World War II was the deadliest conflict and darkest period in human history, with more than 30 countries directly involved and many millions of lives destroyed.

The war lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII and victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

Ten films featuring the events of WWII have been chosen to commemorate the victory and show the desire for everlasting peace.

Still from Hitler: The Rise of Evil. [Photo from Internet]

Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003)

When speaking of WWII one immediately thinks of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 was generally perceived as a trigger for the outbreak of the conflict but the causes were more complex.

This film profiles the life of Hitler as a child and his rise through the ranks of the National German Workers' Party which provides essential background information to understand why Germany started the war.

Film poster from Battle of Britain. [Photo/Mtime]

Battle of Britain (1969)

The film endeavors to be an accurate account of the Battle of Britain, which got its name from the air campaign waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940.

The battle was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by airborne forces. The film is notable for its spectacular flying and aerial combat scenes.

Still from Fortress of War. [Photo/Mtime]

Fortress of War (2010)

This production recounts the events of June 1941 and the defense of the Brest Fortress against invading Wehrmacht forces in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.

The plot follows the events as closely to historical fact as possible with the Brest Fortress Museum supervised the plot.

Film poster for Tora! Tora! Tora! [Photo/Mtime]

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

This film is a big production of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941.

Beginning in the summer, the film follows events in the US and Japanese militaries as the two countries head down a path toward war, culminating in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Still from Empire of the Sun. [Photo/IC]

Empire of the Sun (1987)

The film tells the story of how a British boy, Jamie Graham, survived under Japanese occupation in the Far East and Pacific Front.

Graham was part of a wealthy British family in Shanghai but became a prisoner of war in an internment camp after the Japanese invasion of Shanghai on Dec 8, 1941.

Amid the sickness and food shortages of the camp, Graham attempted to reconstruct his former life and at the same time bring spirit and dignity to those around him.

Still from Stalingrad. [Photo from Internet]

Stalingrad (1993)

The film is a depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion.

The Battle of Stalingrad, lasting from Aug 23 1942 to Feb 2 1943, was a major event in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought against the Soviet Union for control of the city in southern Russia.

The battle has been described as the biggest defeat in the history of the German Army. It is identified as the greatest turning point in the war.

Still from The Longest Day. [Photo/Mtime]

The Longest Day (1962)

The D-Day landings at Normandy in Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944, are the focus of an epic production.

The film employed several Axis and Allied military consultants who had been participants on D-Day.

The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control and contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front.

Still from Flags of Our Fathers. [Photo/Mtime]

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

The film is from the American viewpoint of the Battle for Iwo Jima, while its companion, Letters from Iwo Jima, is from the Japanese viewpoint.

The Battle of Iwo Jima, lasting from Feb 19 to March 26, 1945, was a major battle between US Marines and the Japanese Imperial Army on the island of Iwo Jima.

The American invasion, codenamed Operation Detachment, had the goal of capturing the entire island, including the three Japanese-controlled airfields, to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands.

The five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the war in the Pacific battlefield.

The most famous picture of the battle depicts soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima.

Still from A Bridge Too Far. [Photo/Mtime]

A Bridge Too Far (1977)

The film tells the story of the failure of Operation Market Garden near the end of WWII.

By then, the Germans had lost most of France and the Allied forces decided to deliver a knockout blow.

The Allies attempted to break through German lines and seize several bridges in the occupied Netherlands with the objective of outflanking German defenses in order to end the war by Christmas 1944.

Waves of paratroopers landed in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden in Sept 1944, but failed to take key positions until the arrival of reinforcements.

The failure of the operation ended Allied expectation of ending the war by that Christmas.

Film poster of Downfall. [Photo/Mtime]

Downfall (2004)

The film depicts the final 10 days of Hitler's reign over Nazi Germany in 1945.