List of Movies Concerning the History and Literature of the Colonial and Revolutionary Period (1600-1800AD)
by Sherrill777 | created - 18 Feb 2013 | updated - 22 Dec 2015 | PublicThis list attempt to compile the best movies that might supplement a study of 17th and 18th centuries. This is not a comprehensive list, but hopefully gives a well-rounded sampling.
To assist you in finding what you may be interested in (there will be some overlap), here is a table of contents:
The New World Colonial Period - 1
Literature of the 1600s - 11
Imperial Age (Europe 1600-1700) - 20
The arts - 44
Scientific Revolution - 54
Europe of 1700s - 59
Literature of the 1700s - 74
Pirates - 80
Americas Pre-Revolutionary War - 87
The US Revolutionary War - 101
The French Revolution - 117
US post-Revolution - 127
Far East -132
*Note that I have very, very little of non-European/American history in this list. See my previous list (Middle Ages through Elizabethan era) or the next list (The 19th Century) for a more extensive section with that focus.
My criteria for a movie/show to be included were that:
1) It had to fall within the historical time-frame given,
2) It had to receive at least a star rating of 6.0 from IMDb,
3) It had to be at least be theoretically possible to FIND the movie somewhere, such as on Netflix or Amazon.
As I am not an expert on history nor have I actually watched most of the movies listed here, I make no promises about the relevance or appropriateness of any movie listed.
*Parental Discretion Advised*
I would welcome any comments or suggestions.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The New World (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Votes: 90,276 | Gross: $12.71M
I've been told that this is 'pretty' but slow.
2. Pocahontas (I) (1995)
G | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
An English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth century Virginia.
Directors: Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg | Stars: Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Joe Baker
Votes: 204,052 | Gross: $141.60M
This Disney movie is light on facts, but would still be appropriate for an introductory film for a younger audience to this era. Or for an older audience to study revisionist history.
3. Canada: A People's History (2000–2001)
120 min | Documentary, History
A dramatized comprehensive survey of the history of Canada.
Stars: Maggie Huculak, Lorne Cardinal, Nigel Bennett, Graham Greene
Votes: 336
This documentary series goes from the colonial times through the modern era, so could technically fit in several other places rather than just here on my lists.
4. Desperate Crossing - The True Story of the Mayflower (2006)
TV-PG | 180 min | History
An in-depth dramatization of the story of the Pilgrims
Director: Lisa Quijano Wolfinger | Stars: Nicholas Asbury, Christopher Haas, Keith Bartlett, Paul Drinan
Votes: 137
Known on Netflix as: 'The Untold Story of the Mayflower'. or 'Desperate Crossing'.
5.
This Is America, Charlie Brown (1988–1989)
Episode:
The Mayflower Voyagers
(1988)
Unrated | 24 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
The Peanuts gang tells the story of the 1620 Mayflower voyage from England to the new world detailing the hardships they faced, how the Natives helped them survive, and ending the following autumn in a feast of Thanksgiving.
Director: Evert Brown | Stars: Erin Chase, Frank Welker, Brandon Stewart, Gregg Berger
Votes: 454
For the youngest students.
6. Jamestown Unearthed (2007 TV Movie)
57 min | History
Take a look at how history is written and reevaluated as new methods of study are introduced. Using the example of Jamestown in 1607, explore the myths and misconceptions of that era: ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Durling | Stars: Lindsay Grand, Davia Grant, Martin Harcourt, James Horn
Votes: 9
An episode of 'America Unearthed'.
7. Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Fictional chronicle of Squanto's life prior to and including the arrival of the "Mayflower" in 1620.
Director: Xavier Koller | Stars: Adam Beach, Mandy Patinkin, Sheldon Peters Wolfchild, Irene Bedard
Votes: 1,439 | Gross: $3.34M
8. Colonial House (2004)
Reality-TV
A group of ordinary people arrive on a boat to 1628 and have to build a functioning colony, using only time appropriate resources. Their goal: survive for 4 months and pass the final evaluation.
