List of movies concerning history and literature of the Middle ages through Elizabethian times (500-1600AD)
by Sherrill777 | created - 11 Feb 2013 | updated - 22 Dec 2015 | PublicThis list attempts to collect and organize the best movies showing the history and literature of the Middle Ages through the Elizabethan period (500-1600AD). I created this with the idea that it would supplement a study of that time period, so will include documentaries, dramas and docu-dramas.
To make it easier to find what you may be interested in, I have created a table of contents (the # refers to the position of the 1st movie of the category) . Please be aware that some categories overlap.
1 - Byzantine Empire
9 - Medieval Legends
18- Persian Myths
24- Norse/Viking
37- Crusaders (1000-1300)
55- Early Renaissance (1300-1550)
78- Explorers
83- South America
94- Reformation
101- Henry VIII
109- Shakespeare
136- Elizabethan period
150- Far East (500-1600)
162- Feudal Japan
My criteria for this list is as follows:
1) The movie had to fall within the time frame
2) The movie had to have at least a rating of 6.0 from IMDb
3) It had to be at least theoretically possible to FIND the movie (on someplace like Netflix or Amazon).
Although I did my best to select movies that would be appropriate for at least a high school student (and I tried to get younger ages too), I have not watched the majority of the films on this list so make no guarantees about the quality or appropriateness of any film here.
*Parental Discretion Advised*
Please see my other lists for other time periods.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Byzantium: The Lost Empire (1997– )
208 min | Documentary
John Romer recreates the glory and history of Byzantium. From the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul to the looted treasures of the empire now located in St. Marks in Venice.
Star: John Romer
Votes: 226
This list starts after the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Byzantine period. This TV series focused on the art and architecture of the period.
2.
Engineering an Empire (2005–2007)
Episode:
The Byzantines
(2006)
TV-PG | 43 min | Documentary, History
The story of Byzantium and some of there accomplishments.
Directors: Rebecca Cameron, Mark Cannon | Stars: Peter Weller, Michael Carroll
Votes: 44
3. The Dark Ages (2007 TV Movie)
120 min | Documentary, Drama, History
The History Channel examines the Dark Ages from the fall of the Roman Empire to the First Crusade.
Director: Christopher Cassel | Stars: Philip Daileader, Kelly DeVries, Bonnie Effros, Adnan Husain
Votes: 460
4. Theodora (1996 TV Movie)
208 min | Drama, Music
Director: Peter Sellars | Stars: Frode Olsen, David Daniels, Richard Croft, Dawn Upshaw
Votes: 43
5. The Message (1976)
PG | 177 min | Biography, Drama, History
This epic historical drama chronicles the life and times of Prophet Muhammad and serves as an introduction to early Islamic history.
Director: Moustapha Akkad | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara, Johnny Sekka
Votes: 50,516
I have not watched this, so could not say whether this movie tells of the birth of Islam from a Christian or Muslim perspective.
6. Charlemagne (1993– )
90 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Young Charlemagns is placed on the Frankish throne in the middle of the 8th Century A.D. Despite having many powerful enemies he slowly unites the nations of Western Europe and rebuilds civilization on the ruins of the Roman Empire.
Stars: Christian Brendel, Anny Duperey, Lino Capolicchio, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus
Votes: 235
I'm not positive that this mini-series will be easy to find....
7. The Secret of Kells (2009)
Not Rated | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A young boy in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids is beckoned to adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives with an ancient book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers.
Directors: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey | Stars: Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally, Christen Mooney
Votes: 38,138 | Gross: $0.69M
8. Alfred the Great (I) (1969)
M/PG | 122 min | Drama, History, War
While Old England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the ninth century, Alfred is planning to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his land, he puts away his religious vows, to... See full summary »
Director: Clive Donner | Stars: David Hemmings, Michael York, Prunella Ransome, Colin Blakely
Votes: 1,116
9. 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: 9,091
This begins the section on Medieval Legends.
