20 best movies like John Rabe (2009)

List of the best movies like John Rabe (2009): Little Dieter Needs to Fly, The Divide, Rommel, Korczak, A Woman in Berlin, Hacksaw Ridge, The Flowers of War, Katyn, Purple Butterfly, Shooting Dogs.

Tags: movies similar to John Rabe (2009) - full list

Markimdb: 8
Genredrama, documentary, military, biography
CountryGermany, United Kingdom, France
Duration01:20

In 1966, Dieter Dengler was shot down over Laos, captured, and, down to 85 pounds, escaped. Barefoot, surviving monsoons, leeches, and machete-wielding villagers, he was rescued. Now, near 60, living on Mt. Tamalpais, Dengler tells his story: a German lad surviving Allied bombings in World War II, postwar poverty, apprenticed to a smith, beaten regularly. At 18, he emigrates and peels potatoes in the U.S. Air Force. He leaves for California and college, then enlistment in the Navy to learn to fly. A quiet man of sorrows tells his story: war, capture, harrowing conditions, escape, and miraculous rescue. Where did he find the strength; how does he now live with his memories?

Markimdb: 5.8
Genrehorror, fantastic, fantastic, thriller, thriller, drama, drama
CountryUSA, Germany, Canada, France
Duration02:02

Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genreaction, drama, military, biography, history
CountryGermany, France, Austria
Duration02:00

The story of the final seven months in the life of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama, military, biography, history
CountryPoland, Germany, United Kingdom

The story of Polish pedagogue Janusz Korczak and his dedication to protecting Jewish orphans during the war.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama, military, biography, history
CountryGermany, Poland
Duration02:11

A nameless woman keeps a diary as the Russians invade Berlin in the spring of 1945. She is in her early 30s, a patriotic journalist with international credentials; her husband, Gerd, a writer, is an officer at the Russian front. She speaks Russian and, for a day or two after the invasion, keeps herself safe, but then the rapes begin. She resolves to control her fate

Markimdb: 8.1
Genredrama, military, biography, history
CountryAustralia, USA
Duration02:29

    WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genreaction, drama, military, history
    CountryChina, Hong Kong
    Duration02:26

    A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryPoland
    Duration01:59

    An examination of the Soviet slaughter of thousands of Polish officers and citizens in the Katyn forest in 1940.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryChina, France
    Duration02:07

    Ding Hui is a member of Purple Butterfly, a powerful resistance group in Japanese occupied Shanghai. An unexpected encounter reunites her with Itami, an ex-lover... and officer with a secret police unit tasked with dismantling Purple Butterfly.

    Markimdb: 7.7
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryUnited Kingdom, Germany
    Duration01:55

    Two westerners, a priest and a teacher find themselves in the middle of the Rwandan genocide and face a moral dilemna. Do they place themselves in danger and protect the refugees, or escape the country with their lives? Based on a true story.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryGermany, France, Poland
    Duration01:52

    A Jewish boy separated from his family in the early days of WWII poses as a German orphan and is taken into the heart of the Nazi world as a 'war hero' and eventually becomes a Hitler Youth.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genredrama, military, biography, history
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:10

    The film portrays MacArthur's (Gregory Peck) life from 1942, before the Battle of Bataan, to 1952, the time after he had been removed from his Korean War command by President Truman (Ed Flanders) for insubordination, and is recounted in flashback as he visits West Point.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genredrama, military, biography, history
    CountryUSA, United Kingdom
    Duration01:36

    The historical recreation of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which Nazi and SS leaders gathered in a Berlin suburb to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". Lead by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich, this group of high ranking German officials came to the historic and far reaching decision that the Jews of Europe were to be exterminated in what would come to be known as the Holocaust.

    Markimdb: 7.7
    Genreaction, drama, military, history
    CountryChina, Hong Kong
    Duration02:13

    City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of several weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genredrama, military, biography, history
    CountryNetherlands

    In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Walter Süskind is a member of the Dutch Jewish Council who rescues hundreds of children from the concentration camps.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genremilitary, biography, history
    CountryUSA

    The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded together to save 250,000. Nanking shows the tremendous impact individuals can make on the course of history.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryFrance, Germany, Hungary
    Duration01:55

    Joseph is eleven. And this June morning, he must go to school, a yellow star sown on his chest. He receives the support of a goods dealer. The mockery of a baker. Between kindness and contempt, Jo, his Jewish friends, their families, learn of life in an occupied Paris, on the Butte Montmartre, where they've taken shelter. At least that's what they think, until that morning on July 16th 1942, when their fragile happiness is toppled over.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:18

    In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genredrama, military
    CountryIsrael, France, Germany, United Kingdom
    Duration01:33

    During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

    Markimdb: 5.6
    Genreaction, melodrama, drama, adventure, military, biography, history
    CountryUSA, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Morocco, Thailand
    Duration02:55

      Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then known world, venturing farther than any westerner had ever gone, all the way to India.

      Markimdb: 7.1
      Genreaction, drama, military, biography, history
      CountryRussia, Ukraine
      Duration02:17

      The breakout of the war shatters the world of a young student, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, forcing her to enlist in the army in 1941. The maiden turns out to be a natural-born sniper, her impressive skill and prowess make her stand out among men and women alike. Seeing Pavlichenko as a tangible threat, the German High Command gives orders to eliminate the girl whatever the cost. In the meanwhile, Lyudmila meets a man and falls in love. War fades into the background... Soon, however, another misfortune befalls Lyudmila leaving the man she loves on the brink of death and herself seriously wounded. The girl is pulled out of combat and later goes to the United States with a publicity visit. Eleanor Roosevelt welcomes Lyudmila in the White House and the two women soon become close. It won't be long before Pavlichenko stands before an audience in Chicago pressing for a second front. Will her words have the capacity to change the course of war?

      Markimdb: 7.3
      Genreaction, drama, military, biography, history
      CountryChina, Hong Kong
      Duration02:04

      Follows a soldier trying to gain recognition for comrades who died in 1948, at a turning point in the civil war between the communists and the nationalist forces of the Kuomintang (KMT).

      Markimdb: 6.8
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryFrance, USA
      Duration02:54

      Near the end of World War II, Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz receives orders to burn down Paris if it becomes clear the Allies are going to invade, or if he cannot maintain control of the city. After much contemplation Choltitz decides to ignore his orders, enraging the Germans and giving hope to various resistance factions that the city will be liberated. Choltitz, along with Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling, helps a resistance leader organize his forces.

      Markimdb: 6.5
      Genredrama, military, biography
      CountrySweden, Hungary
      Duration01:55

      Swedish account of Raoul Wallenberg, the man responsible for the largest rescue of Jews during World War II.

      Markimdb: 7.7
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryUSA
      Duration02:18

      A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country. Follows the journey of a young boy, Agu, who is forced to join a group of soldiers in a fictional West African country. While Agu fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination Depicts the mechanics of war and does not shy away from explicit, visceral detail, and paints a complex, difficult picture of Agu as a child soldier.

      Markimdb: 6.5
      Genremelodrama, drama, military, biography, history
      CountryBrazil

      Based upon the true story of Olga Benário, the German-born wife of Brazilian communist leader Luís Carlos Prestes. During the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas (1930-1945) she was arrested and sent to Nazi Germany, where she was put to death in a concentration camp. After World War II began, Vargas decided to uphold the Allies.

      Markimdb: 6.8
      Genredrama, military, history, sport
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:55

      Fact based story about a former Greek Olympic boxer who was taken as a prisoner during World war II and placed in the Auschwitz prison camp. There he was permitted to survive as long as he fought for the amusement of his captors. His father and brother were also held as insurance that he would continue to fight.

      Markimdb: 7.7
      Genreaction, drama, military, history
      CountryUSA, United Kingdom
      Duration02:33

      Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor named Basie, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirits, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

      Markimdb: 5.9
      Genreaction, drama, military, biography, history
      CountryUSA

      Spend time on both sides of World War I, partly with German flying ace Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (John Phillip Law), aka "The Red Baron," and his colorful "flying circus" of Fokker fighter planes, during the time from his arrival at the war front to his death in combat. On the other side is Roy Brown of the Royal Air Force, sometimes credited with shooting Richthofen down.

      Markimdb: 6.4
      Genreaction, melodrama, drama, military, history
      CountryRomania, Hungary, Canada, USA

      Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.

      Markimdb: 6.3
      Genredrama, military, biography, history
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:48

      Battle Hymn was inspired by the true story of American minister Dean Hess, played here with rare sensitivity by Rock Hudson. A bomber pilot during World War II, Hess inadvertently releases a bomb which destroys a German orphanage. Tortured by guilt, Hess relocates in Korea after the war to offer his services as a missionary. Combining the best elements of Christianity and Eastern spiritualism, Hess establishes a large home for orphans. The preacher's efforts are threatened when the Korean "police action" breaks out in 1950.

      Markimdb: 6.8
      Genredrama, military, biography, history
      CountryVenezuela, Spain
      Duration01:58

      Bolívar was instrumental in Latin America’s struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire, and is today considered one of the most influential politicians and emancipators in American history. Libertador is told from the viewpoint of Bolívar, portrayed by Ramírez, about his quests and epic military campaigns, which covered twice the territory Alexander the Great conquered, and his vision to unify South America.

      Markimdb: 7.4
      Genreaction, drama, military, history
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:58

      The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. Told in a taut narrative, the men of the 101st, led by Van Johnson, wait out the winter in the Ardennes forest to confront the German army in what would be the last major offensive of World War II. The men are demoralized and trapped, with no hope of support from the Allies.

      Markimdb: 7.4
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryUnited Kingdom, Yugoslavia

      The true story of WWII's notorious Sobibor Nazi death camp, where a courageous inmate orchestrates and leads the escape of over 300 prisoners.

      Markimdb: 7.2
      Genreaction, drama, adventure, military, biography, history
      CountryRussia, Germany, Kazakhstan
      Duration02:06

      The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan, a slave who went on to conquer half the world in the 11th century.

