The Civil War has been documented in movies since the introduction of motion pictures in the early 20th century. At that time, some moviegoers still had vivid personal recollections of the war then, which had been fought only a few generations earlier.
“The Birth of a Nation” (originally titled “The Clansman”), debuted in 1915 and was the first full-length film made about the Civil War. Although it has been praised for its groundbreaking technical achievement, its horrific depiction of African-Americans and heroic characterization of the Ku Klux Klan sparked riots in many cities and the film remains controversial to this day.
To determine the best Civil War movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo used an index that averaged ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of July 2022, weighing all ratings equally. Only movies that deal directly with the American Civil War were considered. Documentaries were not included.
Here are the best Civil War movies of all time:
20. The Beguiled (2017)
25. Seraphim Falls (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (30,849 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (10,976 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (85 reviews)
> Directed by: David Von Ancken
24. Free State of Jones (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (55,633 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (20,890 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (191 reviews)
> Directed by: Gary Ross
23. Sommersby (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (21,312 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (13,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Amiel
22. The Keeping Room (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (6,782 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 50% (1,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (86 reviews)
> Directed by: Daniel Barber
21. The Conspirator (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (28,347 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (21,207 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 56% (171 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Redford
20. The Beguiled (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (55,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (14,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (326 reviews)
> Directed by: Sofia Coppola
19. Santa Fe Trail (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (3,565 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (1,235 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Curtiz
18. Ride with the Devil (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (13,493 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (7,456 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (66 reviews)
> Directed by: Ang Lee
17. C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (4,899 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (6,972 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Kevin Willmott
16. Cold Mountain (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (143,699 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (209,945 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: Anthony Minghella
15. They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (6,090 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (3,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (11 reviews)
> Directed by: Raoul Walsh
14. The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (4,289 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (2,372 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
13. Major Dundee (1965)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (7,570 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (3,487 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (36 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
12. How the West Was Won (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (19,799 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (9,817 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall
11. The Horse Soldiers (1959)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (10,029 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (7,616 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (13 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
10. The Beguiled (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (16,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (5,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (19 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
9. Dark Command (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (2,544 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (1,358 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Raoul Walsh
24/7 Wall St.
8. Gettysburg (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (28,239 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (29,388 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Maxwell
7. Lincoln (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (252,083 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (245,942 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
6. Friendly Persuasion (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (6,810 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (1,256 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
5. Dances with Wolves (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (250,448 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (213,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Kevin Costner
4. Shenandoah (1965)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (8,351 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (6,128 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
3. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (69,738 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (46,848 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Clint Eastwood
2. Gone with the Wind (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (301,469 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (293,900 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: Victor Fleming
1. Glory (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (129,766 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (60,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Edward Zwick