10. Excalibur (1981)
PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi
Votes: 66,826 | Gross: $34.97M
There are numerous King Arthur movies and TV series, but I found a small selection of some of the highlights.
11. Merlin (2008–2012)
TV-PG | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
These are the brand new adventures of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer as a young man, when he was just a servant to young Prince Arthur on the royal court of Camelot, who has soon become his best friend, and turned Arthur into a great king and a legend.
Stars: John Hurt, Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Richard Wilson
Votes: 86,911
12. King Arthur (2004)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Votes: 175,607 | Gross: $51.88M
13. The Sword in the Stone (1963)
G | 79 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in English history.
Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand | Stars: Rickie Sorensen, Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews
Votes: 106,043 | Gross: $22.18M
14. The Mists of Avalon (2001)
Unrated | 183 min | Drama, Fantasy
In spite of resistance from her sister, the Lady of the Lake plans to save the kingdom by training her niece to succeed her.
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, Joan Allen, Samantha Mathis
Votes: 10,374
15. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)
Approved | 106 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A singing mechanic from 1912 finds himself in Arthurian Britain.
Director: Tay Garnett | Stars: Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, Cedric Hardwicke, William Bendix
Votes: 2,718
This Mark Twain classic doesn't exactly have a lot of history in it, but it is still a great story.
16. The Legend of Prince Valiant (1991–1994)
TV-G | 22 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
After his castle is taken over, Valiant, Prince of Thule, has a dream, in which King Arthur calls him to Camelot. Valiant heeds the advice of the dream, and sets out on a quest to find the ... See full summary »
Stars: Robby Benson, Michael Horton, Noelle North, Alan Oppenheimer
Votes: 801
17. Tristan + Isolde (2006)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Drama, Romance
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, David O'Hara
Votes: 54,184 | Gross: $14.73M
18. The Singing Princess (1949)
76 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
Princess Zeila must choose a prince from among all the princes in Baghdad, despite the evil plotting of Jafar to thwart her hopes.
Director: Anton Gino Domenighini | Stars: Stefano Sibaldi, Germana Calderini, Giulio Panicali, Olinto Cristina
Votes: 293
This starts the section on 'Persian Myths'. The majority of these tales come from '1001 Arabian Nights', stories compiled from the Islamic Golden Age.
19. Arabian Nights (2000)
Not Rated | 175 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
To cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.
Stars: Mili Avital, Alan Bates, James Frain, Tchéky Karyo
Votes: 5,558
20. Aladdin (1992)
G | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker | Stars: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman
Votes: 463,345 | Gross: $217.35M
21. The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Not Rated | 106 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves.
Directors: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan, Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda, William Cameron Menzies | Stars: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez, John Justin
Votes: 14,445 | Gross: $0.27M
22. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
PG | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The sailor of legend is framed by the goddess Eris for the theft of the Book of Peace and must travel to her realm at the end of the world to retrieve it and save the life of his childhood friend Prince Proteus.
Directors: Patrick Gilmore, Tim Johnson | Stars: Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joseph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer
Votes: 59,158 | Gross: $26.48M
23. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
G | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Sinbad and the vizier of Marabia, followed by evil magician Koura, seek the three golden tablets that can gain them access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge.
Director: Gordon Hessler | Stars: John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, Tom Baker, Douglas Wilmer
Votes: 10,460 | Gross: $3.03M
24. The 13th Warrior (1999)
R | 102 min | Action, Adventure, History
A man, having fallen in love with the wrong woman, is sent by the sultan himself on a diplomatic mission to a distant land as an ambassador. Stopping at a Viking village port to restock on supplies, he finds himself unwittingly embroiled in a quest to banish a mysterious threat in a distant Viking land.
Directors: John McTiernan, Michael Crichton | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhøi, Vladimir Kulich
Votes: 131,609 | Gross: $32.70M
This starts the section of Norse/Viking history and legends.
25. Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968)
Not Rated | 82 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A boy with a mythical sword wants to protect a Norse village from an evil ice wizard and his minions, who destroyed his family's village. However, the villagers don't fully trust him and a mysterious girl with a dark secret befriends him.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Etsuko Ichihara, Eijirô Tôno, Masao Mishima
Votes: 2,489
Also Known as 'The Little Norse Prince'.
26. Valhalla (1986)
89 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Through Loki's treachery, two children in the Viking age find themselves spirited away into the world of Norse Mythology.
Directors: Peter Madsen, Jeffrey J. Varab | Stars: Dick Kaysø, Preben Kristensen, Laura Bro, Marie Ingerslev
Votes: 2,525
27. Thor (2011)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Fantasy
The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Votes: 896,769 | Gross: $181.03M
28. Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011 Video)
Not Rated | 77 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The young Norse god Thor embarks on a quest with his brother Loki to find and recover a legendary sword.
Director: Sam Liu | Stars: Matthew Wolf, Rick Gomez, Tara Strong, Alistair Abell
Votes: 5,832 | Gross: $3.30M
29. The Vikings (1958)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Adventure, History
A slave and a Viking prince fight for the love of a captive princess.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh
Votes: 15,593 | Gross: $7.00M
30. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
PG | 98 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.
Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders | Stars: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson
Votes: 795,903 | Gross: $217.58M
31. Wickie und die starken Männer (2009)
85 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The story of a young Viking boy who accompanies his father, the chief of their village, and his men on their adventures--and often is the person who uses his wit and instincts to help the men in their times of need.
Director: Michael Herbig | Stars: Jonas Hämmerle, Waldemar Kobus, Günther Kaufmann, Michael Herbig
Votes: 3,477
32. Beowulf (2007)
PG-13 | 115 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel, who is terrorizing Denmark, then Grendel's Mother, who begins killing out of revenge.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie, Robin Wright
Votes: 173,783 | Gross: $82.16M
33.
Chronicle (1966–1991)
Episode:
The Vikings in North America
(1966)
Documentary, History
Director: Julia Cave | Stars: Glyn Daniel, Gwyn Jones, Magnus Magnusson, Raymond Newell
34. Ring of the Nibelungs (2004 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 184 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The legend of Siegfried and Brunhild, loosely based on characters from the Norse sagas and the pre-Christian Germanic heroic motifs outlined in the Nibelungensaga.
Director: Uli Edel | Stars: Benno Fürmann, Kristanna Loken, Alicia Witt, Julian Sands
Votes: 9,986
35. When the Raven Flies (1984)
R | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An Irish man seeks vengeance against the vikings who killed his parents.
Director: Hrafn Gunnlaugsson | Stars: Jakob Þór Einarsson, Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Helgi Skúlason, Gotti Sigurdarson
Votes: 2,570
It looks like there is a re-make in the works.
36. 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: 15,600 | Gross: $26.62M
This film begins the section on European history from around 1000 AD to about 1300 AD.
37. 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
38. 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: 34,059 | Gross: $22.28M
39. Ivanhoe (1997)
270 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
After returning from the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, Ivanhoe discovers that England is under the rule of the corrupt Prince John.
Stars: Ciarán Hinds, Susan Lynch, Victoria Smurfit, Steven Waddington
Votes: 1,200
There are other movies of this name, but this one had the best ratings.
40. The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
TV-MA | 471 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: 33,002
41. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
PG | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
When Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement.
Directors: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley | Stars: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains
Votes: 54,271 | Gross: $3.98M
42. Robin Hood (1984–1986)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A forest mystical being appoints two men in succession as the legendary outlaw defender of the oppressed.
Stars: Peter Llewellyn Williams, Ray Winstone, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle
Votes: 4,928
43. Robin Hood (1973)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The story of the legendary British outlaw portrayed with the characters as anthropomorphic animals.
Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, David Hand | Stars: Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Roger Miller, Peter Ustinov
Votes: 138,257 | Gross: $32.06M
44. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robin Hood decides to fight back as an outlaw when faced with the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater
Votes: 207,471 | Gross: $165.50M
There's also a parody of this called 'Men in Tights', if you like that sort of thing.
45. 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: 312,275 | Gross: $47.40M
46. Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013)
PG | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A young boy grows up as he embarks on a quest to become a knight.
Director: Manuel Sicilia | Stars: Freddie Highmore, Antonio Banderas, James Cosmo, Charles Dance
Votes: 6,409
47. 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: 15,756
48. Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)
R | 139 min | Action, Drama, Romance
Arn, the son of a high-ranking Swedish nobleman, is educated in a monastery and sent to the Holy Land as a knight templar to do penance for a forbidden love.
Director: Peter Flinth | Stars: Joakim Nätterqvist, Sofia Helin, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Nyqvist
Votes: 23,114
49. 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: 4,909
Movie on St. Francis of Assisi
50. Francesco (1989)
PG-13 | 119 min | Biography, Drama, History
Docudrama about the life of St-Francis of Assisi.
Director: Liliana Cavani | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Helena Bonham Carter, Andréa Ferréol, Nikolaus Dutsch
Votes: 1,685
Movie on St. Francis of Assisi
51. Ironclad (2011)
R | 121 min | Action, Drama, History
In thirteenth-century England, a Knights Templar and a few of the Barons men fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.
Director: Jonathan English | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Jason Flemyng, Brian Cox, James Purefoy
Votes: 43,571
52. 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: 1,813
53. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, History
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: 1,087,479 | Gross: $75.60M
54. 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: 116,706 | Gross: $7.15M
A mystery
55. 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: 12,002
56. Black Death (2010)
R | 102 min | Action, Drama, History
Set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is given the task of learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.
Director: Christopher Smith | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten, Kimberley Nixon
Votes: 51,072 | Gross: $0.02M
57. 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: 197,536
58. Canterbury Tales (2003)
52 min | Drama
An adaptation of six of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in a modern setting.
Stars: Indira Varma, James Nesbitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julie Walters
Votes: 400
There are other versions of this same title.
59. Andrei Rublev (1966)
R | 205 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: 56,832 | Gross: $0.10M
60. Joan of Arc (1999)
TV-PG | 180 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: 6,316
61. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Passed | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer | Stars: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley, Maurice Schutz
Votes: 60,254 | Gross: $0.02M
62. Saint Joan (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1456, French King Charles VII recalls the story of how he met the seventeen-year-old peasant girl Joan of Arc, entrusted her with the command of the French Army, and ultimately burned her at the stake as a heretic.
Director: Otto Preminger | Stars: Jean Seberg, Richard Widmark, Richard Todd, Anton Walbrook
Votes: 1,279
63. 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: 2,190 | Gross: $0.67M
Also known as 'The hour of the Pig'
64. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
G | 91 min | Animation, Drama, Family
A deformed bell-ringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a gypsy dancer.
Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise | Stars: Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Mary Kay Bergman, Corey Burton
Votes: 170,881 | Gross: $100.14M
65. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (I) (1923)
Passed | 133 min | Drama, Horror, Romance
In 15th-century Paris, the brother of the archdeacon plots with the gypsy king to foment a peasant revolt. Meanwhile, a freakish hunchback falls in love with a gypsy dancer.
Director: Wallace Worsley | Stars: Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Kate Lester
Votes: 6,071 | Gross: $2.22M
66. Dracula (1931)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.
Directors: Tod Browning, Karl Freund | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Votes: 58,315
I'm including this here because this time period is when Prince Vlad (whom Dracula is based off of) was alive.
67. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
R | 128 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves
Votes: 237,179 | Gross: $82.52M
68. 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: 435
Any biography of this man would probably do equally well.
69. 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: 7,999
Michaelangelo
70. Conquest 1453 (2012)
Not Rated | 162 min | Action, Drama, History
After the death of his father Murat II, Mehmet II ascends to the Ottoman throne. After braving internal and external enemies, he decides to complete what he was destined to do - conquer Constantinople.
