6 Brutal War Movies That Are Better Than 'Saving Private Ryan'

Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan became well-regarded for its raw depiction of cinematic violence when it was released in 1998. Its hyper-realistic gore and the chaotic Omaha Beach opening were so intense the VA set up a trauma hotline for veterans who experienced flashbacks.

The film remains one of the most compelling and intense war pictures, yet several others have matched or even surpassed its brutality. Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987) traces soldiers from brutal boot camp to the streets of Hue City, with Gunnery Sgt.

Hartman (R. Lee Ermey) and battlefield losses making it a heavy, memorable film. Oliver Stone's Platoon draws on his own experience to portray a fractured unit led by two opposing sergeants; Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe help make the moral collapse feel immediate.

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