Historical Dramas - AD 1900 - 1950
A list of historical drama films and television series set in the first half of the 20th century.
The list follows a chronological order based on the historical setting. For the most part, these are films and television series that I've seen and evaluated.
In those cases where the setting remains uncertain, I tried to approximate it as much as possible based on the clues provided by the plot and also on my personal historical knowledge.
Some of the dates provided may be subject to future corrections, especially for those films that I've yet to see or for those I haven't watched in a long time.
This list is also based on personal assessments. For this reason, I've not included those films and television series that do not reflect my valuation standards.
To experience this list as I do, you've to select the "Detailed view" option and sort it using "List order".
A full comparative list is available at the page "List of historical dramas in chronological order year by year" on the Fandom wiki of "A World of Straw Bales". Enjoy.
Andres Contos aka Siddo Vicio
The list follows a chronological order based on the historical setting. For the most part, these are films and television series that I've seen and evaluated.
In those cases where the setting remains uncertain, I tried to approximate it as much as possible based on the clues provided by the plot and also on my personal historical knowledge.
Some of the dates provided may be subject to future corrections, especially for those films that I've yet to see or for those I haven't watched in a long time.
This list is also based on personal assessments. For this reason, I've not included those films and television series that do not reflect my valuation standards.
To experience this list as I do, you've to select the "Detailed view" option and sort it using "List order".
A full comparative list is available at the page "List of historical dramas in chronological order year by year" on the Fandom wiki of "A World of Straw Bales". Enjoy.
Andres Contos aka Siddo Vicio
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- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRachel RobertsAnne-Louise LambertVivean GrayDuring a rural summer picnic, a few students and a teacher from an Australian girls' school vanish without a trace. Their absence frustrates and haunts the people left behind.1900
- DirectorJohn GorrieStarsTimothy WestHelen RyanRichard Vernon1901-1902: After a nearly 60 year wait, Bertie becomes King upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria. There is much speculation as to whether he is up to the job. The King's nephew, the German Kaiser, proposes an Anglo-German alliance and the King supports it but several of his Ministers simply do not take him seriously. Although now Queen, Alix is having some trouble adjusting to their new life, refusing to live at Buckingham Palace and reluctant to leave Marlborough House, the home designated for the Prince of Wales, their son George. The King's sister, Vicky - the Kaiser's mother - is dying of cancer. The King is frustrated when his coronation is postponed due to the Boer War but when it is finally scheduled, it must be postponed as the King must undergo emergency surgery to remove his appendix.1901-1902
- StarsAntonio BanderasToni BertorelliValentina LainatiThe story of a young Benito Mussolini. It is the drama of a man whose lust for power unleashed a reign of terror - the chilling account of how an ambitious young schoolteacher became the ruthless dictator of Italy.1901-1915
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsRobert De NiroGérard DepardieuDominique SandaThe epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth-century Italy as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides.1901-1945
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsWarren BeattyJulie ChristieRene AuberjonoisA gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.1902
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsMaksim MunzukYuriy SolominMikhail BychkovThe Russian army sends an explorer on an expedition to the snowy Siberian wilderness where he makes friends with a seasoned local hunter.1902-1910
- DirectorGareth DaviesStarsCharles KayBruce PurchasePatrick StewartIn Russia in 1903, Nicholas II has been Tsar for nine years and nobody no longer doubts that revolution soon will come. The important questions at the moment are how, when, and led by whom. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, known as Lenin, meets Martov, Trotsky and Plekhanov for a Marxist congress.1903
