7 Scintillating Civil War Romance Movies to Experience Today

1. Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind must be one of the greatest and best-known Civil War movies. According to its official IMDb page, it remains a cornerstone of cinematic history. It’s an adaptation of an award-winning novel by Margaret Mitchell and is set in the American South and covers the entire period of war and beyond. Gone with the Wind, however, is more than just a war movie: it’s also considered to be one of the greatest romance movies of all time, which is probably why it won 10 Academy Awards and is still the highest grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation). If you enjoy this sweeping scale, you might also like these movies about love and marriage that capture similar emotional depths.

2. Shenandoah

This heart-wrenching Civil War movie is set in Virginia and features a farmer, Charlie Anderson, who refuses to participate in the war until it directly involves him and his family. When his youngest son is mistakenly taken to a prisoner of war camp, Charlie and his daughter set off to find the boy. Shenandoah carries a very compelling anti-war message, and was praised for its technical production and nominated for a number of different awards.

3. The Horse Soldiers

John Wayne stars as Colonel John Marlowe, who leads a Union cavalry brigade to destroy a railroad and supply depot behind Confederate lines. The movie is based on the true story of Grierson’s Raid and the Battle of Newton’s Station, a key part of the Union campaign.

4. Ride with the Devil

Tobey Maguire and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers feature in this Civil War movie set in Missouri during a guerrilla war. Jake and Jack are friends who join the “bushwhackers” (units loyal to the South) when the Civil War begins. A mixture of friendship, love, and graphic scenes of violence make for an interesting movie.

5. Gettysburg

This is a rather long Civil War movie (well over 4 hours long!) and is an adaptation of “The Killer Angels”, a novel by Michael Shaara. It dramatizes the famous Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest and most decisive battle of the Civil War. You can learn more about the real-life conflict at the American Battlefield Trust. It should probably be an hour shorter but it’s still a great movie. It provides in-depth details and huge stars of the silver screen portray the major protagonists of the engagement.

6. Glory

Glory boasts a number of stars, including Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes and Denzel Washington. Broderick plays a Federal Army officer who volunteers to lead the first formal company to be made up entirely of African American soldiers. Denzel Washington’s performance is brilliant and he was honored with many awards for it. As noted on its official IMDb page, the film is highly regarded for its historical significance. This Civil War movie offers a unique perspective and is definitely one of the movies based on historic events that everyone should see at least once.

7. Cold Mountain

Based on the novel of the same name by Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain is a Civil War movie that's just as much a story of love as of war. According to its IMDb profile, the film was a major critical success. Jude Law plays a young man who is just beginning a relationship with a woman called Ada (played by Nicole Kidman) when he leaves to fight as a Confederate soldier. Ada waits for her lover, but will he survive and return? This film is often cited as one of the movies sure to make you cry because of its tragic and beautiful narrative.

You might think that war films aren’t really your thing, but these 7 Civil War movies are all very different. If you like love stories, or just good-looking movie stars, then there’s something for you. Whether you're specifically interested in civil war romance movies or just epic historical dramas, this list has you covered: