Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "courtesan"
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1. The Handmaid's Tale (2017– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle
Votes: 257,992
2. Rome (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Votes: 185,364
3. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A poor Bohemian poet in 1890s Paris falls for a beautiful courtesan and nightclub star coveted by a jealous duke.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent
Votes: 299,367 | Gross: $57.39M
4. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
PG-13 | 145 min | Drama, Romance
The heartwarming tale of Nitta Sayuri, a young Japanese woman who transcended from her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Director: Rob Marshall | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Suzuka Ohgo
Votes: 160,791 | Gross: $57.49M
5. Gigi (1958)
G | 115 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long.
Directors: Vincente Minnelli, Charles Walters | Stars: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold
Votes: 24,502
6. Inland Empire (2006)
R | 180 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie, Laura Dern
Votes: 62,056 | Gross: $0.75M
7. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
R | 119 min | Drama, Romance
A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz
Votes: 75,149 | Gross: $34.70M
8. Swann in Love (1984)
R | 110 min | Drama, Romance
In Belle Époque Paris, a 19th century Parisian aristocrat (Jeremy Irons) falls in love with a lower-class prostitute (Ornella Muti) who seduces him but never loves him.
Director: Volker Schlöndorff | Stars: Jeremy Irons, Ornella Muti, Alain Delon, Fanny Ardant
Votes: 2,173
9. Farewell My Concubine (1993)
R | 171 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Two boys meet at an opera training school in Peking in 1924. Their resulting friendship will span nearly 70 years and endure some of the most troublesome times in China's history.
Director: Kaige Chen | Stars: Leslie Cheung, Fengyi Zhang, Gong Li, You Ge
Votes: 33,154 | Gross: $5.22M
10. Dangerous Beauty (1998)
R | 111 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A Venetian courtesan becomes a hero to her city, but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft.
Director: Marshall Herskovitz | Stars: Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Oliver Platt, Fred Ward
Votes: 19,637 | Gross: $4.53M
11. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, History
Two female friends become sexual rivals at maturity.
Director: Mira Nair | Stars: Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Indira Varma, Ramon Tikaram
Votes: 11,363 | Gross: $4.11M
12. The Flowers of War (2011)
R | 146 min | Drama, History, Romance
An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang, Tianyuan Huang
Votes: 55,723 | Gross: $0.01M
13. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Dandan Song
Votes: 116,267 | Gross: $11.05M
14. A Bay of Blood (1971)
R | 84 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate.
Director: Mario Bava | Stars: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso, Anna Maria Rosati
Votes: 12,710
15. The Grandmaster (2013)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ziyi Zhang, Jin Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 36,782 | Gross: $6.59M
16. Kalank (2019)
Not Rated | 166 min | Drama, Romance
The lives of six enigmatic characters become entangled whilst in search of love, but separated by the dichotomy between the two worlds of Husnabad, a town in North India.
Director: Abhishek Varman | Stars: Kriti Sanon, Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani, Sanjay Dutt
Votes: 16,961 | Gross: $2.73M
17. Nana (1983)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama
A beautiful and willful prostitute puts her appearance and body to use to become the toast of the town.
Director: Dan Wolman | Stars: Katya Berger, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Yehuda Efroni, Mandy Rice-Davies
Votes: 713
18. Chéri (2009)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates, Frances Tomelty
Votes: 11,678 | Gross: $2.71M
19. Children of Paradise (1945)
Not Rated | 189 min | Drama, Romance
The theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan in 1830s Paris and the four men who love her.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Pierre Renoir
Votes: 21,172
20. Devdas (I) (2002)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
After his wealthy family prohibits him from marrying the woman he is in love with, Devdas Mukherjee's life spirals further and further out of control as he takes up alcohol and a life of vice to numb the pain.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jackie Shroff
Votes: 46,931 | Gross: $3.50M
21. The Last Mistress (2007)
Unrated | 115 min | Drama, Romance
Secrets, rumors and betrayals surround the upcoming marriage between a young dissolute man and virtuous woman of the French aristocracy.
