The History of the Our World
by Movienaut | created - 24 Jan 2012 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicA list of all the historical, biographical and period films/series that I've watched entirely or partially, set in chronological order of the historical events represented in the piece.
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1. Quest for Fire (1981)
R | 100 min | Adventure, Drama
This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud | Stars: Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, Rae Dawn Chong
Votes: 24,112 | Gross: $20.96M
80.000 BCE ❖ Paleolithic Europe: Tribe of Cavemen ❖ Stone Age
2. Alpha (II) (2018)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the prehistoric past, a young man struggles to return home after being separated from his tribe during a buffalo hunt. He finds a similarly lost wolf companion and starts a friendship that would change humanity.
Director: Albert Hughes | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Marcin Kowalczyk, Jens Hultén
Votes: 66,531 | Gross: $35.85M
20.000 BCE ❖ Upper Paleolithic Europe: Tribe of Hunter-Gatherers ❖ Stone Age
3. 10,000 BC (2008)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the prehistoric past, D'Leh is a mammoth hunter who bonds with the beautiful Evolet. When warriors on horseback capture Evolet and the tribesmen, D'Leh must embark on an odyssey to save his true love.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Camilla Belle, Steven Strait, Marco Khan, Cliff Curtis
Votes: 135,462 | Gross: $94.78M
10.000 BCE ❖ Ural Mountains: Tribe of Mammoth Hunters ❖ Stone Age
4. Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
PG-13 | 150 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The defiant leader Moses rises up against Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, setting six hundred thousand slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver
Votes: 179,197 | Gross: $65.01M
1300 BCE ❖ Egyptian Empire: The Exodus (Christian Mythology) ❖ Iron Age
5. Troy (2004)
R | 163 min | Adventure, Drama
An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Julian Glover
Votes: 570,241 | Gross: $133.38M
1250 BCE ❖ Mycenaean Greece: The Trojan War ❖ Greek Heroic Age (Mythology)
6. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 863,992 | Gross: $210.61M
480 BCE ❖ Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Thermopylae (Fantasy Retelling) ❖ Classical Age
7. 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
R | 102 min | Action, Drama
Greek general Themistocles of Athens leads the naval charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
Director: Noam Murro | Stars: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Votes: 315,834 | Gross: $106.58M
480 BCE ❖ Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Artemisium & Battle of Salamis (Fantasy Retelling) ❖ Classical Age
8. Alexander (2004)
R | 175 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson, Angelina Jolie
Votes: 176,625 | Gross: $34.30M
356-323 BCE ❖ Alexander the Great ❖ Classical Age
9. Hero (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 187,615 | Gross: $53.71M
227-221 BCE ❖ Ancient China: Jing Ke's attempted Assassination of the King of Qin ❖ Warring States Period
10. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)
TV-MA | 55 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
In the time before the arrival of Spartacus, the House of Batiatus faces many challenges from competitors, and within its own household.
Stars: John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare
Votes: 145,338
80 BCE ❖ Roman Republic: House of Batiatus ❖ Classical Age
11. Spartacus (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who lead a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.
Stars: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel
Votes: 256,894
73-71 BCE ❖ Roman Republic: Spartacus ❖ Classical Age
12. Spartacus (1960)
PG-13 | 197 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.
Directors: Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Votes: 143,138 | Gross: $30.00M
73 BCE ❖ Roman Republic: Spartacus ❖ Classical Age
13. Rome (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Votes: 185,266
49-30 BCE ❖ Ancient Rome's transition from Republic to Empire ❖ Classical Age
14. I, Claudius (1976)
Not Rated | 50 min | Biography, Drama, History
The personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.
Stars: Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed
Votes: 19,359
24 BCE-45 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Julio-Claudian Dynasty ❖ Classical Age
15. Ben-Hur (1959)
G | 212 min | Adventure, Drama
After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Votes: 253,584 | Gross: $74.70M
1st Century: 26-30 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Judaea ❖ Classical Age
16. Ben-Hur (2016)
PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army, returns to his homeland after years at sea to seek revenge, but finds redemption.
