History at the Movies:
Historical and Period Films
What's on this page? The films below are at least marginally based on real historical events and people. Also included at the end of each era is a small sampling of purely fictional films set in that particular time period.
Before the Common Era (BC / BCE)
1st - 12th Century AD
13th - 15th Century AD
16th Century
17th Century
18th Century
19th Century: 1800 - 1850
19th Century: 1851 - 1899
1900 - 1920
1921 - 1930
1931 - 1940
1941 - 1950
1951 - 1960
1961 - 1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991--
- Biographical movies
Ancient Greece, and Rome: Movies and Dramatizations
Literary Adaptations
War movies
-
For movies about Greece and Rome, SEE separate videography
For religious epics and the life of Jesus, SEE separate videography
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- The Emperor and the Assassin (Jing ke ci qin wang) (France / Japan / China, 1998) DVD 857
Intolerance (1916) DVD 1544; vhs 999:149
One Million Years B.C. (1966) vhs 999:1707
Quest for Fire (La Guerre du feu) (Canada / France / USA, 1981) vhs 999:1709
- 1st - 12th Century
- Becket (1964)
- Directed by Peter Glenville. Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud.
As young men, Thomas a Becket (1118 -1170 A.D.) and King Henry II (1133-1189 A.D.)of 12th century England wench and carouse together. In middle age, Henry appoints Becket Archbishop of Canterbury but a stormy clash develops when Becket, sobered by his office, challenges Henry's royal edicts. 151 min.DVD 8070; vhs Video/C 999:208
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database - The Crusades (1935)
- Directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Cast: Loretta Young, Henry Wilcoxon, Ian Keith, Alan Hale, Katherine DeMille, C. Aubrey Smith, Joseph Schildkraut.
Christians in medieval Europe are planning war against the Saracens, who have taken over the Holy City of Jerusalem. In order to obtain supplies for his soldiers, England's King Richard the Lion-Hearted (Richard I, 1157-1199).
is forced to marry a princess he has never met. 126 min.DVD 5666; vhs 999:3397
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Francaviglia, Richard V. "Crusaders and Saracens: the persistence of orientalism in historically themed motion pictures about the Middle East." In: Lights, camera, history : portraying the past in film / edited by Richard Francaviglia and Jerry Rodnitzky ; with an introduction by Peter C. Rollins ; contributions by Robert Rosenstone ... [et al.]. 1st ed. College Station : Published for the University of Texas at Arlington by Texas A&M University Press, c2007.
(PN1995.2 .L54 2007)
- El Cid (Italy / USA / UK, 1961)
- Directed by Anthony Mann. Cast: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Genevieve Page, John Fraser, Gary Raymond, Hurd Hatfield, Massimo Serato, Herbert Lom, Ralph Truman.
Eleventh-century Spain is divided into Christian kingdoms and Moorish strongholds. The young Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, a Castillian knight who has been dubbed El Cid [El Cid Campeador "The Lord Champion"] by his followers, vows to free his country from the invader. This epic tale romanticizes the years of love, warfare, revenge, rivalries, as El Cid becomes a revered warrior. Much of the movie was shot on location in Spain - including the castles of Belmonte (Cuenca) and Peniscola (Castellon). Special features: Disc 1: Feature commentary with Bill Bronston (son of producer) and Neal M. Rosendorf, vintage radio interviews with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, still galleries; filmographies ; Disc 2: "Hollywood conquers Spain: the making of El Cid", "Samuel Bronston: the epic journey of a dreamer", "Behind the camera: Anthony Mann and El Cid", "Miklos Rozsa: maestro of the movies", "Preserving our legacy: Gerry Byrne on film preservation and restoration", trailer gallery. 188 min.DVD 9290
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Lion in Winter (UK, 1968)
- Directed by Anthony Harvey. Cast: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn.
Queen Eleanor (c. 1122?-1204 A.D.) (Hepburn) tries to align herself with France in order to insure her eldest son's position as heir to the throne. King Henry II (1133-1189 A.D.) (O'Toole) favors his youngest son for the coveted title. The sons care little for either parent, and each will stop at nothing to obtain personal power. The King and Queen's relationship is dissected as they plot, love, cheat, connive and try to politically devour each other. 136 min. 999:204
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Razia Sultan (India, 1982)
- Directed by Kamal Amrohi. Depicts a tale of stormy love, unflinching loyalty and sacrifice unfolded from the leaves of 11th century Indian history about Queen Razia (1205 - 1240) and her love for a lowly Abyssinian slave, Yaqub. 176 min. DVD 2258 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Saladin (Al-Nasir Salah al-Din) (1963)
- Director, Youssef Chahine. In the 12th century, Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria (c. 1138 - 1193 A.D.), unites the Arab nation, liberates Jerusalem from its European captors, and defeats the Crusaders. After his success Saladin pledges that Arab Jerusalem will remain open to all pilgrims, whatever their religion. The love interest in the subplot sees the union of a female Crusader and Saladin's Christian Arab lieutenant. 145 min. 999:3319
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- For movies about the life of Jesus Christ, SEE separate videography
- See Also, Shakespeare plays set in this time period:
- King John
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) DVD 2039; vhs 999:588
Camelot (1967) DVD 564
Curse of the Golden Flower
(Hong Kong / China, 2006) DVD 8246
Excalibur (1981) Video/C 999:3182
First Knight (1995) DVD 1009
The Hunchback of Notre Dame SEE Literary videography
Ivanhoe (1952) Video/C 999:3191
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) DVD 4488
A Knight's Tale (2001) DVD 1008
Lancelot du lac (Lancelot of the Lake) (France / Italy, 1974) DVD 2755; vhs 999:1206
Monty Python and the Holy Grail(1975) DVD
503
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (Australia / New Zealand, 1988) DVD 4483
Pathfinder (Ofelas) (Norway, 1987) vhs 999:3673
Perceval the Gaul (Perceval le Gallois) (France, 1978) vhs 999:3190
Robin and Marian (1976) vhs 999:3180
Robin Hood (1922) DVD 972
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) DVD 975
The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (Sweden, 1957) DVD 18; vhs 999:53
Sansho the Bailiff (Sanshô-dayû) (Japan, 1954) vhs 999:2432
They Who Step on the Tail of the Tiger (Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi) (Japan, 1945) vhs 999:1312
Thirteenth Warrior (1999) DVD 5842
The Vikings (1958) DVD 5843
- 13-15th Century AD
- 1492: Conquest of Paradise (UK / USA / France / Spain, 1992)
- Directed by Ridley Scott. Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Loren Dean, Angela Molina, Fernando Rey, Michael Wincott, Tcheky Karyo, Kevin Dunn, Mark Margolis, Juan Diego Botto, Achero Manas, Sigourney Weaver. The film chronicles the voyages of Columbus, the colonization of the New World highlighting Old World arrogance and New World innocence and concluding with Columbus' personal tragedy. 150 min. 999:3672
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Alleva, Richard. "1492: The Conquest of Paradise." Commonweal 119.n20 (Nov 20, 1992): 20(2).
UC users only
Le Beau, Bryan F. "1492: Conquest of Paradise." American Studies 34.n1 (Spring 1993): 151(7).
Strick, Philip. "1492: Conquest of Paradise." Sight and Sound 2.n7 (Nov 1992): 41(2).
Wollen, Peter. "Cinema's conquistadors. (Ridley Scott's '1492: Conquest of Paradise')." Sight and Sound 2.n7 (Nov 1992): 20(4).
- The Agony and the Ecstasy(1965)
- Directed by Carol Reed. Cast: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews, Alberto Lupo, Adolfo Celi. In this historical drama, when Pope Julius II (1443-1513) commissions Michelangelo (1475-1564) to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the artist initially refuses. Virtually forced to do the job by Julius, he later destroys his own work and flees Rome. Eventually resumed, the project becomes a battle of wills fueled by the artistic and temperamental differences between the two men. 139 min. 999:3578
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Alexander (Aleksandr) Nevsky (Soviet Union, 1938)
- Directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitri Vasilyev. Musical score, Sergei Prokofiev. Historical drama set in 1242 which deals with the defence of Russia by the prince, Alexander Nevsky (1220?-1263), from invasion by Teutonic crusaders. Special features: Audio essay by film scholar David Bordwell ; Russell Merritt's multimedia essay on the Eisenstein-Prokofiev collaboration ; reconstruction of Eisenstein's unfinished film Bezhin Meadow by the Eisenstein Museum's Naum Kleiman, plus scholar Jay Leyda's photos and documents from the set ; drawings and production stills ; restoration demonstration ; new English subtitle translation. 108 min. DVD 6653 (Criterion); DVD 192; VHS 999:72
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Andrei Rublev (1966)
- Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Story of the famed 15th century icon painter who survives the cruelties of medieval Russia to create works of art. DVD 336; VHS 999:865:1&2 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Black Rose (1950)
- Directed by Henry Hathaway. Cast: Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, Cecile Aubry, Jack Hawkins, Michael Rennie, Finlay Currie, Herbert Lom, Mary Clare.
A Saxon youth is run out of England during the Crusades, and goes with his loyal retainer to adventures in China where they become entangled in the intrigues of the court of Kubla Kahn [1216-1294]. Special features: "Tyrone Power family reunion" featurette; still gallery; interactive pressbook gallery; original theatrical trailer. 121 min. DVD 8305
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Braveheart (1995)
- Directed by Mel Gibson. Cast: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack. A sumptuously produced historical epic based upon the life of William Wallace (c. 1270-1305), a bold Scotsman who used the steel of his blade and the fire of his intellect to rally his countrymen to liberation in the 14th century. 103 min. DVD 509
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Prince of Foxes(1949)
- Director, Henry King. Cast: Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, Wanda Hendrix, Marina Berti, Everett Sloane, Katina Paxinou, Felix Aylmer.
Cesare Borgia [1476?-1507] and his treacherous sister Lucrezia have plans to conquer central Italy. They send Andrea Zoppo, an accomplished commoner and Lucrezia's [1480-1519] lover on a mission to take over Citta del Monte, ruled by Count Marc Antonio Verano. But he meets Camilla, the young wife of the count, and things change. 107 min. DVD 8301
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
-
For movies about the life of Joan of Arc, SEE separate videography
- See Also, Shakespeare plays set in this time period:
- Henry IV part I
Henry IV part II
Henry V
Henry VI part I
Henry VI part II
Henry VI part III
Richard II
Richard III
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- Bichunmoo (China, 2000) DVD 1507
Edward II vhs 999:671
In the Name of the Rose (1986) DVD 9051
Tower of London (1939) DVD 6216
The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (Sweden,1957)DVD 18; vhs 999:53
The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukällan)(Sweden, 1960) DVD 4987; vhs 999:1209
- 16th Century
- Aguirre Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes) (1972)
- Directed by Werner Herzog. Cast: Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter Berling, Cecilia Rivera, Daniel Ades. A band of Spanish conquistadors, led by Aguirre (Lope de Aguirre [1510 - 1561]), self-styled "Wrath of God," travel up the Amazon in search of gold, but Aguirre's megalomania turns the expedition into a death trip. 94 min. DVD 377; VHS 999:7
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Anna Boleyn (Germany, 1920)
- Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Cast: Henny Porten, Emil Jannings, Paul Hartmann, Aud Egede Nissen, Hedwig Pauly-Winterstein. Tragic drama of the second wife of England's Henry VIII, made in Berlin by Lubitsch before he moved to Hollywood to make comedies. 118 min. DVD 8868
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database- Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Cast: Henny Porten, Emil Jannings, Paul Hartmann, Aud Egede Nissen, Hedwig Pauly-Winterstein. Tragic drama of the second wife of England's Henry VIII, made in Berlin by Lubitsch before he moved to Hollywood to make comedies. 118 min. DVD 8868
- Cabeza de Vaca (Mexico / Spain / USA / UK, 1993)
- Directed by Nicolas Echevarria. Based on the true account of a Spanish explorer's capture, escape, and journey from Texas to Mexico City between 1527 and 1537. Includes tales of El Dorado. 110 min. 999:946 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Restrepo, Luis Fernando. "Primitive Bodies in Latin American Cinema: Nicolas Echevarra's Cabeza de Vaca." In: Primitivism and identity in Latin America : essays on art, literature, and culture / edited by Erik Camayd-Freixas and Jose Eduardo Gonzalez. pp: 189-208. Tucson : University of Arizona Press, c2000. (UCB Main PQ7082.N7.P755 2000)
. Walter, Krista. "Filming the Conquest: Cabeza de Vaca and the Spectacle of History." Literature-Film Quarterly. 30(2):140-45. 2002 UC users only
- Caravaggio. (UK, 1986)
- Directed by Derek Jarman. A film based on the life and art of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio(1571 or 1573 - 1610), the greatest Italian post-Renaissance painter. Caravaggio was the 'enfant terrible' of Italian Art and his short life, marked with extremes of passion and moral and artistic radicalism, ended violently. 97 min. 999:2139 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Casanova (Il Casanova di Federico Fellini) (Italy / USA, 1976)
- Directed by Federico Fellini. Cast: Donald Sutherland, Tina Aumont, Cicely Browne, Carmen Scariptta, Clara Algranti, Daniela Gatti. Donald Sutherland portrays the famous Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), a libertine who collects seductions and sexual feats, in his wanning days as he travels from a bubonic-plagued Venice to a syphilitic London and a tubercular Germany.
155 min. DVD 3323
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Casanova (2005)
- Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Cast: Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, Lena Olin.
Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) has to begin searching for a wife. He is a womanizer with many conquests and If he cannot show he is living a more respectable life, the Church will throw him out of Venice. He is quickly engaged to Victoria, a woman with a pure reputation. As soon as that is arranged, he meets Francesca, a feminist who hates all he stands for. Comic chaos ensues in a whirl of misadentures, disguises and mistaken identities as the love-struck Casanova tries to win her heart. 111 min. DVD 5491
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine
- Dangerous Beauty (1997)
- Directed by Marshall Herskovitz. Cast: Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Oliver Platt, Moira Kelly, Fred Ward, Jacqueline Bisset. A dramatization of the life of Veronica Franco (1546-1591), tells the true story of the woman, a poet and courtesan, who used looks, wit and seduction to defy the conventions of 16th century Venice. 112 min. DVD 4895
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- El Dorado (Spain, 1988)
- Director, Carlos Saura. Cast: Omero Antonutti, Eusebio Poncela, Gabriela Roel, Lambert Wilson. Film about the 16th century explorer, Lope de Aguirre (1510 - 1561)and his search for the mythical El Dorado. He leads 300 Spanish soldiers and 300 natives in his search for the legendary land in Peru. The expedition is attacked by hostile jungle tribes before mutiny breaks out among the soldiers and the leaders of the expedition are targeted for assassination. In Spanish without subtitles. 118 min. 999:3540Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Elizabeth (UK, 1998)
- Directed by Shekhar Kapur. Cast: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud. Young, passionate Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603) comes to the throne amidst bloody turmoil in 1554 England. Among her courtiers are the venerable Sir William Cecil, her lover the Duke of Leicester, the imperious Duke of Norfolk, and her advisor Walsingham. The new Queen Elizabeth I must learn to weigh her counsel carefully and ignore her private yearnings if she is to keep her crown--and her head in this thriller of intrigue in the court of one of history's greatest monarchs. 149 min. DVD 4821 999:2435
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Bruzzi, Stella. "Elizabeth.(Review)." Sight and Sound 8.11 (Nov 1998): 47(2).
Delamoir, Jeannette. "Elizabeth's costumes: the power of spectacle or spectacle of power?." Metro Magazine 141 (Summer 2004): 46(8).
Duncan-Jones, Katherine. "Elizabeth.(Review)." TLS. Times Literary Supplement (Feb 5, 1999): 18(1).
Gillard, Garry. "'I have become a virgin'--Elizabeth.(Film As Text)." Australian Screen Education 37 (Winter 2004): 153(3).
Sweet, Rosemary. "Elizabeth.(Review)." American Historical Review 104.1 (Feb 1999): 297(2).
