Despite what some war movies will have you believe, war is not cinematic and organized, it is a brutal, messy business. That feeling shines through in this film, which gives audiences a glimpse into the horrifying reality of World War II as seen by a Belarusian whose village is massacred.
It was important to director Elem Klimov to show the true story behind Russia’s involvement in the Second World War. Historians gave the film high marks for its honest portrayal of death camps, resistance fighters, and difficult emotions.
The Martian – Honorable Mention
So, we get what you are thinking, and you are right, The Martian has clearly not happened... at least not yet. The film, based on the novel by Andy Weir, tells the story of an astronaut who is left behind on Mars when a mission goes wrong and must survive on that inhospitable planet alone until he can be rescued.
We do believe that this film belongs on this list, because although the story is completely fictional, the science behind it is not. NASA experts and engineers were involved with the story from day one, explaining exactly how they would deal with the situation if it arose.
Milk
Director Gus Van Sant directed the 2008 biopic about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California history, with accuracy in mind. He used Milk’s own recorded oral history as voice-overs in the film, the production worked closely with LGBT activist Cleve Jones who was close to Milk, and writer Dustin Lance Black.
The film uses a lot of archive footage and most of it was shot on location in San Francisco, the crew even recreated Milk’s Castro Camera store by using old photos and consulting with his friends.
Munich
The film "Munich" is a historical drama, directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Vengeance, which tells the story of the Israeli government's secret retaliation against the PLO that was a response to the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Spielberg attempted to make the depiction of the hostage-taking and killing of the Israeli athletes historically accurate and the film uses actual news clips shot while the hostage situation was taking place. The deaths of the members of Black September also stick mostly to the facts.
Miracle
If you love sports movies and have missed this one, you should watch "Miracle" on your next movie night. The film tells the story of the United States men’s hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, as they take on the favored Soviet team in the semifinals.
It’s a true underdog story and the match has since become known as the “Miracle on Ice.” Director Gavin O’Connor mixed actual footage from the match into the film in such a way that it is almost impossible to tell which is which.