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Manywar movieshave spent tens of millions of dollars on visually spectacular production to bewitch the excessive brutality of war . While puffiness and incertain product costs have in mind it ’s not always well-off to quantify the most expensive movies ever made ; several state of war films stood out among the sleep as being peculiarly high-priced when it come to their budgets . The most expensive warfare movies ever represented the full spectrum of Hollywood filmmaking as they let in releases by some of the greatest director of all time , as well as films that were slated for critics for their lackluster nature .
While some war movies find antecedently unheard - of budgets , that did not necessarily pull in them the position of being amongthe best state of war movies ever made . It takes more than pecuniary funds to create a truly great motion-picture show , but when in high spirits budgets were paired with prowess , creativity , and talented film maker and output crews , the results were often staggering . With this in mind , the most expensive war film ever made were also some of the most visually impressive and technically spectacular filmsever released .
10The Longest Day (1962)
Budget: $10 million
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The Longest Day is a 1962 warfare film picture the event of June 6 , 1944 , from multiple perspective , including the German , US , British , Canadian , and Free Gallic forces , as they navigate the complexities of the D - Day invasion .
The Longest Dayretold the outcome of 500 - Day on a grand ordered series from both the Allied and Axis participant ’s point of perspective in what was one of the most ambitious World War II movies ever made by this tip . With a product budget of $ 10 million , The Longest Daywas the most expensive black - and - lily-white movie ever made until its disc was finally surpassed bySchindler ’s Listin 1993 . With a monumental ensemble mould that include major star like John Wayne and Robert Mitchum , The Longest Daywas a major success commercially and with critic .
As a on-key duty tour de force of audiovisual spectacle , The Longest Daywas a monumental achievement whose three directors must be commend for pulling off such a unique and difficult challenge . The British and French sides were direct by Ken Annakin , Andrew Marton was in cathexis of the American aspects , and Bernhard Wicki represented the German perspective . With many real D - Day participants land on as advisor ( viaTelegraph),The foresightful Daymade an effort to be as historically precise as potential .
9Civil War (2024)
Budget: $50 million
Civil War is a 2024 action thriller from author and director Alex Garland . star Kirsten Dunst , Wagner Moura , and Stephen McKinley Henderson , Civil War take place in the near future tense and record the United States recruit a new Civil War after California and Texas effort to separate from the rural area .
With a budget of $ 50 million , Alex Garland ’s dystopian war filmCivil Warwas the most expensive A24 movie to date ( viaIndieWire . ) With a nidus on war diary keeper traveling from New York City to Washington while a major civil war enfold the United States , Civil Warfelt like it had a batch of political and social import debate the widespread division and imbalance that have categorise real life issue such as the January 6th attack on the Capitol .
As an English filmmaker , Garland ’s outsider perspective on an imagined American dystopia felt like a unique cautionary tale in the current political clime . Civil Warhighlighted the crimson and unpredictable intensity of war zones and the importance of journalists willing to get into the heart of struggle . WhileCivil Warnever quite delved into the root causes of the political instability that it depicted , it highlighted how quickly fellow countrymen could become enemies give the correct set of fortune .
8Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)
Budget: $55m
Flags of Our Fathers is a warfare motion-picture show take by Clint Eastwood , based on the book by James Bradley and Ron Powers . The moving picture recounts the Battle of Iwo Jima , focusing on the iconic photograph of the flag bringing up and the soldiers affect . Through a series of flashbacks , it delves into the personal and corporate experiences of the men who became symbolic heroes , examining both their wartime legal action and post - war lives .
Clint Eastwood directed two celluloid relating to the Battle of Iwo Jima in 2006 ; one was named after the battle itself and was told from a Japanese linear perspective , while the other wasFlags of Our Fathersfrom an American point of thought . With a budget of $ 55 million , Flags of Our Fathersunderperformed at the box officeand receive a much risky reception than its much more budget - friendly fellow traveler cinema , which cost just $ 19 million .
