The best historical dramas. Time of action : 6th - 19th centuries
by yu-73431 | created - 21 Jan 2020 | updated - 3 weeks ago | PublicTime of action of films from the 6st century to the 19th century. A lot of rare films. The films are listed in chronological order . The best of what I've seen, with my rating from 10 to 7 points.
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1. Yôkihi (1955)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama, History, Romance
In 8th-century China, the Emperor is grieving over the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their influence over the ... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Sô Yamamura, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 2,061
8th century
2. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,245
The Heian Period is a period in the history of Japan from 794 to 1185
3. Pope Joan (2009)
149 min | Drama, History, Romance
A woman of English extraction born in the German city of Ingelheim in the ninth century disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican ranks.
Director: Sönke Wortmann | Stars: Johanna Wokalek, David Wenham, John Goodman, Iain Glen
Votes: 9,114
814-858
4. Arabian Nights (1974)
X | 130 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
In ancient Arabia, a beautiful slave girl chooses a youth to be her new master, then she is kidnapped and they must search for each other. Stories are told within stories: love, travel and the whims of destiny.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Ninetto Davoli, Franco Citti, Franco Merli, Tessa Bouché
Votes: 9,051
9th century
5. Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was God (2003)
103 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In the 9th century, a tyrant oppresses pre-Christian Slavic tribes living on the Polish lands. They must unite for the common future.
Director: Jerzy Hoffman | Stars: Michal Zebrowski, Marina Aleksandrova, Malgorzata Foremniak, Daniel Olbrychski
Votes: 1,389
9th century
6. Legenda o knyagine Olge (1984)
170 min | Drama, History
The film is a poetic adaptation of a series of stories (oral and written) about Princess Olga of Kievan Rus at the start of the 11th century.
Director: Yuri Ilyenko | Stars: Lyudmila Efimenko, Les Serdyuk, Ivan Ivanov, Konstantin Stepankov
Votes: 162
10th century
7. Vladimir Svyatoy (1993)
70 min | Drama, History
1015 year. Prince Vladimir of Kiev is left alone with the approaching death. Memory brings him back to the past, visions of the past arise.
Director: Yuriy Tomoshevskiy | Stars: Vladislav Strzhelchik, Natalya Danilova, Sergey Dreyden, Yelena George
1015
8. Mogila lva (1972)
75 min | Drama, History
The prince kidnaps the beautiful bride of the blacksmith Masheka. Masheka collects a squad and begins to take revenge.
Director: Valeri Rubinchik | Stars: Oleg Vidov, Valentina Shendrikova, Maris Liepa, Igor Yasulovich
Votes: 23
11th century
9. Macbeth (1971)
R | 140 min | Drama, History
A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw, Terence Bayler
Votes: 14,983
11th century
10. El Cid (1961)
Approved | 182 min | Biography, Drama, History
The fabled Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (a.k.a. El Cid) overcomes a family vendetta and court intrigue to defend Christian Spain against the Moors.
Director: Anthony Mann | Stars: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page
Votes: 15,719 | Gross: $26.62M
1079-1099
11. The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.
Stars: Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell
Votes: 33,132
1120-1136
12. Becket (1964)
PG-13 | 148 min | Biography, Drama, History
King Henry II of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas Becket, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the King's.
Director: Peter Glenville | Stars: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi
Votes: 15,864
1154-1170
13. Gate of Hell (1953)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, History
A samurai pursues a married lady-in-waiting.
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Machiko Kyô, Kazuo Hasegawa, Isao Yamagata, Yatarô Kurokawa
Votes: 4,282
1159
14. 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: 49,217 | Gross: $5.70M
1162-1182
15. 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: 315,649 | Gross: $47.40M
1184
16. Ivanhoe (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 142 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a worthy and noble knight, the champion of justice returns to England after the holy wars. He finds England under the reign of Prince John and his henchmen and finds ... See full summary »
Director: Douglas Camfield | Stars: James Mason, Anthony Andrews, Sam Neill, Michael Hordern
Votes: 5,585
1189-1199
17. Arn: The Kingdom at the End of the Road (2008)
128 min | Action, Drama, Romance
The Knight Arn is sent on a last mission against Saladin. He has to win this battle, before he can go home to Sweden, and finally marry his Cecilia and start a family. But the peace back home is threatened by the Danes.
Director: Peter Flinth | Stars: Joakim Nätterqvist, Sofia Helin, Stellan Skarsgård, Bibi Andersson
Votes: 8,560
1187
18. The Lion in Winter (1968)
PG | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.
Director: Anthony Harvey | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, John Castle
Votes: 34,233 | Gross: $22.28M
1183
19. The Lion in Winter (2003 TV Movie)
167 min | Drama, History, Romance
King Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.
Director: Andrey Konchalovskiy | Stars: Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Andrew Howard
Votes: 2,392
1183
20. Stealing Heaven (1988)
R | 108 min | Drama, History, Romance
In medieval Paris, a young religious scholar and the beautiful niece of a local patrician fall madly in love and consummate their passion for each other. In the religious uproar that follows, they are condemned and brutally punished.
Director: Clive Donner | Stars: Derek de Lint, Kim Thomson, Denholm Elliott, Bernard Hepton
Votes: 829
12th century
21. The Arrows of Robin Hood (1975)
78 min | Action, Adventure, History
With a traditional archery contest, the winner wins a silver arrow with gold lace and gold feathers. Even Robin Hood, although unrecognizable, takes part in this competition. As more and ... See full summary »
Director: Sergey Tarasov | Stars: Regina Razuma, Boris Khmelnitskiy, Vija Artmane, Eduards Pavuls
Votes: 223
12th century
22. Alexander Nevsky (1938)
Not Rated | 112 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story of how a great Russian prince led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.
Directors: Sergei Eisenstein, Dmitriy Vasilev | Stars: Nikolay Cherkasov, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Andrei Abrikosov, Dmitriy Orlov
Votes: 12,266
1240
23. Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)
PG | 121 min | Biography, Drama, History
Dramatization of events in the life of St. Francis of Assisi from before his conversion experience through his audience with the pope, including his friendship with St. Clare.
Director: Franco Zeffirelli | Stars: Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Kenneth Cranham
Votes: 4,951
early-13th-century
24. Northern Crusades (1972)
145 min | Drama, History
Historical costume drama about the medieval wars of Old Prussians and Teutonic Crusaders. Hercus Monte (Latin: Henricus Montemin, German: Heinrich Monte, Lithuanian: Herkus Mantas) was the ... See full summary »
Director: Marijonas Giedrys | Stars: Antanas Surna, Eugenija Pleskyte, Algimantas Masiulis, Stasis Petronaitis
Votes: 213
1260—1274
25. Vasiliy Buslaev (1983)
81 min | Drama, History
The movie fairy tale about the epic Russian hero Vasily Buslayev - the son of the Novgorod governor.
Director: Gennadiy Vasilev | Stars: Dmitriy Zolotukhin, Lyudmila Khityaeva, Irina Alfyorova, Dmitri Matveyev
Votes: 79
13th century
26. Blanche (1971)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, History
Blanche is the young, pure, beautiful wife of the Master of the castle, in a secluded land. Every man is in love with her, including the King and his servant Bartolomeo, visiting the Master.
Director: Walerian Borowczyk | Stars: Michel Simon, Georges Wilson, Jacques Perrin, Ligia Branice
Votes: 1,010
13th century
27. Zakhar Berkut (1971)
97 min | Drama, History
The film tells about the participation of Carpathian farmers and hunters led by Zakhar Berkut in the fight against the Tatar-Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus.
Director: Leonid Osyka | Stars: Vasyl Symchych, Ivan Gavrilyuk, Antonina Leftiy, Konstantin Stepankov
Votes: 160
13th century
28. The Valley of the Bees (1968)
97 min | Drama, History
Ondrej, a young boy who loves bees and bats, is introduced to his new mother, a woman much younger than his father. He brings her a basketful of flowers which she starts to throw in the air... See full summary »
Director: Frantisek Vlácil | Stars: Petr Cepek, Jan Kacer, Vera Galatíková, Zdenek Kryzánek
Votes: 1,823
13th century
29. 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: 1,092,028 | Gross: $75.60M
1297
30. Marketa Lazarová (1967)
Not Rated | 162 min | Drama, History, Romance
A grim portrayal of the shift from Paganism to Christianity in medieval central Europe - as a young virgin promised to God is kidnapped and raped by a marauder who her religious father seeks to kill in return.
Director: Frantisek Vlácil | Stars: Josef Kemr, Magda Vásáryová, Nada Hejna, Jaroslav Moucka
Votes: 6,033
13th century
31. Zolotaya Orda (2018– )
52 min | Adventure, Drama, History
The end of the 13th century. The envoy of the Golden Horde - Mengu-Temir, a fine connoisseur of female beauty, arrives in the Russian capital.
