10 Greatest Civil War Movies of All Time

February 10th, 2010 by Wendy

After delivering our picks for the 15 best World War II movies, we decided to take a look at the greatest Civil War movies of all time. And you know what? There aren’t a lot of surprises here because there aren’t a lot of really great Civil War films. We’ve added a TV mini-series to round out the list and are holding out for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “Lincoln.”

Movie Crunch’s 10 Greatest Civil War Movies:

10. Cold Mountain (2003)

Jude Law
Nicole Kidman
Renée Zellweger
Kathy Baker
Brendan Gleeson
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Natalie Portman

Cold Mountain is one of the more recent Civil War movies to make our list, starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Natalie Portman. The all-star cast heads up this love story set during the Civil War – with Jude Law deserting the war to return to his love at Cold Mountain. Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger’s characters work to get a farm in order again. Good acting and a decent romantic drama, with Zellweger being rewarded an Oscar for her role as rough-around-the-edges Ruby.

9. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Clint Eastwood
Chief Dan George
Sondra Locke

Clint Eastwood in the ultimate tale of revenge…this top notch western set near the end of the Civil War features Eastwood on double-duty as both star and director. When this peaceful farmer must exact his revenge on the Redlegs Union soldiers who murdered his family, it’s a “nothing left to lose” situation for Josey Wales, who joins a group of Confederate guerillas on the run.

8. Gone With the Wind (1939)

Clark Gable
Vivien Leigh
Leslie Howard
Olivia de Havilland
Hattie McDaniel

Gone With the Wind is the go-to classic Civil War movie here. Set against the backdrop of the war, we get a look at the drama surrounding one spoiled Southern woman – her loves and losses. Sweeping and epic? Yes. Overly dramatic? Sure. But fiddle-dee-dee, we couldn’t dare leave it off the list. And award-winning, you betcha – Gone With the Wind took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Leigh) and Best Supporting Actress (McDaniel). Oh, and Clark Gable, you debonair son of a bitch… you’re not too shabby either.

7. Shenandoah (1965)

James Stewart
Doug McClure
Katharine Ross

Ah, Jimmy Stewart… we must have Stewart on this list, in yet another brilliant role for the talented actor. In Shenandoah, Jimmy Stewart plays a Virginia farmer who is forced to become a part of the war he wants no part of when his son is mistakenly identified and taken prisoner. Shenandoah provides an interesting perspective on being a civilian pulled into the war. Warning: have a tissue ready for Shenandoah’s ending.

6. The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

Audie Murphy
Bill Mauldin
Andy Devine
Robert Easton

If you had to read the novel in high school, we hope you checked out the film version of The Red Badge of Courage too. The film is an excellent adaptation of the story of a young soldier – with fear, cowardice, courage and bravery all examined here. Interestingly, Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of World War II, stars as Henry Fleming… no doubt bringing to the film a load of personal experience.

5. Gods and Generals (2003)

Jeff Daniels
Stephen Lang
Mira Sorvino
Kevin Conway
C. Thomas Howell
Robert Duvall

This prequel to 1993’s Gettysburg has a rightful place on the list of best Civil War films, for its depiction of the events prior to the battle of Gettysburg. Gods and Generals primarily follows the story of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson – and while a little long in the tooth at nearly four hours, this look at the first 18 months of the Civil War is one history lesson that shouldn’t be missed (despite critics dissing it for the omission of the Battle of Antietam).

4. North and South (1985)

James Read
Patrick Swayze
Lesley-Anne Down
Wendy Kilbourne
Terri Garber
Genie Francis

We had to include this TV mini-series because North and South is a long and sweeping story that has it all: romance, hatred, happiness, tragedy and friendship. North and South focuses on relationships and character development, specifically what happens when the best of friends are on the opposite sides of battle. Despite his fame for chick-flick faves Dirty Dancing and Ghost, Patrick Swayze is perhaps in one of his finest roles here. Check it out if you have a little time on your hands.

3. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (La rivière du hibou) (1962)

Roger Jacquet
Anne Cornaly
Anker Larsen

This 1962 short French film is worthy of a spot on our list of the best Civil War movies – it’s not just sweeping epics here. Based on the short story of the same name by Ambrose Bierce, you may be more familiar with An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge as a Twilight Zone episode. The tale of a Confederate spy awaiting his hanging execution is light on dialogue but is one film that has stayed with me, despite all these years after viewing it in high school English class.