Movie Review Query Engine - Elizabeth I (TV, HBO, USA / UK, 2005)
- Cast: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy, Ian McDiarmid, Patrick Malahide, Toby Jones. A television mini-series exploring the intersection of the private and public life of Elizabeth I (1533-1603)in the latter half of her reign, offering a personal look at her allies, her enemies, and her suitors as she struggles to survive in a male-dominated world. 211 min. DVD 6080
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen (TV,Masterpiece Theatre, 1996)
- Directed by Coky Giedroyc. Cast: Anne-Marie Duff, Tom Hardy, Hans Matheson, Ian Hart, Dexter Fletcher, Kevin McKidd, Daniel Evans, Joanne Whalley, Sienna Guillory. Anne-Marie Duff stars in this British television production as the shrewd and captivating queen (Elizabeth I: 1533-1603) who defended her throne amidst an atmosphere of plotting and intrigue, torture and murder. The Virgin Queen is a riveting drama that explores the fascinating 44-year-reign of Elizabeth I. 230 min. DVD 5422
- Galileo (1974)
- Directed by Joseph Losey; cast: Topol, Colin Blakely, Georgia Brown, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Margaret Leighton, Clive Revill, Tom Conti. A dramatization of Galileo (1564-1642), the 17th century Italian who laid the foundations of modern science by making himself one of the world's first telescopes and discovering the moons of Jupiter. He supported Copernicus' theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun which brought him into conflict with the Catholic Church. By threatening him with torture, the Church forced him to recant his views in front of a tribunal, and sentenced him to house arrest. However, Galileo's trials and theories inspired others like Newton and Kepler to prove that the Earth was not the center of the Universe. Based on the play by Bertolt Brecht. 138 min. DVD 2116Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Galileo's Battle for the Heavens(1974)
- Directed by Peter Jones; cast: Simon Callow, Laura Nardi, John Fraser, Alexa Jargo. A docudrama of Galileo Galilei's life (1564-1642), including his scientific achievements and his defense of his controversial theory that the earth revolves around the sun. Also includes his trial for heresy and how letters from his illegitimate daughter, Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun, have shed new light on Galileo's discoveries. c2002 114 min. Video/C 9322
- The Garden of Aunt Isabel (El Jardin de Tia Isabel) (Mexico, 1986?)
- Directed by Felipe Cazals. Based on a story by Jaime Casillas, depicts a trip from Spain to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in the first half of the 16th century. Shipwrecked on an island, seven survivors begin to perish one by one, thus ending their hope of finding a place where justice, freedom, and the rule of law reign. 112 min. Video/C-1390
- Ivan the Terrible (Ivan Groznyi) (Soviet Union, 1944/1958)
- Writer and director, Sergei Eisenstein. Part 1 opens with the coronation of Ivan, Grand Duke of Moscow (1530-1584), depicting his goal to unify all Russian lands, his successive battles, ending with his self-imposed exile to await the call of the Russian people. Part 2 begins with his return to Moscow to find that his dream of reuniting all of Russia is all but impossible. He discovers an assassination plot and devises a scheme to turn the tables on the plotters. Director Eisenstein died before completing part 3. (Ivan the Terrible was originally released in Russia as motion picture in 1944; Ivan the Terrible. Part two was originally produced in 1946 and released in 1958.) Special features (Criterion version): (Part 1) Multimedia essay on the history of Ivan the Terrible by Joan Neuberger ; deleted scenes ; drawings and production stills. (Part 2) Multimedia essay on Eisenstein's visual vocabulary by Yuri Tsivian. 181 min. DVD 6654 (Criterion); DVD 55; VHS 999:345
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database [Ivan the Terrible Part I]
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database [Ivan the Terrible Part II]
- Luther (1973)
- Directed by Guy Green. Cast: Cast: Stacy Keach, Alan Badel, Judi Dench, Hugh Griffith, Patrick Magee, Robert Stephens, Leonard Rossiter.
Compressing nearly two decades, this is a provocative character study of Martin Luther (1483-1546), his deepening religious dilemmas and his eventual condemnation of the Catholic Church and incitement of the Protestant reformation. 111 min. DVD 1587
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- A Man For All Seasons (UK, 1966)
- Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Cast: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw,Orson Welles, Susannah York, Nigel Davenport, John Hurt, Corin Redgrave. Historical drama about Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), a scholar and statesman, who will make any sacrifice forking and country as long as he can do it with a clear conscience. His opposition to King Henry VIII's breakwith the Roman Catholic Church provides the conflict which led to More's execution. 120 min. DVD 7451; vhs 999:195
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Maria Stuart (Germany, TV, 1985)
- Director, Heinz Schirk. Cast: Daniela Ziegler, Anja Kruse, Dietrich Mattausch, Erik Frey, Karl Walter Diess.
A drama about Mary Queen of Scots (Mary I, 1542-1587) who was held captive in the castle of Fotheringwh. A drama about Mary Queen of Scots who was held captive in the castle of Fotheringwhay, unjustly convicted of complicity in an attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth. 112 min. 999:3001 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Mary of Scotland (1936)
- Directed by John Ford. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Donald Crisp, John Carradine. Historical drama about the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary I, 1542-1587), and the tumultuous relationship between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, Queen of England. 123 min. DVD 4283; vhs 999:3685
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- La Otra Conquista (The Other Conquest) (1999)
- Director, Salvador Carrasco. A historical drama telling the story of Mexico in the decade after the conquest by Spain in 1520. Topiltzin, an Aztec scribe whose half-sister Tecuichpo is the mistress of Cortes (1485 -1547), tries to keep his way of life and beliefs in the face of attempts by a Spanish priest to convert him. 112 min. 999:3574Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
- Directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Vincent Price, Henry Stephenson. This period drama sets the tumultuous on-again, off-again affair between Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and the second Earl of Essex (1566 - 1601) against Essex's powerful ambition to assume the throne of England. 106 min. DVD 4020
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Robertson, James C. The Casablanca man : the cinema of Michael Curtiz London ; New York : Routledge, 1993. (Main Stack PN1998.3.C87.R63 1993)
Rosenzweig, Sidney. Casablanca and other major films of Michael Curtiz Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Research Press, c1982
(MAIN: PN1998.A3 .C9 1982; Storage Info: B 3 569 839 MOFF: PN1998.A3 .C9 1982; PFA : PN1998.3.C9 C37 1982)
- The Private Life of Henry VIII
(UK, 1933)- Directed by Alexander Korda. Cast: Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon, Elsa Lanchester, Robert Donat, Binnie Barnes, Wendy Barrie. Portrays Henry VIII's (1491 – 1547) various marriages beginning with the execution of Anne Boleyn. Includes his marriage to Jane Seymour and the birth of a male heir, his marriage to Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr 97 min. 999:22
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Street, Sarah. "Stepping Westward: The Distribution of British Feature Films in America, and the Case of The Private Life of Henry VIII." In: British cinema, past and present / edited by Justine Ashby and Andrew Higson. London ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2000. (Main Stack PN1993.5.G7.B695 2000; PFA PN1993.5.G7.B695 2000)
Walker, Greg. The private life of Henry VIII
London ; New York : I.B. Tauris, 2003. (MAIN: PN1997 .P769 2003)
Walker, Greg. "The roots of Alexander Korda: myths of identity and the
international film." Patterns of Prejudice, 37:1, 3 - 25, 2003UC users only
Wayne, Mike. "Constellating Walter Benjamin and British Cinema: A Study of The Private Life of Henry VIII." Quarterly Review of Film and Video v. 19 no. 3 (2002) p. 249-60 UC users only
- La reine Margot (Queen Margot) (France / Italy / Germany, 1994)
- Directed by Patrice Chéreau. Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez, Virna Lisi, Jean-Claude Brialy. Thrown into a political marriage of convenience by her ruthlessly power-hungry family, the beautiful Margot (1553-1615) soon finds herself hopelessly drawn into their murderous affairs. It's then she realizes her only hope of escape lies somewhere between the heroic soldier who loves her and the enemy husband who could save her. Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas. 144 min. DVD 6675
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Roanoak (1986)
- Directed by Jan Egleson. Cast: Victor Garber, John Runningfox, Porky White, Will Sampson, Eddie Benton, Skeeter Vaughan, Victoria Racimo. A three-part drama about the Roanoke Voyages, the first colonizing attempts made by 250 English subjects between 1584 and 1590 who sailed across the Atlantic to the East coast of the New World where they made contact with Algonquin Indians. Follows the general outline of the history of these voyages with sets and costumes based on artistic and literary sources available. Video/C 3474
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Royal Hunt of the Sun (UK / USA, 1969)
- Directed by Irving Lerner. Cast: Robert Shaw, Christopher Plummer, Nigel Davenport, Michael Craig, Andrew Keir, William Marlowe, James Donald, Alexander Davion, Leonard Whiting.