      Markimdb: 6.4
      Genredrama, military
      CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
      Duration02:38

      A luxury liner carries Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany in a desperate fight for survival.

      Markimdb: 7.1
      Genremelodrama, drama, military, biography
      CountryAustralia, United Kingdom
      Duration01:56

      A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story.

      Markimdb: 7
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryItaly, France, Germany, Bulgaria

      In autumn of 1526, the Emperor, Charles V, sends his German landsknechts led by Georg von Frundsberg to march towards Rome. The inferior papal armies, commanded by Giovanni de'Medici, try to chase them in the midst of a harsh winter. Nevertheless, the Imperial armies manage to cross the rivers along their march and get cannons thanks to the maneuvers of its Lords. In a skirmish, Giovanni de'Medici is wounded in the leg by a falconet shot. The attempts to cure him fail and he dies. The Imperial armies assault Rome. The film is beautifully but unassumingly set, and shows the hard conditions in which war is waged and its lack of glory. It ends straightforwardly with the declaration made after the death of Giovanni de'Medici by the commanders of the armies in Europe of not using again fire weapons because of their cruelty.

      Markimdb: 7.6
      Genredrama, military
      CountryItaly, France, Yugoslavia

      Determined to survive at any price, Edith, a young Jewish woman deported to an extermination camp, manages to survive by accepting the role of kapo, a privileged prisoner whose mission is to ruthlessly guard other prisoners.

      Markimdb: 7.5
      Genreaction, drama, military, biography, history
      CountrySoviet Union
      Duration01:51

      When German knights invade Russia, Prince Alexander Nevsky must rally his people to resist the formidable force. After the Teutonic soldiers take over an eastern Russian city, Alexander stages his stand at Novgorod, where a major battle is fought on the ice of frozen Lake Chudskoe. While Alexander leads his outnumbered troops, two of their number, Vasili and Gavrilo, begin a contest of bravery to win the hand of a local maiden.

      Markimdb: 7.5
      Genreaction, drama, military, history
      CountryBelarus, Russia
      Duration02:11

      A war drama set during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, in which Russian troops held on to a border stronghold for nine days. The film shows the heroic defense of Brest Fortress, which has taken upon the first stroke of German fascist invaders on June 22 1941.

      Markimdb: 6.9
      Genreaction, drama, western, military, biography, history
      CountryUSA
      Duration02:49

      In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than fight the Union. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his family but is soon branded an outlaw deserter. Forced to flee, he finds refuge with a group of runaway slaves hiding out in the swamps. Forging an alliance with the slaves and other farmers, Knight leads a rebellion that would forever change history.

      Markimdb: 8.2
      Genredrama, military, biography, history
      CountryUSA
      Duration02:53

      This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives.

      Markimdb: 7.1
      Genredrama, military, biography, history
      CountryNorway, Sweden, Denmark, Republic of Ireland
      Duration04:42

      On 9 April 1940, German soldiers arrive in the city of Oslo. The King of Norway faces a choice that will change his country forever. The King's Choice is a story about the three most dramatic days in Norway's history, the royal family's escape and King Haakon's difficult choice after Nazi Germany's invasion of Norway.

      Markimdb: 6.4
      Genredrama, military, biography, history
      CountryUnited Kingdom, France, Germany, USA

      The story of mime Marcel Marceau as he works with a group of Jewish boy scouts and the French Resistance to save the lives of ten thousand orphans during World War II.

      Markimdb: 7
      Genreaction, melodrama, drama, adventure, military, history
      CountryHong Kong, China
      Duration02:06

      A heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi.

      Markimdb: 5.4
      Genrehorror, thriller, drama, detective, military
      CountryUnited Kingdom
      Duration01:28

      In 1944, in the Belgian - German border, seven German soldiers survive an American attack in the front and lock themselves in a bunker to protect the position. Under siege by the enemy and with little ammunition, they decide to explore underground tunnels to seek supplies and find an escape route. While in the tunnel, weird things happen with the group.

      Markimdb: 6.7
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryFrance

      This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian, a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team's members became martyrs for the Resistance.

      Markimdb: 7.3
      Genrethriller, drama, military, history
      CountryGermany, France, Poland, China, Portugal
      Duration01:51

      Germany, 1945. Soldier Willi Herold, a deserter of the German army, stumbles into a uniform of Nazi captain abandoned during the last and desperate weeks of the Third Reich. Newly emboldened by the allure of a suit that he has stolen only to stay warm, Willi discovers that many Germans will follow the leader, whoever he is.

      Markimdb: 7.8
      Genredrama, military, history
      CountryDenmark, Germany
      Duration02:22

      In the days following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, a group of young German prisoners of war were handed over to the Danish authorities and subsequently sent out to the West Coast, where they were ordered to remove the more than two million mines that the Germans had placed in the sand along the coast. With their bare hands, crawling around in the sand, the boys were forced to perform the dangerous work under the leadership of the Danish sergeant, Carl Leopold Rasmussen.




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