Stars: Kathryn Walker, Don Wood, Bethany Wyers, Jonathon Allen
Votes: 243
9. Black Robe (1991)
R | 101 min | Adventure, Drama, War
In the 17th century, a Jesuit missionary nicknamed Black Robe by the natives and his small party of companions try reaching the Huron tribe in Canada all while facing mistrust, Iroquois warring parties and harsh winter conditions.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, Sandrine Holt, August Schellenberg
Votes: 7,713 | Gross: $8.21M
10.
Animated Hero Classics (1991–2005)
Episode:
William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving
(1992)
30 min | Animation
In 1620, John Carver, William Bradford, Captain Standish and 99 pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower toward America in search of religious freedom. As disease and storms hit they are almost ... See full summary »
Director: Richard Rich | Stars: U. Jonathan Toppo, James March, Joe Lynch, Victor Humphries
Votes: 32
This animated short is part of 'Animated Hero Classics'.
11. Don Quixote (2000 TV Movie)
120 min | Adventure, Comedy, Romance
Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes, this is the story of a hidalgo, fanatic for chivalry novels, who loses his sanity and believing to be a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha, ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: John Lithgow, Bob Hoskins, Isabella Rossellini, Vanessa Williams
Votes: 1,779
This starts the Literature section.
12. Wishbone (1995–1998)
TV-Y | 30 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
An intelligent and witty dog imagines himself in the role of characters from classic books and gets involved in similar real-life adventures.
Stars: Larry Brantley, Jordan Wall, Christie Abbott, Adam Springfield
Votes: 4,403
The 2011 video has several episodes, including the one of 'Don Quixote'... I believe it's titled 'The impawssible Dream'.
13. The Three Musketeers (1993)
PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
France, 1625: Young d'Artagnan heads to Paris to join the Musketeers but the evil cardinal has disbanded them - save 3. He meets the 3, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and joins them on their quest to save the king and country.
Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt
Votes: 59,654 | Gross: $53.90M
14. The Three Musketeers (1973)
PG | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
A young swordsman comes to Paris and faces villains, romance, adventure and intrigue with three Musketeer friends.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York
Votes: 20,252 | Gross: $22.02M
There is also a sequel titled 'The four musketeers'
15. Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004 Video)
G | 67 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Mickey, Donald and Goofy are the French three Musketeers.
Director: Donovan Cook | Stars: Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Russi Taylor
Votes: 11,692
16. The Man in the Iron Mask (I) (1998)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother whom he keeps imprisoned. Can the twin be substituted for the real king?
Director: Randall Wallace | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu
Votes: 179,700 | Gross: $56.97M
17. The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Passed | 115 min | Drama
After having a child out of wedlock, a young Puritan woman is pressured to reveal the name of her lover.
Director: Victor Sjöström | Stars: Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson, Henry B. Walthall, Karl Dane
Votes: 1,938 | Gross: $0.67M
There are several versions of this available.
18. The Crucible (1996)
PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, History
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.
Director: Nicholas Hytner | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen
Votes: 40,355 | Gross: $7.34M
Although not written in the 1600s, this takes place there, so seems appropriate to include.
19. Tartuffe (1978 TV Movie)
114 min | Comedy
Directors: Kirk Browning, Stephen Porter | Stars: Hal Holbrook, Ruth Livingston, Patricia Elliott, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Votes: 51
Also known as 'Broadway Theater Archive: Tartuffe'.
20. The Last Valley (1971)
PG | 128 min | Adventure, Drama, War
During the Thirty Years' War of 1600s, a band of Protestant mercenaries peacefully coexist with German Catholic villagers in a hidden idyllic mountain valley untouched by war.
Director: James Clavell | Stars: Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, Florinda Bolkan, Nigel Davenport
Votes: 3,613 | Gross: $0.25M
This begins the section of Europe of the 1600s (The Imperial Age)
21. Day of Wrath (1943)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, History
The young wife of an aging priest falls in love with his son amidst the horror of a merciless witch hunt in 17th-century Denmark.
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer | Stars: Thorkild Roose, Lisbeth Movin, Sigrid Neiiendam, Kirsten Andreasen
Votes: 11,152
Although this takes place in the 1600s, it was created as an allegory of the Jewish persecution of the 1940s.
22. Queen Christina (1933)
Approved | 99 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Queen Christina of Sweden is a popular monarch who is loyal to her country. However, when she falls in love with a Spanish envoy, she must choose between the throne and the man she loves.
Director: Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone
Votes: 8,680 | Gross: $0.77M
23. The Devils (1971)
R | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed, Dudley Sutton, Max Adrian
Votes: 18,776 | Gross: $1.13M
24. The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.
Director: Peter Greenaway | Stars: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman, Anne-Louise Lambert, Hugh Fraser
Votes: 11,150
A Mystery Movie
25. Cromwell (1970)
G | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
Puritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.
Director: Ken Hughes | Stars: Richard Harris, Alec Guinness, Robert Morley, Dorothy Tutin
Votes: 7,023 | Gross: $1.37M
26. The Devil's Mistress (2008)
189 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Drama charts the progress of the English Civil War through the story of a young woman, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, and her three husbands.
Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Dominic West, Tom Goodman-Hill, John Simm
Votes: 2,745
27. Captain Blood (1935)
Passed | 119 min | Action, Adventure, History
After treating a Monmouth rebel against King James II in 1680s England, a young Irish doctor is exiled as a slave to Jamaica where he captures a Spanish galleon and becomes the most feared pirate of the Caribbean.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone
Votes: 16,180 | Gross: $2.96M
28. To Kill a King (2003)
Not Rated | 102 min | Biography, Drama, History
A recounting of the relationship between General Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, as they try to cope with the consequences of deposing King Charles I.
Director: Mike Barker | Stars: Tim Roth, Dougray Scott, Olivia Williams, James Bolam
Votes: 3,429
29. King Charles I: The Royal Martyr (1994 Video)
55 min
A look at the history of Charles I, whose religious beliefs sparked the English Civil War.
Director: Ruth Wood | Stars: Michael Leighton, Phil Reynolds, Linette Crawforth, Spencer Houghton
Votes: 18
The title on Netflix is: 'Great Kings of England: Charles I'
30. With Fire and Sword (1999)
175 min | Adventure, Drama, History
An epic story about the Ukrainian uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth magnates in the 17th Century.
Director: Jerzy Hoffman | Stars: Izabella Scorupco, Michal Zebrowski, Aleksandr Domogarov, Jacek Rozenek
Votes: 5,475
31. Witchfinder General (1968)
Unrated | 86 min | Drama, Horror
A young soldier seeks to put an end to the evils caused by a vicious witch-hunter when the latter terrorizes his fiancée and kills her uncle.
Director: Michael Reeves | Stars: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies, Patrick Wymark
Votes: 12,275
32. The Last King (2003)
TV-14 | 188 min | Biography, Drama, History
The chronicle of Charles II's time on the throne, his ten-year exile from Oliver Cromwell's England, and his triumphant return.
Stars: Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves, Charlie Creed-Miles, Christian Coulson
Votes: 1,833
33. Restoration (1995)
R | 117 min | Biography, Drama, History
The exiled royal doctor to King Charles II devotes himself to helping Londoners suffering from the plague, and in the process falls in love with an equally poor woman.
Director: Michael Hoffman | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Sam Neill, David Thewlis, Polly Walker
Votes: 9,985 | Gross: $4.10M
34. Lorna Doone (2000 TV Movie)
180 min | Drama, Romance
Against a backdrop of political and religious upheaval, a farmer falls in love with the "queen" of the notorious Doone clan --a family that he has sworn vengeance on.