Fueled by promises of gold, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro (c. 1475-1541) and his explorers venture across the treacherous Andes Mountains to Peru. There, Pizarro captures King Atahuallpa, Inca's godlike monarch, and promises his freedom upon the deliverance of gold. But friendship and respect develop between the two leaders and when the King is sentenced to die, Pizarro finds himself torn between his desire for conquest and his sense of honor for the King. Based on the play by Peter Shaffer. 97 min. DVD 6953 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Suriyothai (2002)
- Directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol. A historically based movie set in 16th century Thailand over the course of 57 years (1491-1548), presenting the political history of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, culminating in the story of Queen Phra Suriyothai, who rode into battle against the Burmese invasion to protect her husband at the Battle of Hantawaddy in 1548. DVD multizone format. 190 min. DVD 1877
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- See Also, Shakespeare plays set in this time period:
- Henry VIII
- Fictional Films Set in this period
- The Adventures of Don Juan (1948) DVD 8050
Captain from Castile (1947) DVD 8300; vhs 999:3223
Don Juan en los Infiernos (Spain, 1991) Video/C 999:3559 (In Spanish without English subtitles)
The Iron Mask (1929) DVD 4952
DVD 9109; vhs Video 999:1128
Kagemusha (Japan, 1980) DVD 3666; vhs 999:1055
The Mission (UK, 1986) DVD 9109; vhs Video 999:1128
Nuevo Mundo (New World) (Mexico, 1978) DVD 8128
Orlando (UK / Russia / France / Italy / Netherlands, 1992) DVD 2364; vhs 999:1327
Ran (Japan, 1985) DVD 20; vhs 999:174
- See also Japanese film videography for other samurai movies set in the 16th Century
Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre) (France, 1982) DVD 62; vhs 999:238
The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (Japan, 1954) DVD 1954; vhs 999:2390
Shakespeare in Love (USA / UK, 1998) DVD 59; vhs 999:2440
Sir Arne's Treasure (Herr Arnes pengar) (Sweden, 1919) DVD 5638; vhs 999:1191
The Three Musketeers SEE Adventure films
- 17th Century
- L'Allée du Roi(1996)
- Director, Nina Companeez. A historical drama based on the recollections of Françoise d'Aubigne, Marques de Maintenon, wife to Louis XIV (1638-1715), the King of France. In French without substitles. 240 min. DVD 4510
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Artemisia (France / Germany / Italy, 1997)
- Directed by Agnes Merlet. Cast: Michel Serrault, Valentina Cervi, Miki Manojlovic, Brigitte Catillon, Maurice Garrel, Emmanuelle Devos. Tells the provocative true story of the beautiful and talented daughter of one of Italy's greatest painters. When Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c.1653) is forbidden to fully pursue her own passion of painting, she convinces a renowned artist to tutor her. He not only liberates her into the world of art but initiates her into the world of sex and love. 96 min. DVD 6109 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The King Dances (Le Roi danse) (France / Germany / Belgium, 2000)
- Directed by Gerard Corbiau. Cast: Benoit Magimel (Louis XIV), Boris Terral (Lully), Tcheky Karyo (Moli`ere), Colette Emmanuelle (queen mother [Anne of Austria]), Cecile Bois (Madeleine), Claire Keim (Julie), Johan Leysen (Cambert), Idwig Stephane (Conti), Emil Tarding (the young Louis XIV); others. Historical drama about Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), centering on his passion for dance and music. The shy heir to the throne has his destiny altered when musician Jean-Baptiste Lully and the famed playwright Moliere enter his life. Recognizing the young king's talent for dance they compose and stage ballets that glorify Louis' image. The film includes many recreations of dance, drama, and opera of the era. 114 min. DVD 4502
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Libertine (UK, 2004)
- Directed by Laurence Dunmore. Cast: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Paul Ritter, Stanley Townsend, Francesca Annis, Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander, Johnny Vegas, Richard Coyle. John Wilmot (1647?1680), a 17th century poet, is the Earl of Rochester and from the beginning he treats his wife cruelly, drinks to relentless excess, abuses his friendships, and generally wallows in dissipation, much to the dismay of King Charles II. The king hopes that Rochester will write a play glorifying his reign. But Rochester finds his true inspiration when he sees a young actress named Lizzie Barry. Rochester sets out to make her the greatest actress of their time--and she, with some reluctance, submits to his teaching. 114 min. DVD 5990Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Molière (Italy / France, 1978)
- Directed by Ariane Mnouchkine. Cast: Philippe Caub`ere, Jean Daste, Josephine Derenne. How did Moliere (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622 ? 1673), a child born in 1622 to working-class parents, become such a well-known author? This film dramatizes the life of an honest man who struggles incessantly to practice his art in a century of hypocrisy and repression. 290 min. DVD 4590
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The New World (2006)
- Directed by Terrence Malick. Cast: Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, Q'Orianka Kilcher. Set admidst the first encounter of European and Native American cultures during the founding of the Jamestown Virginia settlement in 1607. Tells the classic tale of Pocahontas (c. 1595-1617) and her relationships with adventurer John Smith (1580-1631)and aristocrat John Rolfe (c. 1585-1622). This woman's journey of love lost and found again takes her from the untouched beauty of the Virginia wilderness to the upper crust of English society as we witness the dawn of a new America. Special features: Making 'The new world' documentary (60 min.) 135 min. DVD 5563
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine
- La Prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV (The Taking of Power by Louis XIV) (France, 1965)
- Directed by Roberto Rossellini. Traces the creation of an absolute monarchy by France's "Sun King", Louis XIV (1638-1715) . 102 min. DVD 4678; vhs 999:343
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Que la fête commence... (Let Joy Reign Supreme) (In French without subtitles; 1974)
- Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. A historically based film about the ill-fated political reform movement attempted by the Regent, Philippe d'Orleans (1640-1701), counsel to l'Abbe Dubois, in 18th century France. 119 min. 999:1503
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Rembrandt (UK, 1936)
- Directed by Alexander Korda. Cast: Charles Laughton, Gertrude Lawrence, Elsa Lanchester, Edward Chapman. In Amsterdam of 1642, master painter Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606-1669) enjoys a full life until the sudden death of his wife. Bankrupt and bereft, he finds comfort in a pretty servant in his home. Can he summon the courage to overcome his demons or will tragedy continue to haunt 85 min. DVD 2194
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Saint-Cyr(France / Germany / Belgium, 1973)
- Director, Patricia Mazuy. Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Simon Regiani, Anne Marev, Jean-François Balmer. Madame de Maintenon (1635 - 1719), wife of Louis XIV, founds Saint-Cyr, a boarding school outside of Paris for the daughters of destitute nobility where girls are brought to acquire the language and manners befitting their rank. The school eventually becomes a source of nightmarish anxiety for her, as idle noblemen discover her young charges. In French without substitles. 114 min. DVD 4511
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Yo, la peor de todas (I, the Worst of All) (Argentina, 1990)
- Directed by Maria Luisa Bemberg. Cast: Assumpta Serna, Dominique Sanda, Hector Alterio, Lautaro Murua, Alberto Segado, Franklin Caicedo, Graciela Araujo, Hugo Soto, Gerardo Romano, Margara Alonso, Lidia Catalano, Margarita Padin.
This historical drama tells the story of Juana Ines de la Cruz (1651 (1648?)- 1695), one of the greatest poets of the Spanish Siglo de Oro. In order to pursue her passion for writing, Juana enters the convent. There, she develops an intimate relationship with the local Vicereine, who inspires her poetry. But when the forces of the Inquisition invade the convent, the women have only each other to turn to. Based on: Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, o, Las trampas de la fe de Octavio Paz. 107 min. DVD 1718; vhs 999:1347
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- Adanggaman (France / Switzerland / Ivory Coast / Burkina Faso / Italy, 2000) DVD 8776
All the Mornings of the World (Tous les matins du monde) (France, 1991)
vhs 999:1383
Apocalypto (2006) DVD 7535
Black Robe (Canada / Australia, 1991) DVD 8571; vhs 999:1328
Captain Blood(1935) DVD 4016
The Crucible (1996) vhs 999:1981
Cyrano de Bergerac (France, 1990) vhs 999:505
Day of Wrath (Vredens dag) (Denmark, 1943) DVD 872; vhs
The Deluge (Potop) (Poland / Soviet Union, 1974) DVD 6436
Life of O-Haru (Saikaku ichidai onna) (Japan, 1952) DVD 6417
Queen Christina (1933) DVD 4285; VHS 999:2990
Quilombo (Brazil / France, 1984) DVD 8368; vhs 999:1319
Restoration (USA / UK, 1995) DVD 460
El Rey pasmado (Spain / France / Portugal, 1991) DVD 3316; vhs 999:1780 (both in Spanish without English subtitles)
The Scarlet Letter SEE literary videography
Tartuffe (Herr Tartüff) (Germany, 1926) DVD 2458
Vatel (France / UK / Belgium, 2000) DVD 1174
With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i mieczem) (Poland, 1999) DVD 6435
- 18th Century
- Amadeus (1990)
- Directed by Milos Forman. Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones. Adapted from Shaffer's play, the film presents the life of Antonio Salieri (1750 ? 1825), a mediocre 18th century Viennese composer obsessed with and jealous of the musical genius of the age: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 ? 1791). Mad with envy, he plots to destroy Mozart by any means. 137 min. DVD 250; VHS 999:397; and Director's Cut, 2001, on DVD 1462
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Culloden(UK, TV, 1964)
- Written and directed by Peter Watkins. Recreates the 1746 Battle of Culloden between the rebellious highland scottish forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the regular British Army sent to Scotland to put down the rebellion.
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Danton(France / Poland / West Germany, 1982)
- Directed by Andrzej Wajda. Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Wojciech Pszoniak, Patrice Chereau, Roger Planchon, Jacques Villeret, Angela Winkler, Georges Danton (1759-1794), the popular revolutionary leader, returns to Paris at a time when the new Republic is in disarray. Maximilien Robespierre (1758 ? 1794)and his allies have set up a monstrous dictatorship, beginning the infamous "Reign of Terror." Danton pleads with the people for an end to the bloodshed which violates the spirit of their revolution. 166 min. 999:198
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Esquilache (Spain, 1988)
- Director, Joséfina Molina. In 18th century Madrid the people rise against the monarchy. The destiny of the crown and the Marques de Esquilache Ilega depend upon the next few hours. In Spanish without subtitles. 102 min. DVD 3319; also VHS 999:3546
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Madness of King George (UK, 1994)
- Directed by Nicholas Hytner. Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Graves, Rupert Everett. Based on the life of King George III (1738-1820), this is the story of royal intrigue, sexual indiscretions, backstairs plotting and a battle for power between Parliament and the throne, all occuring while the King is being treated for an unknown mental illness. 110 min. 999:2805
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine
- Bennett, Alan. "Madness: The Movie." London Review of Books. 17 (3): 3, 6-7. 1995 Feb 9.
Coe, Jonathan. "Power Mad." In: Film/literature/heritage / edited by Ginette Vincendeau. pp: 135-38 London : British Film Institute, 2001. (Main Stack PN1995.3.F54 2001)
McKechnie, Kara. "Mrs Brown's Mourning and Mr King's Madness: Royal Crisis on Screen." In: Retrovision : reinventing the past in film and fiction / edited by Deborah Cartmell, I.Q. Hunter, and Imelda Whelehan. pp: 102-19. London ; Sterling, Virginia : Pluto Press, 2001. (Main Stack PN1995.9.H5.R46 2001)
O'Mealy, Joseph H. "Royal Family Values: The Americanization of Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III." Literature/Film Quarterly. 27 (2): 90-96. 1999 UC users only
- Marat/Sade (The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as performed by the Inmates of the Asylum at Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade (UK, 1967)
- Directed by Peter Brook. Cast: Cast: Glenda Jackson, Patrick Magee, Ian Richardson. History's most infamous sexual adventurer lives in a madhouse, where a beautiful laundry maid helps him smuggle his erotic stories to the printer. Defying orders from the asylum's resident priest, the titillating passages whip all of France into a sexual frenzy, until a fiercely conservative doctor tries to put an end to the fun. 115 min. DVD 1337; Video/C 1638
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Marie Antoinette (Japan / France / USA, 2006)
- Directed by Sofia Coppola. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Coogan, Judy Davis, Jason Schwartzman, Rose Byrne, Al Weaver, Shirley Henderson, Molly Shannon, Rip Torn.
An impressionistic retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793). From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen and ultimately the fall of Versailles. Based on the book by Antonia Fraser. 123 min. DVD 6399
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Marie Antoinette (1938)
- Directed by W.S. Van Dyke II. Cast: Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Morley, Anita Louise, Joseph Schildkraut, Gladys George, Henry Stephenson. A retelling of the life of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen and ultimately the fall of Versailles. 157 min. DVD 6399
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- La Marseillaise (France, 1938)
- Director, Jean Renoir. Cast: Pierre Renoir, Lise Delamare, Louis Jouvet, Andrex Andrisson, Paul Dullac, Julien Carette, Aime Clariond, Irene Joachim.
Charts the progress of the French Revolution from the fall of the Bastille and its impact on the rural peasantry. Chronicles the slow erosion of the power of the aristocracy, the departure of Louis XVI (1754 ? 1793)from the palace, and the anticipated defeat of the Prussian army. The focus here is on the point of view of the common people. 132 min. DVD 7586 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Monsieur N (France / UK, 2002)
- Directed by Antoine de Caunes. Cast: Philippe Torreton, Richard E. Grant, Jay Rodan, Elsa Zylberstein.
Story of the last years of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821), who was imprisoned by the British on St Helena. Napoleon retained a loyal entourage of officers who helped him plot his escape, and evaded the attentions of Sir Hudson Lowe, the island's overzealous Governor. 127 min. DVD 8099
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
- Directed by Frank Lloyd. Cast: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone, Herbert Hundin, Eddie Quillan, Dudley Digges, Donald Crisp. The time is in the late 1700's and Fletcher Christian (1764 ? 1793) leads a mutiny on the high seas against the tyrannical disciplinarian Capt. William Bligh (1754 ? 1817) when the underfed overflogged sailors can no longer take the brutality. DVD Special features: "Pitcairn Island today"--1935 MGM short; 'Mutiny on the Bounty' wins 1935 Academy Award (1936 newsreel); theatrical trailers. 133 min. DVD 4631; vhs 999:600 Credit and other information from Internet Movie Database
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
- Directed by Lewis Milestone. Cast: Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, Richard Harris, Hugh Griffith, Richard Haydn, Tarita, Percy Herbert. In 1787, the HMS Bounty sets out on a journey that will take it through perilous seas to a tropical paradise--and into history as one of the most ill-fated vessels ever to sail for King and country. Special features: Alternate prologue and epilogue sequences not seen theatrically; New featurette "After the cameras stopped rolling: the journey of the Bounty"; 4 vintage featurettes: "Story of the HMS Bounty", "Voyage of the Bounty to St. Petersburg", "Tour of the Bounty", "1964 New York World's Fair promo"; New digital transfer from restored 65mm elements; Marlon Brando movies trailer gallery. 185 min. DVD 8107
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Napoleon (France, 1927)
- Directed by Abel Gance. Cast: Albert Dieudonne, Antonin Artaud, Abel Gance. This restored 1927 Abel Gance movie masterpiece which presents important early use of split screen, moving camera and Polyvision, has been painstakingly resurrected. It is a historical epic on the life of Napoleon (1769 - 1821) from boyhood to military triumph including treatment of the French Revolution. 235 min. 999:164
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Patriot(2000)
- Directed by Roland Emmerich. Cast: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs. A hero of the French and Indian conflict, Benjamin Martin had renounced fighting forever to raise his family in peace. However, when British troops arrive at his South Carolina home and endanger his family, he takes up arms alongside his idealistic patriot son, Gabriel.
Special features: Commentary by director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin, visual effects interactive featurette, battlefield featurette: "The art of war," the true patriots featurette, conceptual art to film comparisons, deleted scenes with commentary by filmmakers, photo galleries, theatrical trailers, talent files, interactive menus with animation, production notes, scene selections with motion images.
165 min. DVD 378
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database - Peter the First (Soviet Union, 1937-1939)
- Directed by Vladimir Petrov. Chronicles the later years of Tsar Peter's life (1672 - 1725), during which he almost singlehandedly, forged a medieval Russia into a modern Western nation. Filmed over a three year period, with a cast of more than 5000, the film utilizes montage techniques as created by Eisenstein, Pudovkin, and Dovzhenko to present this crucial period of Russian history. 203 in. 999:3383
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Quills (USA / Germany / UK, 2000)
- Directed by Philip Kaufman. Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine. History's most infamous sexual adventurer (Marquis de Sade, 1740-1814) lives in a madhouse, where a beautiful laundry maid helps him smuggle his erotic stories to the printer. Defying orders from the asylum's resident priest, the titillating passages whip all of France into a sexual frenzy, until a fiercely conservative doctor tries to put an end to the fun. 124 min. DVD 865
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Roots. (TV, 1977)
- An adaptation of Alex Haley's Roots, in which a Black American searches for his family roots by tracing his family's history from the mid-18th century when one of his ancestors, Kunta Kinte, was captured and sold into slavery. Film follows the struggle for freedom that began with the boy's abduction to America and continued throughout the generations that followed. 90 min. ea. DVD 5489; vhs Video/C 2900:1-6
- Sade (France, 2000)
- Directed by Benoit Jacquot. Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Marianne Denicourt, Jeanne Balibar, Gregoire Colin, Isild Le Besco, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Philippe Duquesne, Vincent Branchet, Raymond Gerome.
