User:Tealwisp/Miscellaneous Construction
Appearance
Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
---|---|---|---|
La Donna dei Faraoni | 1961 | 3100 BCE | shortly after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt |
Land of the Pharaohs | 1956 | 2589-2566 BCE | based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu |
Il Sepolcro dei re | 1960 | 2589-2566 BCE | based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu |
Sudan | 1945 | 2558-2532 BCE | set during the reign of the pharaoh Khafra |
The Egyptian | 1954 | 2000 BCE | primarily based on the Story of Sinuhe, although the film references the pharaoh Akhenaten, the Hittite Empire, and iron technology, all of which require a much later date. |
Films set in Antiquity (until the fall of the Roman Empire)
- Slave of Dreams (1995), a television movie set in ancient Egypt, probably in or around 1544 BCE.
- Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete (1960), an Italian film depicting the legendary exploits of Theseus in Minoan Crete, probably set around 1500 BCE.
- Minotaur (2006), a film loosely based on the legendary exploits of Theseus, which ought to place the film in the bronze age around 1500 BCE, although the film-makers opted to set the film in the iron age for some reason.
- Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile (1961), starring Vincent Price, this film is loosely based on the life of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti (circa 1370-1330 BCE).
- Clash of the Titans (1981), starring Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin and Burgess Meredith. This film is based on the legendary adventures of the Greek hero Perseus. Contrary to its misleading title, it has little or nothing to do with the Titans.
- Hercules (1958), starring Steve Reeves this film is based on the exploits of the legendary Greek hero Herakles.
- Hercules (2005), is a miniseries starring Leelee Sobieski, Paul Telfer, Timothy Dalton and Sean Astin, based (very loosely) on the life and exploits of the legendary Greek hero Herakles.
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963), depicts the legendary journey of the Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis.
- Jason and the Argonauts (2000), depicts the legendary journey of the Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis.
- Medea (1969), Pier Paolo Pasolini's film based on the tragedy by Euripides starring Maria Callas in the title role as the spurned wife of the Greek hero Jason.
- Ifegeneia (1977), Mihalis Kakogiannis's adaptation of the classical tragedy by Euripides, starring Irene Papas, and set immediately before the outbreak of the Trojan War.
- Helen of Troy (1956), also based on the Iliad (c. 13th century BC).
- The Fury of Achilles (AKA: L' Ira di Achille) (1962), starring Gordon Mitchell as Achilles and set during the ninth year of the Trojan War.
- Guerra di Troia (AKA: Trojan Horse) (1961), set during the final year of the Trojan war, and starring Steve Reeves as Aeneas and John Drew Barrymore as Ulysses.
- Troy (2004), starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, based on Homer's Iliad. This movie is set in the Bronze Age, c. 1190 BC.
- The Trojan Women (1971), Mihalis Kakogiannis's adaptation of the classical tragedy by Euripides, set in the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War, starring Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Irene Papas and Brian Blessed.
- The Avenger (1962), starring Steve Reeves as Aeneas after the Trojan War, fighting to establish a new homeland for the Trojan refugees in Italy.
- Ilektra (1962), Mihalis Kakogiannis's adaptation of the classical tragedy by Euripides set in Greece shortly after the end of the Trojan War, and starring Irene Papas.
- Ulisse (1954), starring Kirk Douglas as Odysseus and Anthony Quinn as Antinoos in this adaption of Homer's Odyssey.
- The Odyssey (1997), a miniseries based on the epic poem by Homer, starring Armand Assante, Isabella Rossellini and Irene Papas.
- Faraon (1966), set in Egypt in 1069 BCE.
- King David (1985), Richard Gere plays King David in this Biblical epic set in the early iron age (circa 1040-970 BCE).
- Karol Lir (1971), a Russian adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear which was itself based on the legend of Leir of Britain, who supposedly lived in about 800 BCE.
- King Lear (1999), Brian Blessed stars in and directs this film adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear which was itself based on the legend of Leir of Britain, who supposedly lived in about 800 BCE.
- Duel of the Titans (1961), this adaptation of the Roman foundation myth of Romulus and Remus set in 753 BCE stars Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott.
- The Rape of the Sabine Women (1962), adaptation of the Roman foundation myth, set around 750 BCE.
- Duel of Champions (1961), Italian film adaptation of the Roman legend of the Horatii, set in the 660s to 640s BCE.
- Hero of Rome (1964), starring Gordon Scott as Mucius and depicting the expulsion of Tarquin, the last tyrant of Rome in 509 BCE.