Director: Mike Barker | Stars: Neil Finnighan, Jack Baverstock, Trevor Cooper, Aidan Gillen
Votes: 2,023
35. The Deluge (1974)
287 min | Adventure, History, Romance
During the 1655 war between Protestant Sweden and Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth some Polish-Lithuanian nobles side with Swedish king Charles X Gustav while others side with the Polish king Jan Kazimierz.
Director: Jerzy Hoffman | Stars: Daniel Olbrychski, Malgorzata Braunek, Tadeusz Lomnicki, Kazimierz Wichniarz
Votes: 3,196
36. Colonel Wolodyjowski (1969)
160 min | Adventure, History, War
In 1668 Polish colonel Michael Wolodyjowski, who recently retired to a monastery, is recalled to active duty and takes charge of Poland's eastern frontier defenses against invading Tatar hordes and Ottoman armies.
Director: Jerzy Hoffman | Stars: Tadeusz Lomnicki, Magdalena Zawadzka, Mieczyslaw Pawlikowski, Hanka Bielicka
Votes: 1,800
37. The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966 TV Movie)
G | 90 min | Biography, History
After the death of Cardinal Mazarin, young king Louis XIV decides to assert his power to control the aristocracy.
Director: Roberto Rossellini | Stars: Jean-Marie Patte, Raymond Jourdan, César Silvagni, Katharina Renn
Votes: 1,709
38. Vatel (2000)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Drama, History
Vatel is the cook of Prince Condé. When the prince invites Louis XIV to hunt, he has to give lavish banquets in order to fall in his favor. But when Vatel falls in love with the king's mistress, love and duty come into conflict.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Julian Glover
Votes: 8,291 | Gross: $0.05M
39. Merveilleuse Angélique (1965)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, History, Romance
In the second of the Angélique series, the heroine joins a group of bandits, rescues her children, becomes a successful businesswoman, and once again becomes entangled in politics and matters of the heart.
Director: Bernard Borderie | Stars: Michèle Mercier, Claude Giraud, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Louis Trintignant
Votes: 1,787
40. Inquisition (2002 TV Movie)
50 min | Drama
Set in the Spain of 1680, a time of torture and interrogation by the Grand Inquisitor. A young man appears that is healing the sick and raising the dead. There are rumours that he might be ... See full summary »
Director: Betsan Morris Evans | Stars: Derek Jacobi, Alun Armstrong, Stephen Billington, John Dallimore
Votes: 54
41. The Prince of Homburg (1997)
89 min | Drama, History, Romance
The Prince of Homburg, disobeys orders and leads a cavalry charge in battle against the Swedes, which leads to victory. He is court martialled however for disobeying orders and sentenced to... See full summary »
Director: Marco Bellocchio | Stars: Andrea Di Stefano, Barbora Bobulova, Toni Bertorelli, Anita Laurenzi
Votes: 471
42. Russia, Land of the Tsars (2003– )
120 min | Documentary
The history of the Russian Tsars.
Stars: Edward Herrmann, Michelle Maryk, Ronnie Farer, Henry Strozier
Votes: 179
43.
Biography (1987– )
Episode:
Peter the Great: The Tyrant Reformer
(2000)
TV-14 | Documentary, Biography, History
Czar Peter the Great brings science, culture and tyranny to Russia.
Star: Peter Graves
Votes: 94
44. Molière (2007)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Comedy
To satisfy his creditors, a witty actor reinvents himself as a satirical playwright, with uproarious, yet bittersweet, results.
Director: Laurent Tirard | Stars: Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Laura Morante, Edouard Baer
Votes: 6,626 | Gross: $0.64M
This begins the section of 'The arts', wherein I lumped together everything that focused on historical artists (whether music, painting, theater, etc.)
45. England, My England (1995)
153 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1960s, a British playwright attempts to reconstruct the life of real life 17th century English composer Henry Purcell even though little is known about him. Purcell's life is reenacted and his music performed.