The Marquis de Sade (1740-1814), the famous philanthropist and sexual predator, faces execution by Robespierre's puritanical regime, but thanks to his mistress finds temporary respite at Picpus, a sanitarium for aristocrats awaiting the guillotine. There, he focuses his attention on Emilie, a teenager longing to experience sensual pleasure before her death. 100 min. DVD 2227
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Scarlet Empress(1934)
- Directed by Josef von Sternberg. Cast: Cast: Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser. A historical drama about a German princess, Catherine (1729-1796), who married the Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Because of his madness, she was able to seize the throne and became renowned as Catherine the Great. Special features: 20-minute BBC documentary The world of Josef von Sternberg 104 min. DVD 694
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Xica da Silva. (Brazil, 1976)
- Directed by Carlos Diegues. A film based upon the true story of the legendary black slave Xica de Silva. During an 18th century diamond rush, Brazil's interior became a scene of wealth and excess where Xica rose in power to become the unofficial Empress of Brazil who vividly fused European and African cultures.109 min. 999:1175 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- America (D.W. Griffith) (1924) DVD 60; vhs 999:1885
Barry Lyndon (UK, 1975) DVD 251; vhs 999:199
Captain Blood (1935) DVD 4016
999:600
Chunhyang (Korea, 2000)DVD 1506
Dangerous liaisons (USA / UK, 1988) DVD 257; vhs 999:385
The Devil's Disciple (UK / Canada, 1985) DVD 5754
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) DVD 4090; vhs 699
La Fausse suivante (False Servant) (France, 2000) DVD 1333
Hassian Renegades (aka 1776)(1909) vhs 999:595
Intrigue and Love(Kabale und Liebe) (East Germany, 1959) vhs 999:2562
Münchhausen DVD 2870; vhs 999:328
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) DVD 4631
vhs 999:600
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) DVD 8107
Madame du Barry (Du Barry, Woman of Passion) (1930) vhs 999:322
Orphans of the Storm (1921) DVD 1542; vhs 999:1886
Last of the Mohicans SEE Literary videography
Les Miserables SEE Literary videography
Moll Flanders SEE Literary videography
Northanger Abbey SEE Literary videography
Quills (USA / Germany / UK, 2000) DVD 865
Ridicule (France, 1996) DVD 5934; vhs 999:1999
Russian Ark (Russkiy kovcheg) (Russia / Germany, 2002) DVD 1926
Sade (France, 2000) DVD 2227
The Scarlet Pimpernel (UK, 1982) DVD 4634
The Scarlet Pimpernel (UK, 1934) DVD 4634
Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) DVD 4264
A Tale of Two Cities SEE Literary videography
Tom Jones SEE Literary videography
Valmont (France / USA, 1989) vhs 999:457
War and Peace SEE Literary videography
- 19th Century: 1800 - 1850
- The Alamo (2004)
- Directed by John Lee Hancock. Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson, Jordi Molla, Emilio Echevarria, Marc Blucas, Leon Rippy. Retells the story of the historic 1836 battle in the Texan War of Independence. Facing 4,000 Mexican troops, 186 Texan soldiers and volunteers - including William Travis (1809-1836), Davy Crockett (1786-1836), and Jim Bowie (1796 - 1836)- retreat within the walls of the Alamo, a Franciscan mission that was converted into a military fort. Once inside, the men prepare themselves for what will be a bloody battle to the death. U.S. General Sam Houston leads the charge from the outside. The Texans held the fort for 13 days under siege by General Santa Anna. 136 min. DVD 3008
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database Movie Review Query Engine
- Andreychuk, Ed.
American frontiersmen on film and television : Boone, Crockett, Bowie, Houston, Bridger, and Carson Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., c2005. (MAIN: PN1995.9.P487 A53 2005)
- The Alamo(1960)
- Directed by John Wayne. Cast: John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey, Frankie Avalon, Patrick Wayne, Richard Boone, Linda Cristal, Joan O'Brien. Film depicts a pivotal event in American history--the battle of the Alamo when 185 "Texans" stood against a 7,000-man Mexican army. The battle ended in the smaller forces' defeat, but lasted long enough to insure the eventual independence of Texas. 202 min. 999:921
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Andreychuk, Ed. American frontiersmen on film and television : Boone, Crockett, Bowie, Houston, Bridger, and Carson Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., c2005. (MAIN: PN1995.9.P487 A53 2005)
- Amazing Grace (UK / USA, 2006)
- Directed by Michael Apted. Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Albert Finney, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds.
A dramatization of the life of the human rights activist, cultural reformer and member of Parliament, William Wilberforce who sustained a twenty-year fight in 19th century England, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade. Wilberforce encountered intense opposition from members of Parliament but his minister John Newton, a reformed slave ship captain who penned the hymn "Amazing Grace" urged him to see the cause through. 118 min. DVD 8799
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Amistad (1998)
- Directed by Steven Spielberg. Chronicles the 1839 revolt on board a slave ship bound for America. Much of the story involves the court-room drama about the slave who led the revolt. 155 min. DVD 956; vhs 999:1997
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Disraeli (1929)
- Directed by Alexander Korda. Cast: George Arlis, Florence Arlis, Joan Bennett. A historical drama of the life of Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), the famous Prime Minister of 19th century Victorian England. One of the masterstrokes of Disraeli's foreign policy provides the focus for the film: the acquisition of the Suez Canal during a time of domestic and international intrigue. 87 min. 999:2863
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Juarez(1939)
- Directed by William Dieterle. Cast: Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Brian Aherne, Claude Rains, John Garfield, Donald Crisp, Joseph Calleia, Gale Sondergaard, Gilbert Roland, Henry O'Neill.
A dramatizated account of the triumphant resistance of President Benito Juarez (1806-1872) and his followers against the attempt by Louis Napoleon (1808 ? 1873)to install Maximillian von Hapsburg as Emperor of Mexico. 123 min. 999:2832
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Lola Montes (1955)
- Directed by Max Ophüls. Cast: Martine Carol (Lola Montès), Peter Ustinov (Ringmaster), Anton Walbrook (King Ludwig), Henri Guisol (Maurice), Lise Delamare (Lola's mother), Paulette Dubost (Josephine), Oskar Werner (Student). Depicts, through flashbacks, the life of a famous courtesan (1821-1861), recounted as part of a lavish circus act. The ringmaster introduces and displays Lola Montes who recalls her romances with Franz Liszt, a student, and Ludwig, King of Bavaria before she was reduced by scandal, poverty and ill fortune to her present life as a circus performer. 110 min. DVD 189
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Burdick, Dolores M. "Lisa, Lola, and I: The Woman Unknown as the Woman Immortal in Ophuls and Robbe-Grillet." Michigan Academician, vol. 12 no. 3. 1980 Winter. pp: 251-259.
- Ludwig II (1955)
- Directed by Helmut Kautner. A dramatization of the tragic life of Bavaria's King Ludwig II (1845-1886), from his ascension to the throne to his early death in 1886. In German. 110 min. 999:2962
- My Darling Clementine (1946)
- Directed by John Ford. Cast: Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Cathy Downs. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) becomes Marshal of Tombstone in order to avenge the murder of his youngest brother. He is helped by Clementine, "Doc" Holliday (1851-1887) and Chihuahua and finally kills old man Clanton and his sons in a gunfight at the O.K. Corral. 117 min. DVD 2290; VHS 999:95
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Napoleon (France, 1927)
- Directed by Abel Gance. Cast: Albert Dieudonne, Antonin Artaud, Abel Gance. This restored 1927 Abel Gance movie masterpiece which presents important early use of split screen, moving camera and Polyvision, has been painstakingly resurrected. It is a historical epic on the life of Napoleon (1769 - 1821) from boyhood to military triumph including treatment of the French Revolution. 235 min. 999:164
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
- Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Cast: James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Jason Robards. Outlaw Pat Garrett (1850 ? 1908) puts on a badge and stalks his best friend across the vast New Mexican desert in this classic portrayal of a western legend. 122 min. DVD 5017; vhs 999:917
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Proteus(Canada / South Africa, 2003)
- Directors, Jack Lewis and John Greyson. Cast: Rouxnet Brown, Shaun Smyth, Neil Sandilands, Kristen Thomson. A fact-based interracial gay love story of two men incarcerated in the infamous South African Robin Island prison in the 18th century. Claas Blank, a Koi herder was unjustly imprisoned for stealing cattle. Rijkhaart Jacobsz, a withdrawn Dutch sailor, was imprisoned for the crime of homosexuality. The two were placed on trial for sodomy and the film is based partly on court transcipts from the time. 97 min. DVD 3275
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Seguin.