Stars: Yuliya Peresild, Sanjar Madi, Sabina Akhmedova, Aleksandr Ustyugov
Votes: 186
The end of the thirteenth century
32. Les rois maudits (1972–1973)
616 min | Drama, History
Set during the reigns of the last five kings of the Capetian dynasty and the first two kings of the House of Valois, the series begins as the French King Philip the Fair, already surrounded... See full summary »
Stars: Gilles Béhat, Hélène Duc, Jean-Luc Moreau, André Luguet
Votes: 414
1314-1356
33. 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: 117,366 | Gross: $7.15M
1327
34. World Without End (2012)
TV-MA | 47 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
The English town of Kingsbridge works to survive as the King leads the nation into the Hundred Years' War with France while Europe deals with the outbreak of the Black Death.
Stars: Ben Chaplin, Charlotte Riley, Nora Waldstätten, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Votes: 9,143
1337-1347
35. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)
PG | 92 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Men seeking relief from the Black Death, guided by a boy's vision, dig a tunnel from 14th century England to 20th century New Zealand.
Director: Vincent Ward | Stars: Bruce Lyons, Chris Haywood, Hamish Gough, Marshall Napier
Votes: 3,986 | Gross: $1.33M
1347–1351
36. The Seventh Seal (1957)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy
A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe
Votes: 198,629
1346—1353
37. The Decameron (1971)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, History
An adaptation of nine stories from Boccaccio's "Decameron".
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Franco Citti, Ninetto Davoli, Jovan Jovanovic, Vincenzo Amato
Votes: 12,108
1348
38. The Horde (2012)
Not Rated | 129 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the 14th century, a Russian bishop is forced to go on a journey inside the Horde.
Director: Andrey Proshkin | Stars: Maksim Sukhanov, Roza Khayrullina, Innokenti Dakaiarov, Aleksandr Yatsenko
Votes: 1,104
1357
39. Inquisitio (2012)
Drama, History
We write the year 1370, the time of the Inquisition. Two popes are fighting a fierce battle for domination in the Catholic Church: Clement VII in Avignon and Urbanus VI in Rome. Grand ... See full summary »
Stars: Aurélien Wiik, Vladislav Galard, Annelise Hesme, Lula Cotton-Frapier
Votes: 149
1370
40. La commanderie (2010– )
52 min | Adventure, History, Romance
The 14th century France is plunged into the endless war with England, and the plague has already declined the population. There is, however, a refuge of people who try to escape all the ... See full summary »
Stars: Clément Sibony, Louise Pasteau, Carlo Brandt, Maher Kamoun
Votes: 116
1375
41. The Reckoning (2003)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A priest on the lam takes up with a traveling band of actors, who then discover a murder has occurred and try to solve it by recreating the crime in a play.
Director: Paul McGuigan | Stars: Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany, Marián Aguilera, Trevor Steedman
Votes: 6,398 | Gross: $0.26M
1380
42. 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: 182,418 | Gross: $10.85M
1386
43. The Battle of Kosovo (1989)
117 min | Drama, History, War
On June 28th 1389, at Kosovo Polje, an army of the Serbian Prince Lazar made a stand against the advancing Ottoman forces of Sultan Murad.
Director: Zdravko Sotra | Stars: Milos Zutic, Gorica Popovic, Vojislav 'Voja' Brajovic, Zarko Lausevic
Votes: 2,780
1389
44. The Canterbury Tales (1972)
NC-17 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, History
Pasolini's artistic, sometimes violent, always vividly cinematic retelling of some of Chaucer's most erotic tales.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Hugh Griffith, Laura Betti, Ninetto Davoli, Franco Citti
Votes: 8,235
late 14th century
45. The Virgin Spring (1960)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In 14th-century Sweden, an innocent yet pampered teenage girl and her family's pregnant and jealous servant set out from their farm to deliver candles to church, but only one returns from events that transpire in the woods along the way.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson
Votes: 31,665 | Gross: $1.53M
14th-century
46. Banovic Strahinja (1981)
105 min | Action, Biography, Drama
In late 14th century medieval Serbia becomes the target of Ottoman invaders. One of their renegade gangs burns the castle and takes young wife of Banovic Strahinja, respected Serbian noble.... See full summary »
Director: Vatroslav Mimica | Stars: Franco Nero, Dragan Nikolic, Sanja Vejnovic, Rade Serbedzija
Votes: 1,112
late 14th century
47. A Frozen Flower (2008)
TV-MA | 133 min | Drama, History, Romance
A historical drama set in the Koryo dynasty and focused on the relationship between a king and his bodyguard.