- DirectorJohn GorrieStarsTimothy WestHelen RyanJane LapotaireThe King grows increasingly frustrated with his limited role as a constitutional monarch. His attempt at engineering a grand alliance with Germany is successful at one level but ultimately rejected by the Government who still see his His Majesty as someone not to be taken seriously. Still searching for some way to make an impact, the King announces he will soon go on a Grand Tour of several European nations including Britain's historical enemy, France. His arrival in France is marked by boos and catcalls, but he soon charms them and leaves to great cheers. His nephew Willie, the German Emperor, continues to visit but has become pompous to thew point that the King can barely stand being in the same room as him. After the failure of the Grand Alliance, Germany begins to expand its army and navy.1903-1904
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsOmar SharifJulie ChristieGeraldine ChaplinThe life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.1903-1950
- DirectorBill HaysStarsGayle HunnicuttCharles KayBarry FosterThe opposition against Tsarism is spreading throughout Russia, but Tsar Nicholas II prefers to disregard and stay blind to the rising discontent. The Tsar's mind is instead mainly consumed by the ill health of his firstborn son, Alexis.1904-1905
- DirectorDavid CunliffeStarsMichael BryantGayle HunnicuttCharles KayThe Grand Duke Serge is assassinated by terrorist in Moscow in 1905 and the Tsar sees the need to dismiss his Police Chief and appoint a new one in order to heighten security in St Petersbourg. Tsar Nicholas chooses a man named Ratchkovsky for the job, but both his ministers and his Tsarina have serious doubts about Ratchkovsky's suitability.1905
- DirectorJames GrayStarsCharlie HunnamRobert PattinsonSienna MillerA true-life drama, centering on British explorer Major Percival Fawcett, who disappeared whilst searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.1905-1927
- DirectorJohn GorrieStarsTimothy WestHelen RyanJane LapotaireThe King enters his final years in general ill health. He smokes too much and has put on too much weight. Britain concludes the triple alliance, concluding a pact with France and Russia but are aware that the German Kaiser, the King's nephew, will inevitably see it as an affront to Germany. Willie still visits his uncle and appears sincere in his love of family and of England. His on-going re-armament of the German army and navy is clearly seen as a threat against the United Kingdom. As a counter-balance the King and Queen set off on a trip to Russia to visit his nephew, the Czar. Having to yet again make amends to Willie, the King visits Germany but it takes a serious toll on his health. Domestically, the King is thrust into a constitutional crisis when the House of Lords refuses to pass social reforms approved by the House. The King's bronchitis worsens and he succumbs on May 6, 1910.1907-1910
- DirectorMarco BellocchioStarsGiovanna MezzogiornoFilippo TimiFausto Russo AlesiThe story of Mussolini's secret lover, Ida Dalser, and their son Albino.1907-1936
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJohn LoneJoan ChenPeter O'TooleBernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatisation of the life story of China's last emperor, Pu Yi.1908-1950
- DirectorRudolph CartierStarsGayle HunnicuttCharles KayLaurence NaismithIn 1908, the Russian Foreign Minister Isvolsky has his mind set on conquering the Dardanelles from the Turks, as the Dardanelles is the only way for the Russian fleet to pass from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean in case of a great war. He knows, however, that both Germany and Austria-Hungary have got important interests in the Balkans and would regard such a venture as a great threat to their respective empires. In order to stop Austria getting in the way, Isvolsky makes a secret agreement with Austrian Foreign Minister Aehrenthal which states that Austria gets an unopposed annexation of the small country of Bosnia-Herzegovina in exchange for their assent to Russia claiming the Dardanelles. Unbeknownst to everyone, the future battle lines of Europe have just been drawn.1908-1909
- DirectorCharles VidorStarsGrace KellyAlec GuinnessLouis JourdanWhen a crown prince visits, the princess's mother tries to push the prince into marrying her daughter by presenting a "rival" at the ball - her children's handsome tutor.1910
- DirectorJames CameronStarsLeonardo DiCaprioKate WinsletBilly ZaneA seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.1912
Detailed timeline: April 10-18, 1912 - CreatorJulian FellowesStarsHugh BonnevillePhyllis LoganElizabeth McGovernA chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.1912-1926
