Children in War Movies: A List
In this post I would like to focus on war movies in which children have leading roles and are not just supporting actors like in The Hurt Locker to name but one example.
There are many movies whose sole focus are children. They come from different countries, show different conflicts and times but they have one thing in common: they are all good, very good or outstanding. This is quite remarkable. It is as if those film directors who aim for entertainment only would shy away from showing children in war movies. All the movies listed below are very different in tone. Some are light and almost playful, like Hope and Glory, some are depressing and raw like Come and See, others have the quality of a fairytale like Pan´s Labyrinth.
I am sure my list is not exhaustive. If you know of any others, let me know. I will try and review most of them in later posts, like I already did with Hope and Glory (see post), Welcome to Sarajevo (link to post), The Children of Huang Shi (see post) and Savior (see post). I am stating the name and the year and country in brackets. The conflict and where the war takes place follow behind. I did include a few movies with teenagers in it like The Bridge or Napola, but most of the others focus on much smaller children. I did also include Savior as the newborn is central to the story.
I am sure you will discover many you did not know yet as I did.
The Drum (GB, 1938): India
Mrs Miniver (US 1942): WWII, British Homefront
Since You Went Away (US, 1944): WWII, American Homefront (here is my review)
Roma, Città Aperta aka Rome, Open City (Italy, 1945): WWII, Italy
Kim (US, 1950): India
Forbidden Games aka Jeux interdits (1952, France): WWII, France
The Bridge aka Die Brücke (1959, Germany): WWII, Germany
Two Women aka La ciociara (1960, Italy/France): WWII, Italy
Ivan’s Childhood aka Ivanovo detstvo (1962, Soviet Union): WWII, Russia
Hornet´s Nest (1970, USA): WWII, Italy
Lacombe Lucien (1974, France): WWII, France
The Tin Drum aka Die Blechtrommel (Germany, 1979): WWII, Germany
Hope and Glory (1987, UK): WWII, Blitz (Here is my review)
Empire of the Sun (1987, USA) : Chinese-Japanese War WWII
Au-revoir les enfants aka Goodbye, Children (1987, France/Germany): WWII, Holocaust,France
Grave of the Fireflies aka Hotaru no haka (1988, Japan): WWII, Japan. Anime. (See my post)
Europa, Europa aka Hitlerjunge Salomon (1990 Germany/France/Poland): WWII, Germany (See my review)
Come and See aka Idi i smotri(1985, Soviet Union): WWII, Byelorussia
The Ogre aka Der Unhold (1996, France/Germany/UK): WWII, Nazi Germany
Welcome to Sarajevo (1997, USA) : Bosnia
Life is beautiful aka La vita è bella (1997, Italy): WWII, Holocaust (see post on La vita è bella)
Savior (1998, USA ): Bosnia
Silent Night (2002, USA): WWII, Germany (see my post on Silent Night)
Innocent Voices aka Voces inocentes (2004, Mexico/USA/Puerto Rico): El Salvador (see my post on Innocent Voices)
Turtles can fly aka Lakposhtha parvaz mikonand (2004, Iran/France/Iraq): Iraq
Before the Fall aka Napola (2004, Germany): WWII, Germany (see my review of NaPola)
Pan´s Labyrinth aka El laberinto del fauno (2006, Spain): WWII Franco´s Spain
Under the Bombs aka Sous les Bombes (2007, France/Lebanon): 2006, Lebanon (see my review of Under the Bombs)
Miracle at St. Anna (2008, US): WWII, Italy (here is my review)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008, UK/USA): WWII, Holocaust (see my review)
Escape from Huang Shi aka The Children of Huang Shi (2008, Australia, China, Germany, USA): Japanese occupation of China
Winter in Wartime aka Oorlogswinter (2008, Netherlans, Belgium): WWII, occupied Hollad in Winter, 1945 (here is the link to my post)
The Fortress of War aka Brestskaya krepost (2010, Russia): WWII, Russia 1941. Germans attack the Brest Fortress (here is the link to my post).
The Round-Up – La Rafle (2010, FR/GE/HU): WWII, Paris, the round-up of 13000 Jews in the Vel d’Hiv (here is my review)
This list is being updated regularly.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) or An unusual look at the Holocaust « All About War Movies said,
September 13, 2010 at 6:31 am
[...] See also Children in War Movies: A List [...]