2. Gettysburg (1993)

Tom Berenger
Jeff Daniels
Martin Sheen
Kevin Conway
C. Thomas Howell

Gettysburg easily lands near the top of our list of the best Civil War movies… with battle scenes that are among the best of this lot (portions of which were actually filmed in Gettysburg with Civil War reenactors). Jeff Daniels proves yet again that his dramatic chops are deserving of an Oscar – could someone give him an Academy Award already? This film about the Battle of Gettysburg (with Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge and the Devil’s Den battles also seen) is easily the holy grail of war films for Civil War buffs.

1. Glory (1989)

Matthew Broderick
Denzel Washington
Cary Elwes
Morgan Freeman
Andre Braugher

Glory stands head and shoulders above as the best Civil War movie of all time, drawing rave reviews for historical accuracy and the dramatic recreation of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an African-American Union regiment, and their assault at the Battle of Fort Wagner. Besides that, the acting is top-notch, led by the talented Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, and Morgan Freeman. Amazing battle scenes, brilliant actors and truly great storytelling are all at work in Glory. Among other awards, Denzel Washington won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Well deserved.

39 Comments, add yours

39 Responses to “10 Greatest Civil War Movies of All Time”

On February 28th 2010, Nick Patten wrote:

GODS AND GENERALS WAS A TERRIBLE MOVIE HOW CAN YOU RANK IT ABOVE GONE WITH THE WIND, ARE YOU INSANE?
On February 28th 2010, blahblah wrote:

No “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly?” — the plot may not have been centered around the war, but it certainly features heavily, and is a million times better than any of these films.
On February 28th 2010, Umbo wrote:

Dances With Wolves wasn’t even on the list? Are you serious?
On February 28th 2010, Sanford Watts wrote:

Oh wow, looks like a lot of fun dude.

jess
http://www.total-anonymity.cz.tc
On February 28th 2010, Bryan Sharp wrote:

It isn’t on your list, but Andersonville is my favorite Civil War movie. It’s such a good film.
On February 28th 2010, JaySin420 wrote:

North and South was incredible, other than book 3.
On February 28th 2010, tom wrote:

no the good the bad and the ugly? you must be mad
On February 28th 2010, Phil Somerset wrote:

I thought The Horse Soldiers, directed by John Ford, and starring John Wayne and William Holden, was a superior Civil War film.
On February 28th 2010, DerKlempner wrote:

I can’t take this list seriously because you rank “Gone With the Wind” so low at number eight. If you would have called the list “The 10 Greatest Civil War Movies of All Time That Depicted Battles From the Conflict”, then maybe you’d have a leg to stand on.
On February 28th 2010, jupiter wrote:

This list is missing two of the best :
Buster Keaton’s “The General” and
“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
On March 1st 2010, Analdouche wrote:

Yeah I have to agree with the other posts. Your opinion is wrong. I mean, obviously, [Famous Movie Name] is way better than [Name Of Movie That Came Out After I Decided That Other Movie Was Already The Best] and you only gave it a rank of [Number]?!?!? Well my goodness, call the authorities and prepare the gallows.
On March 1st 2010, Symphony Sid wrote:

I agree with Jupiter about Keaton’s ‘The General’ and with him and others about Good/Bad/Ugly.

Another excellent Civil War film featuring Clint Eastwood is ‘The Beguiled,’ directed by Don Siegel. It was Siegel’s favorite film that he directed.
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On March 13th 2010, Aditya Desai wrote:

WOW. Total misfire of a list.
BIRTH OF A NATION? Doesn’t ring a bell????
The politics and racism aside, it is the first great epic of American cinema and on that alone it should be here. It’s historical and social relevance is all the more reason in my opinion.

