War movies remain one of the most popular genres in cinema, offering audiences a blend of action, drama, and historical context. One of the many reasons the genre has gained an increasing number of audiences is that war movies not only depict battles but also explore the human cost of war and the resilience of the human spirit. With the genre having thrived for over a century, war movies have become some of Hollywood’s biggest box office earners.
This doesn’t only include the popular Oscar-winning films, such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Schindler’s List (1993), Braveheart (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), or Inglourious Basterds (2009). Decades ago, several war movies dominated the Box Office in their release year, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Here are eight war movies that became the highest-grossing films of the year.
1. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
Production Budget: $800,000–$1 Million
The Rex Ingram-directed silent epic war film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is largely considered one of the earliest anti-war films. It is one of MGM’s (although then known as Metro Pictures) earliest major hits. The movie is best remembered for making Italian actor Rudolph Valentino a superstar.
The film’s plot follows Julio Desnoyers (Valentino), a wealthy Argentine playboy, as he moves to Paris before the outbreak of World War I. When the Great War breaks out, the lives of his family members, who are divided between French and German allegiances, are torn apart by the conflict. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse grossed over $9 million after its theatrical run, finishing as the highest-grossing film of 1921.
2. The Big Parade (1925)
Production Budget: $382,000
The Big Parade (1925) is one of the most famous and influential silent war movies ever made. It tells the story of an ordinary young man who experiences the harsh realities of World War I, moving from innocence to disillusionment. Born into a wealthy family, Jim Apperson (John Gilbert), a carefree American, enlists in the army when the United States enters the war. At first, he treats military service like an adventure and enjoys the camaraderie with fellow soldiers.
However, he falls in love with a French farm girl while stationed in Champillon, Marne. The Big Parade became a landmark in cinema history because it was one of the first major films to depict war with realism rather than glorification. The Big Parade grossed $18–$22 million in worldwide rentals, becoming one of the most successful silent films ever made and the highest-grossing film of 1925. It was selected in 1992 for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
3. Wings (1927)
Production Budget: $2 Million
The 1927 war film Wings is another landmark movie in cinema history. It is often remembered as the first movie to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture (then called Outstanding Picture) in 1929. The silent war epic is set during World War I and is also famous for its groundbreaking aerial combat sequences.
The story follows Jack Powell (Charles “Buddy” Rogers) and David Armstrong (Richard Arlen), two young men from the same small town who enlist as fighter pilots in the U.S. military. Although they’re initially rivals, partly because they seek the affection of local beauty Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston), they eventually develop a deep bond while serving together in the war. The movie is also preserved in the National Film Registry, after being selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 1997.
4. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Production Budget: $1.2 Million
The groundbreaking war film All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) was adapted from German novelist Erich Maria Remarque‘s 1929 novel. The film follows the story of a young German student, Paul Bäumer (Lew Ayres), and his classmates, who are persuaded by Professor Kantorek (Arnold Lucy) to enlist in the German Army during World War I. At first, they’re filled with enthusiasm and a sense of duty. However, the brutal reality of the battlefield quickly destroys their romantic illusions of war. Unsurprisingly, All Quiet on the Western Front was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1990. The movie earned $3 million at the box office from worldwide rentals.
5. Sergeant York (1941)
Production Budget: $1.7 Million
Sergeant York (1941) is a biographical war movie based on the true story of Alvin C. York, set during World War I. Actor Gary Cooper portrayed York, a poor Tennessee farmer who became one of America’s most decorated soldiers. Sergeant York is both a war drama and a character study. It emphasized York’s internal conflict between faith and war, his humble roots, and his reluctant but heroic rise to national fame. With Box Office earnings of $8.3 million, Sergeant York became the highest-grossing film of 1941. Sergeant York was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2008.
6. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Production Budget: $3 Million
For Whom the Bell Tolls is an epic war romance film based on Ernest Hemingway‘s 1940 novel. The movie is set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Its plot follows Robert Jordan (Gary Cooper), an American dynamiter who joins a band of anti-fascist guerrilla fighters in Spain. His mission is to blow up a strategic bridge to aid a larger Republican offensive. While planning the mission, Jordan meets María (Ingrid Bergman), a young woman traumatized by the violence of war. Their unexpected love story becomes central to the film’s narrative. For Whom the Bell Tolls ended the year 1943 as the highest-grossing film with Box Office earnings of $17.8 million.
7. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Production Budget: $2.8 Million
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is one of the most iconic war movies ever made. Starring Alec Guinness, the film is set during World War II and follows British prisoners of war captured by the Japanese in Burma. They are ordered to build a railway bridge over the River Kwai, which is intended to be a key supply route for Japanese forces.
The movie isn’t just about the physical bridge but also about the psychological bridge between survival, loyalty, and moral compromise. Besides winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture, The Bridge on the River Kwai became the highest-grossing film of 1957, with $30.6 million in Box Office earnings. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1997.
8. The Longest Day (1962)
Production Budget: $7.75 Million
The Longest Day is a World War II epic that tells the story of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The film depicts the planning, execution, and chaos of the operation from multiple perspectives, including those of the American, British, French, and German forces. One of the things that set The Longest Day apart from other war movies was its ensemble cast of international stars.
Shot in black and white, The Longest Day carries the feel of a documentary at times, while still delivering the spectacle of a Hollywood war drama. The movie was a Box Office hit, grossing $50.1 million to become the highest-grossing film of 1962. Receiving five Academy Award nominations and winning two, The Longest Day is still considered one of the most ambitious war movies ever made.
Follow Us