Winter in Wartime aka Oorlogswinter (2008) Resistance in Occupied Holland « All About War Movies said,
September 24, 2010 at 7:33 pm
[...] Winter in Wartime is a Dutch-Belgian co-production filmed in three languages, German, Dutch and English. The same producers who did the outstanding movie Zwart Boek aka Black Book did also this one. There are some resemblances picture wise but apart from that the two movies are very different. Winter in Wartime is to be classified among the long list of Children in War Movies (please see my post Children in War Movies). [...]
warmoviebuff said,
September 25, 2010 at 6:30 am
Love the topic. Don’t recognize many of the movies, however. I was looking through my list of the Top 100 and amazingly could not think of any that have important child characters.
allaboutwarmovies said,
September 25, 2010 at 6:54 am
I think the list is heavy on US productions. Empire of the Sun could be on it, no? However it is not unanimously considered to be good I have even read reviews that call it bad. I have to rewatch that one.
warmoviebuff said,
September 25, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Not only is “Empire” not on the list, but even “Hope and Glory” did not make it. Hope is a much better movie and the best kid war movie I have seen.
allaboutwarmovies said,
September 26, 2010 at 6:14 am
It is absolutely brilliant. But there are many on my list that are good and definitely all of them better than Empire of the Sun.
The Ogre aka Der Unhold (1996) or Nazism, Symbolism and the Erlking « All About War Movies said,
September 28, 2010 at 7:17 pm
[...] Other war movies with children as main characters can be found on my list Children in War Movies. [...]
NaPolA Elite für den Führer aka Before the Fall (2004) Looking into the Mechanics of Black Pedagogy « All About War Movies said,
October 6, 2010 at 7:35 pm
[...] Further war movies with children or young people can be found on my list Children in War Movies. [...]
La vita è bella aka Life is Beautiful (1997) A Thought-Provoking Italian Holocaust Movie « All About War Movies said,
October 25, 2010 at 7:37 pm
[...] La vita è bella is a very unusual movie that you will hardly ever forget should you watch it. It is touching, at times funny, tragic and sentimental. It shows one man’s attempt to protect his child from the horrors of the concentration camp and how he fails in the end. It is one of the movies on my Children in War Movies List. [...]
10 German War Movies You Must See Before you Die « All About War Movies said,
October 26, 2010 at 7:00 pm
[...] Die Brücke aka The Bridge (1959): WWII, Germany. One of the best anti-war films ever. Shows how senseless some orders are. Young people fight for a bridge although the war can´t be won anymore. It is one of the movies on my list Children in War Movies. [...]
Jon said,
November 23, 2010 at 4:21 am
Ivan’s Childhood?
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 23, 2010 at 6:23 am
You are absolutely right! Will have to include it as soon as I get a chance. Tend to forget it when thinking of Tarkovskiy’s movies. Thanks.
Silent Night (2002) Christmas in War Movies I « All About War Movies said,
December 4, 2010 at 7:52 pm
[...] Die10 Vietnam War Movies You Must See Before You DieMongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan (2007) Children in War Movies: A ListBravo Two Zero (1999) British SAS Patrol Behind Enemy LinesThe Way To the Stars aka Johnny in the [...]
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December 8, 2010 at 1:06 am
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allaboutwarmovies said,
December 8, 2010 at 6:29 am
Well thanks, that would great.
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December 10, 2010 at 10:51 am
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allaboutwarmovies said,
December 10, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Thanks a lot, that’s kind of you.
historia gospodarcza ściągi said,
December 14, 2010 at 12:56 pm
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allaboutwarmovies said,
December 14, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Thanks, I am glad you like it.
Jordan said,
December 18, 2010 at 3:02 am
I’ve been looking for this movie featuring a boy in WWII. All I remember is this:
the young boy, armed with a whip, helps and young man against german soldiers. At the end of the movie they escape on a motorcycle, but the boy gets shot while driving away.
Do you know what movie im talking about? Thanks!
allaboutwarmovies said,
December 18, 2010 at 7:34 am
I will have to investigate some more. Just right now, nothing comes to mind. Was it an American movie (just to narrow it down a bit)? Should I find anything, I will send you an e-mail.
Voces Inocentes aka Innocent Voices (2004) Children as Soldiers in the Civil War in El Salvador « All About War Movies said,
January 30, 2011 at 7:44 pm
[...] awesome and as good as Army of Crime about which I raved last year. It is one of the movies on my Children in War Movies List and a s such worth watching in any [...]
Roma, Città Aperta aka Rome, Open City (1945) Roberto Rossellini’s Neorealist Masterpiece « All About War Movies said,
March 24, 2011 at 6:27 pm
[...] the most important movies of European film making. Furthermore it’s another one on my list Children in War Movies as children play an important [...]
