This is a list of fictional feature films or miniseries which feature events of World War II in the narrative.
There is a separate list of World War II TV series.
Criteria
The film or miniseries must be concerned with World War II (or the War of Ethiopia and the Sino-Japanese War) and include events which feature as a part of the war effort. For short films, see the List of World War II short films. For documentaries, see the List of World War II documentary films and the List of Allied propaganda films of World War II.
Fictional feature films specifically pertaining to the Holocaust appear in the List of Holocaust films#Narrative films.
Common topics
Many aspects of this conflict have repeatedly been the subject of drama. These common subjects will not be linked when they appear in the film descriptions below:
Europe
Adolf Hitler, Nazi Party and Nazism
National Socialist Germany (Third Reich) Benito Mussolini and Fascism Kingdom of Italy (and Fascist Italy) and Italian Social Republic Death camps, Nazi concentration camps, earlier concentration camps Partition and occupation of Poland and Polish resistance Occupied France, Vichy France and French Resistance Occupied Norway The Holocaust
Asia–Pacific
Emperor Shōwa and Imperialism
Empire of Japan (Japanese Imperial) Non-geographical POW
Films made during the War of Ethiopia and the Sino-Japanese War
Before the Second World War explicitly began with the Nazi German, then later Soviet (Russian) invasions of Poland in September 1939, Germany had already absorbed Austria in the Anschluß of 1938, then the Czechoslovakian lands of Bohemia and Moravia. Meanwhile, Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union were involved in the Spanish Civil War, (1936–1939), and Italy had conquered Ethiopia (1935–1936) and Albania (1939). China had been fighting against Japan since the 1931 invasion of their northeastern province of Manchuria in a war that completely opened in 1937, called the Second Sino-Japanese War, until Japan attacked the U.S.A. at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. then the British Empire and the Dutch East Indies colonial possessions also in December 1941.
1936
1937
1938
Films made during the Second World War
Note: Soviet films are in Russian and originate in the Russian SFSR, unless otherwise noted.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
Late 1940s
Films made during the Cold War
Early 1950s
Late 1950s
Early 1960s
Late 1960s
Early 1970s
Late 1970s
Early 1980s
Late 1980s
Films made since the Cold War
Early 1990s
Late 1990s
Early 2000s
Late 2000s
{ { Main|List of World War II films since 1990#Late 2000s|l1=Late 2008
Early 2010s
Late 2010s
Early 2020s
In development
Science fiction, fantasy and horror
TV series
Dramatised documentaries
A dramatised documentary is a documentary film which includes dramatised scenes using actors in costume. This format is distinct from a docudrama, which is a fully dramatised fact-based fictional work in a documentary style.
Spanish Civil War
In the Spanish Civil War, the Nationalists (the rebel side) are supported by Mussolini's Italy, Hitler's Germany, and a small number of international rightist volunteers. The Republicans (government side) are supported by Stalin's Soviet Union and a large number of leftist volunteers, the International Brigades.
The Nationalists under Francisco Franco win.
During World War II, Franco remains neutral – so Gibraltar is never overrun – but nevertheless he sends the Blue Division to fight for Germany on the Eastern Front.
For films about the Blue Division, see the List of World War II films since 1950.
See also
List of World War II short films
List of World War II documentary films
List of Allied propaganda films of World War II
List of Holocaust films
List of films based on war books – includes World War II section
List of partisan films – films about World War II in Yugoslavia
Of related interest
List of World War II video games
Notes
This English language title is a literal translation from its original foreign language title.This title should always be replaced by an English language release title when that information becomes available.