- Coriolanus: Hero without a Country (1964), starring Gordon Scott as Coriolanus, set in 493 BCE.
- Giant of Marathon (1959), Steve Reeves stars as Pheidippides in this film about the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE).
- The 300 Spartans (1961), reenactment of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE).
- 300 (2007), starring Gerard Butler, a film set in the Battle of Thermopylae
- One Night with the King (2006), adaptation of the Biblical story of Esther (circa 465-424 BCE).
- Damon and Pythias (1961), adaptation of the ancient folk tale, set in Syracuse circa 400 BCE.
- Alexander The Great (1956), starring Richard Burton
- Alexander (2004), starring Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Hopkins, based on the life of Alexander the Great (4th century BC).
- Colossus of Rhodes (1961), a peplum directed by Sergio Leone, set in 280 BCE.
- Asoka (2001), a film based on the Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BC.
- Hero (2002), starring Jet Li, set in ancient China during the 3rd century BC
- Siege of Syracuse (1960), peplum depicting the Roman siege (214-212 BCE) as part of the Second Punic War.
- Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (1937), reenactment of Scipio's victory over Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in the Second Punic War, set in 202 BCE. This film was funded by Benito Mussolini.
- The Centurion (1961), peplum about the Battle of Corinth (146 BCE).
- Spartacus (1960), set during the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE).
- Spartacus (2004), miniseries about the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE).
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010), starring Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, set in the Roman Empire
- Julius Caesar (2002), miniseries starring Jeremy Sisto as Caesar, Richard Harris as Sulla and Christopher Walken as Cato.
- Druids (2001) about the struggle between Vercingetorix and Julius Caesar during Gallic Wars
- A Queen for Caesar (1962), set in Egypt leading up to the arrival of Caesar.
- Julius Caesar (1953), adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy starring Marlon Brando, James Mason and John Gielgud.
- Julius Caesar (1970), independent adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy starring Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Richard Chamberlain, and Christopher Lee.
- Cleopatra (1963), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, set during the first years of the Roman Empire (1st century BC) that depicts the life of Cleopatra, a queen of Egypt.
- Cleopatra (1999), a television movie also set during the first years of the Roman Empire (1st century BC).
- The Cleopatras (1983), miniseries depicting the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty (305-30 BCE) in Egypt.
- Rome (2005), a television series set in the time of the Roman Empire.
- Empire (2005), set in 44 BC Rome, covers the struggle of a young Octavius (Santiago Cabrera), the nephew and heir of Julius Caesar, to become the first emperor of Rome. Octavius is helped in his quest by a fictitious gladiator called Tyrannus (Jonathan Cake).
- Imperium: Augustus (2003), miniseries about the life and career of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome.
- Massacre in the Black Forest (1967), about the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest when the Germanic Cheruski ambushed and annihilated three Roman legions in AD 9.
- I, Claudius (1976), a television series set during the rule of the Roman Julio-Claudians.
- The Caesars (1967), miniseries about Rome's first imperial dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, in the 1st century AD.
- The Inquiry (2006), set in the early 1st century AD, regarding a fictitous Roman investigation into the possible divinity of Jesus, starring Max von Sydow and Dolph Lundgren.
- Ben-Hur (1959), set in the Roman Empire c. A.D. 26. Starring Charlton Heston.
- Boudica (2003), regarding the Iceni rebellion against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60.
- Quo Vadis (1951), set in the Roman Empire in Nero times
- Nero (2004), a television movie set in the Roman Empire c. A.D. 62
- Masada (1981), miniseries starring Peter O'Toole about the Siege of Masada (AD 72-73) as part of the First Jewish-Roman War.
- Dacii (1967), Romanian director Sergiu Nicolaescu's film about Domitian's Dacian War (AD 86-87).
- The Apocalypse (2002), regarding the final years of St. John and the writing of the Book of Revelation in the 1st century AD, starring Richard Harris.
- Centurion (2010), about the supposed fate of the Ninth Legion in AD 117.
- The Eagle (2011), a young Roman man attempts to find out what happened to his father in the Ninth Legion.
- The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), set during the reign of Roman Emperor Commodus, who ruled from 180 to 192.
- Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe, set during the reign of Roman Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, who ruled from 180 to 192.
- The Magnificent Gladiator (1964), a gladiator becomes embroiled in political schemes during the reign of Gallienus (AD 260-268).
- Sheba and the Gladiator (1959), highly fictionalized account of the Palmyrene Empire (AD 260-273) starring Anita Ekberg as Zenobia.
- Sebastiane (1976), a low-budget homo-erotic film about Saint Sebastian (died circa 288). Notable for being written entirely in Latin.
- Constantine and the Cross (1962), starring Cornel Wilde as Constantine I (AD 272-337), Rome's first Christian emperor.
- Fabiola (1949), set during the early reign of Constantine I.
- Augustine of Hippo (1972), bio-pic of the ascetic and theologian (AD 354-430).
- Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire (2010), a two-part miniseries about the life of St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430).
- Roar (1997), a one-season television show starring Heath Ledger as an Irish prince attempting to unit the Celtic tribes in order to repel a fictitious Roman invasion in AD 400.
- St. Patrick: The Irish Legend (2000), television movie about the man who brought Christianity to Ireland.
- Agora (2009),starring Rachel Weisz, a film set in the Roman Egypt
- Attila (1954), about the exploits of the 5th century Hunnic leader up to his retreat from the Po River.
- Attila (2001), a miniseries starring Gerard Butler, about Attila the Hun, 5th century A.D.
- Die Nibelungen (1924), two films by Fritz Lang depicting the two halves of the epic poem, the Nibelungenlied, about the 5th century hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance.
- Ring of the Nibelungs (2004), a television movie adaptation of the epic poem, the Nibelungenlied, about the 5th century hero Siegfried.
Films set in the Middle Ages (5th to mid-15th centuries)
Late Antiquity/Early Middle Ages (5th to 11th centuries)
- Hagbard and Signe (1967), widely acclaimed but hard to find Scandinavian film about the legend of the 5th century lovers, Hagbard and Signy.
- King Arthur, a 2004 movie set in the last years of the Roman occupation. It tells the story of King Arthur, but it depicts him as a Roman warrior instead of a medieval king.
- The Mists of Avalon, 2001 TV movie based on the novel The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley recounting the King Arthur legend from the perspective of the female characters).
- Tristan + Isolde (2006), set about a century (around the 6th century AD) after the departure of the Romans from Britain (or Britannia), it tells the story of a war between the Irish and the people of Britain (Saxons, Celts, etc.), but especially of the love between Tristan and the Irish princess Isolde (based on the medieval legends of Tristan and Iseult).
- The Last Legion (2007) connecting (in heavy fictionalized fashion) the deposition of the last western emperor Romulus Augustus by Odoacer with the myth of Uther Pendragon and Battle of Mons Badonicus.
- Kampf um Rom I (1968), film about Justinian's attempts to reclaim the recently fallen Western Roman Empire in the 6th century.
- Kampf um Rom II (1969), film about Justinian's attempts to reclaim the recently fallen Western Roman Empire in the 6th century.
- Beowulf & Grendel (2005), loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem starring Gerard Butler and Stellan Skarsgård.
- Beowulf (2007), loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem.
- Prince of Jutland (1994), adaptation of the legend of Amleth from the Danish Gesta Danorum, which was also the inspiration for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Stars Christian Bale, Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne and Brian Cox.
- Goliath and the Barbarians (1959), Steve Reeves stars in this peplum about the Lombard invasion of Italy in AD 568.
- The Message (1976), Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas star in this film about the life of Muhammad (ca. 570-632).
- Aszparuh (1981), Ludmil Staikov film about the foundation of the Bulgarian Kingdom in AD 680.
- Roland the Mighty (1956), loose adaptation of the legend of Roland, a knight of Charlemagne's court who was killed at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778.
- Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (1993), miniseries about Charlemagne from the death of his father, Pepin the Short until his corronation as the first Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day, 800.
- An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God (2003) set in Poland, combining Polish political/military figures from the 9th and 10th centuries.
- Pope Joan (1972), Liv Ullman plays Pope Joan in this film about the life of a woman who may or may not have disguised herself as a man and risen to the status of Pope in the 9th century.
- Pope Joan (2009), the story of Pope Joan, a possibly fictitious woman who supposedly disguised herself as a man and rose to the status of Pope in the 9th century.
- The Vikings (1958), highly fictionalized account of the death of Ragnar Lodbrok and the subsequent invasion of Northumbria by two of his sons in the 860s.
- Alfred the Great (1969), about Ælfred the Great, the king of Wessex who repelled the army of Guthrum and began the unification of England in the late 9th century.
