While certain movie genres like the Western have lost some of their luster with the public, war films have retained their popularity. The most recent evidence of Americans' fascination is the success of "American Sniper." The 2014 Clint Eastwood-directed film earned $347 million domestically and $541 million worldwide
in its first four months at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
A critical element driving most effective war movies is the memorable characters portrayed in the films. Here are several modern war characters whose performances stood out in some of the most riveting war movies of the last 30 years.
1. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, "American Sniper"
Bradley Cooper's performance as the deadly Navy operative in United States history has beguiled audiences globally in 2015.
Roger Ebert's website review hailed Cooper's portrayal as "some of his best acting ever here. Bulked up to make himself resemble, with respect to body shape, a large-scale nine-volt battery, Cooper suppresses the actor's knowingness he's brought to most of his prior screen roles and gives his character here a simultaneous credulousness and edge. He feels like a dangerous guy, but not a malicious one."
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2. Capt. Miller, "Saving Private Ryan"
Tom Hanks was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar due to his riveting performance as the captain who doggedly pursued a missing member of his team during World War II.
The Internet Movie Database praised Hanks' portrayal of a leader who hides his gamut of emotions from his men in order to project strength in the face of a nearly hopeless task.
3. Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, "Full Metal Jacket"
R. Lee Ermey used his experience as a former Marine
to give his character a "crisp, stunning performance," according to the Washington Post, as the cruel, charismatic drill sergeant training soldiers to fight in Vietnam in Stanley Kubrick's haunting 1987 war drama.
4. Sgt. Elias, "Platoon"
Willem Dafoe earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his multi-layered, conflicted performance as a veteran fighter and leader who somehow retained his sense of humanity during his second tour of duty in Vietnam. Dafoe provided a moral conscience for
the 1986 Oliver Stone war drama that took home the Best Picture Oscar, according to Reel Views.
5. Lt. Col. Tall, "The Thin Red Line"
Nick Nolte shines as the war-loving lieutenant colonel who orders his men on a suicide mission in
this morally ambiguous 1998 examination of World War II through the directorial eyes of Terrence Malick, according to Rolling Stone.
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6. Ron Kovic, "Born on the Fourth of July"
The New York Times joined other publications and critics across the nation in lauding Tom Cruise for his decidedly un-Cruise-like performance as the patriotic 18-year-old who underwent a dramatic life transformation after enlisting in the Marine Corps to fight in Vietnam. Stone's 1989 war drama earned Cruise an Academy Award Best Actor nomination.
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