Directors: Shin Jae Myung, Kim Su-Jin-I, Ha Yoo, Park Young-Sik | Stars: Zo In-sung, Ju Jin-mo, Song Ji-hyo, Cho Jin-woong
Votes: 5,143
Late 14th century
48. 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: 57,089 | Gross: $0.10M
1400-1423
49. The Hollow Crown (2012–2016)
TV-14 | 150 min | Drama, History, War
A mini-series of adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays: Richard II, Henry IV: Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V.
Stars: Anton Lesser, Simon Russell Beale, Tom Georgeson, John Mackay
Votes: 7,321
1399—1400 1402- 1413 1415 1445-1455 1470 - 1485
50. The Tyrant's Heart (1981)
96 min | Drama, History
A historical drama set in the 1400s, about a young man sent to Italy but is forced back after his father's mysterious death.
Director: Miklós Jancsó | Stars: Teresa Ann Savoy, László Gálffi, József Madaras, Ninetto Davoli
Votes: 192
1400s
51. Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)
166 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In the 15th century the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is facing a hard struggle against the neighboring Teutonic Order.Frequent clashes between the two powers finally culminate in 1410 with the Battle of Grunwald.
Director: Aleksander Ford | Stars: Urszula Modrzynska, Grazyna Staniszewska, Andrzej Szalawski, Henryk Borowski
Votes: 2,184
1410
52. Joan of Arc (1999)
TV-PG | 90 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Spurred by divine voices and visions, fifteenth century teen Joan d'Arc leads French forces against the English.
Stars: Leelee Sobieski, Chad Willett, Peter O'Toole, Neil Patrick Harris
Votes: 6,337
1412-1431
53. 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: 31,676 | Gross: $10.16M
1415
54. Christopher Columbus (1985)
360 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
After his proposal to sail west to the East Indies is rejected by Portugal, Columbus overcomes court intrigue in Spain to gain support for his expedition.
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Rossano Brazzi, Virna Lisi, Oliver Reed
Votes: 709
1450-1506
55. The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci (1971)
300 min | Biography, History
Miniseries dramatizing the life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).
Stars: Philippe Leroy, Giulio Bosetti, Giorgio Piazza, Bruno Piergentili
Votes: 436
1452–1519
56. 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: 31,427
1464
57. The White Princess (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Based on the Philippa Gregory book of the same name, the story of Elizabeth of York, the White Queen's daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII.
Stars: Jodie Comer, Rebecca Benson, Jacob Collins-Levy, Richard Dillane
Votes: 15,610
1485-1499
58. Isabel (2011–2014)
3,038 min | Biography, History
The life of Isabella I of Castile, also known as Isabella the Catholic.
Stars: Michelle Jenner, Ramon Madaula, Rodolfo Sancho, Jordi Díaz
Votes: 2,526
1461-1504
59. Richard III (1955)
Not Rated | 161 min | Biography, Drama, History
Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
Director: Laurence Olivier | Stars: Laurence Olivier, Cedric Hardwicke, Nicholas Hannen, Ralph Richardson
Votes: 5,233
1470 - 1485
60. Louis XI: Shattered Power (2011 TV Movie)
96 min | Drama, History
A messenger comes to the old sick king Louis XI with the rumor that the he must be soon assassinated by his own lords. It is not difficult for the king to learn everything. He survives his final battle.
Director: Henri Helman | Stars: Jacques Perrin, Florence Pernel, Gaëlle Bona, Bruno Debrandt
Votes: 85
1483
61. Elkerlyc (1975)
94 min | Drama, History
Elckerlyc is a man without scruples living in Medieval times. He lives a life of crime and hardly knows the difference between right and wrong. He is a purebred Misanthrope. Until one day ... See full summary »
Director: Jos Stelling | Stars: George Bruens, Henk Douze, Bob Kars, Johanna Leeuwenstein
Votes: 123
15th century
62. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Young lovers, and soon to wed, Hero and Claudio conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles, Benedick and Beatrice, to wed as well.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale
Votes: 52,033 | Gross: $22.55M
15th century
63. 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: 32,827 | Gross: $7.19M
1490s
64. Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
In medieval France, the Devil intervenes when one of his two envoys, sent to seduce and deceive mortals, falls instead for a victim.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Arletty, Marie Déa, Fernand Ledoux, Alain Cuny
Votes: 2,466
end of the 15th century
65. 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: 53,966
1492-1507
66. Borgia (2011–2014)
TV-MA | 52 min | Biography, Drama, History
Story of the rise and the fall of the Renaissance dynasty.