- A Viking Saga (2008), about Oleg of Novgorod, the Rus prince who defeated Askold and Dir in the 870s, and moved the Rus capital from Novgorod to Kiev.
- When the Raven Flies (1984), Icelandic film about an Irish man who seeks revenge for his family who were killed by Vikings. Set in 897.
- Útlaginn (1981), Icelandic film adaptation of the saga of Gisli Sursson who live in the 10th century.
- Pathfinder (1987), Norwegan film based on an old Sami legend, set circa AD 1000.
- In the Shadow of the Raven (1988), Icelandic Viking movie directed by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson.
- White Viking (1991), Icelandic Viking movie directed by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson.
- Sacred Mound (1993), Icelandic Viking movie directed by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson.
- The Viking Sagas (1995), brutal and graphic film based on characters and plot elements borrowed from several Icelandic sagas, most notably Laxdœla saga and Njáls saga.
- The 13th Warrior (1999), movie that blends elements of the historical account of the travels of Ahmad ibn Fadlan (AD 922), the legend of Beowulf (6th century), and the Kurosawa film The Seven Samurai.
- The Castilian (1963), romanticised Spanish film about Ferdinand Gonzalez, a significant 10th century figure of the Reconquista.
- Gniazdo (1974), Polish film about Mieszko I of Poland. Set circa AD 972.
- The Ceremony of Innocence (1974), about events leading up to Sweyn Forkbeard's invasion of England in the early 11th century.
- Severed Ways (2009), about two Norse explorers who are left behind in Vinland in the early 11th century.
High and Late Middle Ages (1000-1453)
Western Europe
- MacBeth (1971), Roman Polanski's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy about the Alban king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, who reigned in the 1050s.
- 1066 (2010), film by Robin Jacob about the struggle for the English crown between Haraldr harðráði, Harold Godwinson and William the Bastard.
- El Cid (1961) (Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, an 11th century Spanish warrior known as El Cid)
- The Mighty Crusaders (1958), about the First Crusade (AD 1096-1099).
- The Crusaders (2001), a miniseries about the First Crusade (AD 1096-1099).
- Stealing Heaven (1988), based on the true story of Peter Abelard and Héloïse, tragic lovers of the early 12th century.
- Didgori: Land of Sacrificed Knights (2009), Georgian film about the Battle of Didgori, in which Georgia's king David IV defeated the Seljuks in 1121.
- The Pillars of the Earth (2010), miniseries set in England from 1120-1170 focusing on the construction of a cathedral during the civil wars between King Stephen and his cousin Maud.
- Destiny (1997), about Averroes, the 12th century philosopher from Muslim-controlled Andalusia in Spain who's commentaries would become a staple for subsequent generations of students of Aristotle in Europe.
- The Devil's Crown (1978), was a BBC television series which dramatised the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John from the mid 12th - early 13th centuries.
- Becket (1964) (The drama about the conflict of Thomas becket, who was Archbishop of Canterbury and Henry II, King of England, set in the 12th century.)
- Barbarossa (2009), starring Rutger Hauer and F. Murray Abraham, depicting the Battle of Legnano (AD 1176).
- The Lion in Winter (1968) three ambitious princes who want the throne around 1183 AD vie for power with their father, Henry II of England.
- The Lion in Winter (2003) made-for-tv movie, Henry II is in power as his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine plots with their sons
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005), set during the Crusades in the 1180s, particularly focusing on the Battle of Hattin and the Siege of Jerusalem which led to the Third Crusade.
- Saladin (1963), about events leading up to and including the Third Crusade (1187–1192).
- Arn – The Knight Templar (2007) set in the 11th century, based on the story of Jan Guillous, Swedish writer and journalist.
- Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End (2008) A sequel to Arn - The Knights Templar.
- Ivanhoe (1997), miniseries adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered.
- Robin and Marian (1976), about an aging Robin Hood after the death of King Richard and during the reign of King John.
- Francesco (1989), about the life of St. Francis of Assisi (late 12th, early 13th centuries).
- Ironclad (2011), about the siege of Rochester Castle in 1215.
- Eye of the Eagle (1997), a Danish film set in 1218.
- Marco Polo (1982), miniseries documenting the true adventures of the Venitian explorer who travelled to the court of Kublai Khan in the mid to late 13th century.
- The Virgin Spring (1960), Ingmar Bergman's adaptation of the 13th century Swedish ballad, Töres dotter i Wänge.
