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Looking for good history-based movies

J-rap

By J-rap,
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J-rap

J-rap

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Those are my favorite movie types, and I seem to have run out of ideas.  For example, I loved The King's Speech, The Railway Man, Something the Lord Made, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days...  Old movies or new ones are fine!

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J-rap

J-rap

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6 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

keep in mind - many "historical" movies,  have taken license....

Disney's "the miracle of the white stallions"

Oh yes, I just assume they change things around to make it more interesting.  🙂  I haven't heard of that movie!

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gardenmom5

gardenmom5

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4 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Oh yes, I just assume they change things around to make it more interesting.  🙂  I haven't heard of that movie!

It's about the lippizaners and the Spanish riding school at the end of wwii.

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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Love the previous posters' suggestions!

This Wikipedia article lists Films Based on Actual Events by the year each movie was *made/released*. For more recent releases, here's the list from 2010 to present.

There are some great ideas in this imdb list: "100 Best History Movies".

A few history-based films that are more recent releases that I've really enjoyed -- ETA -- J-rap, in looking back at your original post, I see a strong theme of "inspiration" and "perseverance through hardship" sort of theme (and with a positive outcome ending) -- so I'm adding ** next to films that fit along with those ideas:

** Queen of Katwe (2016)
** Selma  (2014)
Silence (2016)
Dunkirk (2017)
** Hotel Rwanda (2004)
** Lincoln (2012)
** Invictus (2009)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
** Master and Commander: Far Side of the World (2003)

And a few older history-based films - the last 3 are lovely in the cinematography and editing:
A Night to Remember (1958)  -- sinking of the Titanic
** Pride of the Yankees (1942) -- life of Lou Gehrig
** Apollo 13 (1995) -- events of that space flight
Ed Wood (1994) -- life of B- movie maker Ed Wood
Quiz Show (1994) -- 1950s TV show scandal
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) -- military service of T.E. Lawrence in pre-WW1 Middle East
Spartacus (1960) -- life of the ancient Roman slave who led a rebellion
Grapes of Wrath (1940) -- 1930s US Depression (based on the novel, so fictitious characters, but real-life types of events)

Powerful/harder older history-based films:
Das Boot (1981)
Gallipoli (1985)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Last Emperor (1987)

And just plain fun older history-based films:
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Sound of Music (1965)

I still haven't had a chance to see 12 Years a Slave (2013), but it's on my "really want to watch" list.😉
Also not seen by me, but I heard that Argo (2012) was pretty good. 

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J-rap

J-rap

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23 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Love the previous posters' suggestions!

This Wikipedia article lists Films Based on Actual Events by the year each movie was *made/released*. For more recent releases, here's the list from 2010 to present.

There are some great ideas in this imdb list: "100 Best History Movies".

A few history-based films that are more recent releases that I've really enjoyed -- ETA -- J-rap, in looking back at your original post, I see a strong theme of "inspiration" and "perseverance through hardship" sort of theme (and with a positive outcome ending) -- so I'm adding ** next to films that fit along with those ideas:

** Queen of Katwe (2016)
** Selma  (2014)
Silence (2016)
Dunkirk (2017)
** Hotel Rwanda (2004)
** Lincoln (2012)
** Invictus (2009)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
** Master and Commander: Far Side of the World (2003)

And a few older history-based films - the last 3 are lovely in the cinematography and editing:
A Night to Remember (1958)  -- sinking of the Titanic
** Pride of the Yankees (1942) -- life of Lou Gehrig
** Apollo 13 (1995) -- events of that space flight
Ed Wood (1994) -- life of B- movie maker Ed Wood
Quiz Show (1994) -- 1950s TV show scandal
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) -- military service of T.E. Lawrence in pre-WW1 Middle East
Spartacus (1960) -- life of the ancient Roman slave who led a rebellion
Grapes of Wrath (1940) -- 1930s US Depression (based on the novel, so fictitious characters, but real-life types of events)

Powerful/harder older history-based films:
Das Boot (1981)
Gallipoli (1985)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Last Emperor (1987)

And just plain fun older history-based films:
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Sound of Music (1965)

I still haven't had a chance to see 12 Years a Slave (2013), but it's on my "really want to watch" list.😉
Also not seen by me, but I heard that Argo (2012) was pretty good. 

What great lists!!   Thanks!  I've seen most of the ones you've listed individually, but some I've never heard of that look fantastic -- like Silence.   (Just watched the trailer.)  

I just thought of a couple more I'd add:

Breaker Morant

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

 

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J-rap

J-rap

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22 hours ago, Farrar said:

No one has mentioned...

The Mission
Gandhi
The Last Emperor

And, hey, how about Lagaan! History, cricket, and singing.

 The Last Emperor reminded me of another one I loved (because the title is similar):

Emperor of the Sun

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

mrs. miniver is fiction - but takes place during Dunkirk - at home in England.  (eta: it was filmed *during* wwii)


That's a good one -- and it also reminds me of The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) -- 3 veterans returning from WW1 and trying to figure out their lives, with one of the characters having lost both arms in the war. The filmmakers cast a real vet who really had lost his arms for that role, and the man was amazingly real and natural in his acting. He won best supporting actor for his role.

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gardenmom5

gardenmom5

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8 minutes ago, Lori D. said:


That's a good one -- and it also reminds me of The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) -- 3 veterans returning from WW1 and trying to figure out their lives, with one of the characters having lost both arms in the war. The filmmakers cast a real vet who really had lost his arms for that role, and the man was amazingly real and natural in his acting. He won best supporting actor for his role.

it's interesting how that movie has mostly been lost of history.  same year as "it's a wonderful life".  the war was over, and people wanted happy.  

The best years of our lives won seven academy awards - including best picture (and nominated for another.  in addition to best supporting actor, Harold Russell received an honorary award for bringing hope and courage to fellow veterans.)

it's a wonderful life - didn't win any. (six nominations.)

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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3 hours ago, J-rap said:

What great lists!!   Thanks!  I've seen most of the ones you've listed individually, but some I've never heard of that look fantastic -- like Silence.   (Just watched the trailer.)  I just thought of a couple more I'd add:
Breaker Morant
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness


Silence is breathtakingly beautiful, and pulls no punches on a tough subject. It is based on Endu's novel, and the film does justice to the novel, even while diverging just a bit in interpretation. Both film and novel are very worthwhile.

And a few more:
The Hiding Place (1975) -- bio of Corrie ten Boom
Seraphine (2007) -- bio of French female artist Seraphine Louis -- beautiful and sad film
The Mill and the Cross (2011) -- film that brings to life Bruegel's painting and his musings about it; backdrop of Spanish oppression of the Flemish in the 1500s
Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) -- fictional story about how Vermeer painting this famous work

And another more recent film I enjoyed: Defiance, based on real people/events.

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gardenmom5

gardenmom5

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no idea how much liberty they took:

the agony and the ecstasy - Michelangelo painting the Sistine chapel.

Lawrence of arabia

 

I have enjoyed "the lion in winter".  Becket makes a nice companion - both are with Henry II.

Netflix had a series on great british castles.  henry II built a fair number.

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Mama Geek

Mama Geek

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Unbroken (I've read the book not watched the movie, the book was emotionally difficult but very good)

North and South

Gone with the Wind

Luther (from 2003)

Joan of Arc with Leelee Sobieski

The Man From the Alamo (if you are into westerns)  We watched this about a month ago and just covered the Alamo in Story of the World

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