Director: Tony Palmer | Stars: Simon Callow, Michael Ball, Rebecca Front, Lucy Speed
Votes: 193
46. Rembrandt (1999)
103 min | Biography, Drama, History
Iconic artist Rembrandt van Rijn worked in the fields of painting, drafting, and printing, becoming the most iconic artist in all of Dutch history. This documentary profiles the story of a ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Matton | Stars: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Romane Bohringer, Jean Rochefort, Johanna ter Steege
Votes: 405
47. Stage Beauty (2004)
R | 106 min | Drama
A female theatre dresser creates a stir and sparks a revolution in seventeenth century London theatre by playing Desdemona in Othello. But what will become of the male actor she once worked for and eventually replaced?
Director: Richard Eyre | Stars: Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Derek Hutchinson
Votes: 10,828 | Gross: $0.78M
48. Vivaldi (II)
Biography, Drama, History | Announced
A biography of Antonio Vivaldi's early life, when the young priest became the music teacher at a school for the illegitimate daughters of Venice's courtesans.
Director: Boris Damast
This movie had not been released at the time I created this list, so it may not end up with high enough ratings to stay here. We'll see.
49. Artemisia (1997)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, History
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter ... See full summary »
Director: Agnès Merlet | Stars: Valentina Cervi, Michel Serrault, Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic, Luca Zingaretti
Votes: 2,211 | Gross: $0.38M
50. 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: 4,978
51. Amadeus (1984)
R | 160 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice
Votes: 430,173 | Gross: $51.97M
There are also several biographies of Mozart.
52. Mozart's Sister (2010)
Not Rated | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A reimagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang, and a musical prodigy in her own right.
Director: René Féret | Stars: Marie Féret, Marc Barbé, Delphine Chuillot, David Moreau
Votes: 1,620 | Gross: $0.71M
53. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
PG-13 | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.
Director: Peter Webber | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt
Votes: 83,100 | Gross: $11.63M
54.
Biography (1987– )
Episode:
Sir Isaac Newton: The Gravity of Genius
(1996)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, History
BIOGRAPHY relates the story of Isaac Newton's life from his birth during a plague in an English village through his seminal work in mathematics, theology, alchemy and astronomy. Newton ... See full synopsis »
Director: Peter Doyle
Votes: 113
This begins the section on the Scientific Revolution
55. Newton: A Tale of Two Isaacs (1997 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 51 min | Biography, Drama, Family
As Newton devotes himself to the difficult and solitary path of challenging the existing view of the universe, Humphrey wavers between pursuing science or following his heart.
Director: Don McBrearty | Stars: Karl Pruner, Tyrone Savage, Kris Lemche, Lisa Jakub
Votes: 38
56. Galileo (1975)
PG | 145 min | Biography, Drama
This biopic is about Galileo Galilei, the seventeenth century Italian who laid the foundations of modern science. Galileo made himself one of the world's first telescopes and discovered the... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Topol, Edward Fox, Colin Blakely, Georgia Brown
Votes: 667
57.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
Galileo's Battle for the Heavens
(2002)
TV-PG | Documentary
Galileo's struggle to convince Roman Catholic Church authorities that Earth revolves around the sun. Why the headstrong Galileo (1564-1642) didn't succeed is explored in interviews with scientists.
Director: Peter Jones | Stars: Simon Callow, John Fraser, Cornelius Garrett, Alexa Jago
Votes: 57
58. Hubble 3D (2010)
G | 45 min | Documentary
An IMAX 3D camera chronicles the effort of 7 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Director: Toni Myers | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Scott D. Altman, Megan McArthur, Andrew J. Feustel
Votes: 4,539 | Gross: $52.45M
I place this here as an additional idea for studying the scientific revolution, since the organization of the solar system and a new understanding of 'The Heavens' might be better appreciated by actually looking the amazing images we've been able to capture. Any film about space would be equally appropriate.
59. Rob Roy (1995)
R | 139 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
In 1713 Scotland, Rob Roy MacGregor is wronged by a nobleman and his nephew, becomes an outlaw in search of revenge while fleeing the Redcoats, and faces charges of being a Jacobite.