- The Black Rose (1950), the fictional exploits of a young Englishman who travells to China, falls in love along the way, and manages to return with a formula for gunpowder.
- Braveheart (1995), about William Wallace, a Scottish knight who fought for Scotland's independence in the 1290s.
- The Bruce (1996), about Robert the Bruce, who took over the rebellion against Edward "Longshanks" following the death of William Wallace in 1305.
- Anchoress (1993), about an anchorite.
- The Name of the Rose (1986) Starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater. Based on the novel by Umberto Eco, set in an Italian monastery during the early 14th century.
- Kristin Lavransdatter (1995), adaptation of the novel about a young Norwegian woman in the early to mid 14th century.
- Black Death (2010), horror film set during the initial outbreak of the plague (AD 1348-49), starring Sean Bean.
- The Decameron (1971), Pasolini's adaptation of Boccaccio's 1353 masterpiece, The Decameron.
- The Seventh Seal (1957), Ingmar Bergman's classic film set against the backdrop of plague-ridden medieval Sweden.
- The Dark Avenger (1955), Errol Flynn stars in this film about Edward, the Black Prince.
- A Knight's Tale (2001), loose adaptation of The Knight's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, this tale is partially inspired by the exploits of William Marshall, but set in the 1350s (with mention made to Edward, the Black Prince and the Battle of Poitiers (1356)).
- John Wycliffe: The Morning Star (1984), about the life and teachings of John Wycliffe, the 14th century English theologian who is often seen as a fore-runner of the Protestant Reformation.
- 12 Paces Without a Head (2009), about the medieval German folk-hero Klaus Störtebeker, a pirate captain in the Baltic Sea who was said to have walked 12 paces after being decapitated by officials of the Hanseatic League in 1401.
- Henry V (1989), William Shakespeare's play adapted on screen by Kenneth Branagh.
- John Hus (1977), about John Hus, the theologian from Prague who's proto-reformationist teachings prompted his conviction and execution for heresy, which would be the catalyst for the anti-imperial Hussite Wars which would plague central Europe in the 15th century.
- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), set in France in the beginnings of the 15th century. The movie is about Joan of Arc, the legendary female warrior during the 100 Years' War.
- Joan of Arc (1948)
- The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) based on trial records of Joan of Arc
- Saint Joan (1957) based on a play about the life of Joan of Arc by George Bernard Shaw
- The Conclave (2006), starring Brian Blessed depicting the tense, politically charged Papal election of 1458.
Eastern Europe
- Prince Vladimir (2006), set in 9th century, based on the story of Prince Vladimir
- Yaroslav the Wise (1981), bio-pic about the Rus prince (AD 978-1054).
- Mongol, the rise to power of Genghis Khan in the late 12th century.
- Alexander Nevsky (1938), about Prince Alexander Nevsky, a 13th century Russian leader, and Battle of Ice (AD 1241).
- Kazimierz Wielki (1976), about the 14th century Polish king, Casimir the Great.
- Boj na Kosovu (1989), about a battle between Medieval Serbia and Ottoman Empire in AD 1389.
- Mircea (1989), about Mircea the Elder, who repelled the Ottoman Empire during his reign (1386–1418).
- Andrei Rublev (1969), centered around the life of Andrei Rublev (ca. 1360-1430), who was considered to be the greatest medieval Russian painter of icons and frescoes.
- Krzyzacy (1960), focusing on the Battle of Tannenburg (AD 1410).
- Tirante el Blanco (2006), adaptation of the 1490 romance, Tirant lo Blanc, about a French knight in the service of the Byzantine emperor in campaigns against the Ottoman Turks.
- Vlad Tepes (1979), about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign in the mid 15th century.
- Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000), about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign in the mid 15th century.
Early Modern (1453-1700)
- The Conclave (2006), starring Brian Blessed depicting the tense, politically charged Papal election of 1458.
- Black Arrow (1985), adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about the Lancastrian hero in the Wars of the Roses (1455–1485).
- Richard III (best known version), about Richard III of England.
- Christopher Columbus (1985), miniseries starring Gabriel Byrne.
- Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), most notable for having Marlon Brando as Tomás de Torquemada.
- 1492: Conquest of Paradise, a movie that tells the story of the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
- Princes in the Tower, set in England in the 1490s, depicting the trial of Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be prince Richard, rightful heir to the throne before his untimely death in the Tower as a child.
- Los Borgia (2006), about the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia (1492–1503), widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era.