As a fascinating expression at how valiancy can be both bring in and invent , Flags of Our Fathersdepicts the five Marines and one Navy corpsman involve in the famous photograph of the flag being raise on Iwo Jima . As a powerful delineation of the consequence and behind - the - scenes have-to doe with to war , Flags of Our Fathersstood among Eastwood ’s most underrated movies . There ’s a lot of intrigue in this gripping film that managed to remain loyal while questioning the validity of how truth can be crumpled to match a desired narrative .
7Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Budget: $65 million
Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg ’s 1998 WWII film . economise Private Ryan tells the level of Miller ’s command of a society of soldiers who risk their life in an endeavor to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe , in orderliness to give up his family line from losing all of their sons after Ryan ’s brothers are killed in the warfare . Matt Damon , Edward Burns , and Tom Sizemore also star .
As one of the most rewatchable war picture show ever , Steven Speilberg’sSaving Private Ryanset a new standard for depicting conflict on filmdom . With a budget of between $ 65 and $ 70 million , Saving Private Ryanreceived widespread acclaim for the naturalism with which its graphic combat scenes were impersonate and the emotional resonance of its narrative . With a story about a group of soldier led by Captain John Miller ( Tom Hanks ) on a mission to find their associate and bring him safely following the deaths of his three brother , Saving Private Ryanwas a devout and emotional piece of filmmaking .
Often consider to be one of the greatest movies ever made , Saving Private Ryanhas had an over-the-top influence on subsequent war moviesand even other genres , such as action and superhero films . The incredible success ofSaving Private Ryanled to widespread regenerate interest in WWII as it reshaped the United States ' cultural store . As one of the most impactful movies ever made , Saving Private Ryanmade the most out of its incredibly big budget for the sentence .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon.
The near warfare movies do n’t lose any of their top executive upon rewatch and often actually become even more resonant and effective the second time around .
61917 (2019)
Budget: $100 million
Set against the backdrop of war - torn France during WWI , 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean - Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers task with give birth a severe subject matter to stop an plan of attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk . The film uses foresightful takes to make it come out that the full narrative takes berth over the course of two continuous shots . Mark Strong , Colin Firth , and Benedict Cumberbatch also principal .
Director Sam Mendes was inspired to make1917by stories her grandfather had tell him about serving in World War I ( viaNPR . ) , which led to one of the greatest film about that conflict ever made . With a budget of $ 100 million,1917utilized retentive take to make the picture take care like it had been filmed as a uninterrupted shotthroughout , which gave it an impressive and unseamed esthetical . This impressive style , along with its compelling story of two soldier delivering a content to call off a ill-omened attack , meant1917connected with audience .
While1917had an impressively large budget , its box office pickings were even more staggering , as it took in a whopping $ 389 million at the global box office . With ten nominations at the Academy Awards and three wins for Best Cinematography , Best Sound Mixing , and Best Visual Effects,1917was visually spectacular . As one of the peachy warfare motion picture of the 21st century,1917proved there was still potential to do something unexampled and unique in the well - worn war motion picture genre .
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film depicting the events of June 6, 1944, from multiple perspectives, including the German, US, British, Canadian, and Free French forces, as they navigate the complexities of the D-Day invasion.
5The Patriot (2000)
Budget: $110 million
This historical drama follow Benjamin Martin , a widow farmer and veteran of the French and Indian War , who is reluctantly drawn into the American Revolutionary War when his family is threatened . The film explores themes of vengeance and redemption as Martin leads a makeshift militia while striving to protect his minor .
Mel Gibson channeled the same unbelievable star topology major power that madeBraveheartsuch a succeeder in the historical warfare dramaThe Patriot . As the American settler Benjamin Martin , Gibson ’s character and his son , played by Heath Ledger , were reluctantly sweep into the American Revolutionary War after Martin ’s other boy was savagely slay by a fell British officer , played by Jason Isaacs . This tense line drawing of British atrocities put during the beginning of the United States existence was a hit at the box office that grossed $ 215.3 million against a $ 110 million budget .
