Lone Survivor
William Wyler’sMrs . Miniverrecently celebrated its eightieth anniversary . A critically lauded work that took home the Academy Award for Best Picture , Wyler ’s film also managed to be the highest - grossing film of its various year . However , not all war movies assemble this same fate , as realise in the font of John Woo’sWindtalkers , when looking atBox Office Mojodata .
Looking at the boxful bureau take aim of real - human beings history - base war flick mean excluding musical genre - mix classics likeThe Empire Strikes BackandEdge of Tomorrow . steel and sandal epics likeGladiatorandBen - Hurare also excluded here , which can be moot improper war films in their own right field .
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987): $124 Million
Barry Levinson’sGood Morning , Vietnamis a remarkable film almost entirely fuel by the late Robin Williams at the absolute top of his motormouthed game . Vietnamhas the tone of fighting - driven film such asApocalypse Now , but of course on a much diminished scale . Williams ' Adrian Cronauer is far more than an ( admittedly quite gifted ) disc jockey … he ’s the Leslie Townes Hope for fighting workforce to see the opportunity for light at the end of the tunnel .
The NumbersputsGood Morning , Vietnam ’s budget at $ 13 million , which is a public figure it earned almost 10 times over ( according toBox Office Mojo ) . It was one of the liberal hit of the dearly missed Williams ' career and still serves as the authoritative model of his witty , heartfelt natural endowment .
Platoon (1986): $138.5 Million
Oliver Stone’sPlatoonis one of the definitive Vietnam War films , and it put viewers right in the boots of soldiers in a way arguably as telling and capsulise asApocalypse Now . The motion picture also boasts a Charlie Sheen performance that proves he was always more than a tabloid headline , as he more than competently carries the moving picture despite being wall by equally telling performances from Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger .
Box Office Mojoputs the budget for Stone ’s superstar - studded gut - slug of a war film at just $ 6 million . By the time it left theatre of operations , Platoonhad clear 23 times the toll to make it . ingredient in its Academy Award for Best Picture ( and three other Oscars , including for Stone ) and the photographic film is one of the 1980s ' heavy cinematic success .
Lone Survivor (2013): $154.8 Million
Peter Berg’sLone Survivorhad a circumscribed spill on Christmas Day 2013 so it could be eligible for impend Oscar considerateness , but it was n’t much of a prestige film so much as it was an action - labor picture . The tragical write up of Marcus Luttrell and his mostly ill - fated squad is conveyed gut - wrenchingly , but it skew closer toMissing in Actionthan it doesApocalypse Now .
Lone Survivordebuted in previous 2013 , but it did n’t go astray until January 2014 and , when it did , Berg ’s film owned the month . It was a huge hit , tripling its $ 40 million budget in the domesticated market alone ( perBox Office Mojo ) , make its $ 29 million international 144 all boom .
Black Hawk Down (2001): $173 Million
One ofEwan McGregor ’s best moviesjust as it ’s one of director Ridley Scott’s , Black Hawk Downis an up close and personal look at combat in the midst of chaos . The plot follows a mathematical group of U.S. soldier ( almost all of whom are A - leaning performers ) sent into Mogadishu to dismantle the Somalian government .
For an early - cipher war moving-picture show , a $ 92 million budget ( perBox Office Mojo ) is far from desirable of a mockery . Even still , the film managed to beat that routine with a $ 108.6 million domesticated gross . While that ’s everyday , as is its $ 64.4 million outside gross , Black Hawk Downhas long been a staple fibre of television set and a high marketer on the home media market
The Patriot (2000): $215.3 Million
Roland Emmerich’sThe Patriotplayed pretty tight and loose with the account of the American Revolution . But it ’s also a good fun movie that also serves as a staring early null cinema timepiece . Mel Gibson give a commanding public presentation as Benjamin Martin , a gentleman fight down for the future of his family , while Heath Ledger give him more than capable supporting study as his Word , Gabriel . But it ’s Jason Isaacs ' Col . William Tavington who runs away with the movie in a scenery - gnashing performance .