- Cast: A. Martinez, Henry Darrow, Rose Portillo, Pepe Serna, Danny De La Paz, Enrique Castillo, Lupe Ontiveros, Edward James Olmos. A docu-drama based on the life of one of Texas' unsung heroes, Juan Nepomunceno Seguin (1806 ? 1890), a leader in San Antonio who raised an army to fight the Mexican forces of Santa Ana at the Alamo. Written and directed by Jesus Salvador Trevino.
68 min. Video/C 5133
- Fregoso, Rosa Linda. "Seguin: The Same Side of the Alamo Bilingual." In:
Chicano Cinema: research, Reviews, and Resources Edited by Gary D. Keller. pp: 146-152. Binghamton, N.Y.: Bilingual Review/Press, c1985. (UCB Main PN1995.9.M49.C47 1985; UCB Moffitt PN1995.9.M49.C47 1985)
- Sissi (Austria, 1955)
- Director, Ernst Marischka. Cast: Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Bohm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Josef Meinrad, Vilma Degischer.
"Sixteen year old princess Elisabeth, 'Sissi' (1837-1898), follows her mother and sister Helene to the Austrian court in Ischl, where the engagement between Helene and the young emperor Franz Josef (1830 ? 1916) will be announced. But he meets Sissi when she's out fishing and falls in love with her. Sissi loves Franz Josef but a marriage with him comes with a bonus, his arrogant and headstrong mother." [Internet Movie Database] 101 min. 999:300
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- The Black Castle (1952) DVD 6216
Cobra Verde (Ghana / West Germany, 1987) DVD 2696
Horatio Hornblower (UK, 2001) DVD 5050
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) DVD 4633
Les Miserables SEE Literary videography
Night Creatures (aka Captain Clegg) (UK, 1962) DVD 4450
Pan Tadeusz (Poland / France, 1999) vhs 999:3377
Zoro films SEEAdventure films
The Red and the Black (Le rouge et le noir) (France / Italy / Germany, 1997)DVD 6671
Oliver Twist and other works of Charles Dickens SEE Literary videography
- 19th Century: 1851 - 1899
- 1860 (1933)
- Directed by Alessandro Blasetti. In May 1860, the Sicilians rebelled against and defeated the troops of the King of Naples. This is a dramatization of the events surrounding the battle of Calafimi. The use of non-professional actors, actual landscapes, natural light sources, and regional dialects make this epic film a precursor of the neo-realism film genre. 72 min. 999:1550
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Abraham Lincoln (1930)
- Directed by D.W. Griffith. Cast: Walter Huston, Una Merkel, Ian Keith, Frank Campeau, Hobart Bosworth, Henry B. Walthall, Kay Hammond, Alyn E. Warren, Fred Warren. This epic biography of the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is D.W. Griffith's first talking picture. It begins with Lincoln's life just prior to his White House ascent. His romance with Ann Rutledge and the famed Lincoln-Douglas debate receive special attention, and Griffith is in his element when picturing the battle scenes of the Civil War. The film concludes with Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre. 84 min. Video/C 999:1882
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Charge of the Light Brigade (1912)
- Directed by J. Searle Dawley. Cast: D.A. Russell, near Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The third in a series of rare silent films from the early film-making period of 1911-1915. Retelling of the famous incident in the 1854 Crimean War when a British cavalry unit, because of a mix-up in orders, charged an almost impregnable Russian artillery position and was decimated. 93 min. DVD 8450
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or, Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976)
- Directed by Robert Altman. Cast: Paul Newman, Joel Grey, Geraldine Chaplin, Burt Lancaster, Frank Kaquitts. Chronicles the travels and adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody (1846 ? 1917), the legendary Western adventurer. Although Buffalo Bill had fought Indians and Civil War battles, nothing could prepare him for his newest challenge: show business! His "Wild West Show" was hugely popular, featuring stunt-riders, battle recreations and a beautiful sharpshooter, Annie Oakley. But when Bill signed a former enemy, Sioux Chief Sitting Bull, for a featured role in the show, a clash of cultures reverberated far beyond the boundaries of their sprawling outdoor theater. 123 min. 999:1641
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Charge of the Light Brigade(1936)
- Directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, David Niven, Robert Barrat.
The events that instigated British involvement in the Crimean War are vividly painted against the rugged canvas of battle-scarred India. An army officer deliberately starts the Balaclava charge to even an old score with Surat Khan, who's on the other side. Based on the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson and inspired by history.
Special features: Warner night at the movies 1936 short subjects gallery: vintage newsreel; dramatic short "Give me Liberty"; comedy short, "Shop Talk with Bob Hope"; cartoon, "Boom Boom" ; trailers for Charge of the light bigade, and, 1936's Anthony Adverse. 115 min. DVD 8051 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Crazy Horse (1996)
- Directed by John Irvin. Cast: Michael Greyeyes, Irene Bedard, Jimmy Herman, August Schellenberg, Ned Beatty, Peter Horton, Wes Studi. Tells the true story of Crazy Horse (ca. 1840-1877), the Oglala warrior who relentlessly resisted the white man's attempt to take over Indian lands and fought General Custer and his forces at Little Big Horn. Originally produced for television by Turner Broadcasting. 93 min. 999:3606
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
- Directed by Walter Hill. Cast: Wes Studi, Jason Patric, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Matt Damon. Betrayed by the Army's legendary "Indian fighter" General George Crook (1828-1890), Geronimo (1829-1909) leads a small band of warriors in escape, but is pursued by a principled officer, a grizzled army scout, and a gung-ho West Point graduate. 115 min. DVD 2045
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Gettysburg (1993)
- Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. Cast: Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Maxwell Caulfield, Kevin Conway, C. Thomas Howell, Richard Jordan, James Lancaster, Stephen Lang, Sam Elliott. On July 1, 1863, more than 150,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were drawn into one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. When it was all over, 50,000 men had paid the ultimate price. Today, Gettysburg is known as the turning point of the war and a pivotal event in American history. Cast: some of the most authentic Civil War battle scenes ever committed to film, and outstanding performances by the cast, "Gettysburg" accurately depicts the events, battles and personal struggles from points of view of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. 254 min. 999:3516
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Glory (1989)
- Directed by Edward Zwick. Cast: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman. Based on the true story of the first black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War. Robert Gould Shaw and Cabot Forbes are two idealistic young Bostonians that lead the regiment; Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins is the inspiration who unites the troops ; Pvt. Trip is a runaway slave who joins the regiment.
Based on the letters by Robert Gould Shaw ; based on the book "Lay this laurel" by Lincoln Kirstein ; based on the book "One gallant rush" by Peter Burchard. Special features: Disc 1: Director's audio commentary; picture-in-picture video commentary featuring Ed Zwick, Morgan Freeman & Matthew Broderick ; Disc 2: Documentary "The true story of 'Glory' continues" narrated by Morgan Freeman; "Voices of 'Glory'" featurette; original featurette; deleted scenes; bonus previews; talent files. 122 min. DVD 6920; vhs 999:403
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine
- Gods and Generals (2003)
- Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. Cast: Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Mira Sorvino, Kevin Conway, C. Thomas Howell, Frankie Faison, Jeremy London, Bruce Boxleitner. Presents the story of three bold men and three fateful Civil War battles. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1914) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to fight for the Union. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863) was a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern States where he was born and raised. Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. 219 min. DVD 1773f
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Beck, Roy. "Gods and Generals: Roy Beck considers the historical and moral dimensions of the latest attempt to put Jackson, and the American Civil War itself, on the big screen. (Cross Current).(Movie Review)." History Today 53.2 (Feb 2003): 36(2).
UC users only
Buscombe, Edward. "Gods and Generals.(Movie Review)." Sight and Sound 13.9 (Sept 2003): 50(2).
Woodworth, Steven E. "Gods and Generals.(Movie Review)." Journal of American History 90.3 (Dec 2003): 1123(2).