Director: Michael Caton-Jones | Stars: Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth
Votes: 45,850 | Gross: $31.60M
This begins the section of Europe in the 1700s
60. Rob Roy (1987 Video)
48 min | Animation, Drama
In the 18th century in Scotland Rob Roy decided to form a band of outlaws.
Stars: Tim Elliott, Ron Haddrick, Jane Harders, Phillip Hinton
Votes: 37
61. The Master of Ballantrae (1953)
Approved | 90 min | Action, Adventure, History
Two noble Scottish brothers deliberately take opposite sides when Bonnie Prince Charlie returns to claim the throne of Scotland in order to preserve the family fortune.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: Errol Flynn, Roger Livesey, Anthony Steel, Beatrice Campbell
Votes: 1,807
62. King of the Wind (1990)
PG | 103 min | Adventure
In 1727, an Arab colt is born with the signs of the wheat ear and the white spot on his heel, evil and good and thus begins the life of Sham.
Director: Peter Duffell | Stars: Richard Harris, Glenda Jackson, Frank Finlay, Jenny Agutter
Votes: 223
63. Sluga Gosudarev (2007)
131 min | Action, Adventure, History
At the beginning of the 18th century, king of France exiles two duelists from the state: one to Russia and another to Sweden, which are at war.
Director: Oleg Ryaskov | Stars: Dmitriy Miller, Aleksandr Bukharov, Kseniya Knyazeva, Valeriy Malikov
Votes: 1,489
64. The Scarlet Empress (1934)
Passed | 104 min | Drama, History, Romance
A German noblewoman enters into a loveless marriage with the dim-witted, unstable heir to the Russian throne, then plots to oust him from power.
Director: Josef von Sternberg | Stars: Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser
Votes: 7,270
65. Catherine the Great (1995 TV Movie)
100 min | Biography, Drama, History
Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to the immature future Czar, a young German Princess proves a skillful political infighter and rises to become Catherine the Great.
Directors: Marvin J. Chomsky, John Goldsmith | Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul McGann, Ian Richardson, Brian Blessed
Votes: 1,353
66. The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934)
Not Rated | 95 min | Biography, Drama, History
Straightforward biography of the Russian Empress, up to her assumption of the throne.
Directors: Paul Czinner, Alexander Korda | Stars: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Elisabeth Bergner, Flora Robson, Gerald du Maurier
Votes: 736
67. Amazing Grace (2006)
PG | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai
Votes: 25,839 | Gross: $21.21M
68. Roots (1977)
TV-14 | 74 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.
Stars: LeVar Burton, Robert Reed, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 18,996
69. Casanova (2005)
R | 112 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The fabled romantic Giacomo Casanova, after failing to win the affection of the Venetian woman Francesca Bruni, strives to discover the real meaning of love.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt
Votes: 56,692 | Gross: $11.30M
70. Barry Lyndon (1975)
PG | 185 min | Adventure, Drama, War
An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger
Votes: 183,971
71. Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
R | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In 18th-century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his Native American friend Mani are sent to the Gevaudan province at the king's behest to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.
Director: Christophe Gans | Stars: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel
Votes: 71,843 | Gross: $11.26M
This might also be appropriate in the section on the French Revolution...
72. The Duchess (2008)
PG-13 | 110 min | Biography, Drama, History
A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was revered for her extravagant political and personal life.
Director: Saul Dibb | Stars: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling
Votes: 87,788 | Gross: $13.82M
73. A Royal Affair (2012)
R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Trine Dyrholm
Votes: 51,112 | Gross: $1.55M
74. Robinson Crusoe (1954)
Approved | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
The classic story of Robinson Crusoe, a man who is dragged to a desert island after a shipwreck.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Dan O'Herlihy, Jaime Fernández, Felipe de Alba, Chel López
Votes: 4,530
This begins the section of literature of the 1700s
75. Crusoe (2008–2009)
60 min | Adventure, Drama
The story follows the escapades of Crusoe, who embarks on a high-seas adventure and gets shipwrecked on a remote tropical island.
Stars: Sam Neill, Philip Winchester, Tongayi Chirisa, Anna Walton
Votes: 2,663
76. Gulliver's Travels (1996)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
An Englishman returns after nine years abroad and tells strange stories of the tiny people of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, the flying island Laputa and the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses.
Stars: Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, James Fox, Robert Hardy
Votes: 7,192
77. Gulliver's Travels (1939)
Passed | 76 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A doctor washes ashore on an island inhabited by little people.
Directors: Dave Fleischer, Willard Bowsky, Orestes Calpini, Roland Crandall, William Henning, Winfield Hoskins, Thomas Johnson, Frank Kelling, Seymour Kneitel, Robert G. Leffingwell, Grim Natwick, Tom Palmer | Stars: Jessica Dragonette, Lanny Ross, Pinto Colvig, Cal Howard
Votes: 4,862 | Gross: $7.13M
78. Tom Jones (1963)
Not Rated | 129 min | Adventure, Comedy, History
The romantic and chivalrous adventures of adopted bastard Tom Jones in 18th-century England.
Director: Tony Richardson | Stars: Albert Finney, Susannah York, George Devine, Rachel Kempson
Votes: 14,341 | Gross: $37.60M
79. Candide (1991 TV Movie)
148 min | Music, Musical
All's for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Isn't it?
Director: Humphrey Burton | Stars: Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Hadley, June Anderson, Adolph Green
Votes: 72
A search for 'Candide' would provide other options for Voltaire's work.
80. The Pirate (1948)
Approved | 102 min | Adventure, Comedy, Musical
A girl is engaged to the local rich man, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.
Director: Vincente Minnelli | Stars: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper
Votes: 5,648 | Gross: $2.96M
I separated out a section on pirates because, historically, they seemed to be relevant during the 17th and 18th centuries - although most of these are fictional accounts anyway.
81. Blackbeard: Terror at Sea (2006 TV Movie)
120 min | Drama
It's a movie about Blackbeard.
Directors: Richard Dale, Tilman Remme | Stars: James Purefoy, Tyler Butterworth, Mark Noble, Jack Galloway
Votes: 655
82. Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)
Approved | 106 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
An unassuming track coach accidentally invokes the spirit of a notorious pirate long believed dead, and who must now team up to lay the pirate to rest, and save a local hotel from a mobster.
Director: Robert Stevenson | Stars: Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Elsa Lanchester
Votes: 6,765 | Gross: $10.90M
This one...well, it's stretching the definition to put it in here...
83. Treasure Island (1950)
PG | 96 min | Adventure, Family
The treasure seeking adventures of young Jim Hawkins and pirate captain Long John Silver.
Director: Byron Haskin | Stars: Bobby Driscoll, Robert Newton, Basil Sydney, Walter Fitzgerald
Votes: 9,498
The story was written in the 1800s, but it takes place here, so I'm including it at this point.
84. Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
G | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The Muppets set sail in search of treasure, with Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver.
Director: Brian Henson | Stars: Tim Curry, Billy Connolly, Jennifer Saunders, Kevin Bishop
Votes: 26,722 | Gross: $33.61M
85. Treasure Planet (2002)
PG | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Jim Hawkins is a teenager who finds the map of a great treasure hidden by a space pirate. Together with some friends, he sets off in a large spaceship, shaped like a caravel, on his quest.
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, Martin Short, Roscoe Lee Browne
Votes: 133,758 | Gross: $38.18M
This really doesn't belong here...but it is nice to have a variety of versions to choose from when possible.
86. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Votes: 1,216,393 | Gross: $305.41M
Plus sequels, if interested.
87. Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Not Rated | 178 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletcher Christian.
Directors: Lewis Milestone, Carol Reed, George Seaton | Stars: Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, Richard Harris, Hugh Griffith
Votes: 17,999 | Gross: $13.68M
Not quite pirate movies and not quite Europe or American history (although applicable to both), I'll stick the movies about this event here between the pirates and the Pre-Revolutionary American history.
