No matter the category, and whether for wins or nominations, dozens ofwarmovies throughout the years have been snubbed at theAcademy Awards. Several such movies are among the most famous and respected that their genre has ever seen, and, coming from a variety of filmmaking perspectives and even languages, they all hold up wonderfully today.
You’ll likely recognize the majority of war movies featured on the list, while others herein may appear more unfamiliar. In any case, you can rest assured that they are of the utmost quality, featuring great directors, talented artisans behind the scenes, and star-studded casts. All that said, here are 12 war movies snubbed at the Academy Awards.
12The Steel Helmet (1951) — Best Picture
Despite widespread reverence across the board of reception — on Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 100% approval rating —The Steel Helmet(1951) came up completely short at the 24th Academy Awards. Not a single nomination, despite an intelligent script and brilliant direction by Samuel Fuller. Setamid the Korean War, it follows a U.S. Army sergeant who forms an unlikely relationship with a Korean orphan while fending off the enemy in an abandoned Buddhist temple.
What Makes It a Snub
A relatively simple plot flourishes with emotional resonance through the keen directorial sense of Fuller, and its cast sees the project into perfect fruition. And whileThe Steel Helmethad stiff competition at the 24th Academy Awards withAn American in Paris(1951) winning Best Picture, this war film should have nonetheless been nominated. A true injustice in hindsight.Stream on The Criterion Channel
11The Battle of Algiers (1966) — Best International Feature Film
A famous work of Italian neorealist cinema,The Battle of Algiers(1966) saw direction by Gillo Pontecorvo. The plot follows a group of rebels during the Algerian War, with Pontecorvo co-writing the script alongside Franco Solinas. Its score was composed by Ennio Morricone, with everyone involved providing career-defining work.
As Pontecorvo’s masterwork,The Battle of Algierscould have easily landed him an Academy Award win for Best Director. Alas, the category that makes this entry a true snub would be Best International Feature. Though it’s a well-made project,A Man and a Woman(1966) has aged far less gracefully than the war film at hand. And though it’s not the biggest snub in the history of the association,The Battle of Algiersdeservedthe golden statuette.Stream on Max
10Come and See (1985) — Best International Feature Film
At the 58th Academy Awards, an Argentine film calledThe Official Story(1985) walked away with gold for Best Foreign Language Film. Other nominees that year includedAngry Harvest(1985),Three Men in a Cradle(1985),Colonel Redl(1985), andWhen Father Was Away on Business(1985). Though high-quality films in their own rights, they each pale in comparison to Elem Klimov’s masterpiece,Come and See(1985), which sees Florya (Aleksey Kravchenko) joining a troupe of Resistance fighters after his village is invaded by German forces.
Since its release,Come and Seehas been cited by critics as one of the greatest films of all time. But somehow, it wasn’t even nominated in the aforementioned category, where it should have won gold outright. For perfectly tackling its hard-hitting themes, the film as a whole should have been victorious.Stream on The Criterion Channel
9Korczak (1990) — Best International Feature Film
Another snub for Best International Feature Film came in the 1990s with a film calledKorczak(1990). Thanks toa black-and-white palette, careful shot selection, and keen tactics of scene blocking, there’s enough worth writing home about in the beauty of its visuals alone. But with an intelligent script from Agnieszka Holland, the film excels across the board.
Its plot homes in on a Polish-Jewish humanitarian named Janusz Korczak, with Wojciech Pszoniak shining in the titular role. And considering Andrzej Wajda directs everyone with a tangible passion, there’s no telling howKorczakcame up short for Best International Feature Film. Should it have won? Probably not. But, still: a nomination would have sufficed.Rent on Prime Video
8Three Kings (1999) — Best Original Screenplay
Directed by David O. Russell, an auteur who writes the script for every film he directs,Three Kings(1999) is among the most intelligent movies of his entire career. Starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze, it chronicles four American soldiers who seek out Sadam Hussein’s hidden cache of gold near the end of the Gulf War.
Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, even Best Picture — in any other year,Three Kingswould have been nominated for all three categories at the Academy Awards. But at the 72nd ceremony, this pitch-perfect war comedy came up short across the board. At the very least, its screenplay should have been recognized.Rent on AppleTV
Among themost underrated war moviesever made isJarhead(2005), directed by Sam Mendes. Its script was adapted by William Broyles Jr. from Corporal Anthony Swofford’s memoir of the same name. And playing Swofford is famous American actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who provides a powerful performance as the marine during his service in the Persian Gulf War.
From Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay to Best Actor and Best Cinematography, this war film was snubbed in various categories. Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins captured a wonderful vision from his longtime collaborator Sam Mendes, who in turn directed everyone to perfection. From every fathomable perspective,Jarheadholds up wonderfully today.Rent on Prime Video
6Waltz with Bashir (2008) — Best Animated Feature
Off the bat, it’s worth noting thatWaltz with Bashir(2008) was never going to win Best Animated Feature Film at the 81st Academy Awards, asWALL-E(2008) was the clear-cut choice. But at the very least, it should have received a nomination. Israeli director Ari Folman crafted a compelling docudrama about his experiences as a soldier during the 1982 Lebanon War.
Sure,Waltz with Bashirwas nominated for Best International Feature Film during the aforementioned ceremony. But really, it could’ve won like it didat the Golden Globes, and it should’ve been nominated in general for Best Animated Feature. Only three films were up for the category at the 81st ceremony — without a doubt,Waltz with Bashirdeserved to be on that list.Rent on Prime Video
5The Outpost (2020) — Best Director
Throughout his underrated career, Israeli-American director Rod Lurie has never been nominated for an Academy Award. One project that should have gotten the job done, specifically in the Best Director category, wasThe Outpost(2020), a war film set in Northern Afghanistan. It features an impressive cast, with stand-out performances from its leads: Scott Eastwood, Orlando Bloom, and Caleb Landry Jones.
While the project itself went under the public radar,The Outpostreceived widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Its engaging battle sequences, perfect pacing, and accurate depiction of soldiers — all around, the direction ofThe Outpostdeserved recognition at the Academy Awards. But just like every other film by director Lurie, it ultimately came up short.Stream on Netflix
4Inglourious Basterds (2009) — Best Original Screenplay
WithInglourious Basterds(2009), writer-director Quentin Tarantino crafted a masterwork of cinema. It’s commonly considered among the best films of the century, witha star-studded castand seamless execution of a rather absurd yet wildly entertaining story. Two revenge plots are executed on Adolf Hitler at the end of World War II, withInglourious Basterdsgoing down as a piece of historical fiction.
Tarantino has never won an Academy Award for Best Director, nor should he have forInglourious Basterds. That honor went to Kathryn Bigelow for her work onThe Hurt Locker(2009), and with good reason. But when it comes to Best Original Screenplay, the story by Tarantino should have been victorious. It’s a sprawling war epic that runs the gamut of emotion, with brilliant dialogue and perfect pacing until the fireworks of its finale. An obvious snub in hindsight.Stream on Prime Video
Related:The Disastrous Production of Inglourious Basterds
3Underground (1995) — Best International Feature Film
Despite receiving widespread praise from critics,Underground(1995) wasn’t even accepted as a nominee for Best International Feature Film at the 68th Academy Awards. Directed by Emir Kusturica from a script he co-wrote alongside Dusan Kovacecic, it’sset in World War IIBelgrade as a couple of black marketeers sell weapons to the communist resistance.
Its plot expands in drama and intrigue from there, with each actor involved seeing the plot come to perfect fruition. Kusturica could have been nominated for Best Director, let alone Best International Feature Film. His Palme d’Or win at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival is evidence enough. But in the end, his seminal workUndergroundjoins the ranks of war movies that were snubbed at the Oscars.Not Currently Available to Stream or Purchase