Director: Timur Bekmambetov | Stars: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi
Votes: 46,826 | Gross: $26.41M
1st Century: 26-30 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Judaea ❖ Classical Age
17. Risen (2016)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Drama, History
In 33 AD, a Roman Tribune in Judea is tasked to find the missing body of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis
Votes: 30,804 | Gross: $36.87M
1st Century: 33 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Judaea, Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Christian Mythology) ❖ Classical Age
18. Quo Vadis (1951)
Not Rated | 171 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
After fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.
Directors: Mervyn LeRoy, Anthony Mann | Stars: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov
Votes: 16,740 | Gross: $24.29M
1st Century: 64-68 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Great Fire of Rome & the Persecution of Christians ❖ Classical Age
19. Pompeii (I) (2014)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A slave-turned-gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Votes: 116,619 | Gross: $23.22M
1st Century: 79 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Pompeii, Eruption of Mount Vesuvius ❖ Classical Age
20. Centurion (2010)
R | 97 min | Action, Drama, History
A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is devastated in a guerrilla attack.
Director: Neil Marshall | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Andreas Wisniewski
Votes: 86,349 | Gross: $7.89M
2nd Century: 117 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Caledonia, Disappearance of the Ninth Legion ❖ Classical Age
21. Gladiator (2000)
R | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Votes: 1,619,437 | Gross: $187.71M
2nd Century: 180-192 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Marcus Aurelius & Commodus ❖ Classical Age
22. Red Cliff (2008)
R | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).
Director: John Woo | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 48,487 | Gross: $0.63M
3rd Century: 208-209 CE ❖ Imperial China: Battle of Red Cliffs ❖ End of the Han dynasty
23. Agora (2009)
R | 127 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hope of pursuing freedom while falling in love with his mistress, the philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom
Votes: 73,034 | Gross: $0.62M
4th Century: 360-415 CE ❖ Roman Egypt: Professor Hypatia of Alexandria ❖ Classical Age
24. King Arthur (2004)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Votes: 176,069 | Gross: $51.88M
5th Century: 467 CE ❖ Roman Empire: Arthur Pendragon depicted as a Roman Officer ❖ Classical Age
25. The Last Legion (2007)
PG-13 | 101 min | Action, Adventure, History
As the Roman empire crumbles, young Romulus Augustus flees the city and embarks on a perilous voyage to Britain to track down a legion of supporters.
Director: Doug Lefler | Stars: Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Peter Mullan
Votes: 37,097 | Gross: $5.93M
5th Century: 476-490 CE ❖ Roman Britain: Fall of the Western Roman Empire ❖ Classical Age
26. Tristan + Isolde (2006)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Drama, Romance
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, David O'Hara
Votes: 54,289 | Gross: $14.73M
6th Century ❖ Sub-Roman Britain & Christian Ireland ❖ Dark Ages
27. Vikings (2013–2020)
TV-MA | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore--and raid--the distant shores across the ocean.
Stars: Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Hirst
Votes: 582,235
8th Century: 793-873 ❖ Northern Europe, the Mediterranean & North America ❖ Dark Ages/Viking Age
28. Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014)
R | 97 min | Action, Drama, History
A band of Vikings cross enemy lines and a panicked race begins. The losers will pay with their lives.
Director: Claudio Fäh | Stars: Tom Hopper, Ryan Kwanten, Ken Duken, Charlie Murphy
Votes: 10,727
9th Century ❖ Kingdom of Scotland ❖ Dark Ages/Viking Age
29. Pathfinder (2007)
R | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A Viking boy is left behind after his clan battles a Native American tribe. Raised within the tribe, he ultimately becomes their savior in a fight against the Norsemen.
Director: Marcus Nispel | Stars: Karl Urban, Clancy Brown, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means
Votes: 46,268 | Gross: $10.23M
9th Century: 892-907 ❖ North America: Vikings & Native American Tribes ❖ Dark Ages/Viking Age
30. The Northman (2022)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Viking prince is on a quest to avenge his father's murder.
Director: Robert Eggers | Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke
Votes: 253,391 | Gross: $34.23M
9th Century: 895 ❖ Iceland & Kievan Rus' ❖ Dark Ages/Viking Age
31. Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
R | 114 min | Action, Drama, Romance
During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Ye Liu
Votes: 45,953 | Gross: $6.57M
10th Century: 907 ❖ Imperial China: Tang Dynasty ❖ Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
32. The 13th Warrior (1999)
R | 102 min | Action, Adventure, History
A man, having fallen in love with the wrong woman, is sent by the sultan himself on a diplomatic mission to a distant land as an ambassador. Stopping at a Viking village port to restock on supplies, he finds himself unwittingly embroiled in a quest to banish a mysterious threat in a distant Viking land.