Director: Faruk Aksoy | Stars: Devrim Evin, Ibrahim Celikkol, Dilek Serbest, Cengiz Coskun
Votes: 59,032 | Gross: $0.07M
This movie may be hard to find
71. The Conclave (2006)
100 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1458, five years after the fall of Constantinople to the Turk, eighteen cardinals met in Rome to elect a new pope. A 27-year-old Spanish cardinal, Rodrigo Borgia, learns to play a very dangerous game; how to survive his first conclave.
Director: Christoph Schrewe | Stars: Manu Fullola, Brian Blessed, James Faulkner, Rolf Kanies
Votes: 613
72. Tower of London (1939)
Approved | 92 min | Drama, History
In the 15th century Richard Duke of Gloucester, aided by his club-footed executioner Mord, eliminates those ahead of him in succession to the throne, then occupied by his brother King ... See full summary »
Director: Rowland V. Lee | Stars: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Barbara O'Neil, Ian Hunter
Votes: 2,219
73. Tower of London (1962)
Not Rated | 79 min | Drama, History, Horror
The twisted Richard III is haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered in his attempt to become the King of England.
Director: Roger Corman | Stars: Vincent Price, Michael Pate, Joan Freeman, Robert Brown
Votes: 2,559
74. Princes in the Tower (2005 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama
Sixteen years after the presumed deaths of the two boy princes held captive in the Tower, Perkin Warbeck makes his claim to the throne as the rightful King Richard. Did the younger brother ... See full summary »
Director: Justin Hardy | Stars: Mark Umbers, John Castle, Roger Hammond, Sally Edwards
Votes: 138
75. 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: 53,735
76. The Borgia (2006)
120 min | Biography, History
A portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, Alexander VI, as well as the role model for Machiavelli's "The Prince," his son Cesare Borgia, and a legend of femme duplicity, daughter Lucrezia Borgia.
Director: Antonio Hernández | Stars: Lluís Homar, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, María Valverde, Sergio Múñiz
Votes: 1,650
77. 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: 704
This begins the section on explorers
Also look for the 'Biography' series to have an episode on this man.
78. Columbus: The Lost Voyage (2007 TV Movie)
120 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of one of the most famous men in history. You might think you know him - the heroic and successful discoverer of America. Now think again.
Director: Anna Thomson | Stars: Olegar Fedoro, Alvaro Martin, David Sant, Javier Mazan
Votes: 88
79. 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: 32,676 | Gross: $7.19M
80. Roanoke: The Lost Colony (2007)
86 min | Drama, History
A fictional tale based on the true events of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island in 1587.
Director: Bertie Stephens | Stars: James Alexander, Michael Armstrong, Michael Chalkley, Andy Courtney
Votes: 123
81. 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: 61,933
This begins the movies on South America during this time period.
82. Mysteries of the Ancient Maya (1997 TV Movie)
Documentary
Directors: Dennis B. Kane, Stan Swan | Stars: Tom Chapin, Tom Chaplin, Hugo Medrano, Stan Wait
83. The Road to El Dorado (2000)
PG | 89 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Two swindlers get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado.
Directors: Bibo Bergeron, Don Paul, Jeffrey Katzenberg | Stars: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante
Votes: 106,894 | Gross: $50.86M
84. The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1982–1983)
TV-Y7 | 28 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A trio of kids must search throughout 16th Century South America for personal answers linked to the legendary El Dorado.
