Top 10 Revolutionary War Movies
Obviously, any attempt to rank films in order is subjective. My opinions may make others cringe. It should also be kept in mind that films are made to make money, not to be models of historical accuracy. However, some films handle the history, and “feel of the times,” better than others. I have used no standard criteria for judging the films. Rather, I have based my listing on my own appreciation of the films.
Please feel free to express your own opinions in the comments below this article.
1 // John Adams – 2008. Paul Giamatti.
Based on David McCullough’s biography, the film puts great emphasis on getting the feel and the details to a very high level of excellence. The details include some rather ugly, but accurate, views of American civil violence and dissent. The scenes of Congress in action are memorable. Adams, who is not remembered for his style or media appeal, comes through this excellent film as the hard working, dedicated and fearless advocate of the United States and justice. This film is a must see.
2 // April Morning – 1988. Tommy Lee Jones, Chad Lowe.
This film was taken from the Howard Fast novel of the same name. The action takes place on April 18-19, 1775 in Lexington, Massachusetts; the afternoon before the battle of Lexington through the evening of the day of battle. The tension builds as the British army marches into view. The viewer sees a boy become a man as he takes his place among the men on Lexington green and fights throughout the fateful day. The arguments between the men as to why they should, or should not, stand up to the British army explain well the conflict of principles being discussed in 1775. Excellent film.
3 // Drums Along the Mohawk – 1939. Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert. Director: John Ford.
Based on the novel by Walter B. Edmonds. This visually appealing film is set in the Mohawk Valley of upstate New York. There, the frontier settlers are not facing a red-coated enemy but rather the dark and sinister forces of the Tories and Indians bent on destruction of the settlers and their settlements. The feel for the time and place are outstanding. It is also great entertainment. The film is excellent and can be watched time and time again. And, if you like the film you’ll love the book.
4 // Johnny Tremain – 1957.
This is a Disney film taken from the Esther Forbes novel of the same name. While perhaps considered a film for young adults in 1957 it is far better historically than one would expect. The action takes place in and around Boston before the war and ends after Lexington-Concord. Interspersed in the film are various scenes where knowledgeable characters explain what is going on politically so the viewer understands the implications he is witnessing. In particular one should pay attention to the philosophical explanations made by the James Otis character. He spells out the repercussions of the revolution for 1775 and the impact of the revolution for future generations. This is a fine film and the book is even better.
5 // The Crossing – 2003. Jeff Daniels.
Based on Howard Fast’s novel of the same name The Crossing tells the story of Washington leading his bedraggled army across the Delaware River to attack the Hessians at Trenton. The film is compelling and has a good feel. Washington, an extraordinarily difficult character to portray, is handled well for the most part, by Jeff Daniels. The desperate nature of the attack is very clear and the very real tension of the event carries over into the film.
6 // All For Liberty – 2009. Clarence Felder, Chris Weatherhead.
This film is independently produced to very high standards. It is one of the few films to depict the nature of the war in the South being Tory vs. Whig, neighbor against neighbor. Large battles were rare, small skirmishes and ambushes were very common. The film is visually very appealing and beautifully filmed. The conflicts and tough decisions citizens had to make are made clear. The action scenes are realistic and not obsessively violent. The feel of the 1770’s is very successfully depicted. Recommended.
7 // The Devil’s Disciple – 1959. Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Laurence Olivier.
The action takes place in upstate New York where General Burgoyne is attempting to march his army from Canada to the Hudson. Along the way he is confronted with Whig militiamen who try to block his way. The film drifts considerably from the truth but it is entertaining and a pleasure to watch the famous actors at work. The details of uniforms and equipment are excellent as far as I can determine. If you can find it, record it as you’ll want to watch it again.
8 // The Patriot – 2000. Mel Gibson.
This film has some good action scenes and some incredibly poor scenes as well. I am irritated by the British soldiers who inappropriately turn their heads and wince when firing their muskets. The church burning and the strange concept that all of Mel Gibson’s black workers are employees, not slaves, are pretty hard to take. While not accurate some of the battle scenes are quite exciting to watch. I don’t watch this film very often.
9 // The Scarlet Coat – 1955. Cornel Wilde.
This film involves the American traitor General Benedict Arnold and British Major John Andre. An American officer, pretends to defect to the British, becomes a counterspy to discover the identity of an American traitor. The film did not leave me with the feel of the times. Too much effort was taken up with honor – yet, the film deals with deceit.