- Luther, about the life of Martin Luther (1483–1546).
- The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), about the painting of the Sistine Chapel (1508–1512). Starring Charlton Heston as Michaelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II.
- The Other Conquest (1998), set in Mexico in 1521, depicting the secret adherence to traditional religious beliefs of the converted Aztec survivors.
- The Headsman (2005), about an executioner in Tyrol (part of the Holy Roman Empire) in the early 16th century.
- A Man for All Seasons, about Thomas More.
- Anne of the Thousand Days, about (Anne Boleyn, the Queen of England during the 16th century, Queen Consort of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I).
- The Other Boleyn Girl about Anne Boleyn, Queen of England.
- Henry VIII and his Six Wives, about Henry VIII of England.
- The Private Life of Henry VIII, about Henry VIII of England.
- Henry VIII (TV serial), an ITV drama about Henry VIII starring Ray Winstone, Helena Bonham Carter and David Suchet.
- The Tudors, an Irish/Canadian produced historical fiction television series based loosely upon the reign of Henry VIII of England. It is named after the Tudor dynasty.
- Lady Jane, about Lady Jane Grey, the uncrowned queen regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days in the mid-16th century.
- The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969), about Pizarro's capture of Atahualpa in 1532.
- Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), about an ill-fated expedition down the Amazon in 1560.
- Ivan the Terrible by Sergei Eisenstein, a biographic movie about Ivan IV of Russia.
- Mary, Queen of Scots, a 1971 movie about the queen of the same name.
- Kagemusha, about the Battle of Nagashino, Japan.
- Elizabeth, about Elizabeth I of England, a Queen in the 16th century.
- Elizabeth R, a 1970's BBC mini-series about Elizabeth I of England.
- Young Bess, about Elizabeth I of England
- Fire Over England, about the Spanish Armada, a Spanish-controlled fleet which sailed against England in the late 16th century.
- The Virgin Queen, a BBC production about Elizabeth I of England starring Anne-Marie Duff.
- La Reine Margot, set during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
- Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a 2007 historical drama starring Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen.
- Elizabeth I, a historical drama starring Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons and Ian McDiarmid.
- The Merchant of Venice (2004), the 1596 play by Shakespeare starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons.
- Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (TV Miniseries), a BBC production loosely based upon the lives of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James I of England.
- Mihai Viteazul (1970), about Michael the Brave, prince of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania from 1593 to 1601.
- Shōgun (1980), loosely based on the adventures of William Adams, an English sailor who travelled to Japan in 1600 and served as a samurai and advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
- 1612 (2007), set in Russia at the beginnings of the 17th century, during the Time of Troubles
- Day of Wrath (1943), using a fictitious 1624 witchcraft trial as a metaphor for the then current Nazi persecution of Jews.
- The Devils (1971), about the life and trial of Urbain Grandier, who was convicted of witchcraft and burned in 1634.
- The Last Valley, set in Germany during the Thirty Year's war.
- Queen Christina, about Queen Christina of Sweden (r. 1632-1654).
- With Fire and Sword (1999), about the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648-1654 in Ukraine.
- Cromwell about Oliver Cromwell.
- Witchfinder General (1968), about witch trials in England during the English Civil War in the 1640s. Stars Vincent Price.
- To Kill a King, a 2003 historical drama starring Tim Roth, Olvia Williams about Oliver Cromwell dictatorship.
- Molière (2007), a film about Molière.
- The Deluge (1974), based on the Henryk Sienkiewicz novel. Set in the late 1650s.
- Colonel Wolodyjowski (1968), about the Ottoman invasion of Poland in 1668.
- The Libertine, about the career of the 17th century poet John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester.
- Charles II: The Power and The Passion, a BBC drama starring Rufus Sewell.
- Le Roi danse (2000), a film about Jean-Baptiste Lully.
- The Man in the Iron Mask (1977), adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel, set in France early in the reign of Louis XIV (1638–1715). Stars Richard Chamberlain, Ian Holm and Patrick McGoohan.
- The Prince of Homburg adaptation of the Heinrich von Kleist play fictionalizing the deeds of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg in the 1675 Battle of Fehrbellin against Sweden.
- The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, about the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s.
- Tous les matins du monde (1991), a film about late-17th-century composer Marin Marais.
- Peter the Great (1984), miniseries about Peter I of Russia (r. 1682-1725) starring Maximilian Schell and Omar Sharif.
