Looking for a memorable modern war film with a strong hero?

A war film is always better with an interesting hero leading the way. From experience, I have seen a lot of war films in my time and the good ones always have a memorable hero.

In this article, we take an explosive dive into exploring some of the most famous male leads in war films in the last 30 years. We will cover cinema from the late 90’s to the 2000s. The list will feature characters of bravery, humor, comradery, and iconography. We will focus on military combat-driven films. 

This list may contains spoilers, proceed with caution.

10) Lieutenant Dan Taylor- Forrest Gump (1994)

One of the greatest stories ever put on screen, with one of the strongest personalities of war, Lieutenant Dan Taylor!

A classic masculine portrayal of the ideal war hero. He just gets on with it and never complains. His dying wish is to die in battle. You can’t get stronger than that. A character who comes from a family of resilient war heroes in battle. Towards the end of the film, you lean towards admiring his bravery. Thank you Forrest for saving him!

9) Thug Hartley-Kajaki (2014)

A remarkable true story,

This may be one of the most intense war films ever made and it doesn’t feature actual warfare. The film follows a group of British soldiers in Afghanistan. They come across a large portion of land filled with mines, the problem is that they are hard to see.

The standout war hero is the medic, Thug Hartley, played by Mark Stanley. Out of the group, he saved 3 lives under the most life threatening conditions. The film scored a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available on Netflix.

8) Don Wardaddy Collier-Fury (2014)

Grady Coon Ass Travis: Hey, you hear that?

Don Wardaddy Collier: Its the goddam SS battalion.

An exceptional gritty war drama set in the murky environment of WW2, David Ayer’s 2014 film was a surprise hit amongst critics and audiences. Brad Pitt’s portrayal is a grittier and masculine take on the war hero persona. He takes no prisoners and is obsessed with making the right decisions. He takes command and his way is the only way. The above clip has him holding the crossroad, knowing him and his crew are completely outnumbered against the relentless German army.

7) Capt. Miller-Saving Private Ryan (1998)

We all love Tom Hanks and this is one of his best roles. It clearly shows audiences why he is a good leader in combat. The above clip, we see him fight to the very last minute. Tom Hanks has a very memorable and iconic screen presence, unlike any other actor in history and that’s why we relate and root for him from beginning and to the end. Take a bow Tom Hanks

6) – Staff Sergeant William James-The Hurt Locker (2008)

Colonel Reed: How many bombs have you disarmed?

Staff Sergeant William Janes: 873!

This is adrenaline fueled cinema, brought to us by Point Break’s director Kathryn Bigelow. During a few scenes, he would probably get the award for being the most reckless soldier in combat. But, he is immensely brave from beginning to end. His bravery is shown in his ability to stay calm during the most intense situations. Disposing of a bomb could not contain a more heightened sense of tension and nerves, yet he battles through it.

5) Marcus Luttrell-Lone Survivor (2013)

One of Peter Berg’s best films with a rotten tomatoes audience score of 87%. This film is all about bravery and comradery, being there for your men is Wahlberg’s priority, who plays the real war survivor Marcus Luttrell. This is realistic action sequences done right.

the film concludes with him being the survivor. He survives everything, from bullets, falling off cliffs, escaping enemies in the woods. By the end, Marky mark had seen it all. With this being based on a true story, I highly recommend watching the film. The story is pretty remarkable. 

4) Desmond Doss- Hacksaw Ridge (2017)

 

The film is directed by Braveheart’s Mel Gibson, who takes the audience right into the depths of the Pacific. The film also stars Wedding Crashers Vince Vaughn , but our war hero is Andrew Garfield.

Andrew Garfield, the former Spider-Man steps into Mel Gibson’s intense take on WW2. The film is tells the story of WW2 medic Desmond Doss, who never fired a bullet during combat and saved countless lives. Making this hero a lot different to all the others we have mentioned. Not even Spider-Man himself would be able to pull off some of his actions in this film, that’s saying something.

3) Lt. Aldo Raine- Inglorious Basterds (2009)

This is his second mention, but his role in Inglorious Basterds is fairly similar but just a little more comedic than his role in Fury. This time he is a different kind of leader under director Quentin Tarantino. His ability to carry out the mission towards the end of the film is based on careful planning and a top-notch accent. Like Fury, the film is still nerve shredding towards the end. Without Brad Pitt’s excellence, the Nazi’s may have won. Bravo Mr. Pitt

2) Chris Kyle-American Sniper (2014)

A highly skilled combat soldier,

This film is more of a drama than anything else, it is a deep character study into the life of Chris Kyle. Bradley Cooper provides a sense of elegance to a real character that is both hard and violent. He is a hero for carrying out his duties with precision and becoming the army’s most reliable shooter in US history. 

The film toggles back and forth between his combat duties and his family life. The family life is what gives the character a wider context. The film is directed by Clint Eastwood.

1) Newton Knight-Free State of Jones (2016)

The American civil war was rough and brutal, you need someone who knows what they are doing. Newton Knight, played by Mathew McConaughey leads a group of fellow deserters and women against a corrupt confederate force.

The film is brought to us by The Hunger Games Gary Ross. The action is brutal and violent, Newton Knight shows some intelligent military knowledge and tactics. The combat is a lot more face to face and close quartered, unlike other gun warfare. He trains soldiers so that they are ready for combat. He takes the responsibility on his soldiers like a true sport.

Who is your favorite war hero?

Streaming

You can catch Saving Private Ryan, Fury, The Hurt Locker, Kajaki and Lone Survivor on Netflix

All films are available on Amazon Prime.

Author bio

Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on his Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.