This begins the section on Pre-Revolutionary American History.
88. The Bounty (1984)
PG | 132 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Fed up with their Captain's harsh discipline, a sailing ship's crew decides to take action.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox
Votes: 30,588 | Gross: $8.60M
89. The Mission (1986)
PG | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Eighteenth-century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn
Votes: 66,039 | Gross: $17.22M
This is another one that doesn't fit my categories, but I felt it was too lonely to stick it all by itself.
90. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
R | 112 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Three trappers protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig
Votes: 188,471 | Gross: $75.51M
French and Indian War
91. George Washington's First War: The Battles for Fort Duquesne (2003)
84 min | Documentary
The Ohio Country, 1755. General Edward Braddock's British army has been annihilated six miles from Fort Duquesne by a French-Native American guerrilla force. The "French & Indian War" has ... See full summary »
Director: Robert Matzen | Stars: Bryan C. Cunning, Daniel P. Buchko
Votes: 10
French and Indian War
92. The War That Made America (2006)
Documentary, History, War
This was the war between the French and Indians, and the early colonists, 1754, before the Revolution.
Stars: Larry Nehring, Charles Misulia, Michael L. Colosimo, Bryan Stefancyk
Votes: 177
French and Indian War
93. Northwest Passage (1958–1959)
25 min | Adventure
Major Robert Rogers organized "Rogers Rangers" to search for the alleged waterway across the United States during the French and Indian War (1754-1759). Helping Rogers, an experienced ... See full summary »
Stars: Keith Larsen, Buddy Ebsen, Don Burnett, Philip Tonge
Votes: 120
94. Daniel Boone (1964–1970)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Western
Frontier hero Daniel Boone conducts surveys and expeditions around Boonesborough, running into both friendly and hostile Indians, before, during, and even after the Revolutionary War.
Stars: Fess Parker, Patricia Blair, Darby Hinton, Dal McKennon
Votes: 2,418
95. Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957)
Approved | 30 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
Nat Cutler, known as Hawkeye, is a fur trader. With his faithful Indian companion Chingachgook, the last of the Mohican tribe, he fights to protect settlers against the raiding Huron Indians.
Stars: John Hart, Lon Chaney Jr., Bill Walsh, John Vernon
Votes: 274
This is representative of a whole TV series titled 'Hawkeye'
96. John Wesley (1954)
Approved | 77 min | Biography, Drama, History
When young John Wesley is saved from the flames burning his family's home, he believes God has chosen him for a higher mission. He grows up to become a minister in the Church of England but... See full summary »
Director: Norman Walker | Stars: Leonard Sachs, Gerard Lohan, Neil Heayes, Keith Pyott
Votes: 55
This man had a huge impact in both Europe and America, but I'm placing him here.
97. The Madness of King George (1994)
PG-13 | 110 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
When King George III goes mad, his Lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation.
Director: Nicholas Hytner | Stars: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Rupert Graves, Amanda Donohoe
Votes: 18,491 | Gross: $15.24M
Again, this could perhaps be more appropriately placed in the section of European history, but since it ended up hugely impacting the American colonies, I'm putting it here.
98. Ben and Me (1953)
Passed | 21 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A mouse tells the story of how he guided Benjamin Franklin to success and prominence.
Directors: Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson | Stars: Sterling Holloway, Hans Conried, Stan Freberg, James MacDonald
Votes: 1,030
99. Benjamin Franklin (2002)
210 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of the renowned American polymath.
Stars: Richard Easton, Dylan Baker, Colm Feore, Sebastian Roché
Votes: 181
100. Thomas Jefferson (1997– )
180 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A biographical film about The United States' influential and profoundly enigmatic Founding Father.
Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Waterston, Michael Potts, Ossie Davis
Votes: 825
This could be placed in the 'America Pre-Revolutionary War', 'US Revolutionary War' or 'Post-Revolutionary America', but I needed to make a choice, so here it is, straddling the divide.
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