"Historical Films in Chronological order", by
by PatrickECooley | created - 28 Apr 2020 | updated - 11 months ago | PublicExternal list.
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1. One Million Years B.C. (1966)
Approved | 92 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Prehistoric man Tumak is banished from his savage tribe and meets pretty Loana, who belongs to a gentler coastal tribe, but he must fight caveman Payto to win her favors.
Director: Don Chaffey | Stars: Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert, Robert Brown
Votes: 9,627
I. ANCIENT MAN
2. When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
G | 96 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Sanna escapes being sacrificed and meets Tara. Together, they live in a seaside tribe that worships the Sun God and survive the dangers of the creatures from the Mesozoic Era.
Director: Val Guest | Stars: Victoria Vetri, Robin Hawdon, Patrick Allen, Drewe Henley
Votes: 2,885 | Gross: $0.37M
3. The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
R | 98 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young Cro-Magnon woman is raised by Neanderthals.
Director: Michael Chapman | Stars: Daryl Hannah, Pamela Reed, James Remar, Thomas G. Waites
Votes: 6,963 | Gross: $1.95M
4. Quest for Fire (1981)
R | 100 min | Adventure, Drama
This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud | Stars: Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, Rae Dawn Chong
Votes: 24,121 | Gross: $20.96M
5. The Pharaohs' Woman (1960)
106 min | Adventure, History, Romance
A beautiful girl and a young physician fall in love in the midst of a family, and power struggle between rival princes of Upper and Lower Egypt. When all seems to turn to the better, a ... See full summary »
Director: Viktor Tourjansky | Stars: Linda Cristal, Pierre Brice, Armando Francioli, John Drew Barrymore
Votes: 64
II. EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
II.1. EGYPT
Predynastic.
6. The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008 Video)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After witnessing his father's murder by the hand of the ruthless General Sargon, Mathayus travels to the Underworld to retrieve the enchanted Sword of Damocles from the dark deity, Astarte. Can he thwart the usurper's megalomaniac vision?
Director: Russell Mulcahy | Stars: Michael Copon, Karen David, Simon Quarterman, Tom Wu
Votes: 14,661
FIRST DYNASTY (c. 3150 - c. 2900 BC)
7. Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
Approved | 106 min | Adventure, Drama, History
A captured architect designs an ingenious plan to ensure the impregnability of the tomb of a self-absorbed Pharaoh, obsessed with the security of his next life.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Jack Hawkins, Joan Collins, Dewey Martin, Alexis Minotis
Votes: 4,764 | Gross: $1.50M
FOURTH DYNASTY (2613-2498)
- Building of the Pharaoh Khufu's Great Pyramid of Giza, 2560 B.C. in the 4th Dynasty
8. Sudan (1945)
Passed | 76 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
Young, lovely Naila becomes queen of the ancient Egyptian kingdom of Khemis after her father is killed in a slave revolt. Continuing her penchant for going incognito among the people, she ... See full summary »
Director: John Rawlins | Stars: Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Turhan Bey, Andy Devine
Votes: 274
Following the murder of her father, Queen Naila of Khemis is enslaved.
9. The Egyptian (1954)
Approved | 139 min | Drama
In ancient Egypt, a poor orphan becomes a genial physician and is eventually appointed at the Pharaoh's court where he witnesses palace intrigues and learns dangerous royal secrets.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Michael Wilding
Votes: 4,459
EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY (c. 1550 - 1292)
- Story of physician Sinuhe in Akhenaten's reign, 1352-1334 B.C. of the 18th Dynasty
10. Queen of the Nile (1961)
97 min | Drama, History
Chronicles the rise and fall of the woman who eventually became known as Queen Nefertiti.
Director: Fernando Cerchio | Stars: Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, Edmund Purdom, Amedeo Nazzari
Votes: 537
- Queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaaten1 (reigned 1352- 1334 BC) of the 18th Dynasty
11. Tut (2015)
Not Rated | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
A largely fictional mini-series based on a legendary teenage Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Avan Jogia, Sibylla Deen, Alexander Siddig
Votes: 8,852
- Tutankhamun, aka The Boy King, (ruled 1333-1324), and was only 17 years old when he died
12. Pharaoh (1966)
180 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers.
Director: Jerzy Kawalerowicz | Stars: Jerzy Zelnik, Wieslawa Mazurkiewicz, Barbara Brylska, Krystyna Mikolajewska
Votes: 2,303
TWENTY-FIRST DYNASTY (1077 -0943)
- Polish film set in Egypt in 1069 BC of the 21st Dynasty; Smendes I (reigned 1077-1051 BC)
13. Princess of the Nile (1954)
Approved | 71 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
In 1249, an Egyptian princess allies herself with the son of the Caliph of Baghdad in order to rid Egypt of its Bedouin invaders.
