Getting a war movie right is difficult. The genre demands a great deal from an opening scene — atmosphere, setting, and stakes — and the most successful ones deliver all of that in the first few minutes. Collider has ranked the 10 best war movie opening sequences of all time, ranging from a little-known story from West Africa to one of the most recognized monologues in film.
The ranking is built on how well each scene performs: it hooks you, it sets up the story, and it gives you a reason to keep watching. It makes a case for films that are often overlooked alongside the genre’s biggest names.
Beasts of No Nation and the Brutal Beginning
The round-up begins with ‘Beasts of No Nation’ (2015), a movie set during an unnamed West African civil war. The tale centers on Agu (Abraham Attah), a child soldier whose world collapses when fighting erupts in his village. The first scene pictures Agu living peaceably with his family before the conflict forces them to leave everything behind.
The opening credits establish the story, with a boy rapping in the background while Agu provides the narration of his struggle. The sequence is described as “a really creative and profound intro sequence that feels truly singular in the genre.” — a tone-setting introduction for a tale about how civil wars tear apart families and reduce towns to desperate scrambles for survival.
Dunkirk’s Mad Scramble
‘Dunkirk’ (2017) comes next, and the film starts with British soldiers walking down the streets of a French town. Pamphlets drop from the sky, informing the soldiers of the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940. The movie then shifts to blocks of text explaining the historical context of the Second World War, showing how quickly things spiralled out of control.
The opening of the film presents a frantic flight as the German war machine closes in on the Allied soldiers. The sequence is set up as a chaotic race against time, showing how quickly the situation got out of hand. The scramble to escape the town is described as a “mad scramble to escape the town.”, with everyone rushing to get out before the enemy arrives.
Letters From Iwo Jima and the Quiet Opening
‘Letters From Iwo Jima’ (2006) is a war movie that follows the Japanese side of the Battle of Iwo Jima at the end of the Second World War. The film opens in the present day, with a team of excavators and archaeologists searching the tiny island of Iwo Jima for relics. They dig up a box full of folded letters, all written by Japanese soldiers.
The movie shifts to 1945, where soldiers from Japan are shown writing letters while explaining their everyday labor. As they dig trenches and ready positions for the arrival of Americans, the picture takes on a washed-out, almost black-and-white look. The soldiers reflect on their homes, watching a high-ranking military man pass over them in an aircraft.
The beginning is somber and not especially active, but it is highly emotional and respectful toward those who fought in the struggle.
300’s Iconic Opening
‘300’ (2007) is based on a graphic novel, but that graphic novel was based on true events from the Greco-Persian Wars, which occurred approximately 2,500 years ago. The movie opens with the graphic novel’s original monologue, featuring the iconic lines “we march” as the Spartan warriors approach the pass of Thermopylae.
The film’s opening presents the early life and career of King Leonidas I (Gerard Butler), though it is likely a highly fictitious version of events. The slow-motion, wide angles, and cinematic scale all contribute to the introduction, which exudes power and strength. It is an opening that gets audiences hyped for the slaughter to come.
1917’s Continuous Shot
A film that appears to consist of a single continuous shot is ‘1917’ (2019). It opens with two British soldiers asleep in a beautiful field, abruptly awakened by a runner. Before they resume their duties, they briefly exchange memories of their past experiences and their time on the front, as well as when they expect their relief to arrive.
They make their way to the command bunker, where they are assigned a mission to deliver a message several miles down the line. They set off at once, navigating No-Man’s Land and passing deceased soldiers and horses. The opening scene lets you know there will be very little time to breathe in this film, and it doesn’t waste any time with politics or bureaucracy.
Casablanca’s Masterpiece Opening
Casablanca is considered one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of all time, and its opening scene is part of that enduring appeal. The movie is set during World War II, during the Nazi occupation of North Africa, including the titular city of Casablanca, Morocco.
Before the story starts, the opening credits lay out where the tale takes place and what’s at risk. The scene that follows introduces a city held by an occupying force, setting the mood for the whole narrative.
The Key Numbers
- Beasts of No Nation (2015) — #10 on the ranking
- Dunkirk (2017) — #9 on the ranking
- Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) — #8 on the ranking
- 300 (2007) — #7 on the ranking
- 1917 (2019) — #6 on the ranking
- Casablanca (1942) — #5 on the ranking
- The ranking runs from #10 (Beasts of No Nation) down to #5 (Casablanca)
The Full Ranking
| Rank | Film | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Beasts of No Nation | 2015 |
| 9 | Dunkirk | 2017 |
| 8 | Letters from Iwo Jima | 2006 |
| 7 | 300 | 2007 |
| 6 | 1917 | 2019 |
| 5 | Casablanca | 1942 |
What the List Gets Right
The ranking makes a case for films that are often overlooked alongside the genre’s biggest names. ‘Beasts of No Nation’ is singled out for its creativity and emotional weight.
The list also honors the technical work of ‘1917,’ which uses a continuous-shot format to build a sense of urgency. That film’s opening scene wastes no time with exposition, diving straight into the soldiers’ mission.
The Verdict
It’s worth remembering that war films cover a wide variety of ground, and the very best begin with a strong opening. From the chaos of ‘Dunkirk’ to the quiet dread of ‘Letters from Iwo Jima,’ each opening scene earns its place by doing precisely what an opening should do: it tells you what the story is about and makes you want to see more.
A ranking of war films is available at collider.com, and it serves as a valuable look at how the genre has been presented throughout history.
Source material: “The 10 Best War Movie Opening Scenes, Ranked,” Collider.
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