Director: Catherine Breillat | Stars: Asia Argento, Fu'ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida, Claude Sarraute
Votes: 3,789 | Gross: $0.79M
22. Camille (1936)
Passed | 109 min | Drama, Romance
A Parisian courtesan must choose between the young man who loves her and the callous baron who wants her, even as her own health begins to fail.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan
Votes: 8,746 | Gross: $1.15M
23. Richard III (1955)
Not Rated | 161 min | Biography, Drama, History
Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
Director: Laurence Olivier | Stars: Laurence Olivier, Cedric Hardwicke, Nicholas Hannen, Ralph Richardson
Votes: 5,225
24. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,233
25. The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
R | 118 min | Drama, History, Romance
In pre-Revolutionary France, a young aristocratic woman left penniless by the political unrest in the country must avenge her family's fall from grace by scheming to steal a priceless necklace.
Director: Charles Shyer | Stars: Hilary Swank, Simon Baker, Jonathan Pryce, Adrien Brody
Votes: 5,594 | Gross: $0.43M
26. 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: 8,255 | Gross: $0.05M
27. Battle Queen 2020 (2001)
R | 95 min | Action, Sci-Fi
After a civilization is all but wiped out by a comet, evil forces take advantage of the weak. A powerful woman fights back for the sake of the vulnerable.
Director: Daniel D'Or | Stars: Julie Strain, Jeff Wincott, Zerha Leverman, Brian Frank
Votes: 983
28. The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
Not Rated | 128 min | Fantasy, Music, Musical
A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer.
Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger | Stars: Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville, Ludmilla Tchérina, Ann Ayars
Votes: 3,943 | Gross: $0.09M
29. Cousin Bette (1998)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When her sister dies in 1846, Bette moves from the château to Paris to work as a theater seamstress. She helps a handsome, starving artist. When her niece lures him away from her, she plans a devious revenge.
Director: Des McAnuff | Stars: Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Geraldine Chaplin
Votes: 2,838 | Gross: $1.20M
30. Shanghai Express (1932)
Approved | 82 min | Adventure, Drama, Film-Noir
A notorious woman rides a train through a dangerous situation with a British captain she loved.
Director: Josef von Sternberg | Stars: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, Warner Oland
Votes: 10,325
31. The Life of Oharu (1952)
Not Rated | 133 min | Drama
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of society.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirô Sugai, Toshirô Mifune
Votes: 7,645
32. Utsav (1984)
145 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Based on the circa 2nd century BCE to 2nd Century CE, Sanskrit play "Daridra-Charudatta" by the famous Indian playwright Bhasa, "Utsav" faithfully follows Bhasa's story-line. Vasantasena, a... See full summary »
Director: Girish Karnad | Stars: Rekha, Amjad Khan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Shankar Nag
Votes: 423
33. Lady of the Camelias (1981)
115 min | Drama, Romance
A young girl from the provinces, comes to Paris with one goal: to become a part of the rich bourgeoisie. To achieve this she will use her unique beauty and charm.
Director: Mauro Bolognini | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Gian Maria Volontè, Bruno Ganz, Fabrizio Bentivoglio
Votes: 718
34. Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
Not Rated | 197 min | Drama, Romance, War
A 16th century prince falls in love with a court dancer and battles with his emperor father.
Director: K. Asif | Stars: Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Dilip Kumar, Durga Khote
Votes: 8,826 | Gross: $0.16M
35. Sakuran (2006)
111 min | Drama, History
A young girl is sold into a red-light district brothel and tries to adapt to life as an oiran (courtesan).
Director: Mika Ninagawa | Stars: Anna Tsuchiya, Kippei Shîna, Yoshino Kimura, Hiroki Narimiya
Votes: 2,144
36. Umrao Jaan (1981)
145 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In Faizabad, British India, Dilawar is sentenced to several years in prison after Amiran's Daroga dad testifies against him. After his discharge around 1840, he extracts his vengeance by ... See full summary »
Director: Muzaffar Ali | Stars: Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar
Votes: 1,127
37. Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013)
Not Rated | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
From legendary action director Tsui Hark and the creators of international smash hit Detective Dee - Mystery Of The Phantom Flame comes the captivating tale of Dee Renjie's beginnings in ... See full summary »
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Carina Lau, Chien Sheng, Mark You-Ting Chao, Angelababy
Votes: 5,189 | Gross: $0.09M
38. Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)
Not Rated | 137 min | Action, Drama
A period action film centered on a militia group who turn against an unjust nobility.