Stars: Mark Ryder, Isolda Dychauk, Diarmuid Noyes, John Doman
Votes: 7,223
1492-1507
67. 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: 56,013
15th century
68. The King and the Clown (2005)
PG-13 | 119 min | Drama, History
Two clowns living in Korea's Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh.
Director: Lee Joon-ik | Stars: Kam Woo-seong, Jung Jin-young, Kang Seong-yeon, Lee Joon-gi
Votes: 5,988
late 15th century
69. A Season of Giants (1990– )
Biography, Drama, History
At the turn of the sixteenth century, Michelangelo (Mark Frankel), Raphael (Andrea Prodan), and Leonardo Da Vinci (John Glover) create their masterpieces, while dealing with religious prosecution, political turmoil, and the discovery of America.
Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Steven Berkoff, Juliette Caton, Vernon Dobtcheff
Votes: 108
late XV – early XVI
70. Flesh+Blood (1985)
R | 126 min | Adventure, Drama
In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, Jack Thompson
Votes: 20,029 | Gross: $0.10M
1501
71. Luther (2003)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History
During the early sixteenth century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the Catholic Church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.
Director: Eric Till | Stars: Joseph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Peter Ustinov, Alfred Molina
Votes: 16,008 | Gross: $5.79M
early 16th century
72. 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: 10,719
1501-1533
73. The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Approved | 138 min | Biography, Drama, History
The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews
Votes: 8,063
1505-1512
74. Henry VIII (2003 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 193 min | Biography, Drama, History
Two part mini-series documenting the stormy thirty-eight-year reign of King Henry VIII.
Director: Pete Travis | Stars: Ray Winstone, Joss Ackland, Sid Mitchell, Charles Dance
Votes: 2,489
1509-1547
75. The Advocate (1993)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In medieval France, young lawyer Richard Courtois leaves Paris for the simpler life in the country. However, he is soon drawn into amorous and political intrigues. At the same time, he is ... See full summary »
Director: Leslie Megahey | Stars: Colin Firth, Amina Annabi, Jim Carter, Donald Pleasence
Votes: 2,199 | Gross: $0.67M
1506
76. Cellini: A Violent Life (1990)
118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), a soldier and one of the most important craftsmen and artists of Renaissance Italy, whose life was marked by many achievements and adventures, but also crimes.
Director: Giacomo Battiato | Stars: Wadeck Stanczak, Max von Sydow, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 128
1513-1571
77. Mariken van Nieumeghen (1974)
80 min | Drama, History
A sparkling film and surprising look into the middle ages by means of the story of Mariken, whose beauty is used by the devilish comedian Moenen to put people up against each other.
Director: Jos Stelling | Stars: Eric Bais, Sander Bais, Kees Bakker, Jacqueline Bayer
Votes: 257
1515
78. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Epic series reveals the scandalous life of a young king whose affairs and obsession with producing a male heir changed marriage, the church, and the world.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 81,271
1518-1547
79. The Broken Crown (2016)
113 min | Biography, Drama, History
In a Spain consumed by ambition and power, the future of an empire depends on one woman's state of mind.
Director: Jordi Frades | Stars: Rodolfo Sancho, Irene Escolar, Raúl Mérida, Eusebio Poncela
Votes: 863
1504
80. Captain from Castile (1947)
Passed | 140 min | Adventure, Drama
The invasion of Mexico by Cortez, as seen by a young Spanish officer fleeing the Inquisition.
Director: Henry King | Stars: Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Lee J. Cobb
Votes: 2,226
1518
81. Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
PG | 145 min | Biography, Drama, History
King Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Catharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas, Anthony Quayle
Votes: 8,126 | Gross: $2.07M
1527-1536
82. 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: 13,104
1530-1540
83. A Man for All Seasons (1966)
G | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Leo McKern
Votes: 37,177 | Gross: $28.35M
1528-1535
84. The Profession of Arms (2001)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, History, War
The history of the first victim of modern artillery and its moving agony, amidst conspiracies and betrayals of the powerful. Life and death of Giovanni De' Medici, a young brave captain in ... See full summary »
Director: Ermanno Olmi | Stars: Christo Jivkov, Sergio Grammatico, Dimitar Rachkov, Fabio Giubbani
Votes: 1,909
1526
85. La controverse de Valladolid (1992 TV Movie)
87 min | Drama, History
Spain conquered the seas, found a new world and different realities than the one known in Europe. But a question needed to be answered with what they found in those new territories: do the ... See full summary »
Director: Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe | Stars: Jean-Pierre Marielle, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean Carmet, Jean-Michel Dupuis
Votes: 415
1550-1551
86. Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944)
Not Rated | 95 min | Biography, Drama, History
During the early part of his reign, Ivan the Terrible faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he seeks to unite the Russian people.
