We all know that war is hell. Perhaps that is why we are drawn to the films that dramatize or even lighten the burden wars place on our society. We want to see someone make sense of it all. Here are the five best war movies ever made, now playing on satellite TV.

5. M*A*S*H*. While trying to concoct the perfect martini and pulling off elaborate practical jokes, you'd be surprised the doctors in M*A*S*H* were involved a war at all. Treating the whole thing like an absurd conspiracy pulled off by invisible powers, Robert Altman makes as bold a statement as any "serious" war film. You'll laugh your head off and start thinking, later. This groundbreaking film is a staple on the Independent Film Channel in high definition.

4. From Here to Eternity. The film that launched Frank Sinatra's Hollywood comeback, From Here To Eternity is a tense exercise in army politics set on pre-WWII Pearl Harbor just before the Japanese attack. The viewer is treated to brilliant performances from Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster and of course, Sinatra, who won the Oscar for his portrayal of Maggio. For a behind-the-scenes look, find Turner Classic Movies on your satellite TV program guide and watch host Robert Osborne introduce the finest from Hollywood's Golden Age.

3. The Great Escape. Probably the best representation of the word "blockbuster," this film combines an all-star macho cast (Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson) with a script that follows their attempts to escape from a Nazi POW camp during WWII. McQueen's presence is electrifying, especially during his wild escape attempt on a motorcycle. Director John Sturges somehow managed to pull off this behemoth of a war film.

2. Platoon. Director Oliver Stone served in Vietnam and used his experiences to compose the finest script of his accomplished career. Following the tour of infantryman Chris (Charlie Sheen) as he sees the dark side of war, Platoon is a harrowing, brutal look at the way war can turn a soldier into a bloodthirsty animal. Not for the faint of heart, this film is a regular on satellite TV's premium movie channels, viewer discretion advised.

1. Apocalypse Now. The film that announced the arrival of a new type of war film, Coppola's Apocalypse Now has an epic scope while maintaining its tight focus on one man: Willard (Martin Sheen), an army captain sent to find and kill Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a rogue army man himself. We follow Willard in his journey down-river in Vietnam, slowly losing his mind as he proceeds. A gigantic film with some of the best explosions ever, Apocalypse sets a stunning visual and psychological tone and is the best of the war genre. Satellite TV is now featuring the director's cut.


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