Except from Saving Private Ryan, I would also recommend to all the people here, HBO`s mini series called "Band of Brothers"
Ben-Hur not a war film ... It's categorized as an epic historical drama film ... See the details in Wikipedia article about Ben-Hur Movie ...
I can see Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan are head and shoulders above the rest. Really no surprise there, they're the most realistic and powerful war movies I've ever seen. It's a tough call, but I'd have to go with Saving Private Ryan. Black hawk Down is a really great war movie,; Saving Private Ryan is a really great movie, in every sense. It's got a great story, great characters, dialogue, emotional and human moments. Black Hawk Down is great, but some things get lost in the almost non stop fighting. Saving Private Ryan finds time for everything, and it never loses its impact.
I like LOC KArgil too.. slightly lengthy.. so not for the impatient people.. but very detailed.. I also like fury