The Patriothas been criticized for its historical accuracy and anti - British rake , but the bragging battles and hand - to - hired hand fight depicted on screen made for a compelling viewing experience . The Patriotwas lambasted for reducing the American Revolutionary War to one man ’s revenge mission , but this personation was the central driving force of the story . While historians will have to leave their truth time at abode if they require to enjoyThe Patriotas a film - viewing experience , it ’s undeniably entertaining .
Roland Emmerich ’s 2000 film The Patriot is an entertaining Revolutionary War epic , but it ’s more historic fiction than fact . Here ’s the true story .
4Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
Kingdom of Heaven is a diachronic epic directed by Ridley Scott . Set during the Crusades of the 12th century , the film asterisk Orlando Bloom as Balian , a blacksmith who becomes a horse and shielder of Jerusalem . The cast includes Eva Green , Jeremy Irons , and Liam Neeson . The movie explore paper of honor , organized religion , and conflict in a riotous point of chronicle .
Having already depicted ancient conflicts in picture likeGladiatorand forward-looking warfare inBlack Hawk Down , directorRidley Scott turned his attention to the crusade forKingdom of Heaven . As a big - budget spectacle with production costs of $ 110 million , Kingdom of Heavenwas a fictionalise depiction of the event head to the Third Crusade , when Christian monarchs sought to entrance Jerusalem during the 1100s . With an ensemble mold that include Orlando Bloom , Liam Neeson , and Jeremy Irons , Kingdom of Heavenwas Scott ’s most expensive film at this point .
Currently , Ridley Scott ’s most expensive filmis the upcoming release , Gladiator 2 , which has been describe as cost anywhere between $ 250 to $ 310 million .
WhileKingdom of Heavenlooked visually spectacular and gross $ 218 million worldwide , it felt lustreless when compare to Scott ’s greatest accomplishments . Bloom was less than exciting in the lead role as Balian of Ibelin , and the yield feel like it miss the profundity needed to rationalize its dumfounding budget . Scott himself was reportedly distressed with the stagily give up interpretation , and later , an extendeddirector ’s rationalize ofKingdom of Heavenwas released .
3Dunkirk (2017)
Budget: 150 million
This larger-than-life taradiddle of World War II assure the story of soldiers from Belgium , Britain , Canada and France , who are surrounded by the German army , and the serious operation that evacuated and saved the lives of K .
Director Christopher Nolan ’s braggart - budget World War II masterpieceDunkirkportrayed the voiding of more than 338,000 confederate soldier during the Second World War from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk in the north of France . With very small talks and a focusing on cinematography and music , Dunkirkwas an effectual portrayal of this historical issue from land , sea , and melodic phrase . With a budget of between $ 100 and $ 150 million , Dunkirksubverted the usual tale of Hollywood war yield to create a film - viewing experience unlike anything before it .
A major success at the global box office , Dunkirk’sworldwide gross of $ 509,736,928 made it the highest - gross World War II movieuntil it was pass by by Nolan ’s by and by biographical wartime dramaOppenheimer . Full of deeply moving sequences and intensely impressive set pieces , Dunkirkutilized its grandiloquent budget to make a spectacular cinematic experience . As a truly accomplished piece of filmmaking , Dunkirkwas even more impressive in term of how realistically it represented the accuracy of the evacuation .
Civil War is a 2024 action thriller from writer and director Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, Civil War takes place in the near future and shows the United States entering a new Civil War after California and Texas attempt to separate from the country.
2Troy (2004)
Budget: $150 million
Troy , mastermind by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2004 , is a diachronic epos base on Homer ’s Iliad . The film chronicles the legendary Trojan War , focus on the conflict between Achilles , played by Brad Pitt , and Hector , impersonate by Eric Bana . star Orlando Bloom as Paris and Diane Kruger as Helen , it explores stem of honor , betrayal , and the fates of the warrior involved in the siege of Troy .
As a moving picture generally based on Homer’sIlliadand the legendary conflict of the Trojan War , Troy’s$150 million budget was appropriate , considering the magnanimousness of what it depicted . With an ensemble cast lead by Brad Pitt as the great warrior Achilles , Troywas an astounding and sprawling historic epic full of telling fight and marvelous depictions of ancient war . direct by German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen , the big - budget Hollywood spectacle ofTroywas a far unlike beast to his earlier claustrophobic wartime dramaDas Boot .
WhileTroylooked unbelievable from a visual perspective , the film also miss excited ringing and tried to condense too much of Homer ’s original epic verse form into one picture show . Despite these criticisms , Troywas a strike at the box office and easily recover its high-flown budgetby grossing over $ 483 million . AlthoughTroyhad many historic inaccuracy , it surely had no military issue when it came to its box government agency standing .
1Pearl Harbor (2001)
Budget: $151.5 million
Two best acquaintance and fender find themselves caught in a dearest triangle with a consecrated nurse just as the catastrophic attack on Pearl Harbor plunges America into war . The issue of December 7 dramatically change their lifetime , and the pic recount a dramatized story set during the event that marked the United States ' unveiling into World War II .
Although it was critically reviled , Michael Bay ’s fictionalise account of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese force out on December 7 , 1941 , was a major hit at the box office that took in $ 449,239,853 worldwide . With a sexual love chronicle narrative told in the lead - up to the attack , Pearl Harborfelt like it was trying to retake the unbelievable success ofTitanicin the realm of war movies . With lustreless pacing , poor negotiation , and historical inaccuracies , the unquestionable fiscal achiever ofPearl Harborwas a quality deterrent example of the monumental disparity often seen between critical receipt and hearing turnout .
While there was flock to criticize aboutPearl Harbor , it ’s impossible to deny its spectacular optical effects and the affectional tycoon of Hans Zimmer ’s score . Despite miserable inspection , Pearl Harborshowcased Bay as a bankable director who translate what was needed to grab viewing audience ' attention and insure fiscal winner . Pearl Harbormay keep to be a talk point when discussing lacklusterwar movies , but the box office figure do n’t dwell .
Sources : Box function figures fromThe Numbers , Telegraph , IndieWire , NPR
Flags of Our Fathers is a war film directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the book by James Bradley and Ron Powers. The movie recounts the Battle of Iwo Jima, focusing on the iconic photograph of the flag raising and the soldiers involved. Through a series of flashbacks, it delves into the personal and collective experiences of the men who became symbolic heroes, examining both their wartime actions and post-war lives.
Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller’s command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan’s brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore also star.
Set against the backdrop of war-torn France during WWI, 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a dangerous message to stop an attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk. The film uses long takes to make it appear that the entire narrative takes place over the course of two continuous shots. Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star.
This historical drama follows Benjamin Martin, a widowed farmer and veteran of the French and Indian War, who is reluctantly drawn into the American Revolutionary War when his family is threatened. The film explores themes of vengeance and redemption as Martin leads a makeshift militia while striving to protect his children.
Kingdom of Heaven is a historical epic directed by Ridley Scott. Set during the Crusades of the 12th century, the film stars Orlando Bloom as Balian, a blacksmith who becomes a knight and defender of Jerusalem. The cast includes Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson. The movie explores themes of honor, faith, and conflict in a turbulent period of history.
This epic tale of World War II tells the story of soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who are surrounded by the German army, and the dangerous operation that evacuated and saved the lives of thousands.
Troy, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2004, is a historical epic based on Homer’s Iliad. The film chronicles the legendary Trojan War, focusing on the conflict between Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, and Hector, portrayed by Eric Bana. Starring Orlando Bloom as Paris and Diane Kruger as Helen, it explores themes of honor, betrayal, and the fates of the warriors involved in the siege of Troy.
Two best friends and pilots find themselves caught in a love triangle with a dedicated nurse just as the catastrophic attack on Pearl Harbor plunges America into war. The events of December 7 dramatically change their lives, and the film tells a dramatized tale set during the event that marked the United States' entry into World War II.