Glory also does not age well in terms of its production design, and cinemtography is actually kind of routine in my opinion (not to mention Matthew Broderick’s career in retrospect)
On March 18th 2010, The 20 Greatest Action Films of All Time wrote:

[...] has assembled our picks for the 20 greatest action films, stripping out the war movies (see our Civil War and WWII movie lists for more of those), space flicks (sorry Star Wars, Aliens fans) and epics like [...]
On March 18th 2010, Chadd M. Vail wrote:

Well, honestly just about all the movies on the top ten best civil war movies shouldn’t be on it. Ron Maxwell totally flopped Gettysburg you still see monuments in the scenes. On top of that in the opening battle of day one you see a car, looks like a silver van on the dirt road leading up to McPhereson’s Ridge. Cold Mountain sucks altogether. Glory sucks because of one scene. Where Morgan Freeman talks to the little black kids. As he walks away the kids wave good bye and you see one of the kids wearing a wrist watch that blew the movie for me. Gods and Generals to preachie, battle scenes are horrible. It also shows some units that weren’t even in the actuall battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancelorsville. Red Badge of Courage 1951 film I believe the one with Audie Murphie was a flop. They use a unit that wasn’t in most of the battles portrayed. Ride with the Devil wasn’t too bad, but still its hollywood and they screwed up some on a lot of things. Gone with the Wind was alright, I can watch it. North and South sucks because for one first scene in book one where little Brett and Ashton are skipping all over the plantation of Mount Royal. They go from from of place to slave quarters to the dock and completely in two seconds way behind the house along the river. I’ve been to Boon Hall Plantation aka Mount Royal so I know that is not possible. I do the re-enactment there as much as possible. Also people forget there ques. When mid aged Brett in beginning of Book two goes up to the War Department to find Billy she runs into a Lieutenant friend etc etc. You clearly see him standing at the top of the steps waiting for her and it all looks as if he didn’t see her or she didn’t see her. The battle scenes were horrible. I absolutely hate it when everyone stands around at beginning like at a re-enactment facing each other waiting for the call to start killing. Blue and the Gray wasn’t bad eeither, but still you see cars in driving by on the roads in the background. First scene with John (White guy) and John (Black guy) talking about making a drawing on a sugar pitcher or tea pitcher what ever it was, look in the woods behind them and you’ll see a car drive by. Quite frankly gents, ladies I don’t trust any Civil War movie to be made anymore. Yeah they are entertaining, but man do they suck in authenticity. I like Horse Soldiers but only, ONLY! Because of John Wayne and William Holden. There’s another movie Civil War of a raid on cattle with William Holden and Richard Widmark I like, but it sucks in authenticity. I break down after the Rebs raid the Union cattle the Union Colonel at headquarters who is informed, a Lieutenant comes in and says a New York Regiment with 9,000 men is ready for to go after the rebs. Burns me, no regiment in Civil War ever amounted to 1,000 men if that! Unless Steven Speilberg who I dislike highly as a person but director I like inlcuding Tom Hanks who I dislike as a person but as a Producer and actor like would do a good film on Civil War and get away from WW2 I might actually like Civil War movies again. Until then every producer director actor who done a Civil War movie including low budget movies have done everything possible to detroy my love for movies about the Civil War. Don’t even get me started on The Battle Aiken Movie or Fire Trail, Cold Harbor the German movie, or Wicked Spring I can go on for days. Leave the Civil War in documentaries and books, if you can’t do a good Civil War movie then don’t do it at all.
On March 18th 2010, Chadd M. Vail wrote:

I forgot Shenandoah, very crappy in uniforms and whats more they have black soldiers fighting in the same unit as white men along side each other. Not the case in the Civil War. Blacks were in there own brigades and divisions and regiments. They weren’t intermingled with white brigades and divisions. Uniforms of soldiers were poor indeed for all. Overall acting was good, always liked Jimmy Stewart and Patrick Wayne.
On May 16th 2010, Michael Milne wrote:

I want to like Civil War films, I really do- after all I grew up watching dreck like Journey to Shiloh thinking it was awesome, playing Civil War as much as I played all the other wars. But I’m afraid Gods and Generals was the last straw. I cannot watch fat reenactors shufflling about pretending to be Civil War troops. I mean, these guys, especially the Confederates, were battle worn and hardened by deprivation and conflict. Years of marching, fighting, camp life, hard times and near starvation had formed these men into a pack of lean hungry wolves. The reenactors employed en masse, bless their hearts, do not convince me. Until a film comes out that makes me suspend my disbelief much better than pretty much any of them have since I attained adulthood, I’m afraid I’ve go to give up watching Civil War movies altogether.
On July 2nd 2010, Revanche 2strokes wrote:

