we love it when entertainment and
education go hand in hand
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
American history movies before we begin
we publish new content every day so be
sure to subscribe to our Channel and
ring the bell to get notified about our
latest videos for this list we’re taking
a look at films that focused on a
specific figure or event from American
history this includes films that
dramatized and or fictionalized some
characters the important thing is that
it captured a real American historical
Oliver Stone’s semi autobiographical
tale of a group of American infantrymen
struggling to keep their sanity among
the carnage of the Vietnam War is often
considered one of the most poignant
depictions of military combat ever put
on screen starring Charlie Sheen Tom
Berenger and Willem Dafoe not to mention
a slew of future stars the film
dominated the box office on route to
four Academy Awards including Best
Director and Best Picture
platoon strips away the romanticism that
often seeps into war films and offers up
a raw horrific look at what it was like
to fight and die in the Vietnam War what
happened today is just the beginning
number nine Selma
[Applause]
there have been no shortage of films
made about the indomitable civil rights
leader Martin Luther King jr. however
few have managed to surmise the man’s
insatiable quest for equality quite like
Selma the film focuses on the now iconic
voting rights marches that took place in
1965 on the road between Selma and
Montgomery Alabama we negotiate
demonstrate we resist nominated for
numerous awards selma benefits from
strong direction and even better acting
with david o yell ooohs portrayal of
King jr. one of the actors all-time best
Richard Roeper called the film quote an
important history lesson and we are hard
pressed to disagree number eight all the
president’s men this is Bob Woodward of
the Washington Post acting out the fall
of President Richard Nixon all the
president’s men feels less like a
feature film and more like a documentary
the film gives viewers a
behind-the-scenes look at what it was
like for intrepid reporters Carl
Bernstein and Bob Woodward as they crept
closer to uncovering the biggest
political scandal in American history
the Watergate scandal the money’s the
key to whatever this is despite its
depiction of one of America’s darkest
sagas the film manages to imbue a sense
of hope into viewers thanks to the way
it portrays the persistence of Woodward
& Bernstein
it would be nominated for eight Oscars
winning for number seven zero dark
thirty
but bin Laden is there and you’re gonna
kill him for me zero dark thirty offers
up an in-depth look at what it was like
to be tracking one of the most infamous
mass murderers in history chronicling
the manhunt for Osama bin Laden in the
decade following the September 11th
attacks the story is viewed through the
eyes of a fictional CIA analyst played
by Jessica Chastain a story device that
in no way inhibits the film’s ability to
show the world just how difficult
tracking down one man can be you can’t
run a global network of interconnected
cells from a cave a critical and
commercial success the film nevertheless
drew criticism for its depiction of
torture with
postulating that the film legitimized
its use not your friend not gonna help
you
number six Malcolm X we didn’t land on
Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock landed on us
only Spike Lee could have directed this
this 1992 biopic traces the turbulent
life of Malcolm little as he evolves
from petty criminal to one of the most
influential civil rights leaders in
American history adopting a new moniker
in the process what’s your name no
that’s the name of the slave masters in
your family Malcolm X’s life is put on
display for the entire world to see and
it makes you sympathize with a man who
was forced to do battle with everyone
from the US government to the Nation of
Islam in his quest for equality the role
would earn Denzel Washington his third
Academy Award nomination and it only
number five Gettysburg
be a good soldier you must love the army
to be a good commander you must be
willing to order the death of the thing
you love there was no shortage of
blood-soaked battles in the American
Civil War but none was as deadly as the
Battle of Gettysburg the film gives us a
frank depiction of the battle which saw
an estimated 50,000 men lose their lives
in service of their respective Flags
featuring an all-star cast that includes
Jeff Daniels Tom Berenger and Martin
Sheen Gettysburg received high praise
from critics with Roger Ebert remarking
that it’s a film quote Civil War buffs
will find indispensable the film
functions as a time capsule of sorts
helping to show audiences the dark
realities of a specific and important
moment in American history I think if we
we lose the war so if you choose to join
us
I’ll be personally very grateful number
for 12 years a slave director Steve
McQueen opted for a brutal approach in
his depiction of one of America’s
darkest periods in history shining a
light on the atrocities of slavery in a
way that’s both incredibly moving and
deeply disturbing not falling to despair
she would tell a Geoforce portrayal of
Solomon Northup a free african-american
man who’s kidnapped and sold into
slavery in the antebellum South is
nothing short of brilliant and the film
itself walked away from the 86th Academy
Awards with the Oscar for Best Picture
this is the kind of film that schools
