Leading up to the country’s birthday this summer, I’ve been thinking about all of the movies and TV shows I’ve seen that explore different eras of the United States of America, not just its founding. I’ve tried to compile a personal list that I would recommend to anyone for either first-time viewing or repeat watching, and since there are plenty that I know I’ve missed already, please let me know what your favorites are! I’m always looking for films and shows to watch that I haven’t seen yet!

Part 2: WWII to the Vietnam War

Band of Brothers/The Pacific/Saving Private Ryan

Yup, yeah, it feels wrong to lump all three of these together, but I have a review of Band of Brothers that kind of touches on all of them at the same time. Each one is absolutely worth seeing in their own ways. There may be no better trio that encompasses many of the American experiences of World War II so phenomenally. Band of Brothers the novel, by Stephen Ambrose, is another book I’d like to get to this year. From the stormy beaches of Normandy, both on the ground and in the skies, to the sweltering jungles of Guadalcanal, Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan are as essential to understanding the European Theater as The Pacific is to the Pacific Theater. All three pieces of media really give a sense of scope and meaning to the idea of a world war.

12 Angry Men

On a sort of different note, 12 Angry Men literally examines the jury system in this country as it was during the 1940s and ’50s. It’s a fascinating time capsule of a movie and also one that radiates with timeless commentary. 12 Angry Men is based on the teleplay of the same name and so self-contained that the whole movie takes place almost entirely in one room. All of the characters are unnamed, from the jurors to the defendant, and yet as more is revealed as the movie goes on, you learn that you don’t even need to know someone’s name to find common ground with them.

Mad Men

Another excellent show on AMC that aired from 2007 to 2015, Mad Men takes place during the ’60s at an advertising agency in New York City. It’s a series that features an outstanding cast, great writing, and an interesting angle from which to witness events happening in the United States during a decade of incredible challenges and change. It’s safe to say that advertising itself underwent a dramatic transformation in that era trying to keep up with the times, and I think Mad Men really reflects that. It’s a show that somehow captured the ever-changing mood of a nation.

Apocalypse Now

I wrote a review of Apocalypse Now, and it’s going to be a struggle to think of anything else to add, honestly. It would be interesting to read the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to see how it inspired Apocalypse Now‘s story, especially since it influenced a documentary released after the movie — Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse. The Vietnam War is considered a massive failure in the course of American history, and it’s fascinating to see one of the best movies ever made come to grips with why that is.

We Were Soldiers

It’s another Mel Gibson movie! We Were Soldiers is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young, written by Lt. General Hal Moore and wartime reporter Joseph Galloway. Each man is played in the film by Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper, respectively. Both the novel and movie dramatize the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965, and then-Lt. Colonel Moore leads the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division into combat. With Moore’s military experience and Galloway’s photography and writing, the movie explores the men of Air Cav and their devastating losses in the Ia Drang Valley.