Directors: John McTiernan, Michael Crichton | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhøi, Vladimir Kulich
Votes: 132,071 | Gross: $32.70M
10th Century: 922 ❖ Volga Bulgaria: Ahmad ibn Fadlan & the Volga Vikings ❖ Dark Ages/Viking Age
33. Macbeth (I) (2015)
R | 113 min | Drama, History, War
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
Director: Justin Kurzel | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jack Madigan, Frank Madigan
Votes: 59,496 | Gross: $1.11M
11th Century: 1050 ❖ Kingdom of Scotland: Macbeth (Shakespeare's Play) ❖ High Middle Ages
34. Valhalla Rising (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Forced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson, Alexander Morton, Stewart Porter
Votes: 63,643 | Gross: $0.02M
11th Century: 1096 ❖ Scandinavian Scotland ❖ High Middle Ages
35. Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007)
R | 126 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world in 1206.
Director: Sergei Bodrov | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Amadu Mamadakov, Khulan Chuluun, Honglei Sun
Votes: 49,173 | Gross: $5.70M
12th Century: 1172-1206 ❖ Tangut Empire: Early Life of Genghis Khan ❖ High Middle Ages
36. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
R | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson, Martin Hancock
Votes: 314,683 | Gross: $47.40M
12th Century: 1184-1189 ❖ Kingdom of Jerusalem: Balian of Ibelin ❖ High Middle Ages: The Crusades
37. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robin Hood decides to fight back as an outlaw when faced with the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater
Votes: 208,323 | Gross: $165.50M
12th Century: 1194 ❖ Kingdom of England: Robin Hood (English Folklore) ❖ High Middle Ages
38. Robin Hood (2010)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In twelfth-century England, Robin Longstride and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen, Max von Sydow
Votes: 283,096 | Gross: $105.27M
12th Century: 1199 ❖ Kingdom of England: Robin Hood (English Folklore) ❖ High Middle Ages
39. The Last King (2016)
R | 99 min | Action, Drama, History
In the year 1206 Norway is raged by civil war. The King's illegitimate infant son, Håkon Håkonsson, which half the kingdom wants killed off, is guarded in secrecy by two men. A story which changed the course of the country's history.
Director: Nils Gaup | Stars: Jakob Oftebro, Kristofer Hivju, Torkel Dommersnes Soldal, Ane Ulimoen Øverli
Votes: 7,746 | Gross: $0.01M
13th Century: 1204-1206 ❖ Norwegian Civil War ❖ High Middle Ages
40. Pilgrimage (II) (2017)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama, History
In 13th-century Ireland, a group of monks must escort a sacred relic across a landscape fraught with peril.
Director: Brendan Muldowney | Stars: Tom Holland, Richard Armitage, Jon Bernthal, Nikos Karathanos
Votes: 6,429
13th Century: 1209 ❖ Norman Ireland ❖ High Middle Ages
41. Ironclad (2011)
R | 121 min | Action, Drama, History
In thirteenth-century England, a Knights Templar and a few of the Barons men fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.
Director: Jonathan English | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Jason Flemyng, Brian Cox, James Purefoy
Votes: 43,647
13th Century: 1215 ❖ Kingdom of England: First Barons' War, Siege of Rochester Castle ❖ High Middle Ages
42. Marco Polo (2014–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In a world replete with greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, "Marco Polo" is based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century Mongolia.
Stars: Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Joan Chen, Remy Hii
Votes: 78,640
13th Century ❖ Mongol Empire: Early Years of Marco Polo in the Court of Kublai Khan ❖ Late Middle Ages
43. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 1,091,046 | Gross: $75.60M
13th Century: 1282-1314 ❖ Kingdom of Scotland: Sir William Wallace ❖ Late Middle Ages
44. Outlaw King (2018)
R | 121 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish 'Outlaw King' Robert the Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat the much larger and better equipped occupying English army.