10 // America – 1924. Lionel Barrymore. Director: D.W. Griffith. Silent.
Being a silent film the viewer must pay close attention to follow the action. And, at times, it gets somewhat complicated. This film is made is the grand style with a huge cast, evil bad guys, and really good good-guys. This is an epic that includes Paul Revere, the Declaration of Independence, Washington and the war in upstate New York. While it may not portray history well the film by its very nature is history itself and worthy of watching, if only once.
These are my favorites. Let me hear what you have to say about your own favorites in the comments below.
About Hugh T. Harrington
Hugh T. Harrington is an independent researcher and author whose books include Remembering Milledgeville (History Press, 2005), More Milledgeville Memories (History Press, 2006), Civil War Milledgeville (History Press, 2005), and biography of 1890s magician Annie Abbott, “The Little Georgia Magnet” (Createspace, 2010). His articles have appeared in the Journal of Military History, Georgia Historical Quarterly, America’s Civil War, Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, American Revolution, Muzzle Blasts, and others. He has written extensively on Sherlock Holmes and is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars. He lives in Milledgeville, Georgia.
Journal of the American Revolution (all things liberty!) aims to be a fun, educational and interesting resource for serious and casual consumers of American history. Our editorial mission is to make readers forget that they are reading history and instead are reading for fun. 
Excellent summary. I’ll need to check these out. I’ve only seen John Adams and the Patriot. I’ll check out April Morning.
Have you thought of putting together a list similar to this for documentaries/bios? I’ve got a number of Rev war PBS, History Channel and BBC disks on the topic but haven’t had a chance to watch them all.
In my opinion, the PBS Liberty! is still one of the best documentaries on the Revolution.
It is a good one (although I found the actor portrayals hit or miss). I am about half way through ‘The Revolution’ by the History Channel. Unfortunately, I share the dvd player with my kids, so its slow going.
By far, John Adams and The Crossing are my favorites. I think there is a lot of value in Daniels’ very human portrayal of Washington as opposed to what I think we all assume is the more historically accurate portrayal of him as human statue in John Adams. Just like John Adams really brought to life the debates and contingency of the 2nd Continental Congress, The Crossing did the same for the attack on Trenton. And I know there is a paucity of 18th-century films but The Patriot wouldn’t even belong on a Top 100 list.
I teach U.S. history at the high school level working with alternative teens, who face many learning challenges. I like to use several of these films, In particular, April Morning, The Crossing, and John Adams. Of course, I always make sure that my students realize the difference between movies for entertainment versus a documentary that tends to be instructional or informational. However, sections of a movie may generate student enthusiasm for a topic that will then encourage them to read the numerous primary sources that I use as instructional materials for my lessons. Those movie segments may be the spark that will motivate my students to seek out more information and knowledge. Typically I only use segments of 10-15 minutes to help set the tone for a lesson. With the increasing demands in classroom curriculum being squeezed for every minute, no good teacher has the time to show any film in its entirety. So what we use needs to be carefully scrutinized for it learning value.
At the risk of being laughed off this website, I add to the very fine list, the film ‘Revolution’ directed ironically by Brit, Hugh Hudson, and starring Al (‘Here come da British’) Pacino. If you take the Godfather out the film isn’t half bad. It portrays colonial NYC, the Battle of Brooklyn, camp life (both sides) and other historical details fairly well and at least as good as ‘The Patriot.’ In the late 50′s early 60′s Disney did a pretty good series about Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox.
I’m not laughing, Steven. I haven’t seen “Revolution” and can hardly imagine Al Pacino….but, I’ll keep an eye out for it. There is another, “Mary Silliman’s War” which I saw perhaps 20 years ago but haven’t seen it since. At the time I thought it was excellent but as I hadn’t seen it in so long – and can’t find a copy, I didn’t include it in the list.
I forgot to mention ‘Sweet Liberty’ which is not exactly a film that deals with the Revolution. Unless, you want to count what happens to a small New England town when Hollywood comes to shoot a movie based upon a local historian’s (Alan Alda) best-selling book about a colonial woman (Michelle Pfeifer) inbolbed with a British officer (Michael Caine). Light comedy, very light history but worth the performance of the film within a film director, Bob Hoskins.
“Revolution” certainly had more of a gritty historical feel to it than did “The Patriot”. I still believe that “The Patriot” could be edited into an excellent 15 minute film. “Revolution”, on the other hand, only needs to have its soundtrack reworked.