How to Write the Perfect World War 2 Movie

Some of the greatest movies ever made focus on the largest, most devastating conflict the world has ever seen, World War 2. It’s not surprising that such tumultuous war would be the subject of so many movies.

Even as the war was getting started, movie studios in Hollywood and around the world were making films about the events as they unfolded. While some films such as “Battleground” by MGM focused on a particular battle, others like the Warner Brothers classic “Casablanca” told fictional stories that used the war as a backdrop.

For those who aspire to write the perfect World War 2 movie, the good news is that there is still considerable interest in this time period. Even today, studios are producing films that are set during the war, so here are a few tips that will help you write the perfect script for your film.

Topic & Setting

This is pretty basic as you will decide upon the exact topic of your story. From soldiers fighting a pitched battle to refugees escaping the war to the issues facing civilians at home, the topic of your story will set the tone for the rest of the movie.

Naturally, this will also include the setting which means on the battlefield, in a bombed-out village, or the scenic home front. Your topic will dictate the setting and that is where the real work on writing your story will begin.

Research

The most important aspect of your writing after choosing a topic is to do the research. You’ll want to be sure that all the major facts about the story are accurate to the time. You may not get every detail but given the familiarity that many have about World War 2, you will need to get the obvious ones right. This is not just about the events themselves, but the way people spoke, the pop culture, fashion sense, and interests that people who lived during that period would have expressed.

Angle

With the topic and research behind you, the next step is the angle. From what point of view will you tell your story. This means that you need to consider your audience and what they might be familiar with about the subject. You are free to choose whatever angle you prefer, which means you can choose your angle to be from the Allied, Axis, or some third-party point of view. Refugees for example make for an interesting angle to your story.

Attitudes

One of the most difficult aspects of writing a movie about World War 2 is capturing the attitudes of the people at the time. So many current films about the war have their characters reflect the attitudes of today, which is sometimes on purpose, but mostly due to not being familiar with the era. If you are looking for historical accuracy, then you will need to ensure that the attitudes of the people in your story are correct with the times.

By following these tips, you can write a powerful movie about World War 2. Whether you focus on a specific historic battle or you use the war as a backdrop to tell another story, you can create.

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