Director: David Mackenzie | Stars: Chris Pine, Stephen Dillane, Rebecca Robin, Billy Howle
Votes: 80,922
14th Century: 1304-1307❖ Kingdom of Scotland: King Robert the Bruce ❖ Late Middle Ages
45. The Name of the Rose (1986)
R | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud | Stars: Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Helmut Qualtinger, Elya Baskin
Votes: 117,208 | Gross: $7.15M
14th Century: 1327 ❖ Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire) ❖ Late Middle Ages
46. Black Death (2010)
R | 102 min | Action, Drama, History
Set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is given the task of learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.
Director: Christopher Smith | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten, Kimberley Nixon
Votes: 51,229 | Gross: $0.02M
14th Century: 1348 ❖ Kingdom of England: First Outbreak of Bubonic Plague ❖ Late Middle Ages
47. A Knight's Tale (2001)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon
Votes: 201,635 | Gross: $56.57M
14th Century: 1356 ❖ Kingdom of England ❖ Late Middle Ages
48. The Last Duel (2021)
R | 152 min | Action, Drama, History
The Knight Jean de Carrouges must settle the dispute over his wife Marguerite by challenging his former friend to a duel to the death.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Harriet Walter
Votes: 181,926 | Gross: $10.85M
14th Century: 1386 ❖ Kingdom of France ❖ Late Middle Ages: Hundred Years' War
49.
The Hollow Crown (2012–2016)
Episode:
Richard II
(2012)
Not Rated | 141 min | Drama, History, War
The incompetent Richard II is deposed by Henry Bolingbroke and undergoes a crisis of identity once he is no longer king.
Director: Rupert Goold | Stars: David Bradley, Richard Bremmer, Daniel Boyd, Peter De Jersey
Votes: 1,819
14th Century: 1398-1400 ❖ Kingdom of England: King Richard II (Shakespeare's Play) ❖ Late Middle Ages
50. Andrei Rublev (1966)
R | 189 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko, Nikolay Sergeev
Votes: 57,035 | Gross: $0.10M
15th Century: 1400-1424 ❖ Muscovite Russia: Andrei Rublev ❖ Late Middle Ages
51. Medici (2016–2019)
TV-14 | 1,314 min | Biography, Drama, History
A political family drama set in Florence in the early fifteenth century. Cosimo de Medici finds himself at the helm of his banking dynasty when his father, Giovanni, dies suddenly.
Stars: Daniel Sharman, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnove Karlsen, Sebastian De Souza
Votes: 22,253
15th Century: 1409-1478 ❖ Kingdom of Italy: House of Medici ❖ Early Modern Europe: Italian Renaissance
52. Henry V (1989)
PG-13 | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Simon Shepherd, James Larkin
Votes: 31,649 | Gross: $10.16M
15th Century: 1415-1420 ❖ King Henry V of England (Shakespeare's Play) ❖ Late Middle Ages: Hundred Years' War
53. The Face Reader (2013)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Drama, History
About Nae-kyung who is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of a person by looking at his face. Because of his abilities, he gets involved in a power struggle between Prince Sooyang and Kim Jong-Seo.
Director: Han Jae-rim | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yun-shik, Jo Jung-Suk
Votes: 2,867 | Gross: $0.52M
15th Century: 1455 ❖ Kingdom of Korea: Prince Sooyang ❖ Joseon Period
54. The White Queen (2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Three different, yet equally relentless women vie for the throne in 15th-century England.
Stars: Aneurin Barnard, Rebecca Ferguson, Amanda Hale, Faye Marsay
Votes: 31,382
15th Century: 1464-1485 ❖ Kingdom of England: Wars of the Roses ❖ Early Modern Europe
55. Shōgun (2024)
TV-MA | Adventure, Drama, History
When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.
Stars: Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Yûki Kedôin
Votes: 87,678
16th Century: 1467-1600 ❖ Japan ❖ Sengoku Period
56. 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
PG-13 | 154 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas and the effect this has on the indigenous people.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Sigourney Weaver, Loren Dean
Votes: 32,803 | Gross: $7.19M
15th Century: 1492-1502 ❖ Discovery of the Americas ❖ Early Modern Period: Age of Discovery
57. The Borgias (2011–2013)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, History
In the fifteenth century, Pope Alexander VI tries to control all power in Italy with the help of his several sons, through murder, intrigue, war, and marriage alliances.
Stars: Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Peter Sullivan
Votes: 53,930
15th Century: 1492-1503 ❖ Kingdom of Italy: House of Borgia ❖ Early Modern Europe: Italian Renaissance
58. The Spanish Princess (2019–2020)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, History, Romance
Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon navigates the royal lineage of England with an eye on the throne.
Stars: Laura Carmichael, Aaron Cobham, Charlotte Hope, Stephanie Levi-John
Votes: 10,686
16th Century: 1501-1525 ❖ Kingdom of England: Catherine of Aragon ❖ Early Modern Europe: English Renaissance
59. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 81,169
16th Century: 1509-1547 ❖ Kingdom of England: King Henry VIII ❖ Early Modern Europe: English Renaissance
60. Apocalypto (2006)
R | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, a young man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Gerardo Taracena, Raoul Max Trujillo, Dalia Hernández, Rudy Youngblood
Votes: 331,193 | Gross: $50.87M
16th Century: 1517 ❖ Mayan Kingdom: Decline of the Mayan Civilization ❖ Postclassic Period
61. The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.
Director: Justin Chadwick | Stars: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess
Votes: 119,948 | Gross: $26.81M
16th Century: 1525-1536 ❖ Kingdom of England: King Henry VIII ❖ Early Modern Europe: English Renaissance
62. Wolf Hall (2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
After the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, his secretary, Thomas Cromwell, finds himself amongst the treachery and intrigue of King Henry VIII's court and soon becomes a close advisor to the King, a role fraught with danger.
Stars: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Votes: 13,085
16th Century: 1529-1536 ❖ Kingdom of England: Thomas Cromwell ❖ Early Modern Europe: English Renaissance
63. Elizabeth (1998)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama, History
The early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.
Director: Shekhar Kapur | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Liz Giles, Rod Culbertson, Paul Fox
Votes: 105,089 | Gross: $30.08M
16th Century: 1554-1563 ❖ Kingdom of England: Queen Elizabeth I ❖ Early Modern Europe: English Renaissance
64. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo, Del Negro
Votes: 62,251
16th Century: 1560-1561 ❖ Inca Empire: Spanish Expedition in the Andes ❖ Early Modern Period: Age of Discovery
65. Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas (2013)
Unrated | 122 min | Drama, History
In the 16th century in the Cévennes, a horse dealer by the name of Michael Kohlhaas leads a happy family life. When a lord treats him unjustly, he raises an army and puts the country to fire and sword in order to have his rights restored.
Director: Arnaud des Pallières | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Mélusine Mayance, Delphine Chuillot, David Kross
Votes: 9,198
16th Century ❖ Kingdom of France: Reign of King Francis I ❖ Early Modern Europe
66. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,922
16th Century ❖ Japan (based on Shakespeare's Macbeth) ❖ Sengoku Period
67. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,135 | Gross: $4.14M
16th Century: 1571 ❖ Japan (based on Shakespeare's King Lear) ❖ Sengoku Period
68. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,163
16th Century: 1575 ❖ Japan: Battle of Nagashino ❖ Sengoku Period
69. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 366,688 | Gross: $0.27M
16th Century: 1586 ❖ Japan ❖ Sengoku Period
70. The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Drama, History
Admiral Yi Sun-sin faces a tough challenge when he is forced to defend his nation with just 13 battleships against 300 Japanese enemy ships in the Battle of Myeongryang.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon
Votes: 13,049 | Gross: $2.59M
16th Century: 1597 ❖ Imjin War: Admiral Yi Sun-sin ❖ Japanese Invasions of Korea
71. The New World (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Votes: 89,832 | Gross: $12.71M
17th Century: 1607-1608 ❖ North America: Colonization of Jamestown ❖ Early Modern Period: Age of Discovery
72. Masquerade (2012)
Not Rated | 131 min | Drama, History
A look-alike commoner is secretly hired to take the place of a poisoned king to save his country from falling into chaos.
Director: Chang-min Choo | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Kim In-kwon
Votes: 7,441 | Gross: $0.92M
17th Century: 1608-1623 ❖ Kingdom of Korea ❖ Joseon Period
73. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
A tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Munetaka Aoki, Naoto Takenaka, Hikari Mitsushima
Votes: 9,146 | Gross: $0.08M
17th Century: 1619-1630 ❖ Japan: Tokugawa Shogunate ❖ Edo Period
74. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,598
17th Century: 1619-1630 ❖ Japan: Tokugawa Shogunate ❖ Edo Period
75. The Three Musketeers - Part I: D'Artagnan (2023)
121 min | Action, Adventure, History
D'Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead, which leads him to a real war where the future of France is at stake. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the King.
Director: Martin Bourboulon | Stars: François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï
Votes: 18,949
17th Century: 1625 ❖ Kingdom of France: Reign of King Louis XIII ❖ Early Modern Europe
76. The Three Musketeers - Part II: Milady (2023)
115 min | Action, Adventure, History
D'Artagnan is forced to join forces with Milady to save Constance, who was kidnapped before his eyes. But as war is declared and Athos, Porthos and Aramis have already joined the front, a secret from the past shatters old alliances.
Director: Martin Bourboulon | Stars: François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï
Votes: 3,729
17th Century: 1628 ❖ Kingdom of France: Reign of King Louis XIII ❖ Early Modern Europe
77. Silence (I) (2016)
R | 161 min | Drama, History
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 122,942 | Gross: $7.10M
17th Century: 1633-1682 ❖ Japan: Suppression of Christianity ❖ Edo Period
78. To Kill a King (2003)
Not Rated | 102 min | Biography, Drama, History
A recounting of the relationship between General Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, as they try to cope with the consequences of deposing King Charles I.
Director: Mike Barker | Stars: Tim Roth, Dougray Scott, Olivia Williams, James Bolam
Votes: 3,408
17th Century: 1651-1661 ❖ Aftermath of the English Civil War ❖ Early Modern Europe: The General Crisis
79. The Man in the Iron Mask (I) (1998)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother whom he keeps imprisoned. Can the twin be substituted for the real king?
Director: Randall Wallace | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu
Votes: 178,744 | Gross: $56.97M
17th Century: 1660-1667 ❖ Kingdom of France: Reign of King Louis XIV ❖ Early Modern Europe
80. The Favourite (2018)
R | 119 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Stars: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult
Votes: 233,250 | Gross: $34.37M
18th Century: 1704-1711 ❖ Kingdom of Great Britain: Queen Anne ❖ Early Modern Europe
81. Black Sails (2014–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Follows Captain Flint and his pirates twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel "Treasure Island."
Stars: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Zach McGowan
Votes: 113,255
18th Century: 1715-1720 ❖ Captain Flint (Fictional Pirate) ❖ Golden Age of Piracy
82. Jeanne du Barry (2023)
117 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of Jeanne Bécu who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress.
Director: Maïwenn | Stars: Maïwenn, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud
Votes: 10,660
18th Century 1743 ❖ Kingdom of France: Court of Louis XV ❖ Early Modern Europe
83. The Mission (1986)
PG | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Eighteenth-century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn
Votes: 65,675 | Gross: $17.22M
18th Century: 1750-1758 ❖ Spanish Mission in South America ❖ Early Modern Period
84. The Promised Land (2023)
R | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong dream: To make the heath bring him wealth and honor.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Melina Hagberg
Votes: 16,281
18th Century: 1755 ❖ Denmark-Norway: Jutland ❖ Early Modern Europe
85. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
R | 112 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Three trappers protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig
Votes: 187,575 | Gross: $75.51M
18th Century: 1757 ❖ North America: French and Indian War ❖ Early Modern Period: Seven Years' War
86. Barry Lyndon (1975)
PG | 185 min | Adventure, Drama, War
An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger
Votes: 183,006
18th Century: 1759-1789 ❖ Barry Lyndon (Fictional Anglo-Irish Rogue) ❖ Early Modern Europe: Seven Years' War
87. Catherine the Great (2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life and times of the woman who reformed the Russian empire.
Stars: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Gina McKee, Kevin McNally
Votes: 6,479
18th Century: 1762-1796 ❖ Russian Empire: Catherine the Great ❖ Early Modern Europe
88. The Throne (2015)
125 min | Drama, History
Set in 18th century Korea, long-ruling King Yeongjo's struggle with his son, Sado, sees the king take extreme measures in order to deal with his heir.
Director: Lee Joon-ik | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Yoo Ah-in, Moon Geun-young, Kim Hae-sook
Votes: 3,115
18th Century: 1762 ❖ Kingdom of Korea: Crown Prince Sado ❖ Joseon Period
89. Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
R | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In 18th-century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his Native American friend Mani are sent to the Gevaudan province at the king's behest to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.
Director: Christophe Gans | Stars: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel
Votes: 71,449 | Gross: $11.26M
18th Century: 1764-1790 ❖ Kingdom of France: Legend of the Beast of Gévaudan ❖ Age of Revolution
90. John Adams (2008)
TV-14 | 71 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of one of the USA's Founding Fathers, its second President, and his role in the nation's first 50 years.
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, John Dossett, Stephen Dillane
Votes: 36,602
18th Century: 1770-1826 ❖ United States: President John Adams ❖ Age of Revolution
91. The Patriot (2000)
R | 165 min | Action, Drama, History
Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs
Votes: 293,417 | Gross: $113.33M
18th Century: 1776-1781 ❖ American Revolutionary War ❖ Age of Revolution
92. Amadeus (1984)
R | 160 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice
Votes: 427,871 | Gross: $51.97M
18th Century: 1781-1823 ❖ Austrian Empire: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ❖ Age of Enlightenment
93. The Scandalous Lady W (2015 TV Movie)
87 min | Drama, History, Romance
An 18th-century drama details the scandalous life of Lady Seymour Worsley.
Director: Sheree Folkson | Stars: Natalie Dormer, Craig Parkinson, Aneurin Barnard, Shaun Evans
Votes: 2,846
18th Century: 1782 ❖ Kingdom of Great Britain: Lady Seymour Fleming ❖ Georgian Era
94. The Bounty (1984)
PG | 132 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Fed up with their Captain's harsh discipline, a sailing ship's crew decides to take action.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox
Votes: 30,421 | Gross: $8.60M
18th Century: 1787-1790 ❖ Mutiny on the Royal Navy HMS Bounty
95. Horatio Hornblower: The Duel (1998 TV Movie)
93 min | Adventure, Drama, War
Horatio Hornblower begins his naval career, but a deadly feud with a despicable mate is causing complications.
Director: Andrew Grieve | Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Dorian Healy, Michael Byrne
Votes: 6,058
18th Century: 1793 ❖ Horatio Hornblower (Fictional British Officer) ❖ French Revolutionary Wars
96. The Duellists (1977)
PG | 100 min | Drama, War
France, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d'Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Albert Finney, Edward Fox
Votes: 26,705 | Gross: $0.20M
19th Century: 1800-1816 ❖ A series of duels between two Rival Officers ❖ Napoleonic Wars
97. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
During the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy
Votes: 237,844 | Gross: $93.93M
19th Century: 1803-1805 ❖ Royal Navy HMS Surprise ❖ Napoleonic Wars
98. Quills (2000)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama
In a Napoleonic era insane asylum, an inmate, the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, fights a battle of wills against a tyrannically prudish doctor.
Director: Philip Kaufman | Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine
Votes: 56,726 | Gross: $7.06M
19th Century: 1804-1815 ❖ Kingdom of France: Marquis de Sade's Incarceration ❖ French Revolution: Reign of Terror
99. Sharpe (1993–2008)
TV-14 | 1,673 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A series of stories starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars as he fights both Napoleon's forces and the strong prejudice of British aristocracy.
Stars: Sean Bean, Daragh O'Malley, John Tams, Jason Salkey
Votes: 2,344
19th Century: 1809-1818 ❖ Richard Sharpe (Fictional British Soldier) ❖ Napoleonic Wars
100. Lines of Wellington (2012)
Not Rated | 151 min | Drama, History, War
On September 27, 1810, the French troops commanded by Marshal Massena, were defeated in the Serra do Buçaco by the Anglo-Portuguese army of general Wellington. Despite the victory, ... See full summary »
Director: Valeria Sarmiento | Stars: Nuno Lopes, Soraia Chaves, Marisa Paredes, John Malkovich
Votes: 1,570
19th Century: 1810 ❖ Kingdom of Portugal: Battle of Buçaco ❖ Napoleonic Wars: Peninsular War
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