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
- Director, John Sturges. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ireland. Based on historical events in Tombstone, Arizona this film explores the relationship between two of the West's most celebrated legends -- Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) and Doc Holliday (1851-1887). When Earp saves Holliday from mob violence, the foes become friends and join forces to rid the West of the Clanton gang, which culminates in the legendary gunfight. 122 min. 999:3068
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)
- David Wolper Productions. Cast: James Whitmore, Ned Romero, Sam Elliott. Dramatization of the story of Chief Joseph (1840-1904) of the Nez Perce Indians and his efforts to free his people. 109 min. Video/C 2257
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Indecent Acts(1995)
- Director, William Parry. In 1895, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the most famous writer of the victorian age, was found guilty of homosexual crimes and sentenced to two years hard labor. This film, through readings and reconstruction of the courtroom scene, contrasts the treatment that Wilde suffered with that of contemporary gay sex offenders. 54 min. Video/C 6337
- The importance of reinventing Oscar : versions of Wilde during the last 100 years / edited by Uwe Boker, Richard Corballis, ... Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, 2002. (Main Stack PR5824.I466 2002)
Waldrep, Shelton. "The Uses and Misuses of Oscar Wilde." In: Victorian afterlife : postmodern culture rewrites the nineteenth century / John Kucich and Dianne F. Sadoff, editors. pp:49-63.
Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c2000. (Main Stack PR461.V5 2000)
- The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams (ala Strike the Tent) (2005)
- Directed by A. Blaine Miller and
Julian Adams. Cast: Julian Adams, Gwendolyn Edwards, Amy Redford, Eric Holloway, Joshua Lindsey, Tippi Hedren, Bob Dorian, Mickey Rooney.
Robert Adams is a strong-willed southern captain, in the midst of the American Civil War, whose leadership and heart of fire rally his men to fight for their land. Filled with passion, blood, and tragedy, this is a true story of one man's love for his country and for Eveline McCord, his beloved from the North. 96 min. DVD 8127
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
- Directed by William Dieterle. Featuring Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp, Erin O'Brien Moore, Henry O'Neill, Morris Carnovsky, Louis Calhern. Explores the career of the novelist Emile Zola (1840-1902) who championed the cause of France's oppressed. History knows Emile Zola as the lone man who cried out, "I accuse!," in the famous Dreyfus Case where the French army deliberately persecuted an innocent Jew. 117 min. DVD 6805; vhs 999:2864
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Ludwig II (West Germany, 1955)
- Director, Helmut Kautner. A dramatization of the tragic life of Bavaria's King Ludwig II (1845-1886), from his ascension to the throne to his early death in 1886. 110 min. 999:2962
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Rhodes (1996)
- A biography of Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) who arrived in Africa at the age of eighteen to join the diamond rush but soon conceived another ambition: to bring the entire land under British rule. By the time he was thirty, Rhodes was one of the wealthiest men in the world and ten years later, a new country had been created and named for him, Rhodesia. A candid vision of the birth of apartheid, and the bitter wars that divided a country and devastated its people. Originally produced for PBS television in 1996. 336 min. Video/C 5519
- Burns, James. "Biopics And Politics: The Making and Unmaking of the Rhodes Movies." Biography 2000 23(1): 108-126.
- Sissi (Austria, 1955)
- Director, Ernst Marischka. Cast: Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Bohm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Josef Meinrad, Vilma Degischer.
"Sixteen year old princess Elisabeth, 'Sissi' (1837-1898), follows her mother and sister Helene to the Austrian court in Ischl, where the engagement between Helene and the young emperor Franz Josef will be announced. But he meets Sissi when she's out fishing and falls in love with her. Sissi loves Franz Josef but a marriage with him comes with a bonus, his arrogant and headstrong mother." [Internet Movie Database] 101 min. 999:300
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- They Died with Their Boots On (1981)
- Directed by Raoul Walsh. Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Arthur Kennedy, Charley Grapewin, Gene Lockhart, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Ridges, John Litel, Walter Hampden, Sydney Greenstreet, Regis Toomey, Hattie McDaniel.
Tells the story of General George Armstrong Custer (1839 0 1876)from the time he enters West Point military academy, through the American Civil War and finally to his last days in the battle of Little Big Horn (June 25-26, 1876). 117 min. DVD 4019
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Tombstone (1993)
- Directed by George P. Cosmatos. Cast: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Jason Priestley, Charlton Heston. Presents the life and times of the famous cowboys Marshall Wyatt Earp (1848-1929), and Doc Holliday (1851-1887) as they team up to bring law to the lawless in a showdown with ruthless outlaws at the O.K. Corral, located at the outskirts of Tombstone, Arizona. 130 min. DVD 2290; vhs 999:1828
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie DatabaseMovie Review Query Engine
- Topsy-turvy (UK, 1999)
- Directed by Mike Leigh. Cast: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ron Cook, Wendy Nottingham, Kevin McKidd, Shirley Henderson, Dorothy Atkinson, Martin Savage, Eleanor David.
Tensions abound and the music swells in the story about the famous musical team of William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911) and Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842 - 1900). The two men who were extremely different in size and stature were even more different in temperament and style. Yet, they still managed to create memorable theater. This is the story of the making of one of their most famous collaborations, The Mikado. 161 min. DVD 5476
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Viva Zapata! (1952)
- Directed by Elia Kazan. Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn. Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919), an ally of Pancho Villa, leads the Mexican peasants in a bloody revolt to overthrow a cruel dictator, Diaz. His revolt triumphs, but each successive leader is no better than Diaz. Even Zapata himself ultimately fails as he tragically experiences the corruption of power and the deceit of politicians. 999:776
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Wilde (UK / Germany / Japan, 1997)
- Directed by Brian Gilbert. Cast: Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Wilkinson, Jennifer Ehle, Gemma Jones, Judy Parfitt. Notorious poet and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) devours all that life has to offer, but there's only so much that late Victorian England will tolerate. As Wilde delves into a taboo world of unrealized homosexual desire, his life rapidly becomes a turbulent charade. He cannot escape the repercussions wrought by a "pure" society, nor will he hide in shame for being true to his nature. 116 min. 999:3056
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- The importance of reinventing Oscar : versions of Wilde during the last 100 years / edited by Uwe Boker, Richard Corballis, ... Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, 2002. (Main Stack PR5824.I466 2002)
Holland, Merlin. "The Film Wilde: A Wasted Opportunity?." Wildean: The Journal of the Oscar Wilde Society. 12: 30-33. 1998 Jan.
Waldrep, Shelton. "The Uses and Misuses of Oscar Wilde." In: Victorian afterlife : postmodern culture rewrites the nineteenth century / John Kucich and Dianne F. Sadoff, editors. pp:49-63. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c2000.
(Main Stack PR461.V5 2000)
- Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
- Directed by John Ford. Cast: Henry Fonda, Alice Brady, Marjorie Weaver, Arleen Whelan. Ten formative years in the life of one of America's greatest statesmen are brought vividly to the screen by Henry Fonda in this fictionalized biography of Abraham Lincoln's (1809-1865) early years as a lawyer in Springfield, Ill. 137 min. DVD 5100; vhs 999:1039 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- Fictional Films Set in this time period
- Burn! (Queimada) (Italy / France, 1969) DVD 4642; vhs 999:1205
The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) (Sweden, 1971) vhs 999:1478
The Forsyte Saga (UK, 2002) DVD 2446
Four Feathers (2002) DVD 3325
The Gangs of New York (2002)DVD 1641
Hester Street (1975) DVD 3372; vhs 999:666
Germinal (Belgium / France / Italy, 1993)vhs 999:3286
The Iron Horse (1924) vhs 999:3502
The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) (Italy / France, 1963) DVD 1498
Molly McGuires (1970) DVD 8445; vhs 999:2353
The New Land (Nybyggarna) (Sweden, 1972) vhs 999:1479
Senso (Italy, 1954) vhs 999:1551
Sibirskiy tsiryulnik (Russia / France / Italy / Czech Republic, 1998) DVD 8988
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942) DVD 8306
Zulu (UK, 1964) vhs 999:2721
See also: Westerns
- Civil War and Antebellum South
Band of Angels (1957) vhs 999:2231
Beloved (1998)vhs 999:2288
Birth of a Nation (1915) DVD 1541; vhs 999:1685-1686
Cold Mountain (2003) DVD 2777
Friendly Persuasion (1956) DVD 5562
The General (1927) DVD 112; vhs 999:58
Gone With The Wind (1939) DVD 3133; vhs 999:142
Jezebel (1938) DVD 1468; vhs 999:46
The Little Colonel (1935) DVD 6039; vhs
999:2031
The Littlest Rebel (1935) DVD 6038; vhs
999:1359
Mandingo (1975) vhs 999:3479
NightJohn (1996) vhs 999:2925
Ride with the Devil (1999) DVD 1157
Song of the South (1946) DVD 2767; vhs
999:2084