Stars: Janice Chaikelson, Adrian Knight, Michael Rudder, Terrence Labrosse
Votes: 4,257
85.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
The Great Inca Rebellion
(2007)
TV-PG | Documentary
Recent archaeological research begins to reveal how a small number of Spanish fortune hunters could conquer the mighty Inca Empira. The evidences calls into question the accepted story of ... See full summary »
Star: Jay O. Sanders
Votes: 55
86. Apocalypto (2006)
R | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, a young man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Gerardo Taracena, Raoul Max Trujillo, Dalia Hernández, Rudy Youngblood
Votes: 329,751 | Gross: $50.87M
87. Rapa Nui (1994)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Love between the representatives of two warring tribes changes the balance of power on the whole remote island.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Jason Scott Lee, Esai Morales, Sandrine Holt, Eru Potaka Dewes
Votes: 5,297 | Gross: $0.31M
88. 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: 2,207
89. The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969)
G | 118 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 1532, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro leads an expedition into the heart of the Inca Empire and captures the Incan Emperor Atahualpa and claims Peru for Spain.
Director: Irving Lerner | Stars: Robert Shaw, Christopher Plummer, Nigel Davenport, Leonard Whiting
Votes: 795
90. Quilombo (1984)
114 min | Drama
Palmares is a 17th-century quilombo, a settlement of escaped slaves in northeast Brazil. In 1650, plantation slaves revolt and head for the mountains where they find others led by the aged ... See full summary »
Director: Carlos Diegues | Stars: Bené Batista, Jonas Bloch, Zózimo Bulbul, Emmanuel Cavalcanti
Votes: 497
91. The Other Conquest (1998)
R | 105 min | Drama, History
It is May 1520 in the vast Aztec Empire one year after the Spanish Conqueror Hernán Cortés' arrival in Mexico. "The Other Conquest" opens with the infamous massacre of the Aztecs at the ... See full summary »
Director: Salvador Carrasco | Stars: Damián Delgado, José Carlos Rodríguez, Elpidia Carrillo, Iñaki Aierra
Votes: 1,199 | Gross: $0.89M
Also known as 'The Other Conquest'
92. 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: 15,976 | Gross: $5.79M
As is appropriate, a movie on Martin Luther begins the section on the Reformation.
93. Luther (1974)
PG | 110 min | Biography, Drama
During the early 16th Century idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.
Director: Guy Green | Stars: Peter Cellier, Leonard Rossiter, Stacy Keach, Patrick Magee
Votes: 476
94. Martin Luther (1953)
Approved | 105 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biopic of German priest Martin Luther (Niall MacGinnis), covering his life between 1505 and 1530 A.D., and the birth of the Protestant Reformation movement.
Director: Irving Pichel | Stars: Niall MacGinnis, John Ruddock, Pierre Lefevre, Guy Verney
Votes: 657
95. Martin Luther (2002 TV Movie)
TV-G | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
Martin Luther is born into a world dominated by the Catholic Church. For the keenly spiritual Luther, the Church's promise of salvation is irresistible. Caught in a thunderstorm and ... See full summary »
Director: Cassian Harrison | Stars: Liam Neeson, Timothy West
Votes: 223
96. Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism (2004 Video)
Not Rated | 257 min | Documentary, History
"This video series boldly, clearly, and winsomely sets forth the glorious, saving grace of God in its splendor and will help thousands to understand the gospel better and so to be filled ... See full summary »
Director: James Gelet | Stars: George Grant, Eric Holmberg, D. James Kennedy, Stephen Mansfield
Votes: 39
97. John Wycliffe: The Morning Star (1984)
Not Rated | 75 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of 14th century John Wycliffe, AKA "The Morning Star of the Reformation", who was the first to translate the Bible into English.
Director: Tony Tew | Stars: Michael Bertenshaw, James Downie, Peter Howell, Barrie Cookson
Votes: 161
98. God's Outlaw (1986)
Not Rated | 93 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatized biography of William Tyndale, the 16th Century reformer determined to translate the Bible into English, which illegal act set him at odds with the Catholic Church, Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII.
Director: Tony Tew | Stars: Roger Rees, Bernard Archard, Keith Barron, Kenneth Gilbert
Votes: 244
99. 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: 36,988 | Gross: $28.35M
This begins the section of King Henry the VIII.
100. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 80,775
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