Director: Harmon Jones | Stars: Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter, Michael Rennie, Dona Drake
Votes: 432
MAMLUK SULTANATE (1250 AD1517)
- c. 1249 AD, an Egyptian princess tries to drive out the Bedouin conquerors; Bedouins were a predominantly desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group
14. El mamalik (1965)
90 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After suffering Egyptians from the oppression of the Mamluks and despotism clump the people and organize popular resistance to eliminate them and get rid of the ruling Circassians and the ... See full summary »
Director: Atef Salem | Stars: Nabila Ebeid, Mohamed El Sebai, Aminah Rizq, Omar Sharif
Votes: 140
- royal bodyguard in the 13th century; in 1250 a Mameluke, Qutuz, came to the Egyptian throne; Mameluke sultans ruled Egypt; conquered by the Ottomans in 1517
15. Kong Fuzi (1940)
96 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life story of the highly-influential Chinese philosopher, Confucius.
Director: Mu Fei | Stars: Huaiqiu Tang, Yi Zhang, Qi Chen, Wan'er Murong
Votes: 80
II.2. CHINA (UNIFICATION OF CHINA)
- eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) -- characterized by a breakup of Zhou territory into states that were largely independent; capital moved eastward in 770 BC from Haojing to Chengzhou
16. Confucius (2010)
TV-MA | 125 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life story of the highly-influential Chinese philosopher, Confucius.
Director: Mei Hu | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Xun Zhou, Jianbin Chen, Quan Ren
Votes: 3,989
- Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) developed an ethical and philosophical system that in the Han Dynasty developed metaphysical and cosmological elements
17. Sacrifice (2010)
R | 122 min | Action, Drama, History
To save the only child of the Zhao Family, whose entire clan was massacred at the hands of a nefarious minister, a doctor sacrifices his own son; after the Zhao child grows up, the doctor becomes intent on seeking his vengeance.
Director: Kaige Chen | Stars: You Ge, Xueqi Wang, Xiaoming Huang, Bingbing Fan
Votes: 2,489
- To save the only child of the Zhao Family, whose entire clan was massacred, a doctor sacrifices his own son and later seeks vengeance; set in the Jin State
18. Battle of the Warriors (2006)
R | 133 min | Action, Drama, War
Story centers on a battle during China's Warring States Period, a series of civil wars, which spanned from the 5th to the 3rd century B.C. Based on a popular Japanese manga, which was in turn based a Japanese novel inspired by Warring States history in China.
Director: Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung | Stars: Andy Lau, Ahn Sung-ki, Zhiwen Wang, Bingbing Fan
Votes: 4,404
WARRING STATES PERIOD (475-221 BC) -- most of this period coincides with the second half of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, although the Chinese sovereign (king of Zhou) was merely a figurehead.
- film set amid the Warring States period
19. An Empress and the Warriors (2008)
R | 99 min | Action, Drama, History
After the death of her father, a woman is forced to take over as empress and fight to save her kingdom.
Director: Siu-Tung Ching | Stars: Kelly Chen, Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Xiaodong Guo
Votes: 4,140
- the leader of the very war-liking Yan, one of the Ten Kingdoms, dies and is replaced by his daughter, while facing lots of resistance against her
20. The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)
R | 162 min | Drama, History, Romance
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
Director: Kaige Chen | Stars: Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Zhou Sun, Xiaohe Lü
Votes: 6,469 | Gross: $1.33M
QIN DYNASTY (221- 207 BC)
- 221 B.C. unification of China
21. The Emperor's Shadow (1996)
130 min | Drama, History
Epic drama about China's first emperor (221 BC) who struggles to make his childhood best friend, now China's greatest composer, succumb to his will and compose a grand anthem to his exploits.
Director: Xiaowen Zhou | Stars: Wen Jiang, You Ge, Qing Xu, Chung Chang
Votes: 722 | Gross: $0.07M
- unification of China
22. Hero (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 187,618 | Gross: $53.71M
- four assassins plot to assassinate the King of Qin (who has the potential to unify the warring states into a nation)
23. A Terra-Cotta Warrior (1989)
145 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
China 2.200 years ago. It's the time of the Qin dynasty. The emperor seeks immortality by busily letting his alchemists search for a formula and building the famous terracotta army from the... See full summary »
Director: Siu-Tung Ching | Stars: Yimou Zhang, Gong Li, Tian-Ming Wu, Rongguang Yu
Votes: 1,086
- in the Qin Dynasty the emperor builds an army of terra-cotta warriors
24. White Vengeance (2011)
Not Rated | 135 min | Action, Drama, History
White Vengeance tells the story of two brothers contending for supremacy during the fall of the Qin Dynasty, which ruled Imperial China from 221 to 206 BC. As rebels rose, the nation fell ... See full summary »
Director: Daniel Lee | Stars: Shaofeng Feng, Leon Lai, Hanyu Zhang, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
Votes: 2,008
- in an interregnum period between the Qin and Han Dynasties, two generals, sworn brothers, contend for supremacy in the ChuHan Contention (206-202 BC)
25. The Last Supper (2012)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, History
The story of two warring generals (Liu Bang and Xiang Yu) fighting for control of China at the end of the Qin Dynasty.
Director: Chuan Lu | Stars: Ye Liu, Daniel Wu, Chang Chen, Lan Qin
Votes: 921
- story of two warring generals (Liu Bang and Xiang Yu) fighting for control of China at the end of the Qin Dynasty
26. The Great Conqueror's Concubine (1994)
165 min | Action, Drama, History
Insurrection deposes the tyrannical first emperor of China during the evil Qin Dynasty. Warrior/general Xiang Yu and the cunning peasant Liu Pang join forces to win through civil war. Xiang... See full summary »
Director: Stephen Shin | Stars: Ray Lui, Rosamund Kwan, Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang
Votes: 299
HAN DYNASTY (206 BC - 8 AD)
- Xian Yu and Liu Pang depose Qin Dynasty
27. Red Cliff (2008)
R | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).
Director: John Woo | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 48,490 | Gross: $0.63M
HAN DYNASTY CONTINUATION/EASTERN HAN DYNASTY (25-220)
- Prime Minister Cao Cao plans to usurp the Han dynasty throne after he defeats any possible allies of the Han Emperor, but that will prove a difficult task (winter of 208/209)
28. The Lost Bladesman (2011)
Not Rated | 109 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story of legendary Guan Yu crossing five passes & slaying six generals. He played a major role in the civil war that led to the collapse of Han Dynasty & the establishment of Shu Han of the 3 Kingdoms, making Liu Bei its first emperor.
Directors: Felix Chong, Alan Mak | Stars: Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Li Sun, Bing Shao
Votes: 4,534
- legendary Guan Yu slays six generals in the civil war that led to the collapse of Han Dynasty & the establishment of Shu Han of the 3 Kingdoms period, making Liu Bei its first emperor, 219
29. Mao dun (2013)
94 min | Biography, History
The story of Modu Chanyu, the founder of the Xiongnu Empire. Sent off as a hostage to a neighboring kingdom as a child his father wants him dead so dispatches an army to attack that kingdom... See full summary »
Director: Zhi Guo | Stars: Lifu Wang, Wang Geng, Xiaorui Zhao, Lixin Zhang
Votes: 10
MONGOLIA
30. Amrapali (1966)
119 min | Fantasy, History
A victory over neighboring state Vaishai has always eluded Magadh Samrat Ajaatshatru despite being winning and taking control over all neighboring states. He attacks Vaishali only get ... See full summary »
Director: Lekh Tandon | Stars: Vyjayanthimala, Sunil Dutt, Premnath Malhotra, Bipin Gupta
Votes: 276
II.3. INDIA.
HARYANKA DYNASTY/SHISHUNAGA DYNASTY(684-424 BC)
- Bimbisara (544491 BC), founder of the first Magadhan empire, fights for the beautiful Amrapali, royal courtesan of the republic of Vaishali
31. Sikandar (1941)
Not Rated | 146 min | Drama, History, War
The story is set in 326 B.C. The film begins after Alexander the Great (Sikander in Hindi/Urdu) conquers Persia and the Kabul valley and approaches the Indian border at Jhelum. He respects ... See full summary »
Director: Sohrab Modi | Stars: Sohrab Modi, Prithviraj Kapoor, Vanamala, Meena Shorey
Votes: 93
NANDA DYNASTY (424-321 BC)
- Alexander the Great's conquests in North-Western India. (in Urdu language with English subtitles)
32. Samrat Chandragupt (1958)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Drama, History
This movie depicts the personal life of Samrat Chandragupt, his trials, tribulations, and frustrations, as well as the challenges he faces to reclaim his kingdom; face-off the threat from ... See full summary »
Director: Babubhai Mistry | Stars: Nirupa Roy, Bharat Bhushan, Brij Mohan Vyas, Lalita Pawar
Votes: 25
MAURYAN EMPIRE: 321-185 B.C.
- Indian emperor befriends, but then defeats Alexander the Great, establishing the Maurya Empire (321 - 185 BC)
- ancient, pre-Islamic India; ruler from 320-298 BC
34. Chandragupta (1934)
Director: Abdul Rashid Kardar | Stars: Sabita Devi, Gul Hamid, Mazhar Khan, Nazir
- founder of Mauryan Empire, originating from Magadha kingdom in modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bengal in e. India
35. Asoka (2001)
R | 180 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted.
Director: Santosh Sivan | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Danny Denzongpa, Hrishitaa Bhatt
Votes: 15,211 | Gross: $0.70M
- India after the age of Alexander the Great, Emperor Asoka (273-232 B.C.)
36. Mayura (1975)
178 min | Drama, History
The movie presents the story of a saintly boy who realises his royal connections and his return to his rightful place
Director: Vijay | Stars: Rajkumar, Vajramuni, K.S. Ashwath, Shakti Prasad
Votes: 336
GUPTA DYNASTY (c. 240-550 AD)
- King Mayurasharma (345 - 365 C.E.), a Brahmin scholar & founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka
37. Slave Queen of Babylon (1963)
101 min | Drama, History
Story of an ancient Assyrian queen that supposedly took place around 810 B.C.
Director: Primo Zeglio | Stars: Yvonne Furneaux, John Ericson, Renzo Ricci, Gianni Rizzo
Votes: 160
II.4. IRAQ.
BABYLON
- woman fights for power in Assyrian empire and begins re-building the city of Babylon; Ninth Dynasty of Babylon, around 811 BC
38. The Queen of Babylon (1954)
Approved | 98 min | Action, Drama
Beautiful goatherd helps Chaldean rebel fight evil king in ancient Babylon.
Director: Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia | Stars: Rhonda Fleming, Ricardo Montalban, Roldano Lupi, Carlo Ninchi
Votes: 156
- Babylon rebels against the Assyrian empire, 626 B.C.
39. Head of a Tyrant (1959)
94 min | Adventure
A beautiful girl plans to seduce, then murder, the brutal conqueror who has taken over her city.
Director: Fernando Cerchio | Stars: Massimo Girotti, Isabelle Corey, Renato Baldini, Yvette Masson
Votes: 71
- girl gives herself to cruel Assyrian tyrant who has conquered her city in order to overthrow him
40. War Gods of Babylon (1962)
Not Rated | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Noble, wise King Sardanapolo and his more soft and naive younger brother Prince Sammash get into a bitter feud over the affections of sweet and alluring innocent peasant girl Mirra. ... See full summary »
Director: Silvio Amadio | Stars: Howard Duff, Jocelyn Lane, Luciano Marin, Giancarlo Sbragia
Votes: 161
- in the later years of the Assyrian Empire, there is conflict between King Ashurbanipal (reign 668 c. 627 BC) and his brother Shamash-shum-ukin (English & Italian languages)
41. The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules (1963)
98 min | Adventure
The rightful heir to the throne of Babylon leads a slave revolt against an evil ruler.
Director: Siro Marcellini | Stars: Gordon Scott, Geneviève Grad, Moira Orfei, Piero Lulli
Votes: 139 | Gross: $1.80M
- last Mesopotamian king of Babylon, Nabonidus (reign 556-539), left rule to his son Belshazzar, and Babylon is overthrown by Cyrus the Great of Persia (Italian and Spanish languages; no subtitles)
42. Intolerance (1916)
Passed | 163 min | Drama, History
The story of a poor young woman separated by prejudice from her husband and baby is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Mae Marsh, F.A. Turner
Votes: 16,718 | Gross: $2.18M
- first of four stories deals with intolerance in Babylon that leads to its fall to the Persians, 539 B.C.
43. Genesis: The Creation and the Flood (1994)
Not Rated | 91 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
An all-enveloping darkness. Suddenly, a child's voice, frightened, questioning, pierces the darkness... The first flickering rays of light begin to sculpt mysterious shapes out of the ... See full summary »
Director: Ermanno Olmi | Stars: Paul Scofield, Annabi Abdelialil, Omero Antonutti, Sabir Aziz
Votes: 746
THE BIBLE - OLD TESTAMENT
44. In the Beginning (2000)
189 min | Adventure, Drama
Biblical tales from the books of Genesis and Exodus, including the stories of Abraham's devotion and Joseph's betrayal.
Stars: Martin Landau, Jacqueline Bisset, Billy Campbell, Eddie Cibrian
Votes: 886
- from creation to Moses
45. The Bible in the Beginning... (1966)
Unrated | 174 min | Drama, Family
Extravagant production of the first part of the book of Genesis. Its main highlights are the Garden of Eden, the first brothers, Noah and his family obeying God to build an ark for the Flood and Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris, John Huston
Votes: 6,250 | Gross: $34.90M
- first 22 Books of Genesis (Adam & Eve, Noah, Tower of Babel, Abraham, Sarah and Isaac)
46. Abraham (1993)
175 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Abram a tribal leader denies all the local deities and finds the true God. Through many trials and tribulations he strengthens his faith.
Stars: Richard Harris, Barbara Hershey, Maximilian Schell, Andrea Prodan
Votes: 1,831
- Abraham, the founding patriarch of the Israelites, through his son Isaac (some time between 2000 and 1700 B.C.)
47. The Wandering Jew (II) (1933)
Passed | 68 min | Drama, War
A German-Jewish artist encounters German anti-semitism when his masterpiece is rejected by the Berlin Academy of Art. Later, the figure in the painting comes to life and tells him the ... See full summary »
Director: George Roland | Stars: Jacob Ben-Ami, Natalie Browning, M.B. Samuylow, Ben Adler
Votes: 29
48. Noah's Ark (1928)
Passed | 135 min | Drama, War
The Biblical story of Noah and the Great Flood, with a parallel story of soldiers in the First World War.
Directors: Michael Curtiz, Darryl F. Zanuck | Stars: Dolores Costello, George O'Brien, Noah Beery, Louise Fazenda
Votes: 917 | Gross: $1.37M
- The story starts as a World War I drama. Someone draws a comparison between the terrible situation in WWI with the troubles of Noah. So two stories are told.
49. Noah's Ark (1999)
Unrated | 178 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Adaptation of the Biblical stories of Noah and Lot and how God destroyed the world due to the wickedness of mankind.
Stars: Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, F. Murray Abraham, Carol Kane
Votes: 2,144
- Biblical story of the Great Flood and Noah
50. Sodom und Gomorrha (1965 TV Movie)
115 min
Director: Wolfgang Liebeneiner | Stars: Hans Hermann Schaufuß, Malte Petzel, Eva Christian, Hilde Krahl
- made for TV movie
51. Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
G | 154 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Sex, torture, and betrayal in Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, leader of the Hebrews, believes that his people can co-exist with the Sodomites--a disastrous decision.
Directors: Robert Aldrich, Sergio Leone | Stars: Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, Stanley Baker, Rossana Podestà
Votes: 2,183 | Gross: $5.45M
52. Sodom and Gomorrah (1922)
150 min | Drama
When the old multimillionaire Jackson Harber wants to marry the young model Mary, she hesitates, but her mother convinces her that this is her chance to lead a life in luxury and leisure. ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Georg Reimers, Victor Varconi, Lucy Doraine, Erika Wagner
Votes: 243
53. Jacob (1994 TV Movie)
91 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In the foreign land of Canaan lives Isaac, son of Abraham, with his clever, strong-willed wife Rebekah and his twin sons Esau and Jacob. The first-born, Esau, is a strong and fearless ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Hall | Stars: Matthew Modine, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sean Bean, Joss Ackland
Votes: 1,657
- the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants
54. Giacobbe, l'uomo che lottò con Dio (1963)
Not Rated | 84 min | Drama
Jacob is forced to flee for his life when an enraged Esau vows to kill him in this classic drama.
Director: Marcello Baldi | Stars: Giorgio Cerioni, Jean Morcier, Judy Parker, Alfredo Rizzo
Votes: 138
55. Giacobbe ed Esau (1963)
94 min | Drama, History
Director: Mario Landi | Stars: Edmund Hashim, Ken Clark, Fosco Giachetti, Elisa Cegani
56. The Story of Jacob and Joseph (1974 TV Movie)
PG | 120 min | Drama, History
A movie telling the Biblical stories of the last of the Hebrew Patriarchs in the Book of Genesis.
Director: Michael Cacoyannis | Stars: Keith Michell, Tony Lo Bianco, Colleen Dewhurst, Herschel Bernardi
Votes: 299
- Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph
57. Joseph (1995)
93 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The Biblical story of Joseph, who was sold to slavery by his brothers who were jealous of his prophetic abilities to analyze dreams and of his being their father's favorite.
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Paul Mercurio, Martin Landau, Lesley Ann Warren
Votes: 3,397
58. Joseph and His Brethren (1961)
Not Rated | 103 min | Biography, Drama, Family
A brother is cast out from his family, sold in to slavery and then returns years later as a man of power - but shows forgiveness and compassion to his family through the strength of character given to him by God.
Directors: Irving Rapper, Luciano Ricci | Stars: Marietto, Geoffrey Horne, Finlay Currie, Nino Segurini
Votes: 267
59. Joseph in the Land of Egypt (1932)
80 min
Director: George Roland | Stars: Joseph Green, Ben Adler, Sigmund Zuckerberg, Herman Serotsky
60. The Ten Commandments (1956)
G | 220 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson
Votes: 77,837 | Gross: $93.74M
- Charlton Heston as Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt, around 1275 B.C.
61. The Ten Commandments (1923)
Passed | 136 min | Biography, Drama, History
After hearing the story of Moses, the sons of a devout Christian mother go their own ways, and the atheist brother's breaking of the Ten Commandments leads to tragedy.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Theodore Roberts, Charles de Rochefort, Estelle Taylor, Julia Faye
Votes: 2,660 | Gross: $5.36M
62. Moses the Lawgiver (1974)
PG | 360 min | Drama
A biopic of Moses, who led the Jewish people out of Egypt, ex. by parting the Red Sea and afterwards delivered the Ten Commandments from God.
Stars: Irene Papas, Aharon Ipalé, Yosef Shiloach, Marina Berti
Votes: 576
63. Moses (1995–1996)
180 min | Adventure, Biography, Crime
Pharaoh Ramses II decrees the death of all Hebrew children, but Moses, placed in a basket on the Nile by his mother, is picked up by a princess and raised as the brother of the heir to the throne of Egypt.
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Frank Langella, David Suchet, Christopher Lee
Votes: 2,321
64. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
PG | 99 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Egyptian Prince Moses learns of his identity as a Hebrew and his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people.
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells | Stars: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock
Votes: 146,318 | Gross: $101.22M
- animated version of the story of Moses
65. Samson and Delilah (1949)
Approved | 134 min | Drama, Family, History
When strongman Samson rejects the love of the beautiful Philistine woman Delilah, she seeks vengeance that brings horrible consequences they both regret.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders, Angela Lansbury
Votes: 8,976 | Gross: $28.80M
- Cecile B. DeMille with Victor Mature, Hedy Lamarr, somewhere between 1200 and 1000 B.C.
66. Samson and Delilah (1984 TV Movie)
95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The long haired biblical strongman Samson falls in love with beautiful temptress Delilah in Philistine.
Director: Lee Philips | Stars: Max von Sydow, Belinda Bauer, Stephen Macht, Daniel Stern
Votes: 250
- Delilah betrayed by evil Sidka, governor of Gaza
67. Samson and Delilah (1996)
172 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Mara and her husband Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines. Much to their regret, they have not been able to have ... See full summary »
Stars: Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley, Eric Thal, Michael Gambon
Votes: 1,204
68. The Story of Ruth (1960)
Not Rated | 132 min | Drama, History, Romance
Inspired by the scriptural tale. Moabitess priestess Ruth is drawn both to a Judean man and to his talk of a forgiving God. After tragedy strikes, she begins a new life in Bethlehem.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Elana Eden, Stuart Whitman, Tom Tryon, Peggy Wood
Votes: 1,441
- grandmother of King David
69. David and Goliath (1960)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Drama, Family
King Saul of the Israelites is visited in Jerusalem by the Prophet Samuel who foretells him that a war with The Philistines is inevitable and the shepherd David will become king.
Directors: Ferdinando Baldi, Richard Pottier, Orson Welles | Stars: Orson Welles, Ivica Pajer, Eleonora Rossi Drago, Massimo Serato
Votes: 837
- David kills the giant Philistine
70. King David (1985)
PG-13 | 114 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The Biblical story of Israel's greatest King.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Richard Gere, Edward Woodward, Alice Krige, Denis Quilley
Votes: 2,536 | Gross: $4.80M
- King of Israel (ruler from 1000 -960 B.C.)
71. David (1997)
190 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The tribes of Israel need to defeat the superior might of the Philistines: "Now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." (I Samuel, 8:5). And so the prophet Samuel ... See full summary »
Stars: Maurice Roëves, Gina Bellman, Lina Sastri, Joseph Long
Votes: 1,550
- David survives King Saul, adultery and internal divisions in his family to bring his son Solomon to be king after him
72. Koning David (1965 TV Movie)
85 min | Drama, History
Directors: Johan De Meester, Kees van Langeraad | Stars: Eli Blom, Kees Coolen, Jules Croiset, Joris Diels
- Dutch film about King David
73. Saul e David (1964)
TV-G | 105 min | Adventure, Drama
David of Bethlehem slays the giant and becomes a rival to King Saul.
Director: Marcello Baldi | Stars: Norman Wooland, Gianni Garko, Luz Márquez, Virgilio Teixeira
Votes: 113
- David's life with King Saul, the first king of the united Kingdom of Israel
74. David and Bathsheba (1951)
Approved | 116 min | Drama, Family, History
After King David sees the beautiful Bathsheba bathing from the palace roof, he enters into an adulterous affair which has tragic consequences for his family and Israel.
Director: Henry King | Stars: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Raymond Massey, Kieron Moore
Votes: 2,648
- King David steals himself a wife
75. The Story of David (1976 TV Movie)
PG | 191 min | Drama
He was the chosen king who loved God and committed the acts of sin.
