreaking Anna Maniani, in yet another insurmountable performance.

Crosses on the Forehead (Paths of Glory)

One of the most famous anti-war films of all time, shot in 1957 by Stanley Kubrick, at the insistence of Kirk Douglas, who admirably retains the lead role. The purest civilization of militarism and games played in the highest echelons of the military. The plot is set in World War I, when a group of French soldiers refuse to carry out a suicide mission, and the senior officers look for scapegoat victims to make an example of. And in the middle is Kirk Douglas, an officer on duty, who understands that no one is worth killing after all… for them.

The Cranes Are Flying

Famous anti-war drama, shot in 1957 by Mikhail Kolatozov, without the well-known formalism and propaganda of Soviet cinema, taking advantage of the de-Stalinization of the time. An excellent lyrical drama, about two lovers separated by war. The heroine loses her parents to the bombings, is raped by her lover’s brother, and learns that the man she adores has been killed. An authentic love story amidst the nightmare of war, starring the stunning Tatiana Samoilova and Alexei Batalov.

Ivan’s Childhood (Ivanovo Destvo)

The first film of the unforgettable Andrei Tarkovsky is a revelation for film lovers even today. A film about the tragic story of a childhood irreparably damaged by war. The story revolves around 12-year-old Ivan, who loses his entire family and with nothing to lose enlists in the Soviet Army, taking on the most dangerous missions. Harshly lit, shot from low, it transforms the small protagonist into a biblical hero, and viewers feel the need to apologize. Someone must be to blame for this misery.

Johnny Got His Gun

A landmark film for anti-war cinema, made in 1971 by screenwriter Dalton Trumbo – in his only directorial effort, known for his adventures from the McCarthy era. For years the film tore the stomachs of viewers to pieces, as its theme, based on the novel of the same name, penetrated even the most extreme cynics, which are constantly multiplying. On the last day of World War I, a soldier is seriously injured by a mine, losing his limbs, hearing and sight. Doctors believe he has lost consciousness and study him like a guinea pig, while he drifts into a dream world and tries to communicate with a young nurse to convince her to help him end his life. With the excellent Timothy Bottoms, Jason Robarts and Donald Sutherland.