Historical war films remain a powerful way to revisit key moments in the past. Though less dominant than they once were, they still attract wide audiences and often feature big budgets, famous casts, and carefully crafted battle scenes.
Many perform strongly at the global box office. In recent years, foreign productions have even topped global earnings charts. World War II stories continue to be popular, with modern war films praised for their cinematography, direction, and gripping storytelling. Box Office Mojo, an IMDb website that tracks film earnings, ranked war films that have earned the most from ticket sales.
At the top of the list was the Chinese film The Battle at Lake Changjin, which follows two brothers fighting with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army during the Korean War. Despite harsh conditions, they push against American Marines.
The film grossed roughly £740 million worldwide, mostly from Chinese audiences, making it the country’s most expensive and highest-earning film. Reviews were mixed – praised for scale but criticised for historical inaccuracies and seen by some as propaganda – though it portrays American soldiers with some sympathy.
Next came The Battle at Lake Changjin II (Water Gate Bridge), where the Chinese forces are sent to destroy the Sumun Bridge and block American reinforcements. It earned about £500 million worldwide, again directed by Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, and Dante Lam.
Though not as profitable as the first film, it was still the top-earning film of 2022. Reviews were slightly more positive, but like the original, it was released to mark the Chinese Communist Party’s centenary and has faced criticism for historical inaccuracies and its propagandistic tone.
Tird place was taken by another Chinese film. Set during a fictionalised version of the Yemeni Civil War, Operation Red Sea follows a People’s Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps task force on a dangerous mission to evacuate civilians from the Republic of Ihwea.
The story also tracks a journalist uncovering a terrorist plot. The film earned about £460 million worldwide, almost all from China, and was made as a celebration of the Chinese military. Though less successful internationally, it won several Asian film awards and is often compared to Wolf Warrior 2 and the American war film Black Hawk Down.
Surprisingly, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan now ranks only sixth among the highest-grossing war films, although when it was released in 1998, it was the top earner in the genre.
The film follows Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) as he leads a mission to find and rescue Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) after the D-Day landings. Known for its harrowing Omaha Beach sequence, it remains one of the most realistic and acclaimed depictions of war ever made.