Director: Yoon Jong-bin | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Gang Dong-won, Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong
Votes: 3,874 | Gross: $0.28M
39. Flowers of Shanghai (1998)
Unrated | 113 min | Drama
In the "flower houses" (upscale brothels) of Shanghai, various interweaving stories of love, loyalty, and deceit play out subtly.
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michiko Hada, Michelle Reis, Carina Lau
Votes: 4,077
40. Lola Montès (1955)
Not Rated | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
When she is reduced to appearing in a circus, a notorious beauty thinks back on her past loves.
Director: Max Ophüls | Stars: Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook, Henri Guisol
Votes: 6,052 | Gross: $0.11M
41. Camille (1984 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Romance
Camille is a courtesan in Paris. She falls deeply in love with a young man of promise, Armand Duval. When Armand's father begs her not to ruin his hope of a career and position by marrying ... See full summary »
Director: Desmond Davis | Stars: Greta Scacchi, Colin Firth, John Gielgud, Billie Whitelaw
Votes: 593
42. Double Suicide (1969)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, Shizue Kawarazaki, Tokie Hidari
Votes: 2,604
43. Jaal (1986)
Action, Drama, Thriller
Shankar Verma lives a poor lifestyle with his mom, Shanti, in India after His father, Sathpal, leaves the family for a courtesan by the name of Meenabai. Years later, Shankar has now grown ... See full summary »
Director: Umesh Mehra | Stars: Rekha, Mithun Chakraborty, Mandakini, Moon Moon Sen
Votes: 154
44. Devdas (1955)
159 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
The scion of a wealthy landowner family turns to alcohol and self-pity and slowly self-destructs after class differences force him to break off his relationship with his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Bimal Roy | Stars: Dilip Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Vyjayanthimala, Motilal
Votes: 2,029
45. A Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990 TV Movie)
91 min | Drama, Romance
Weary of her very public life in Paris, an aging courtesan takes her orphaned niece from her convent home and relocates to Monte Carlo to begin a new life. Determined to bury the past, the ... See full summary »
Director: John Hough | Stars: Sarah Miles, Oliver Reed, Christopher Plummer, Samantha Eggar
Votes: 775
46. Umrao Jaan (2006)
188 min | Drama, Romance
J.P. Dutta's adaption of the Urdu novel "Umrao Jan Ada" by Mirza Haadi Ruswa (1905).
Director: J.P. Dutta | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Suniel Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan
Votes: 2,049
47. Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)
Not Rated | 152 min | Drama, Musical
A lowly servant, Bhootnath gets close to the wife of his employer and narrates her story through his eyes and perspective.
Director: Abrar Alvi | Stars: Meena Kumari, Guru Dutt, Rehman Khan, Waheeda Rehman
Votes: 1,851
48. Dushmun (1971)
Not Rated | 177 min | Drama
A truck-driver accused of killing a man is sentenced to providing for the family of his victim. His interactions with the victim's village, as well as that person's widow and orphan, is the story.
Director: Dulal Guha | Stars: Meena Kumari, Mumtaz Askari, Rajesh Khanna, Kumari Naaz
Votes: 261
49. PremGranth (1996)
156 min | Action, Drama, Musical
Professionally qualified as a lawyer, Somen lives a wealthy lifestyle with his mom, Parvati, and dad, Dharam Bhushan, who presides over the town of Shripuri as an upper caste Hindu Priest. ... See full summary »
Director: Rajeev Kapoor | Stars: Shammi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Anupam Kher
Votes: 487
50. Three Times (2005)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama, Romance
Three stories set in three times, 1911, 1966 and 2005. Two actors play the two main characters in each story.
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou | Stars: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Fang Mei, Shu-Chen Liao
Votes: 6,154 | Gross: $0.15M