Directors: David Lowell Rich, Alex Segal | Stars: Timothy Bottoms, Anthony Quayle, Norman Rodway, Oded Teomi
Votes: 194
76. Solomon and Sheba (1959)
Not Rated | 141 min | Drama, History, Romance
After becoming king of ancient Israel, Solomon faces threats coming from his jealous dispossessed brother Adonijah, the Egyptian Pharaoh and the scheming Queen of Sheba.
Director: King Vidor | Stars: Yul Brynner, Gina Lollobrigida, George Sanders, Marisa Pavan
Votes: 3,791 | Gross: $12.20M
- supposed relationship between King Solomon (960-928) & the Queen of Sheba
77. Solomon & Sheba (1995 TV Movie)
101 min | Drama, Romance
Queen of Sheba goes on a secret business trip to meet king Solomon.
Director: Robert M. Young | Stars: Halle Berry, Jimmy Smits, Nickolas Grace, Kenneth Colley
Votes: 245
- Halle Berry as the Queen of Sheba
78. The Queen of Sheba (1952)
Not Rated | 99 min | Drama
The Queen of Sheba falls in love with the King of Israel. The King of Israel, however, is in love with someone else.
Director: Pietro Francisci | Stars: Leonora Ruffo, Gino Cervi, Gino Leurini, Marina Berti
Votes: 132
- Italian black & white that should have been called Rehoboam and Sheba
79. Solomon (1997)
PG-13 | 180 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
David, now an old man, is still king of Israel. Among his sons, the ambitious Adonijah and the clever Solomon.
Stars: Ben Cross, Richard Dillane, Anouk Aimée, Vivica A. Fox
Votes: 1,486
- a king of Israel (970 to 931 BC) and the son of David; the third king of the United Monarchy and the final king before the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah split
80. Sins of Jezebel (1953)
Approved | 74 min | Drama, History, Romance
The aging Ahab, king of Israel, comes under the influence of a young and beautiful but scheming pagan woman named Jezebel and, against the advice of his advisers and the prophet Elijah, ... See full summary »
Director: Reginald Le Borg | Stars: Paulette Goddard, George Nader, Eduard Franz, John Hoyt
Votes: 185
- Jezebel was a princess, the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Tyre, and the wife of Ahab, king of north Israel; her paganism angers Prophet Elijah
81. The Bible Collection: Jeremiah (1998 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 90 min | Biography, Drama, History
Jeremiah tells the story of the prophet who abandons his family and the woman he loves in order to relay God's message in Jerusalem, starring Patrick Dempsey and Oliver Reed.
Director: Harry Winer | Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Oliver Reed, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Vincent Regan
Votes: 1,713
- the prophet beginning 628 B.C.
82. Esther and the King (1960)
Approved | 109 min | Biography, Drama, History
Two decades before she would gain fame and some fortune as Alexis Carrington on Dynasty (1981), Dame Joan Collins starred as Esther in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story. The setting... See full summary »
Directors: Raoul Walsh, Mario Bava | Stars: Joan Collins, Richard Egan, Denis O'Dea, Sergio Fantoni
Votes: 912
- Esther saves the Jews of 4th c. B.C. Persia (Joan Collins as Esther)
83. The Bible Collection: Esther (1999 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 90 min | Biography, Drama, History
The Bible story of Esther starring Louise Lombard, F. Murray Abraham and Jurgen Prochnow.
Director: Raffaele Mertes | Stars: Louise Lombard, F. Murray Abraham, Jürgen Prochnow, Thomas Kretschmann
Votes: 1,650
- remake of Esther and the King (Louise Lombard as Esther)
84. Esther (1986)
97 min | Drama
Ahasverus, king of Persia and Media, puts aside Vashti and makes Esther his queen, choosing her among maidens in a kingdom stretching from India to Ethiopia. Esther, using information from ... See full summary »
Director: Amos Gitai | Stars: Simone Benyamini, Mohammad Bakri, Juliano Mer-Khamis, Zare Vartanian
Votes: 83
- (Simone Benyamini as Esther)
85. One Night with the King (2006)
PG | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History
In Biblical times, a girl disguises her Jewish origins when the Persian king comes looking for a new bride among his subjects.
Director: Michael O. Sajbel | Stars: Tiffany Dupont, Luke Goss, John Noble, Omar Sharif
Votes: 7,833 | Gross: $13.40M
- Esther saves the Jewish nation (Tiffany Dupont as Esther)
86. The Thirteenth Day: The Story of Esther (1979 TV Movie)
60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Aired as a one-hour special on ABC-TV, this drama told the Old Testament story of a young queen who had to defend both herself and her people after a power-mad advisor convinces her husband... See full summary »
Director: Leo Penn | Stars: Olivia Hussey, Tony Musante, Harris Yulin, Nehemiah Persoff
Votes: 35
- ABC one-hour special (Olivia Hussey as Esther)
87. Liken: Esther and the King (2006 Video)
Not Rated | 63 min | Family, History, Musical
When a modern-day girl faces a big challenge in her life, her mother teaches her about the power of fasting by sharing the story of a heroine from the Bible. Your whole family will enjoy ... See full summary »
Directors: Dennis Agle Jr., Aaron Edson | Stars: Dallyn Vail Bayles, Lori Broadhead, Erik Denton, Frank Gerrish
Votes: 64
- mother tells her daughter about the great Esther (Summer Naomi Smart as Esther)
88. The Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete (1960)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A mythological hero attempts to rescue a princess from being sacrificed to a half-man, half-bull creature.
Director: Silvio Amadio | Stars: Bob Mathias, Rosanna Schiaffino, Alberto Lupo, Rik Battaglia
Votes: 386
III. LATER CIVILIZATIONS.
III.1. GREEK CIVILIZATION.
Mycenaean Period (1600 BC to about 1100 BC) Mycenae when Mycenae dominated much of southern Greece
CRETE
- Italian film legendary exploits of supposed Athens founder Theseus in Minoan Crete. c. 1,500 BC.
89. Troy (2004)
R | 163 min | Adventure, Drama
An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Julian Glover
Votes: 570,343 | Gross: $133.38M
FIGHT AGAINST TROY:
- Troy VII (1275-1240 B.C.) with Diane Kruger and Brad Pitt
90. Helen of Troy (2003)
Unrated | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war.
Stars: Emilia Fox, James Callis, Daniel Lapaine, Nigel Whitmey
Votes: 6,739
- Troy falls to the Greeks (with Sienna Guillory)
91. Helen of Troy (1956)
Approved | 118 min | Drama, History, Romance
The Iliad's story of the Trojan war, told from the Trojan viewpoint.
Directors: Robert Wise, Raoul Walsh | Stars: Stanley Baker, Rossana Podestà, Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Sernas
Votes: 2,506 | Gross: $6.98M
92. Iphigenia (1977)
Not Rated | 127 min | Drama
To appease offended gods before going to war, a commander must sacrifice his favorite daughter to them but does so under the pretext of marrying her off.
Director: Michael Cacoyannis | Stars: Irene Papas, Kostas Kazakos, Kostas Karras, Tatiana Papamoschou
Votes: 2,139
- the Greek army is about to set sail but King Agamemnon slays a sacred deer and the gods punish him with the sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia (Greek language)
93. The Trojan Horse (1961)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Drama, History
A retelling of the events leading to the use of the Trojan Horse, to bring down the great city of Troy.
Director: Giorgio Ferroni | Stars: Steve Reeves, Juliette Mayniel, John Drew Barrymore, Edy Vessel
Votes: 641
94. The Trojan Women (2004)
Drama
Director: Brad Mays | Stars: Willow Hale, Karen Tiegren, Aomawa Baker, Shelley Delayne
Votes: 22
95. The Trojan Women (1971)
GP | 105 min | Drama
The women of Troy face enslavement after the fall of their city.
Director: Michael Cacoyannis | Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas
Votes: 1,698 | Gross: $0.11M
- grieving women after fall of Troy (with Irene Papas)
96. The Odyssey (1997)
PG-13 | 88 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Follows Odysseus on his wanderings back to Ithaca following the Trojan War.
Stars: Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters
Votes: 16,096
- TV miniseries -- based on the return voyage of the Greeks from Troy
97. Ulysses (1954)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that depicts Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.
Director: Mario Camerini | Stars: Silvana Mangano, Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Rossana Podestà
Votes: 4,646
- his long voyage home from Troy
98. The Avenger (1962)
95 min | Adventure, Drama
Aeneas leads escapees from the Trojan war to new land in Italy, and must deal with new threats to his people.
Director: Giorgio Venturini | Stars: Steve Reeves, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Carla Marlier, Mario Ferrari
Votes: 477
- Aeneas leads escapees from the Trojan war to new land in Italy; starring Steve Reeves
99. The Giant of Marathon (1959)
90 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A Greek soldier leads the fight against an invading Persian army.
Directors: Jacques Tourneur, Bruno Vailati, Mario Bava | Stars: Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Sergio Fantoni, Alberto Lupo
Votes: 1,076
FIRST PERSIAN INVASION OF GREECE (492-490):
- actor Steve Reeves as Phillipides in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC)
100. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 864,106 | Gross: $210.61M
SECOND PERSIAN INVASION OF GREECE (480-479):
- Spartan King Leonidas and a force of 300 Spartans fight the Persians (under King Xerxes) at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
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