should be showing their students so that
history never repeats itself well I
don’t want to survive number three glory
Tennessee ran away when I 12 years old
never looked back depicting one of the
first all-black military units to fight
in the American Civil War
glory follows the regiment from
beginning to end
inviting viewers to come along for the
ride as they slowly form a cohesive unit
in the face of intense and pervasive
racism I fighting this war the film was
heralded by critics with one remarking
that glory is quote a stirring and long
overdue tribute to the black soldiers
who fought for the Union cause picking
up three Academy Awards including one
for Denzel Washington glory reminds us
that the American Civil War was a
diverse multi-layered conflict far from
a whites-only event if you men will take
no pain and none of us will number two
Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was one of
America’s most celebrated presidents and
the last months of his life were rife
with drama something this Steven
Spielberg directed film expertly
demonstrates Lincoln captures the
president’s final four months in office
prior to being assassinated highlighting
his attempts to abolish slavery through
the passing of the 13th amendment
Daniel day-lewis performance received
universal acclaim and he would go on to
win both the Academy Award and Golden
Globe for Best Actor as the preacher
said I could write shorter sermons but
once I start I get too lazy to stop
cinematic depictions of seminal American
moments are Spielberg’s bread and butter
so which should come as no surprise that
he knocked this one out of the park I am
the President of the United States of
America clothed in immense power before
we unveil our number one pick here are
some honorable mentions I’m saying that
when the President does it that means
it’s not illegal number 1 Saving Private
Ryan Saving Private Ryan isn’t just a
war movie it’s the war movie it’s raw
depiction of the Normandy Beach landings
is unequaled in the annals of film
history and the camaraderie put on
display by the film’s fictional squad of
soldiers evokes and viewers of feeling
of actual brotherhood why why me why do
I deserve to go why not any of these
guys they all fought just as hard as me
a few films before or since have managed
to depict world war 2 in such a way a
tightly woven narrative that is at times
romanticism but never so much asked who
distract from the horrors of war
unsurprisingly it was an awards darling
won ultimately preserved by the United
States Library of Congress in the
National Film registry supersedes
everything
do you agree with our picks check out
these other great clips from watch mojo
and subscribe for new videos every day [Music]
education go hand in hand
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
American history movies before we begin
we publish new content every day so be
sure to subscribe to our Channel and
ring the bell to get notified about our
latest videos for this list we’re taking
a look at films that focused on a
specific figure or event from American
history this includes films that
dramatized and or fictionalized some
characters the important thing is that
it captured a real American historical
Oliver Stone’s semi autobiographical
tale of a group of American infantrymen
struggling to keep their sanity among
the carnage of the Vietnam War is often
considered one of the most poignant
depictions of military combat ever put
on screen starring Charlie Sheen Tom
Berenger and Willem Dafoe not to mention
a slew of future stars the film
dominated the box office on route to
four Academy Awards including Best
Director and Best Picture
platoon strips away the romanticism that
often seeps into war films and offers up
a raw horrific look at what it was like
to fight and die in the Vietnam War what
happened today is just the beginning
number nine Selma
[Applause]
there have been no shortage of films
made about the indomitable civil rights
leader Martin Luther King jr. however
few have managed to surmise the man’s
insatiable quest for equality quite like
Selma the film focuses on the now iconic
voting rights marches that took place in
1965 on the road between Selma and
Montgomery Alabama we negotiate
demonstrate we resist nominated for
numerous awards selma benefits from
strong direction and even better acting
with david o yell ooohs portrayal of
King jr. one of the actors all-time best
Richard Roeper called the film quote an
important history lesson and we are hard
pressed to disagree number eight all the
president’s men this is Bob Woodward of
the Washington Post acting out the fall
of President Richard Nixon all the
president’s men feels less like a
feature film and more like a documentary
the film gives viewers a
behind-the-scenes look at what it was
like for intrepid reporters Carl
Bernstein and Bob Woodward as they crept
closer to uncovering the biggest
political scandal in American history
the Watergate scandal the money’s the
key to whatever this is despite its
depiction of one of America’s darkest
sagas the film manages to imbue a sense
of hope into viewers thanks to the way
it portrays the persistence of Woodward
& Bernstein
it would be nominated for eight Oscars
winning for number seven zero dark
thirty
but bin Laden is there and you’re gonna
kill him for me zero dark thirty offers
up an in-depth look at what it was like
to be tracking one of the most infamous
mass murderers in history chronicling
the manhunt for Osama bin Laden in the
decade following the September 11th
attacks the story is viewed through the
eyes of a fictional CIA analyst played
by Jessica Chastain a story device that
in no way inhibits the film’s ability to
show the world just how difficult
tracking down one man can be you can’t
run a global network of interconnected
cells from a cave a critical and
commercial success the film nevertheless
drew criticism for its depiction of
torture with
postulating that the film legitimized
its use not your friend not gonna help
you
number six Malcolm X we didn’t land on
Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock landed on us
only Spike Lee could have directed this
this 1992 biopic traces the turbulent
life of Malcolm little as he evolves
from petty criminal to one of the most
influential civil rights leaders in
American history adopting a new moniker
in the process what’s your name no
that’s the name of the slave masters in
your family Malcolm X’s life is put on
display for the entire world to see and
it makes you sympathize with a man who
was forced to do battle with everyone
from the US government to the Nation of
Islam in his quest for equality the role
would earn Denzel Washington his third
Academy Award nomination and it only
number five Gettysburg
be a good soldier you must love the army
to be a good commander you must be
willing to order the death of the thing
you love there was no shortage of
blood-soaked battles in the American
Civil War but none was as deadly as the
Battle of Gettysburg the film gives us a
frank depiction of the battle which saw
an estimated 50,000 men lose their lives
in service of their respective Flags
featuring an all-star cast that includes
Jeff Daniels Tom Berenger and Martin
Sheen Gettysburg received high praise
from critics with Roger Ebert remarking
that it’s a film quote Civil War buffs
will find indispensable the film
functions as a time capsule of sorts
helping to show audiences the dark
realities of a specific and important
moment in American history I think if we
we lose the war so if you choose to join
us
I’ll be personally very grateful number
for 12 years a slave director Steve
McQueen opted for a brutal approach in
his depiction of one of America’s
darkest periods in history shining a
light on the atrocities of slavery in a
way that’s both incredibly moving and
deeply disturbing not falling to despair
she would tell a Geoforce portrayal of
Solomon Northup a free african-american
man who’s kidnapped and sold into
slavery in the antebellum South is
nothing short of brilliant and the film
itself walked away from the 86th Academy
Awards with the Oscar for Best Picture
this is the kind of film that schools
should be showing their students so that
history never repeats itself well I
don’t want to survive number three glory
Tennessee ran away when I 12 years old
never looked back depicting one of the
first all-black military units to fight
in the American Civil War
glory follows the regiment from
beginning to end
inviting viewers to come along for the
ride as they slowly form a cohesive unit
in the face of intense and pervasive
racism I fighting this war the film was
heralded by critics with one remarking
that glory is quote a stirring and long
overdue tribute to the black soldiers
who fought for the Union cause picking
up three Academy Awards including one
for Denzel Washington glory reminds us
that the American Civil War was a
diverse multi-layered conflict far from
a whites-only event if you men will take
no pain and none of us will number two
Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was one of
America’s most celebrated presidents and
the last months of his life were rife
with drama something this Steven
Spielberg directed film expertly
demonstrates Lincoln captures the
president’s final four months in office
prior to being assassinated highlighting
his attempts to abolish slavery through
the passing of the 13th amendment
Daniel day-lewis performance received
universal acclaim and he would go on to
win both the Academy Award and Golden
Globe for Best Actor as the preacher
said I could write shorter sermons but
once I start I get too lazy to stop
cinematic depictions of seminal American
moments are Spielberg’s bread and butter
so which should come as no surprise that
he knocked this one out of the park I am
the President of the United States of
America clothed in immense power before
we unveil our number one pick here are
some honorable mentions I’m saying that
when the President does it that means
it’s not illegal number 1 Saving Private
Ryan Saving Private Ryan isn’t just a
war movie it’s the war movie it’s raw
depiction of the Normandy Beach landings
is unequaled in the annals of film
history and the camaraderie put on
display by the film’s fictional squad of
soldiers evokes and viewers of feeling
of actual brotherhood why why me why do
I deserve to go why not any of these
guys they all fought just as hard as me
a few films before or since have managed
to depict world war 2 in such a way a
tightly woven narrative that is at times
romanticism but never so much asked who
distract from the horrors of war
unsurprisingly it was an awards darling
won ultimately preserved by the United
States Library of Congress in the
National Film registry supersedes
everything
do you agree with our picks check out
these other great clips from watch mojo
and subscribe for new videos every day [Music]
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