Plot: At the end of WWII, an ambitious bootlegger and his nightclub-singing girlfriend assemble a ragtag bunch of misfits for an impossible heist: to steal Mussolini’s treasure right from his headquarters.

KBZ’s Take: We noted in our criteria for this list that we’ll give higher rankings for films that are both specifically about heists and show a heist planning phase. Robbing Mussolini checks those boxes and combines wartime heist elements with Tarantino-type humor.

With that said, the film is predictable and won’t be confused with some of the other great, classic war films on our list. But it’s a film we would still recommend for fans and completists of wartime heists.

Where to Stream / Buy: Netflix

Plot: At the bitter end of World War II, a German deserter and a young woman are drawn into a bloody battle with a group of Nazis hunting for hidden gold.

KBZ’s Take: Blood & Gold is a German wartime heist film that that blends together elements of a Spaghetti Western with the violence and vibe of a Quentin Tarantino film. It has the requisite Nazi villains, violent shoutouts and deranged characters – especially in Obersturmbannführer von Starnfeld (Alexander Scheer).

It’s a fun and violent film that we’re confident fans of this specific subgenre will enjoy.

Where to Stream / Buy: Netflix

Plot: With the Allies poised to retake Paris from the Germans, Col. Franz Von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) conspires to sneak out by train all of the art masterpieces looted by the German army. But museum curator Mademoiselle Villard (Suzanne Flon) alerts the French Resistance, and soon railway inspector Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster) is pressed into service. He reroutes the train and cleverly deceives Von Waldheim by renaming each train station along the way.

KBZ’s Take: One of the first films on our list that deals with artwork stolen by the Nazis during WWII. However, The Train focuses on the French Resistance’s efforts to stop the heist in progress through some well-choreographed action sequences.

And while the film does have it’s share of action, it’s much more about the dynamic between Nazi Colonel Franz Von Waldheim (Paul Scofeld) and French Resistance member Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster) and their different motivations for saving the art.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: During World War II, the Nazis steal countless pieces of art and hide them away. Some over-the-hill art scholars, historians, architects and other experts form a unit to retrieve as many of the stolen masterpieces as possible. The mission becomes even more urgent when the team learns about Hitler’s “Nero Decree,” which orders destruction of the artworks if the Third Reich falls. Caught in a race against time, the men risk their lives to protect some of mankind’s greatest achievements.

KBZ’s Take: Our second film on this list to deal with art stolen by Nazis during WWII, The Monuments Men takes a drama-based and historical approach to the Allied effort to recover the stolen artifacts at the end of the war.

Though the film primarily deals with the events after the heist and doesn’t feature heist specific elements, it does include a suspense-filled third act. Though we recommend the film for subgenre fans, we would advise not go into the film expecting a typical war-action movie as it’s much more of a drama.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: In 1940, the Germans invaded Norway with clear goals in mind: the king, the government, to control the coast, the iron ore and the Norwegian gold reserves. At the same time, a group of resistance fighters was given a most important and secret mission: save Norway’s gold.

KBZ’s Take: This film from Norway is based on the thrilling historical event of the Flight of the Norwegian Treasury. It is, in essence, a reverse heist film as the film focuses on the planning and execution of the Norwegians to continually move their gold reserves away from the Nazis.

It’s a great war film filled with heist elements and suspenseful actions sequences and one of our favorite films reviewed for this specific list.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: 12 American military prisoners in World War II are ordered to infiltrate a well-guarded enemy château and kill the Nazi officers vacationing there. The soldiers, most of whom are facing death sentences for a variety of violent crimes, agree to the mission and the possible commuting of their sentences.

KBZ’s Take: The Dirty Dozen is a classic WWII film and not often thought of as a ‘heist film’. But we have included it here for it’s third act which focuses on the infiltration of the Nazi occupied chateau. This 40-minute sequence is suspense-filled and thrilling with many heist-adjacent elements.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: World War II is raging, and an American general has been captured and is being held hostage in the Schloss Adler, a Bavarian castle that’s nearly impossible to breach. It’s up to a group of skilled Allied soldiers to liberate the general before it’s too late.

KBZ’s Take: Where Eagles Dare is another film on our list that is often considered a classic WWII film. However, it’s considered a classic not only for its wartime setting but also for its heist-like plot.

The film takes the best parts of a WWII thriller involving double agent spies and infuses it with action-filled sequences lifted right out of some of the best heist films. From the suspenseful ascent on a cable car to the castle to the film’s exciting escape to the runway finale, this is a classic heist film with numerous twists and turns.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: In the midst of World War II, the battle under the sea rages and the Nazis have the upper hand as the Allies are unable to crack their war codes. However, after a wrecked U-boat sends out an SOS signal, the Allies realize this is their chance to seize the enigma coding machine.

KBZ’s Take: Despite the film’s historical inaccuracy involving American vs. British military capturing the highly sought after Enigma machine, it is still a thrilling wartime film. And while the film is not often considered a heist film, we would disagree as the film’s first act mirrors those often found in heist films.

There is an elaborate plan set in place to capture the Enigma machine (heist planning phase). The Americans are disguised as Germans to board the submarine (bank). And the team takes all efforts to secure the Enigma machine (money) while on board the sub. And to further clarify the film’s heist themes, the crew eventually ends up trapped inside the sub and hunted by both friend and foe (bank robbers surrounded by police).

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a group of military officials hatch a daring plan to neutralize Hitler’s fleet of German U-boats during World War II. Made up of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, the top-secret combat unit uses unconventional techniques to battle the Nazis and change the course of the war.

KBZ’s Take: Though this Guy Ritchie film bombed at the box office, it’s one of the better recent films we’ve seen and one of the best WWII heist films. Like most Ritchie films, there is an abundance of comedy and action in this fictionalized version of Great Britain’s Operation Postmaster.

We have the film ranked this high due to it’s third act involving the theft of a Nazi guarded vessel. This entire sequence is filled with suspense and action and is on par with many of the best sequences from classic Caper & Heist films.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: A misfit group of World War II American soldiers goes AWOL to rob a bank behind German lines.

KBZ’s Take: If the plot of Kelly’s Heroes sounds familiar, you might have seen a similar situation play out in Three Kings (1999). While the plot of the films might be similar, they are vastly different films with respect to story, characters and overall execution.

Kelly’s Heroes is ultimately a war film and has some exciting action and suspense scenes while the group led by Kelly (Clint Eastwood) tries to get behind enemy lines in search of gold. But it is also a classic heist film from Kelly’s recruitment of his crew to the eventual standoff with a German Tiger tank guarding the bank.

This film is still the archetype for a WWII heist film from its comedic dialogue to adventure-filled sequences, and is one film on our list that every subgenre fan should see.  

Additional Lists: Top Caper & Heist Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #8

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon