Naval war films are a very specific kind of genre within the military history and fiction genres of cinema. Within them also reside submarine films and court-marshaling dramas that question the ethics of law, justice, and the chain of command. From enemies creeping in the depths with nuclear weapons to pirates swinging from ship to ship flashing cutlasses at each other to plunder gold, the intrigue of battle and order on the high seas has always captured the attention of audiences.

So many great classics show great naval battles and crew dramas, but not all of them fall under this category. Technically, all science fiction films involving ship-to-ship combat are considered to have competing navies, but the flavor and context are removed into enough fantasy that it's hard to allow. The incredible Ben Hur involves a whole story arc within the galleys of the Roman Fleet where the titular character is enslaved and is caught in a major sea battle. Unfortunately, the film's connection to naval warfare moves on from there or else it could certainly thrive among those that zero in on naval history and the ethical quandaries of authority and battle at sea. The following films focused on naval warfare through the ages and brought its philosophy and drama to the big screen.

10 Captain Blood

Long before The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise brought the pirate genre back into the front-and-center of early 2000s action-adventure films, cinema legends like Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, and Basil Rathbone lunged and clashed swords across many swashbuckling films. Many of them involved heroes from folklore or classic legends, like The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro. However, one of Errol Flynn's greatest debonair roles was as a pirate in the film Captain Blood.

Taking place in the 1680s, Captain Blood is about an Irishman enslaved in Jamaica who captures a Spanish ship and creates an infamous name for himself as a pirate terror of the seas. This film is full of incredible feats and stunts, including spectacular ship-to-ship battles full of cannon fire and many extras swinging between ships and fighting. This period of piracy isn't featured as much as later eras, and it makes for an easy and incredibly entertaining watch.

9 The Bounty

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson star in this 1984 re-make of the 1962 film The Mutiny On The Bounty. The story is based on an actual mutiny on board the HMS Bounty. The Bounty's script was adapted from the 1972 book titled Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian by Richard Hough. Lieutenant William Bligh, a straight-edged officer runs a very tight ship. But when their voyage reaches exotic waters with welcoming tribes, the crew becomes less willing to leave it all behind.

The Bounty shows the slow decline of law and order under the militaristic strictness of Captain Bligh as the crew falls further from their originally intended mission as Bligh's friend, Fletcher Christian, played by Mel Gibson, turns the crew against him. The film eventually divulges into madness and cabin-fever-like drama as Bligh's rank and Christian's friendship are torn asunder.

8 K-19: The Widowmaker

Based on the true story of the maiden voyage of one of Soviet Russia's top nuclear submarines, K-19: The Widowmaker delves audiences into cold Atlantic waters with the crew led by Captain Alexei Vostrikov, played by Harrison Ford, and Executive Officer Mikhail Polenin, played by Liam Neeson. The K-19 seems to be followed by a string of bad luck before it even leaves the port, from its inaugural champagne bottle not breaking and its medical officer being killed by a truck, the mission is already shadowed in foreboding.

The ship's mission is meant to surface in the Arctic to test an unarmed ballistic missile, followed by a patrol. After a risky maneuver begins a string of events marred in breaking equipment and radiation risks, K-19: The Widowmaker quickly becomes an internal horror story full of intense repairs, mutiny plots, and a diplomatic crisis waiting to explode. Full of intense performances and good atmosphere-building, K-19 is a good watch in the subgenre of submarine films.

7 The Hunt For Red October

Soviet subs take the cake again but Sir Sean Connery is the captain now. The Hunt For Red October is adapted from Tom Clancy's debut novel written in 1984. The film has a myriad of great stars alongside Sir Sean Connery, including Alec Baldwin, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, and Tim Curry.

The story takes place in 1984 when an old and famed submarine Captain, Marko Ramius, takes matters into his own hands and sets course to the United States in a new and undetectable nuclear submarine. Full of suspense and intrigue, with both the U.S. and USSR sweating and trying to capture the rogue submarine, The Hunt For Red October is just the right balance of early 90s military action-drama.

6 Midway

Still considered in high esteem as one of the great American war films, 1976's Midway was a dramatic and spectacular retelling of one of the biggest battles the Americans fought in the Pacific in WWII. A stacked cast of seasoned Hollywood greats including Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Toshirō Mifune sets the stage to bring the battle of Midway to life on the big screen.

Chock-full of dogfights, crashes, explosions, and war room drama, Midway is a well-rounded picture that still maintains that classic Hollywood drama and romance to balance it for the audiences of the time.

5 Crimson Tide

Echoing a similar incident that happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Crimson Tide revisits the intensity of direct orders that seem unclear and are interpreted differently among chief officers. Starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, Crimson Tide takes place on a U.S. Submarine during a contentious time in post-Soviet Russia as a Nationalist rebel takes over a missile installation and threatens violence on any who oppose him.

When the U.S. submarine is hit by a rebel submarine during a crucial action message, orders become unclear on whether to fire or not and tensions between Ramsay (the commanding officer) and Hunter (the executive officer) hit a boiling point. Full of heated egos and high stakes, Crimson Tide is a tense watch.

4 Tora! Tora! Tora!

To history buffs who have an appreciation for films that focus on the Pacific side of WWII, Tora! Tora! Tora! is considered a hidden gem for those fascinated and interested in the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. A huge amount of detail is poured over the step-by-step moves by the United States and Japan as tensions reach their apex.

Full of intense meetings on both sides strategizing and figuring out their logistical positions, Tora! Tora! Tora! has a slow burn that continually burns hot throughout as the inevitable is just waiting to unfold before the audience. Its finale at Pearl Harbor is immersive and spares no expense with plane crashes, boat fires, and explosions.

3 Billy Budd

Written, produced, and starring the incredible Peter Ustinov, Billy Budd is an ethics and morality play-style plot about a British vessel. Based on the Novella Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville, the film adapts the story of the HMS Avenger a vessel of the British Navy in 1797 that was currently at war.

The titular character Billy Budd is in constant toil on the ship as the sadistic master-at-arms and the crew remain in constant tension with each other. The noble Billy does his best to remain loyal and stalwart despite the horrid chain of command, but it eventually goes too far, and the Captain is torn between the ethics of punishment against Billy Budd's lashing, and the reality of the situation. A great conundrum full of depth in both its philosophy and acting, Billy Budd is somewhat of a "12 Angry Men at Sea."

2 Das Boot

In the subgenre of submarine dramas, Das Boot, or The Boat, is still considered one of the top of its class, let alone a stellar film. A trailblazing naval drama about a German U-boat in WWII and the stalwart leadership of Captain Henrich Lehnmann-Willenbrock. Das Boot would set the standard for its design and cinematography of the dark and claustrophobic nature of U-boats.

Full of Stoicism, and moments of maddening solitude and chaos, Das Boot takes the audience for the ride of their lives, from a perspective of WWII that is rarely dared. The performances and story are deeply moving and engaging. It remains one of the biggest German films to cross into Hollywood's periscope.

1 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Russell Crowe in the prime of his career Captains this incredible film that truly puts audiences on the deck of a British warship in the Napoleonic era. Taking place in South American waters, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, follows the crew of the man-of-war HMS Surprise as they are in a relentless pursuit of a French ship. This film is part of an adaptation of three novels that are part of author Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series.

The film, unfortunately, did not do well in theaters at the time of its release but gained an incredible following after the fact due to its stellar performances and dedication to the period, tactics, and overall feel. Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, and a very young Max Pirkis accompany Russell Crowe in building some great crew chemistry throughout the film that is as refreshing to historical fiction as a good ocean breeze.