Spike Lee’s Miracle at St.Anna (2008) « All About War Movies said,
April 17, 2011 at 8:21 pm
[...] at St. Anna is also part of the Children in War Movies List and African-American Soldiers in war [...]
Under the Bombs aka Sous les Bombes (2007) A French/Lebanese Movie on the War in Lebanon « All About War Movies said,
May 24, 2011 at 7:14 pm
[...] I also included in on my Children in War Movies List. [...]
Europa Europa (1990) The Story of a Jewish Boy Hiding Among Nazis « All About War Movies said,
July 9, 2011 at 5:59 pm
[...] Europa, Europa is part of the Children in War Movies List [...]
Crooked Mick said,
August 17, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Other possibilities depending upon your criteria …
“The Drum”
“Kim”
“The TIn Drum”
“A Generation” (teenagers rather than children)
“Two Women”
“Lacombe Lucien” (teenager rather than a chid)
Home Front
“Since You Went Away”
“Mrs Miniver”
allaboutwarmovies said,
August 17, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Thanks a lot, they will be included, I need some time though, probably on the weekend.
I wasn’t too sure about including teenagers but ended up doing it. I guess, why not. Give or take a few years doesn’t matter. they were still young and unexperienced.
Upeksha said,
August 24, 2011 at 9:09 am
hi!
My favarite movie is “The Boy In The Striped Pajamas 2008″ Just see how it is
Upeksha said,
August 24, 2011 at 9:10 am
sorry; It’s in the list. I didn’t see
upeksha
allaboutwarmovies said,
August 24, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Don’t worry and thanks for the comment, I always enjoy hearing what others like.
Fortress of War aka Brestskaya krepost (2010) or The Best War Movie in 20 Years? « All About War Movies said,
September 3, 2011 at 6:47 pm
[...] Fortress of War does belong on the Children in War Movies: A List. [...]
Since You Went Away (1944) A Tale of the American Homefront « All About War Movies said,
November 12, 2011 at 8:49 pm
[...] included the movie on my Children in War Movies List after Crooked Mick pointed out that it belonged [...]
tanka said,
January 20, 2012 at 8:17 am
Great list. Can anybody identify a close to post WW2 Russian (I think) movie about an orphanage and some German youth soldiers living in the forest close by? Two Russian soldiers show up to assess what goes on, and they try to bring the kids (werewolves?) in to the orphanage. It’s a great movie and it was on youtube, but it’s gone and I can’t find it! Help please!
allaboutwarmovies said,
January 20, 2012 at 10:07 am
Thank, Tanka, glad you like the list.
I don’t think I knw that movie. Is it rather a war or a horror movie set during war? That might help to find out.
tanka said,
January 22, 2012 at 8:02 am
Thanks allabout. No it wasn’t a horror movie. The teenage boys who refused to surrender after Germany fell were referred to as werewolves. They hid in forests and tried to ambush allied forces whenever possible. Real little hard heads. It was on youtube a few months ago. Thanks for responding!
btw a good WW2 horror movie: Slaughterhouse 5 … pretty scary.
allaboutwarmovies said,
January 22, 2012 at 8:18 am
You are welcome.
It wasn’t Come and See?
Mpumelelo said,
April 30, 2012 at 7:54 am
cant find the best movie yet, and its called the honestnes. A goog world war movie with kids that are running, and takking care of themself. I hope someone has it, and I would love to c it one more time.
allaboutwarmovies said,
April 30, 2012 at 8:07 am
I’m not sure at all. Do you remember anything more? Was it an American movie, WWII? Old, new? Maybe someone knows it.
The Round Up – La Rafle (2010) – Operation Spring Breeze or The Round Up of Vel d’Hiv « All About War Movies said,
May 1, 2012 at 4:40 pm
[...] the movie. Considering how excellent the rest is, this is a minor fault. I added The Round-Up to my Children in War Movies List. It’s an excellent [...]
trollru said,
May 6, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Hi there:Iam looking for the title of a shortmovie. A boy is whatcing thrue a fence, a german soldier throving gascylinders into the gaschambers. The soldier watch the boy every day and he ends up killing him,but the day after a new boy is watching. Do anybody know. pleace mail. trollru@yahoo.dk
allaboutwarmovies said,
May 6, 2012 at 8:51 pm
I don’t think I’ve seen it but I can try and find out. If I know something, I’ll write you a mail.
trollru said,
May 7, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Hi again It is a american movie, one of the boys is a vel known actor, and there are no dialog in the movie. Thankyou for trying .Dearest Trollru
allaboutwarmovies said,
May 7, 2012 at 6:55 pm
It is quite difficult but I’m going to ask a few people, maybe they know. I’m not giving up yet.