Film

The Best of Enemies

Name: The Best of Enemies
Genre: Comedy, War
Released: 1961
Cast: David Niven, Alberto Sordi, Michael Wilding, Harry Andrews, Noel Harrison

Other titles called The Best of Enemies: the 2019 film.

Comedy

A 1961 British-Italian comedy about RAF pilots and Italian soldiers who befriend each other in the Ethiopian desert, only to find themselves ordered into combat. It's a charming, good-natured film about the absurdity of war and the way ordinary men find common ground across enemy lines. Light on its feet, heavy on heart.

TMDb rating

3.5

If you liked this

The Great Escape1963

A masterclass in ensemble war comedy-drama with the same blend of humor, camaraderie, and genuine stakes. Steve Reeves and James Garner lead a stellar cast through an ingenious prison break that feels both thrilling and deeply human.

But Nearly three and a half hours long, and some sequences feel more earnest than funny. The tonal shifts can feel jarring if you're expecting consistent levity.

Catch-221970

Black comedy about war's absurdity and bureaucratic madness. Like The Best of Enemies, it finds profound humanity and dark humor in the contradiction between camaraderie and combat orders.

But Deliberately fractured narrative and heavy-handed satire alienate viewers looking for a straightforward war story. The repetition of concepts can wear thin.

The Italian Job1969

A heist caper with a British-Italian axis and that same post-war charm, where resourcefulness and wit trump violence. Mini Coopers, gold bullion, and Michael Caine at his peak make this irresistible fun.

But It's dated in its attitudes toward women and its treatment of Italian characters as comic relief. Some action sequences drag.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Best of Enemies

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Amarcord1973

Both films use war as backdrop for exploring how ordinary people navigate loyalty, friendship, and absurdity. Amarcord is what happens when you strip away the adventure-film structure entirely and let the atmosphere and characters breathe.

Fellini's memory-haunted, carnivalesque film about fascist Italy and small-town life. It's also about war and ideology, but told through surrealism, nostalgia, and visual poetry rather than plot. Utterly alive.

But No linear narrative; if you need plot momentum and clarity, this will frustrate you. Italian cinema of this era demands patience and surrender.

A Farewell to Arms1957

Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones in a romantic war film that shares the emotional texture of soldiers finding humanity amid conflict. Beautiful cinematography and genuine pathos underneath the melodrama.

But The romantic plot overwhelms the war story for many viewers. Some consider it overly sentimental by modern standards.

The Guns of Navarone1961

The same year as The Best of Enemies, this ensemble war adventure has comparable wit and charm. Gregory Peck leads a ragtag team through impossible odds with humor and grit.

But The second half relies more on action spectacle than character. Plot holes emerge if you're paying close attention to logistics.

Stalag 171953

Billy Wilder's brilliant POW camp film balances comedy and suspense perfectly. It's about men trapped together, forced to trust and doubt each other—finding both laughs and darkness in confinement.

But The humor is sometimes broad and the film can feel stagy. Wilder's cynicism won't appeal to those wanting more heroic war narratives.

The Bridge on the River Kwai1957

David Lean's epic about British soldiers and their Japanese captors building a bridge together. It explores duty, pride, and the strange bonds that form between men under extreme pressure.

But Nearly three hours and slower-paced than modern audiences expect. The ending divides viewers on its moral stance.

Breakfast at Tiffany's1961

Same year, same sensibility of charm and elegant frivolity. Audrey Hepburn embodies the lightness and sophistication that makes The Best of Enemies feel so refreshing and civilized.

But It's a romantic comedy, not a war film—the tonal DNA is similar but the story is completely different. Henry Mancini's score dominates the film for some viewers.

Grand Illusion1937

Both are about the moment when enemy combatants recognize their shared humanity. The Grand Illusion is the film that invented this idea; The Best of Enemies is its lighter-hearted descendant in a different era and style.

Renoir's masterpiece about French and German officers in a WWI POW camp. It's about the illusion of national enemies and the real bonds between men. Profound, moving, and utterly civilized in its view of war.

But It's pre-war cinema—slower, more theatrical, in black and white. No action sequences, just conversation and character. Requires active attention.

Stalker1979

Both explore how men respond when duty and personal conviction collide. The Best of Enemies does it with charm and humor; Stalker does it with metaphysical dread. Same moral question, opposite tones.

Tarkovsky's meditative science-fiction film about three men traveling through a mysterious zone. It's not about war, but it's about belief, duty, and the distance between orders and conscience. Hypnotic, philosophical, visually stunning.

But Nearly three hours of slow, philosophical cinema with minimal plot. If you need narrative momentum and conventional drama, this will feel like purgatory rather than transcendence.