Emmerich ’s film did n’t just go like gangbusters at the domesticated box office ( $ 113.3 according toBox Office Mojo ) look at it had a $ 110 million budget , but it ended up being such a keystone on cable television that there ’s little dubiousness every adult viewer in America has see at least one scene of the flick .
1917 (2019): $384.9 Million
Sam Mendes went to the year1917to William Tell one of his best stories yet , and the nail - burn tempo keeps the audience invested , whether there ’s gunfire or not . Furthermore , the film is bolster by really masterly behind - the - shot work across the panel , and the splendidly seize shooting of George MacKay sprinting across a field under open fire is perhaps the good scene of 2022 cinema .
1917’sBox Office Mojo - reported budget of $ 95 million does n’t hold a cd to director Mendes ' two James Bond adventures , but it ’s still a fairly substantial figure for a movie without any major lead in lead roles . But the investing was worth it , as1917pulled in an impressive $ 159.2 million in domestic markets and another $ 225.7 million internationally .
Pearl Harbor (2001): $449.2 Million
Michael Bay’sPearl Harboris reasonably far from the best ( or most historically exact ) state of war film , but it made a mint at the box office , mostly courtesy of the all - star cast include Ben Affleck , Josh Hartnett , and Kate Beckinsale , who were undoubtedly at the height of their star business leader .
Bay rarely makes a movie influence with a budget less than nine figures , andPearl Harborwas no different , as it sum up a sinewy budget of $ 140 million ( perBox Office Mojo ) . disregarding of the ruined Cartesian product ’s tone as a film , it ’s visually stunning , which was conveyed well in its marketing materials helping the movie to treble its output budget .
Saving Private Ryan (1998): $482.3 Million
carry through secret Ryanis an impeccably crafted body of work that manages to be in truth gasp - have even closely 25 years later . Starting with the notorious and painstakingly realized D - Day scene , the flick never really lets up , with visceral stimuli smacking the audience either in the form of army tank case or constitutive lineament revelation .
Spielberg ’s late-’90s masterpiece spread out to $ 30 million in the United States on a small budget of $ 70 million ( considering the film ’s stunning visuals ) , and then it confine . By the time it entrust field of operations , Saving Private Ryanhad earned $ 217 million domestically ( perBox Office Mojo ) and another $ 265.3 million from outside markets .
Dunkirk (2017): $527 Million
Christopher Nolan had tackle colored mysteries and superhero films , butDunkirkmarked his first foray into the war genre , and it was a success across the board . Alongside an Academy Award nominating address for Best Picture , Dunkirknetted Nolan his first Best Director nom . It was all deserved , as the film was a tightly - constructed and nonrational experience with phenomenal editing and an aid - holding score by frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer .
Nolan ’s films always fall with a high damage rag , makingDunkirk ’s $ 100 million budget relatively humble in compare . Dunkirkis also like to Nolan ’s other work in that it was a bang , as the film grade over five time its production budget worldwide harmonize toBox Office Mojo .
American Sniper (2014): $547.4 Million
Perhaps it was the time in which it was issue or the participation of Bradley Cooper in a perfect role but , either way , the 2014 filmAmerican Sniperwill always put up as one of the biggest financial successes of Eastwood ’s career . The film open up in modified exit on Christmas Day but netted most of its money in 2015 . It animate the typically slow January loge position in a major room , opening to a jaw - dropping $ 107 million ( perBox Office Mojo ) before souse by modest percentages in subsequent weekend of full spill , making it somewhat of a dad - culture juggernaut .
American Sniperwas the big domestic box seat government agency success of 2014 , a class that also saw the release of aHunger Gamesinstallment . On a budget of just $ 58.8 million , the photographic film mark a astonishing $ 350.2 million budget from U.S. theaters and even net a respectable $ 197.3 million from oversea venues .
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