There was a really good Civil War related movie that came out a few years ago called, Seraphim Falls. It is the story of 2 Civil War soldiers who carry the battle on after the war. It’s got Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson and I would highly recomend it to anyone who likes the Civil War/Western genre’.
On July 13th 2010, allaboutwarmovies wrote:

I’m pleased Glory made no.1. This is truly a fine movie. One of my favourite war movies of all times. It is really beautiful and Denzel Washington is great as often. Will do an entry on it soon in one of my blog posts.
Gettyburgs was difficult to watch. Too long.
What about Ride with the devil? No seemes to mention it. Critics rate this very high. Haven’t seen it yet. But it is on my “soon-to–be-watched-” list.
On August 4th 2010, Blog Vedanta.ru wrote:

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On August 10th 2010, dood wrote:

Chadd M. Vail your an idiot!
On August 16th 2010, David Cain wrote:

If Chadd M Vail Vail were capable of writing a sentence which features a verb other than :sucks” I might be inclined to take his comments more seriously.
On October 5th 2010, minskel floats wrote:

Yeah but all I gotta say is more than this man…like http://www.filmcrave.com/list_genre_movie.php?genre=War thats the way to do it for top war movies.
On October 14th 2010, Peter Barratt wrote:

Have to agree with most comments that there are very few Civil War movies that pass ‘muster’. GLORY was quite exectional and has become quiite a cult movie. Only one really bad scene was the flogging of he Denzil Washngton character. Would not have happened.
One film (for those of you with a liking for the naval side of things) is THE HUNLEY.
On November 23rd 2010, griff wrote:

Chadd, give me a break. If what you noticed in the day one scene of Gettysburg is a van in the distance, than you have completely missed the the point of the day. Heroism and brilliant generalship is. It might have inspired you to read more accurate depictions. And the Morgan Freeman and the watch comment, An african American has returned to a land that hates him to fight for that childs freedom. (dont get on the Civil War wasn’t about slavery thing).
On November 23rd 2010, Roozbeh wrote:

Buster Keaton’s General (1927) should be indeed among the top five! From the accuracy point of view it is unrivaled. Let’s not forget that it was made just some 60 years after the war itself and Keaton shot movie exactly on the same railroad. Artistically It has been often placed among the top 100 movies of all times from all categories. Let’s forget civil war movies which itself is just a sub-category of another category “war movies”.
On December 20th 2010, saqi wrote:

where the hell is braveheart………………..i think it should be no. 1 in the list……..
On January 10th 2011, mike wrote:

Glory is a great movie but Gettysburg is my all time favorite American Cival War Movie.
On January 11th 2011, Terry Spradlin wrote:

An Occurrence at Owl Creek should not be in here, so therefore you need to replace it with ANDERSONVILLE.. A great movie about the most famous of prisoner of war camps…
On January 12th 2011, JG Fifis wrote:

I miss the movie “Hunley”in the list and the comments. I think this one potraits some realy good scenes from the war and the period.
On January 14th 2011, Stephen Moon wrote:

One film I have seen omiited from the coversation was a wonderful small independent film called Pharoah’s Army, starring Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson. It is about a squad of union soldiers who come to raid a small farm, but one of the soldiers gets injured and the squad has to stay on the farm before he can be moved. Wonderful little film. I even like the tagline- A Very Private Civil War.
On February 18th 2011, Frank Stinson wrote:

There is a movie called “Wicked Spring”, that I very much enjoyed. It is about human interaction between common soldiers during the Wilderness Battle. I am surprised it is little known to movie buffs. I first saw it on Utube, and later bought it.
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On March 22nd 2011, B. rell wrote:

I would just like to make a few comments, to the guy throwing a fit, about all the things wrong with all the civil war movies.
First, they are hollywood movies not documentaries.
Second, you say you reenact. Then say Gone with the Wind is ok.
Well, the first thing everybody tells a lady reenactor is the worst thing you can do is go for “the gone with the wind look”
I like them all. But then agian I also love to read the historical books. So, calm down, you obviously are smart enough to know fact from fiction. Just enjoy the movies for the story. And look for some good books for the facts.
On April 25th 2011, Civil War Movie Review #5…The Red Badge of Courage « Allgood's Civil War wrote:

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On June 9th 2011, Ernie wrote:

Honestly Gods and Generals? Really?.. Gangs of New York, Ride with the Devil, Blue & Gray all far better