Director: Sergei Eisenstein | Stars: Nikolay Cherkasov, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Serafima Birman, Mikhail Nazvanov
Votes: 10,870
1547-1565
87. Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot (1958)
Not Rated | 88 min | Biography, Drama, History
As Ivan the Terrible attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar.
Director: Sergei Eisenstein | Stars: Nikolay Cherkasov, Serafima Birman, Pavel Kadochnikov, Mikhail Zharov
Votes: 8,058
1565-1569
88. Otkroveniye Ioanna Pervopechatnika (1991)
147 min | Biography, Drama, History
About the life of the first printer Ivan Fedorov. Political strife intrudes into the fruitful life of the first printer, aggravating his relationship with Ivan the Terrible.
Directors: Yuri Shvyryov, Yuriy Sorokin | Stars: Fyodor Sukhov, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Valeri Poroshin, Aleksandr Trofimov
Votes: 17
1552-1560s
89. Ugetsu (1953)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito
Votes: 25,840 | Gross: $0.01M
16th century
90. The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
Not Rated | 112 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In medieval France, some villagers challenge a man's claim of identity when he (as he says) returns home from some time in the army.
Director: Daniel Vigne | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, Maurice Barrier, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
Votes: 4,827 | Gross: $0.02M
middle of the 16th century
91. The Virgin Queen (2005–2006)
59 min | Biography, Drama, History
From teenage princess to accomplished queen, torn between duty and personal longing, the reign of Elizabeth I is exposed in this lavish drama filmed against a backdrop of some of Great Britain's most beautiful houses and landscapes.
Stars: Anne-Marie Duff, Sienna Guillory, Ian Hart, Tom Hardy
Votes: 3,278
1549-1603
92. Lady Jane (1986)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for only nine days.
Director: Trevor Nunn | Stars: Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes, John Wood, Michael Hordern
Votes: 7,087 | Gross: $0.28M
1553-1554
93. 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: 105,179 | Gross: $30.08M
1558-1560s
94. Anonymous (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Thriller
The theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned Shakespeare's plays. Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I and the Essex rebellion against her.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis, Sebastian Armesto
Votes: 42,139 | Gross: $4.46M
1559
95. 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: 62,349
1560—1561
96. Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2004 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 205 min | Drama, History
Mini series depicting the turbulent and bloody reigns of Scottish monarchs Mary, Queen of Scots and her son King James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England and foiled the Gunpowder Plot.
Director: Gillies MacKinnon | Stars: Vulpe Adrian, Carmen Ungureanu, Clémence Poésy, Tadeusz Pasternak
Votes: 1,926
1561-1567 1605
97. El Greco (2007)
119 min | Biography, Drama
The story of the uncompromising artist and fighter for freedom, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, known to the world as "El Greco".
Director: Yannis Smaragdis | Stars: Nick Clark Windo, Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull, Lakis Lazopoulos
Votes: 4,947
1567-1614
98. The Mill and the Cross (2011)
Not Rated | 92 min | Drama, History
This movie focuses on a dozen of the five hundred characters depicted in Bruegel's painting. The theme of Christ's suffering is set against religious persecution in Flanders in 1564.
Director: Lech Majewski | Stars: Rutger Hauer, Michael York, Charlotte Rampling, Joanna Litwin
Votes: 4,430 | Gross: $0.31M
1564
99. Tsar Ivan Groznyy (1991)
137 min | Drama, History
The reign of Ivan the Terrible was a time of glory, luxury and cruelty, a time when all concepts were perverted, baseness was called virtue, and betrayal was included in the law.
Director: Gennadiy Vasilev | Stars: Kakhi Kavsadze, Igor Talkov, Larisa Shakhvorostova, Stanislav Lyubshin
Votes: 94
1565
100. Tsar (2009)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, History
A historical film that tells about two years in the life of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, his relationship with Metropolitan Philip of Moscow and the events of the Oprichnina era.
Director: Pavel Lungin | Stars: Pyotr Mamonov, Oleg Yankovskiy, Ramilya Iskander, Anastasiya Dontsova
Votes: 3,246
1565
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