Setting: Belle Epoque; Machine Age; Edwardian Britain; First World War; Interwar Britain; Roaring Twenties
Season 1
Episode 1: April-July, 1912
Episode 2: September-October, 1912
Episode 3: April-May, 1913
Episode 4: May, 1913
Episode 5: August, 1913
Episode 6: May-July, 1914
Episode 7: July-August, 1914
Season 2
Episode 1: September, 1916-March, 1917
Episode 2: April-June, 1917
Episode 3: July-September, 1917
Episode 4: February-March, 1918
Episode 5: August, 1918
Episode 6: October-November, 1918
Episode 7: February-March, 1919
Episode 8: April, 1919
Episode 9: December, 1919-January, 1920
Season 3
Episode 1: March, 1920
Episode 2: April, 1920
Episode 3: May, 1920
Episodes 4-5: August, 1920
Episodes 6-8: September, 1920
Episode 9: September, 1921
Season 4
Episode 1: February, 1922
Episode 2: March-April, 1922
Episode 3: April, 1922
Episode 4: April-May, 1922
Episode 5: May, 1922
Episode 6: June, 1922
Episode 7: July, 1922
Episode 8: August, 1922
Episode 9: June, 1923
Season 5
Episode 1: February 15-17, 1924
Episode 2: April 20-23, 1924
Episode 4: May 13-16, 1924
Episode 5: September 30-October 3, 1924
Episode 6: October 9-11, 1924
Episode 7: October 12-17, 1924
Episode 8: October 19-25, 1924
Episode 9: Late November-December 24, 1924
Season 6
Episodes 1-2: April, 1925
Episode 4: May 17-22, 1925
b]Episodes 5: May 26-29, 1925
Episode 6: June 3-6, 1925
Episode 7: July 18-21, 1925
Episode 8: Late July-Early August, 1925
Episode 9: September, 1925-January 1, 1926 - DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsWilliam HoldenErnest BorgnineRobert RyanAn aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.1913
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsChristian FriedelErnst JacobiLeonie BeneschStrange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?1913-1914 (aka "The White Ribbon")
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsClaude RainsGloria DicksonEdward NorrisA politically ambitious district attorney, unscrupulous tabloid journalists, and regional prejudice combine to charge a teacher with the murder of his student.1913-1915
- DirectorDonald McWhinnieStarsLaurence NaismithBarry FosterNora SwinburneAfter the murder of his wife and the suicide of his son, the increasingly aging Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary has become more and more distanced from his people and his empire. Although he does not really like his new heir apparent, his nephew, the Archduke Franz-Ferdinand, for whom Franz-Josef never has been able to forgive a most unsuitable morganatic marriage, he realises that monarchy must survive. In 1914, Franz-Josef arranges so that Franz-Ferdinand and his wife are to go on official business in Sarajevo.1914
- CreatorPeter MoffatStarsDavid RyallMaxine PeakeJohn SimmFollows the residents of one English village across the 20th century and their turbulent lives.1914-1924
Setting: Machine Age; First World War; Interwar Britain; Roaring Twenties
Season 1
Episode 1: July-August, 1914
Episode 2: January, 1915
Episode 3: March, 1916
Episode 4: July, 1916
Episode 5: November, 1916
Episode 6: March, 1920
Season 2
Episode 1: October, 1923
Episode 2: November, 1923
Episode 3: December, 1923
Episode 4: Late March-November, 1924
Episodes 5-6: November, 1924 - DirectorDavid Sullivan ProudfootStarsCharles KayGayle HunnicuttCharles GrayWorld War I reigns in Europe and in the Spring of 1915, Russia suffers terrible losses on the Eastern Front. At the Russian court, Tsar Nicholas and the Tsarina have become increasingly reliant on the political advice of the monk Gregory Rasputin, who has become their trusted friend and chief counsel. When the popular Commander-in-Chief Grand Duke Nicholas criticises Rasputin, the Tsar dismisses him and decides to take charge of the Russian army himself. Any other ministers who further criticise Rasputin, or indeed the Tsar's decision to take over the army, are dismissed too. As head of the army, the Tsar continues to lean heavily on the Tsarina and Rasputin for guidance and advice. Russian war fare is thus greatly relied on by a monk.1914-1916
- DirectorJames KentStarsAlicia VikanderKit HaringtonTaron EgertonA British woman recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times.1914-1918
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsThomas AdlamWilliam ArgentJohn AshbyA documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.1914-1918
- DirectorPhilip MartinStarsDavid TennantRichard McCabePatrick KennedyDrama about the development of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, and Einstein's relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, the first physicist to experimentally prove his ideas.1914-1919
- StarsPeter StormareFriedrich von ThunPeter O'TooleA profile of the life of Adolf Hitler with a unique slant, as a child and his rise through the ranks of the National Socialist German Workers Party prior to World War II.1914-1934
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsMel GibsonMark LeeBill KerrTwo Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.1915
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKirk DouglasRalph MeekerAdolphe MenjouAfter a failed attack on a German position, a general orders three soldiers, chosen at random, court-martialed for cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.1916
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsLiam NeesonAidan QuinnJulia RobertsNeil Jordan's historical biopic of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, the man who led a guerrilla war against the UK, helped negotiate the creation of the Irish Free State, and led the National Army during the Irish Civil War.1916-1922
- DirectorMario MonicelliStarsAlberto SordiVittorio GassmanBernard BlierThe Italian Army fought against the Austrians during World War I.1916-1917 (aka "The Great War")
- DirectorFrancesco RosiStarsMark FrechetteAlain CunyGian Maria VolontèOn the Italian/Austrian front during World War I, a disastrous Italian attack upon the Austrian positions leads to a mutiny among the Italian troops.1916-1917 (aka Many Wars Ago)
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsRichard ThomasErnest BorgnineDonald PleasenceA young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I.1916-1918
- DirectorMichael Lindsay-HoggStarsPatrick StewartLynn FarleighGayle HunnicuttIn 1917, the Russian Revolution breaks out in earnest and Lenin and Krupskaya - now living in exile in Zurich - are both thrilled as the news finally reach them in Switzerland. They long to return to Russia and be part of the revolution, but at present they have no means of doing so. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany - ailed and exhausted by war - is also very pleased and relieved by the news of a beginning revolution in Russia. In order to help the revolution on its way - in hope of removing Russia completely from World War I - he decides to secretly transport Lenin, Krupskaya, and other Russian revolutionaries back into Russia in a sealed train.1917
- DirectorErmanno OlmiStarsClaudio SantamariaCamillo GrassiNiccolò SenniA group of soldiers face the difficulty of war during one night at the Italian Front.1917 (aka "Greenery Will Bloom Again")
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.1917-1935
- DirectorRudolph CartierStarsBarry FosterMarius GoringMichael BatesIn Russia, Lenin and the Bolsheviks have seized power and the Russians choose to make peace with Germany and withdraw from the war. To Germany's great disadvantage, however, America has decided to join World War I on the Allied side after a German U-boat sunk the British ocean liner Lusitania with 128 Americans aboard. In 1918, both the German and Austrian armies have suffered great casualties at the hands of the Allied forces and the new Austrian Emperor Karl begs Kaiser Wilhelm to make peace with the Allies before it is too late.1918
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsRicky SchroderPhil McKeeJamie HarrisFact-based war drama about an American battalion of over 500 men which gets trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest in October 1918 France during the closing weeks of World War I.1918
- CreatorSteven KnightStarsCillian MurphyPaul AndersonSophie RundleA gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.1919-1929
Setting: Interwar Britain; Irish War of independence; Irish Civil War; Roaring Twenties; Great Depression
Season 1
Episode 1: July 1919
Episode 2: August 1919
Episode 3: September 1919
Episode 4: October 1919
Episode 5: November 1919
Episode 6: December 3, 1919
Season 2
Episode 1: February 23-26, 1922
Episode 2: February 27-March 1922
Episode 3: March 1922
Episode 4: March 1922
Episode 5: April 13-17, 1922
Episode 6: May 31, 1922
Season 3
Episodes 1-2: January 1924
Episode 3: Late February-Early March, 1924
Episode 4: April 18-20, 1924
Episode 5: Early June, 1924
Episode 6: June 20-22, 1924
Season 4
Episode 1: December 23-25, 1925
Episode 2: December 25-28, 1925
Episode 3: January 1926
Episode 4: February 1-5, 1926
Episode 5: February 5-12, 1926
Episode 6 February 12, 1926-March 1927 - DirectorChristopher MenaulStarsRalph FiennesAlexander SiddigDenis QuilleyLawrence and Feisal go to argue for Arab independence at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.1919-1920
- StarsMattia SbragiaStefano SantospagoAlessandro Haber1919-1928
- DirectorDino RisiStarsVittorio GassmanUgo TognazziRoger HaninAfter the 1st world war, two veterans, starving, but fools, are enlisted with the fascists, where they can eat. But when it comes to killing, they drop out.1919-1922 (aka "March on Rome")
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsLeonardo DiCaprioArmie HammerNaomi WattsJ. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly fifty years, looks back on his professional and personal life.1919-1972
- DirectorGiuliano MontaldoStarsGian Maria VolontèRiccardo CucciollaCyril CusackIn 1920s Boston, Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are scrutinized for their anarchist beliefs while on trial for robbery and murder.1920-1927
- CreatorTerence WinterStarsSteve BuscemiKelly MacdonaldMichael ShannonAn Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.1920-1931
Setting: Machine Age; Interwar Period; Roaring Twenties; Jazz Age; Prohibition Era; Great Depression
Season 1
Episode 1: January 16-18, 1920
Episodes 2-3: January, 1920
Episode 4: February, 1920
Episode 5: March, 1920
Episode 6: April, 1920
Episode 7: May, 1920
Episode 8: June, 1920
Episode 9: July, 1920
Episode 10: August, 1920
Episode 11: September, 1920
Episode 12: October 31-Novembre 2, 1920
Season 2
Episodes 1-2: February, 1921
Episode 3: March, 1921
Episode 4: April, 1921
Episode 5: May, 1921
Episodes 6-7: June, 1921
Episode 8: June 22-24, 1921
Episode 9: June 30-July 3, 1921
Episode 10: July 23-29, 1921
Episode 11: July 30-August 3, 1921
Episode 12: August 21-25, 1921
Season 3
Episode 1: December 31, 1922-January 1, 1923
Episode 2: January 6-7, 1923
Episode 3: January 8-10, 1923
Episode 4: January 12-13, 1923
Episode 5: February, 1923
Episode 6: March, 1923
Episode 7: April 1, 1923
Episode 8: April-May 17, 1923
Episode 9: May 19-21, 1923
Episode 10: May 30-31, 1923
Episode 11: May 31-June 1, 1923
Episode 12: June, 1923
Season 4
Episode 1: February 4-6, 1924
Episode 2: February 7-9, 1924
Episode 3: February 10-11, 1924
Episode 4: March 29-31, 1924
Episode 5: April 1-2, 1924
Episode 6: April, 1924
Episode 7: May 21-23, 1924
Episode 8: May 23-24, 1924
Episode 9: May 25-26, 1924
Episodes 10-11: June, 1924
Episode 12: July, 1924
Season 5
Episodes 1-6: April, 1931
Episode 7: May, 1931
Episode 8: October, 1931 - DirectorTom HooperStarsEddie RedmayneAlicia VikanderAmber HeardA fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.1920-1931
- DirectorFlorestano VanciniStarsFranco NeroMario AdorfRiccardo CucciollaHow the Italian Fascist Party managed to turn the physical elimination of a political enemy into a test of strength fundamental for the ascent into the totalitarian regime.1924-1925
- DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.1925-1939
- DirectorPasquale SquitieriStarsGiuliano GemmaClaudia CardinaleStefano Satta FloresIn 1925, Cesare Mori - known as the "Iron Prefect" for his iron-fisted methods - wages a one-man war against the Mafia in Fascist Sicily.1926-1928 (aka "I Am the Law")
- DirectorJocelyn MoorhouseStarsKate WinsletJudy DavisLiam HemsworthA glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.1926-1951
- DirectorMichael EnglerStarsStephen Campbell MooreMichael FoxLesley Nicol1927. The Crawleys prepare to host King George V and Queen Mary at Downton Abbey.1927
Detailed timeline: September 1927 - DirectorMikhail KalatozovStarsSean ConneryPeter FinchClaudia CardinaleTorn by personal guilt, Italian General Umberto Nobile reminisces about his failed 1928 Arctic expedition aboard the airship Italia.1928 (aka "The Red Tent")
- DirectorAngela RobinsonStarsLuke EvansRebecca HallBella HeathcoteThe story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, and his polyamorous relationship with his wife and their mistress who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman.1928-1947
- CreatorHenk HandloegtenTom TykwerAchim von BorriesStarsVolker BruchLiv Lisa FriesLars EidingerColognian commissioner Gereon Rath moves to Berlin, the epicenter of political and social changes in the Golden Twenties.1929
Season 1
Episode 1: April 28, 1929
Episode 2: April 29, 1929
Episode 3: April 30, 1929
Episode 4: May 1, 1929
Episode 5: May 2-3, 1929
Episode 6: May 5-6, 1929
Episode 7: May 6, 1929
Episode 8: May 7-8, 1929
Season 2
Episode 1: May 20, 1929
Episode 2: May 21-23, 1929
Episode 3: May 23-26, 1929
Episode 4: May 26-28, 1929
Episode 5: May 28 - June 1, 1929
Episode 6: June 2-3, 1929
Episode 7: June 4, 1929
Episode 8: June 4-7, 1929
Season 3
Episode 1: September 20, 1929
Episode 2: September 21, 1929
Episode 3: September 22, 1929
Episode 4: September 23, 1929
Episode 5: September 24-26, 1929
Episode 6: September 27, 1929
Episode 7: September 28, 1929
Episode 8: September 29, 1929
Episode 9: September 29 - October 1, 1929
Episode 10: October 2-3, 1929
Episode 11:
Episode 12: - DirectorMoustapha AkkadStarsAnthony QuinnOliver ReedRod SteigerIn 1929, Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini appoints General Rodolfo Graziani as colonial governor to Italian Libya with orders to stamp-out all resistance from Libyan nationalists led by rebel guerrilla leader Omar Mukhtar.1929-1931
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsKevin CostnerSean ConneryRobert De NiroDuring Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.1930-1932
- DirectorArthur PennStarsWarren BeattyFaye DunawayMichael J. PollardBored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.1931-1934
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsMagali NoëlBruno ZaninPupella MaggioA series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.1932-1933 (aka "I Remember")
- DirectorMarc RoccoStarsChristian SlaterKevin BaconGary OldmanAn eager and idealistic young attorney defends an Alcatraz prisoner accused of murdering a fellow inmate. The extenuating circumstances: his client had just spent over three years in solitary confinement.1933-1942
- DirectorMichael MannStarsChristian BaleJohnny DeppChristian StolteThe Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.1934
- DirectorRichard LoncraineStarsAlbert FinneyVanessa RedgraveJim BroadbentWinston Churchill's wilderness years prior to World War II, when only he could see the threat that Adolf Hitler and a rearmed Germany posed to Europe.1934-1939
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyJames McAvoyBrenda BlethynThirteen-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.1935-1940
- DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsMaggie SmithJudi DenchJoan PlowrightAn orphaned Italian boy is raised amongst a circle of British and American women living in Mussolini's Italy before and during World War II.1935-1944 (aka "Tea with Mussolini")
- DirectorGiuliano MontaldoStarsNicolas CageRicky TognazziPatrice-Flora PraxoIn 1936, when Ethiopia is being invaded by the Italian army, Lieutenant Silvestri sets off for the nearest camp hospital to take care of a toothache. En route he meets a young Ethiopian girl, which leads to a tragic course of events that devastates his entire life.1936 (aka "Time to Kill")
- DirectorEttore ScolaStarsDiego AbatantuonoSergio CastellittoGérard DepardieuTwo textile traders, with the shop close to one another, fight for the supremacy of their own business during the racial laws in Italy.1938 (aka "Unfair Competition")
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsMargaret LockwoodMichael RedgravePaul LukasWhile travelling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train.1938
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.1939-1945
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.1939-1945 (aka "Life Is Beautiful")
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.1939-1945
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim SturgessEd HarrisColin FarrellSiberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.1939-1989
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsGary OldmanLily JamesKristin Scott ThomasIn May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.1940
Detailed timeline: May 5-June 4, 1940 - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.1940
Detailed timeline: May 25-June 6, 1940 - DirectorLone ScherfigStarsGemma ArtertonSam ClaflinBill NighyA former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them.1940
- DirectorBenjamin RossStarsLiev SchreiberJames CromwellMelanie GriffithOrson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst.1940-1941
Detailed timeline: January, 1940-May 1, 1941 - DirectorDavid LeveauxStarsLily JamesJai CourtneyChristopher PlummerA German soldier tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman during his investigation.1940-1941
Detailed timeline: May, 1940-February, 1941 - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.1941
Detailed timeline: December, 1941 - DirectorMichael BayStarsBen AffleckKate BeckinsaleJosh HartnettA tale of war and romance mixed in with history. The story follows two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941.1941-1942
Detailed timeline: January, 1941-June, 1942 - DirectorEdward ZwickStarsDaniel CraigLiev SchreiberJamie BellJewish brothers in German-occupied Eastern Europe escape into a Belorussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants.1941-1943
Detailed timeline: August, 1941-1943 - DirectorTimothy Van PattenStarsJames Badge DaleJoseph MazzelloJon SedaVeteran Sergeant John Basilone ships out soon after Pearl Harbor for Guadalcanal while other young enlistees are sent to boot camp.1941-1942
Detailed timeline: December 20, 1941-August, 1942 - DirectorAku LouhimiesStarsEero AhoJohannes HolopainenJussi VatanenA film adaptation of Väinö Linna's best selling novel The Unknown Soldier (1954) and the novel's unedited manuscript version, Sotaromaani.1941-1944 (aka "The Unknown Soldier")
Detailed timeline: June, 1941-September, 1944 - DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.1941-1945
Detailed timeline: May 1942-May 1945 - DirectorEd HarrisStarsEd HarrisMarcia Gay HardenRobert KnottA film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock.1941-1956
Detailed timeline: November 1941-August 8, 1956 - DirectorJack SmightStarsCharlton HestonHenry FondaJames CoburnA dramatization of the battle that was widely heralded as a turning point of the Pacific Theatre of World War II.1942
- DirectorFrank PiersonStarsClare BullusStanley TucciSimon MarkeyAt the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.1942
Detailed timeline: January 20, 1942 - DirectorEnzo MonteleoneStarsPaolo BrigugliaPierfrancesco FavinoLuciano ScarpaWar seen through the eyes of Serra, a university student from Palermo who volunteers in 1942 to fight in Africa. He is assigned to the Pavia Division on the southern line in Egypt. Rommel and the Axis forces are bogged down; it's October, the British prepare an offensive. At first, boredom, heat, hunger, and thirst bedevil the Italians; then the Brits attack, and there's no luck or heroism in death. Finally, it's retreat in confusion. Serra, his sergeant Rizzo, and his lieutenant Fiori take a last walk toward home. It's said that each soldier gets three miracles; when Serra's are used up, what then?1942 (aka "El Alamein: The Line of Fire")
- DirectorDavid NutterStarsJames Badge DaleJoseph MazzelloJon SedaOutmanned and with supplies low, Basilone and other marines on Guadacanal rally to repel superior Japanese forces.1942
Detailed timeline: 24-25 October, 1942 - DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsEd SkreinPatrick WilsonWoody HarrelsonThe story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.1942
- DirectorJoseph VilsmaierStarsDominique HorwitzThomas KretschmannJochen NickelThe story follows a group of German soldiers, from their Italian R&R in the summer of 1942 to the frozen steppes of Soviet Russia and ending with the battle for Stalingrad.1942-1943
Detailed timeline: August 1942-February 1943 - DirectorTerrence MalickStarsJim CaviezelSean PennNick NolteAdaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.1942-1943
Detailed timeline: December 1942-January 1943 - DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsJude LawEd HarrisJoseph FiennesA Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad.1942-1943
Detailed timeline: September 22, 1942-February 3, 1943 - DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsNicholas AaronKirk AcevedoDoug AllenEasy Company goes through training under the leadership of a captain who relentlessly pushes them to their limits but may be limited as a leader in the field.1942-1944
Detailed timeline: June 10, 1942-June 5, 1944 - DirectorSamuel FullerStarsLee MarvinMark HamillRobert CarradineA hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.1942-1945
Detailed timeline: November 1943-May 8, 1945 - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBrad PittMarion CotillardJared HarrisIn 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.1942-1946
- DirectorLuigi ComenciniStarsAlberto SordiSerge ReggianiCarla GravinaWhen Italy surrenders to the Allies, part of the Italian army is disbanded and soldiers begin to return to their homes.1943 (aka "Everybody Go Home!")
Detailed timeline: 8-28 September, 1943 - DirectorJohn SturgesStarsSteve McQueenJames GarnerRichard AttenboroughAllied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.1943
Detailed timeline: March 1943-April 6, 1944 - DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsJames CoburnMaximilian SchellJames MasonGerman commander Hauptmann Stransky places a squad in extreme danger after Sergeant Rolf Steiner refuses to lie for him.1943
Detailed timeline: September-October 1943 - DirectorElem KlimovStarsAleksey KravchenkoOlga MironovaLiubomiras LauceviciusAfter finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II.1943 (aka "Come and See")
Detailed timeline: March 1943 - DirectorCarlo LizzaniStarsSilvana ManganoFrank WolffVivi GioiThis film is the moving story of Edda Ciano, the daughter of Italian dictator Mussolini, who was unable to prevent the atrocious assassination of her husband by fanatics of her father.1943-1944 (aka "The Verona Trial")
Detailed timeline: July 25, 1943-January 22, 1944