10 hardcore films and one TV series about tanks and tankers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In this selection you will not find the T-34 and the Indestructible. But there are Soviet classics and dynamic Western action films here.

11. Lebanon

• Israel, France, Germany, Great Britain, 2009.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

In June 1982, an Israeli tank is sent deep into Lebanon to clear the territory from enemy militants. Soon, inexperienced soldiers are faced with the horrors of war: their comrades are dying all around, and the civilian population is suffering because of the gunner's wrong actions. Once in hell, the tankers are trying to keep their sanity and get out alive.

The entire action of the film by Israeli director Samuel Maoz either takes place in the armored vehicle itself, or is shown through observation devices. So the author wanted to provide more immersion for the viewer and show how terrible the hostilities are. The heroes are literally locked in their tank, realizing that they are losing control of the situation. The hot topic allowed the film to take the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Film Festival.

10. Lark

• USSR, 1964.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 91 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

In June 1942, in the German rear, the Nazis checked the quality of their anti-tank guns. To do this, they use captured Soviet tanks with prisoners of war as a crew. But the T-34, with a team of three Soviet soldiers and one French resistance fighter, breaks out of the range and tries to break through enemy territory.

The movie's opening screen says it is based on a true story. Indeed, in the early 1960s, stories appeared in the press repeatedly about an armored vehicle crew that managed to spoil several German guns with tracks, and then ram the wall of the concentration camp. One of the scriptwriters of the film was Sergei Orlov. He was better known as a poet, but during the war he served as a tankman himself. Therefore, the author put a lot of his experiences into the plot.

9. Tank "Klim Voroshilov - 2"

• USSR, 1990.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

In the first days of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet army abandoned the KV-2 tank while retreating. He is found by cadet Mamin, who puts the combat vehicle in order, assembles a team and decides to catch up with the other military. But circumstances change, and the tank's crew takes up defensive positions to face the enemy.

Director Igor Sheshukov shot a picture on an unusual topic: about panic and retreats at the beginning of the war. To make the characters even more believable, he invited little-known novice actors to the main roles. Unfortunately, the film was the last work of the director: in 1991 Sheshukov died.

8. The Beast

• USA, 1988.
• Drama, military, adventure.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

In 1981, one of the Soviet tanks conducting an operation in Afghanistan lagged behind the rest. In addition, the military quarrels among themselves, which is why one of the crew members is left to die. But he is uniting with the Mujahideen to take revenge on his former comrades.

It may be difficult for Russian viewers to watch this film due to its obvious propaganda orientation: Soviet troops are shown here as occupiers. But if you perceive the picture of Kevin Reynolds solely as an adventure movie, then it is built very exciting, according to all the canons of an action movie.

7. Liberation: Arc of Fire

• USSR, Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Italy, 1968.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Director Yuri Ozerov created a large-scale film epic of five films, each of which tells about an important event of the Great Patriotic War. The first part is devoted to the Battle of the Kursk Bulge in 1943, where the largest tank battle took place. The picture combines battle scenes, a story about the work of the headquarters and the personal stories of the heroes.

Ozerov planned to shoot right at the scene of real events and even came to Kursk to study the landscape. But in the end, the director was never allowed to work on location. The thing is that unexploded shells still remained on the Kursk Bulge, which could detonate when using military equipment.

6. Sugar

• USA, 1943.
• Drama, military, action.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

In June 1942, an American M3 tank moves through the Libyan desert, gathering soldiers who have fallen behind their units. The team finds an almost dry well, but does not have time to replenish water supplies. The heroes have to take up defensive positions and fight German troops.

The plot of "Sahara" is similar to the painting "Thirteen" by Mikhail Romm. But in fact, they are both based on the older silent film The Lost Patrol from 1929 and its soundtrack by John Ford. And those who love more modern cinema can watch "Sahara" 1995 with James Belushi.

5. Rage

• USA, China, UK, 2014.
• Drama, military, action.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

In the spring of 1945, Allied forces are approaching Berlin, but German soldiers have not yet surrendered. Experienced Don Collier leads the American tank. His team is joined by a very young Norman Ellison, who previously worked at the headquarters. This is the first time a beginner sees the horrors of war so close.

The film by David Ayer shows tank battles with typical Hollywood grotesque. But at the same time, the cast, led by Brad Pitt, acts out violent scenes very realistically and emotionally. The result is a typical American action movie with very dark overtones.

4. Kelly's heroes

• USA, 1970.
• Comedy, adventure, military.
• Duration: 144 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

In September 1944, Allied troops approach the French city of Nancy. US Army Sergeant Kelly captures a German colonel and learns that a cache with a huge supply of gold remains in the rear. Kelly and his comrades decide to find the treasure, but the commander of the tank platoon also ties in with them.

The main role in this picture was played by the audience's favorite Clint Eastwood, who is better known from westerns. But the film mixes a war story with a typical treasure hunt. Unless, as a result, the actions of the heroes develop almost into a decisive battle with the enemy troops.

3. Four tankers and a dog

• Poland, 1966-1970.
• Adventure, military.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The crew of the Polish tank, nicknamed Rudy ("Red"), includes three Poles, a Georgian and a dog Sharik. The main characters take part in battles on the territory of their native country, the USSR and Germany, freeing the land from German invaders. Tankers often find themselves in difficult situations, but every time they are saved by courage and wit.

The series, which was very much loved both in the USSR and in Poland, is based on the book of the same name by Janusz Pshimanovsky. Moreover, both the author of the original and the creators of the screen version did not try to show the events of the war in a completely realistic way. "Four Tankmen and a Dog" is a typical adventure story for teenagers with a lot of humor and cheerful characters.

2. Patton

• USA, 1970.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 172 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

General George Patton leads units in Africa during World War II, and then he is sent to Sicily. After that, the military man fights in France. The temperamental nature of the hero often influences his decisions, and this leads to conflicts with the authorities.

This film is not about tanks or tankers. But it was in "Patton" almost for the first time in Western cinema that a large-scale battle of military vehicles was shown. Several dozen real tanks and a huge infantry crowd were involved in the film. As a result, the authors managed to convey the real scale of the battle.

1. War is like war

• USSR, 1968.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Junior Lieutenant Maleshkin, who has just graduated from a military school, is appointed the commander of the crew of the SU-100 self-propelled gun. But all of his subordinates are much older and more experienced. Because of this, disputes often arise in the team. But in the very first battle, the crew unites and opposes the superior forces of the enemy.

The film is based on the story of the same name by Viktor Kurochkin. By the way, the folk song “Tanks rumbled on the field” came from the work, which was performed by the main characters in the cinema. It was after the tape "In War as in War" that the composition became very popular.