Films set in the 18th and 19th centuries
- The Sovereign's Servant (2007), Russian film about the Battle of Poltava in 1709.
- Rob Roy (about Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor), set in 1713.
- Blackbeard (2006), miniseries about the infamous pirate Edward Teach (1680–1718).
- King of the Wind (1990), about a horse in England in 1727.
- The Scarlet Empress(Catherine II of Russia, the "enlightened despot" who reigned as Empress of Russia in the latter half of the 18th century)
- Young Catherine, TV miniseries that portrays the early life of Catherine II of Russia or better known as Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia
- Casanova[disambiguation needed] (Giacomo Casanova famous 18th century womanizer) (1725–1798)
- Roots (the slave trade) set between 1750 and roughly 1880.
- Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and on the famous legend around the Beast of Gévaudan (1764–1767).
- Barry Lyndon
- Amadeus about the life and death of Mozart.
- Mutiny on the Bounty (set in 1789 during the mutiny on the Bounty, a British Royal Navy ship)
- Marie Antoinette (1938 film) about Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, 18th century)
- Marie Antoinette (2006 film) about Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, 18th century)
- The Affair of the Necklace (2001 film) Courtesan takes revenge by scamming Marie Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan, and others, kindling flames of the French Revolution.
- The Madness of King George (George III of the United Kingdom, King of Great Britain and Ireland for the latter half of the 18th century.
- Beau Brummell (Beau Brummell, a 19th century arbiter of fashion in England who popularized the man's suit and necktie)
- Amazing Grace (William Wilberforce's campaign to abolish slavery in Britain, 1807)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
- War and Peace (1956 film) (based on the work by Tolstoy, set in Russia during the Napoleonic Era)
- Désirée, about the love story between Désirée Clary and Napoleon I
- Conquest, about the love story between Marie Walewska and Napoleon I
- Napoléon, miniserie about the life of Napoléon I of France
- Waterloo (the Battle of Waterloo)
- Bright Star (2009), set in 1818-1821, the last three years of poet John Keats' life
- Lady Caroline Lamb (Lady Caroline Lamb, a novelist and British aristocrat active in the early 19th century)
- Vanity Fair, set in early 19th century
- The Alamo (2004 film) (The Battle of the Alamo, 1836)
- Amistad (an 1839 mutiny aboard a ship containing African slaves bound for the United States)
- The Young Victoria, portrays the early years of the reign of Queen Victoria and her relationship with Prince Albert
- El Santo de la Espada, 1970 movie about José de San Martín and the emancipation of South America.
- The Charge of the Light Brigade the disaster of the Crimean War known as (the Charge of the Light Brigade) in 1854.
- Gone with the Wind (the American Civil War)
- Glory (about one of the first official African-American units in the United States armed forces, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which fought in the American Civil War in the mid-19th century)
- Dances with Wolves
- Wild Bill (the life and times of Wild Bill Hickok)
- Mrs. Brown (Queen Victoria and John Brown) (set between 1861 and 1883).
- The Last Samurai, set in the late 1870s
- Tombstone (events leading up to the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral)
- Wyatt Earp
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which focuses on the end of Jesse James' career as a criminal and the man who eventually kills him, Robert Ford in 1882.
- The Four Feathers (1939) based on the British army's Gordon Relief Expedition during the late 1880s in Sudan
- The Four Feathers (2002)
Films set in the early 20th century
- All Quiet On The Western Front (Western Front of World War I)
- Anastasia (based upon Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia and the activities of Anna Anderson)
- Michael Collins (based on later life of Irish resistance leader Michael Collins and his participation in the Irish War of Independence from 1916 to his death in 1922)
- Battle of Britain
- The Battleship Potemkin (the Battleship Potemkin uprising)
- Bonnie and Clyde
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
- Breaker Morant (Harry "Breaker" Morant, an Australian Lieutenant who ordered the summary execution of several prisoners during the Second Boer War in 1901)
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (construction of the Burma Railway by British prisoners of war during World War II)
- A Bridge Too Far (Operation Market Garden)
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- Cross of Iron (Eastern Front, 1943)
- The Dam Busters (1955) (development of the Upkeep bouncing bomb and its use in Operation Chastise)
- Doctor Zhivago
- Downfall (the defeat of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich)
- Enemy at the Gates (based on the Battle of Stalingrad from a Soviet perspective)
- Evita (Evita Peron)
- Flags of Our Fathers (Battle of Iwo Jima from American perspective)
- Flyboys (American volunteer combat pilots in service for the Allies during World War I)
- Gandhi (Mohandas K. Gandhi)
- Judgment at Nuremberg (the post World War II Nuremberg Trials)
- Lawrence of Arabia (The Arab Revolt)
- Letters from Iwo Jima (Battle of Iwo Jima from Japanese perspective)
- The Longest Day (D-Day during World War II)
- Memphis Belle (a U.S. bombing mission over Germany during World War II)
- A Night to Remember (the Titanic disaster)
- Patton (the exploits of General George S. Patton during World War II)
- Pearl Harbor
- Saving Private Ryan (D-Day and its aftermath)
- Schindler's List (German industrialist Oskar Schindler's assistance to keep Jewish people from being interred in concentration camps during World War II)
- Sink the Bismarck! (the World War II German battleship Bismarck, which was sunk in 1941)
- Stalingrad (The Battle of Stalingrad from a German perspective)
- The Wind that Shakes the Barley (The Irish revoloution).
- Titanic (the Titanic disaster)
- The Thin Red Line (The Battle of Guadalcanal)
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941)
- Valkyrie (July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler)
- Young Winston (the biography Winston Churchill before he became Britain's World War II-era Prime Minister)
- The Legend of Bagger Vance set in Savannah, Georgia, in 1931.
Films set in the later 20th century
- All the President's Men (the Nixon-era Watergate scandal)
- American Hot Wax (disc jockey Alan Freed's involvement in rock and roll during the 1950s)
- Apocalypse Now (Vietnam War)
- The Battle of Algiers (set during the 1960s Algerian War of Independence)
- Behind Enemy Lines (set during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia)
- Black Hawk Down (set in 1993 during the Battle of Mogadishu)
- Blood Diamond (set during the Sierra Leone Civil War)
- Bloody Sunday (1972 Bloody Sunday shootings)
- Bobby (the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968)
- Catch a Fire (set during the early eighties concerning the plight of the ANC's military wing in the apartheid era of South Africa)
- Charlie Wilson's War (set during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan)
- Cry Freedom (set during the apartheid era of South Africa)
- Che (Che Guevara)
- The Doors (1960s in the United States)
- Frost/Nixon (the Frost Nixon interviews)
- Full Metal Jacket (Vietnam War)
- Gracie (set in 1978, six years after the introduction of Title IX)
- Goodbye Bafana (Nelson Mandela's imprisonment)
- Good Night, and Good Luck. (Edward R. Murrow)
- The Good Shepherd (rise of Central Intelligence Agency Counter-intelligence leading up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion)
- Great Balls of Fire! (the career of 1950s rock and roller Jerry Lee Lewis)
- Hamburger Hill (a battle which took place in 1969 during the Vietnam War)
- Hotel Rwanda (the 1990s Rwandan Genocide)
- In the Valley of Elah (War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan (2001–present))
- Jarhead (Gulf War)
- JFK (the assassination of President John F. Kennedy)
- The Killing Fields (the Khmer Rouge's genocide)
- The Last King of Scotland (Ugandan President Idi Amin)
- Lions for Lambs (War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan (2001–present) )
- Milk (film) (life of gay rights activist Harvey Milk)
- Miracle (the U.S. hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics)
- Missing (the coup d'état in Chile 1973 and the murder of Charles Horman)
- Mississippi Burning (the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into the murders of civil rights workers in 1964)
- Munich (the murder of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics)
- Nixon (the political life of Richard M. Nixon)
- Open Water (set during the late 1990s)
- Paid in Full (set during the Crack Epidemic of the 1980s)
- Platoon (Vietnam War)
- Quiz Show (the scandal that took place on the TV game show Twenty One during the 1950s)
- The Right Stuff (the Project Mercury space launches)
- Three Kings (1991 Iraqi uprising against Saddam Hussein and aftermath of the Gulf War)
- Savior (soldier during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia)
- Shooting Dogs (the 1990s Rwandan Genocide)
- Sometimes in April (the 1990s Rwandan Genocide)
- Summer of Sam (the Son of Sam murders in New York City in 1977)
- Thirteen Days (the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis)
- W. (film) (The life and presidency of George W. Bush)
- Wonderland (set during the early eighties Los Angeles)
- World Trade Center (the September 11 attacks in 2001)
- We Were Soldiers (the first days of the Vietnam War)
- Z (the assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis)
- Zodiac (the Zodiac murders in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s)
- The Queen (HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom)