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List of historical films set in Near Eastern and Western civilization

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The historical drama or period drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous people. Some historical dramas are docudramas, which attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography to the degree the available historical research will allow. Other historical dramas are fictionalized tales that are based on an actual person and their deeds, such as Braveheart, which is loosely based on the 13th-century knight William Wallace's fight for Scotland's independence.

Due to the sheer volume of films included in this genre and the interest in continuity, this list is primarily focused on films about the history of Near Eastern and Western civilization.

Please also refer to the List of historical films set in Asia for films about the history of East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia.

Films set in the Stone Age (before 3300 BC)

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Title Release date Time Era Time Period Notes on setting
Missing Link 1988 Lower Paleolithic 1 Mya The struggle of the last of the Australopithecine against the rising Homo.
Quest for Fire 1981 Middle Paleolithic 80,000 BC The story is set in Paleolithic Europe, with its plot surrounding the control of fire by archaic humans.
Out of Darkness 2022 Upper Paleolithic 43,000 BC Humans and Neanderthals in Paleolithic Europe.
The Clan of the Cave Bear 1986 Upper Paleolithic 40,000 – 35,000 BC Set around the time of Neanderthal extinction.
Ao: The Last Hunter 2010 Upper Paleolithic 28,000 BC Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals in Paleolithic Asia and Europe.
Alpha 2018 Upper Paleolithic 20,000 BC Dog domestication.
Creatures the World Forgot 1971 Paleolithic not specified The daily struggle to survive of a tribe of prehistoric humans.
Year One 2009 Neolithic Comedy about two hunter-gatherers who after being banished from their tribe encounter Biblical characters and eventually wind up in the city of Sodom.
Conan the Barbarian 1982 Neolithic 32,000 – 10,000 BC Occurs in the pseudo-historical "Hyborian Age", set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the rise of any known ancient civilization.
Conan the Destroyer 1984 Neolithic 32,000 – 10,000 BC
10,000 BC 2008 Neolithic 10,000 BC Set in the prehistoric era (12,000 years ago) and depicts the journeys of a prehistoric tribe of mammoth hunters.
Ice Age 2002 Neolithic 9,000 BC Fictional story about sub-zero heroes: a woolly mammoth, a saber-toothed tiger, and a sloth.
Iceman 2017 Neolithic 3,300 BC Fictional story about the life of Ötzi, a natural mummy of a man found in 1991 in the Ötztal Alps.

Films set in the Bronze Age (3300–1200 BC)

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Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Gods of Egypt 2016 3200 BC A fantasy action film based on the ancient Egyptian deities and the story of the god Horus (Horus may be shown as a falcon on the Narmer Palette, dating from about 3300–3200 BC).
The Scorpion King 2002 3200–3000 BC A fantasy action film based on the historical king of the Protodynastic Period of Egypt, King Scorpion.
The Pharaohs' Woman 1960 3100 BC A beautiful girl and a young physician fall in love amid a family and power struggle between rival princes of Upper and Lower Egypt. Set shortly after the unification of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt by the First Dynasty of Egypt.
Land of the Pharaohs 1956 2589–2566 BC Based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt.
Cleopatra's Daughter 1960 2589–2566 BC Based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt.
Sudan 1945 2558–2532 BC Set during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre (Chephren), a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt.
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior 2008 2334–2284 BC/ 1792 – c. 1750 BC This is a fictional story about Mathayus, who aims to avenge his father's death at the hands of Sargon, now king of Akkad. In this movie, a fictional version of the king Hammurabi of Babylon appears.
The Bible: In the Beginning... 1966 approx. 3761 BC – 1644 BC (according to the Hebrew Calendar) It recounts the first 22 chapters of the biblical Book of Genesis, covering the stories from Adam and Eve to the binding of Isaac.
Sodom and Gomorrah 1962 2100 BC An epic film which is loosely based on the tale of the cities Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis.
The Eloquent Peasant 1970 2160–2025 BC Egyptian short film based on the tale of The Eloquent Peasant from the Middle Kingdom period
Abraham 1993 2100–2000 BC A television film based on the life of the patriarch Abraham.
The Bible 2013 2100 BC – 67 AD Television miniseries based on the Bible, starting with Abraham.
Mohenjo Daro 2016 2016 BC Film set in 2016 BC, in the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro. The historical city was one of the largest settlements of the Indus Valley civilisation, and one of the world's earliest major cities.
Jacob 1994 2000 BC (according to the Hebrew calendar) A German/Italian/American television film based on the novel Giacobbe by Francesco Maria Nappi. The novel is, in turn, based on the depiction of the patriarch Jacob in the Book of Genesis.
Slave of Dreams 1995 1901–1850 BC Set in Ancient Egypt and based on the story of Joseph, a Vizier depicted in the Book of Genesis. The era of the film's setting corresponds to the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt.
Joseph 1995 1901–1850 BC Set in Ancient Egypt and based on the story of Joseph, a Vizier depicted in the Book of Genesis. The era of the film's setting corresponds to the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt.
The Red Tent 2014 1700–1750 BC Miniseries set in The Holy Land during the time of the Old Testament patriarchs of the Book of Genesis. Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob, chronicles her story from youth through adulthood.
Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend 2011 1600 BC Docudrama which depicts a re-enactment of the events surrounding the Minoan eruption, a major catastrophic volcanic eruption in the island of Thera (modern Santorini). The historical eruption devastated the island and communities and agricultural areas on nearby islands and Crete. The event is thought to be connected to a decline and eventual downfall of the Minoan civilization, an incident believed to have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
Atlantis 2013–2015 1600 BC Far from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis.
Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile 1961 1370–1330 BC Set in Ancient Egypt; loosely based on the life of Nefertiti, Great Royal Wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were members of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt and were ruling figures of the Amarna Period.
The Egyptian 1954 1350 BC Based on the novel The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, who adapted the Story of Sinuhe. The film mentions the pharaoh Akhenaten, the Hittite Empire, and iron technology.
Tut 2015 1332–1323 BC The three-part miniseries is based on the life of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, a member of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
Jason and the Argonauts 1963 1300 BC The story of Jason and Argonauts, a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece.
The Giants of Thessaly 1960 1300 BC loosely based on the epic poem Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius.
The Ten Commandments 1956 1290–1213 BC Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014 1290–1213 BC Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
The Prince of Egypt 1998 1290–1213 BC Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Immortals 2011 1228 BC Loosely based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy.
Iphigenia 1977 1200–1150 BC Set in the port town of Aulis, Greece immediately before the Greek expeditionary force set sails to attack Troy. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, king Agamemnon of Mycenae offers his daughter Iphigenia as a human sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The film is based on the theatrical play Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides.
Helen of Troy 1956 1200–1150 BC Set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, largely based on the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey by Homer.
Helen of Troy 2003 1200–1150 BC TV miniseries set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, loosely based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer.
Troy 2004 1200–1150 BC Set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, loosely based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer.
Troy: Fall of a City 2018 1200–1150 BC Miniseries that tells the story of the 10-year siege of Troy.
The Fury of Achilles 1962 1200–1150 BC Set in western Anatolia in the 9th year of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer. King Agamemnon of Mycenae has lost his slave concubine Chryseis, and demands Briseis as a replacement concubine. Briseis is the slave concubine of Achilles, the leader of the Myrmidons, and Achilles feels insulted due to having to give her up to his superior. In retaliation, Achilles refuses to fight or lead his troops alongside the other Greek forces. The Trojans temporarily start gaining an advantage in the ongoing war.
The Trojan Horse 1961 1200–1150 BC Set in western Anatolia in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War.
The Trojan Women 1971 1200–1150 BC Set in the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the theatrical play The Trojan Women by Euripides. The city of Troy has been sacked and the victors of the war are taking decisions on the fates of surviving captives. The film focuses on the fates of female captives Hecuba, Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen of Sparta. Meanwhile, Astyanax, the underage heir to the Trojan throne and relative of all four women, is scheduled for execution.
Ulysses 1954 1200–1150 BC Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer. It depicts the ten-year struggle of war veteran Odysseus to return home to the island of Ithaca following the war.
The Odyssey 1968 1200–1150 BC Based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer.
The Odyssey 1997 1200–1150 BC Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer. It depicts the ten-year struggle of war veteran Odysseus to return home to the island of Ithaca following the war.
Electra 1962 1200–1150 BC Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War in Mycenae, based on the theatrical play Electra by Euripides and the traditional accounts of conflicts within the family of the Atreidai. Agamemnon, King of Mycenae returned victorious from the Trojan War, but was assassinated by his own wife Clytemnestra and by his first cousin Aegisthus (who served as Clytemnestra's lover and a rival claimant to the throne). Years, later Electra (the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra) seeks revenge for her father's murder, by plotting the assassinations of both her mother and her stepfather.
The Lion of Thebes 1964 1200–1150 BC Alternate tale where Helen of Troy end up in the Egyptian city of Thebes
The Avenger 1962 1200–1150 BC Aeneas struggles to establish a new home-land in the Italian Peninsula for his fellow survivors of the Trojan War. The film is based on the epic poem Aeneid by Virgil, which depicts Aeneas and his Trojan colonists as ancestor of the Romans.

Films set in the Iron Age (1200 BC–500 BC)

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Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Samson and Delilah 1949 1118–1078 BC A romantic biblical drama film which depicts the story of Samson, a strongman whose secret lies in his uncut hair, and his love for Delilah, the woman who seduces him. Samson and Delilah are characters in the Book of Judges, where Samson is depicted as the last of the Biblical judges in its narrative, and Delilah as a woman of Nahal Sorek who was bribed by the lords of the Philistines to learn his secrets.
Samson 2018 1118–1078 BC Samson is a 2018 Biblical drama film directed by Bruce Macdonald and inspired by the story of Samson in the Book of Judges.
Pharaoh 1966 1069 BC Set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of a fictitious king "Ramses XIII" (there were only 11 kings by that name). The film is based on the novel Pharaoh by Bolesław Prus, and depicts the final years of the historical Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. Ramses XIII rises to the throne when still in his 20s, following the deaths of his father, and the incapacitating illnesses and (one suicide) of a number of older brothers. Egypt is in decline due to a combination of internal and external threats, and Ramses is pushing for necessary reforms but his efforts are resisted by the powerful, bureaucratic priesthood. Ramses dies young, before accomplishing his goals. His political rival "Herhor" (the historical Herihor) succeeds him on the throne and attempts some of the same reforms, but still fails to rescue Egypt from its decline.
King David 1985 1040–970 BC Set in Late Canaan, it depicts the life and reign of David, Kings of Israel. Based on the Books of Samuel. David is the supposed founder of the House of David (Davidic line).
A Story of David 1960 1040–970 BC Set in Late Canaan, it depicts the complex relationship between Saul, Kings of Israel and his son-in-law and eventual successor David. Based on the Books of Samuel, where Saul is depicted as the founder of the Kingdom of Israel.
David and Goliath 1960 1040–970 BC Set in the Canaan, focused on the conflict between rival kings Saul and Asrod, and their representatives in champion warfare: David and Goliath of Gath. Based on the Books of Samuel, which depict Achish as a king of Gath who was in conflict with Saul and recruited David to serve in his army.
David and Bathsheba 1951 1040–970 BC Set in Late Canaan, during the reign of David, Kings of Israel. David is married to Michal, daughter of his predecessor Saul. David has an extramarital affair with Bathsheba, wife of the soldier Uriah the Hittite. Uriah is one of David's Mighty Warriors (a group of soldiers personally loyal to David), but David arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle and then claims Bathsheba as his new wife. Based on the Books of Samuel.
The Queen of Sheba 1952 1011–931 BC Set in the Kingdom of Israel, during the reign of Solomon.
Solomon and Sheba 1959 1011–931 BC Set in the Kingdom of Israel, during the reign of Solomon, Kings of Israel. Solomon forms a political alliance with the Queen of Sheba, becomes a lover of his new ally, and introduces pagan rituals in his kingdom. His exiled half-brother Adonijah offers his military services to Ancient Egypt and leads an Egyptian army in an invasion of Kingdom of Israel. The events of the film are loosely based on narratives from the Books of Kings and the Books of Chronicles. The Books of Kings depict Adonijah and Solomon as sons of David and rival claimants to the throne of Israel, but do not feature Adonijah as loyal to Egypt. Instead, Solomon himself is traditionally depicted as an ally of Egypt and as husband of a Pharaoh's daughter.
Sins of Jezebel 1953 874–853 BC Set in the Kingdom of Northern Israel in Samaria, during the reign of Ahab, Kings of Israel. The film depicts the reign of the Omrides, based on Books of Kings and the Books of Chronicles. Jezebel, Ahab's queen consort, is depicted as having an extramarital affair with the military commander Jehu. This contradicts the traditional narrative, where Jezebel never has extramarital affairs and where she is assassinated by Jehu during the coup d'état which elevated him to the throne.
I Am Semiramis 1963 810 BC Set in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, during the reign of semi-legendary queen Semiramis. The legends are in part based on the historical Shammuramat, queen consort of Shamshi-Adad V and regent for her son Adad-nirari III.
King Lear (many adaptations) 1905– 800 BC Celtic Britain
Romulus 2020– 800 BC Set in the 8th century BC, narrates the events preceding the founding of Rome.
Duel of the Titans 1961 753 BC Based on the story of Romulus and Remus, and the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom.
The First King: Birth of an Empire 2019 753 BC Set in the 8th century BC, it is about the shepherd brothers Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome.
Romulus and the Sabines 1961 750 BC Based on the Rape of the Sabine Women, an origin myth for the Roman Kingdom. Shortly after the founding of the kingdom and the start of the reign of Romulus, Rome still lacks a female population and its residents can not reproduce. Romulus organizes bride kidnappings from neighboring people, primarily targeting the Sabines. This leads to a war between the Roman and Sabines, and the eventual assimilation of the Sabines by the Romans.
The Rape of the Sabine Women 1962 750 BC Adaptation of the Roman foundation myth about the abduction of Sabine women by the Romans shortly after the foundation of the city of Rome.
Head of a Tyrant 1959 668-627 BC Set in the Neo-Assyrian Empire during the rule of Ashurbanipal. Based on the Book of Judith
Duel of Champions 1961 650 BC Based on the Roman legend of the Horatii, set in the reign of Tullus Hostilius. The Roman Kingdom is at war with the city of Alba Longa and the outcome will by decided by champion warfare. Rome sends three brothers from gens Horatia and Alba Longa sends three brothers from gens Curiatia gens. Publius Horatius emerges as the sole survivor of the combat, and Alba Longa is annexed by the Roman Kingdom.
War Gods of Babylon 1962 627 BC Set in the Neo-Assyrian Empire; focusing largely on Sardanapalus (probably the Greek name for Ashurbanipal, but anachronistically including Zoroaster (11th–10th century BC) and Hammurabi (1792–1750 BC).
The Book of Daniel 2013 605 BC In 605 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and many of their best young men were taken into captivity, including Daniel.
The Queen of Babylon 1954 600 BC Set in the Neo-Babylonian Empire, depicts Semiramis as a Babylonian queen.
The Warrior Empress 1960 600 BC Features a loose portrayal of the Archaic Greek poet Sappho
Tomyris 2019 600 – 530 BC The film is based on the story of Herodotus about the death of the Persian King Cyrus the Great during the war with Massagetae, which was commanded by the queen Tomiris.
The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules 1963 539 BC A fictionalized account of the downfall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and its conquest by the Achaemenid Empire under the Cyrus the Great. The cruel Balthazar (Belshazzar) has usurped the Babylonian throne and rules through state terrorism. He systematically offers young women as human sacrifice to his gods. Nippur, a descendant of former king Sargon II, fails to stop the usurper on his own. His life is saved by Zairus (Cyrus the Great) and he agrees to help the Persian king in his campaign to conquer Babylon. The historical Belshazzar was a son of king Nabonidus and served as a regent in his father's absence, but never became a king in his own right. During Cyrus' conquest, Nabonidus was captured and his life apparently spared, but Belshazzar may have died during the fall of the city.[1]
Hero of Rome 1964 509 BC The story combines the Roman legends of Gaius Mucius Scaevola and the expulsion of king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. In the film, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus has already been deposed, and the Roman Kingdom has been replaced by a Roman Republic. Lars Porsena, King of Clusium wages war against the Republic in an attempt to restore his ally Tarquinius to the throne. The Roman Senate offers the military leadership to Gaius Mucius Scaevola, a recently released prisoner of war whose right hand is permanently disabled. Scaevola trains himself to fight with his left hand, and leads his troops to victory against Lars Porsena.
Coriolanus: Hero without a Country 1964 493 BC The Roman legend of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. Coriolanus is a Roman general who distinguishes himself in a war between the Roman Republic and the Volsci. When the aristocratic Coriolanus proposes political reforms which will severely reduce the rights of the plebs, most of the Romans turn against him and he is exiled. The vengeful Coriolanus offers his military services to the Volsci, and leads an invasion army against Rome. Coriolanus refuses requests for a peaceful resolution by his former countrymen, but changes his mind when the Romans send his own mother and his wife as their representatives.

Films set in the Classical Era (500 BC – 600 AD)

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Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Giant of Marathon 1959 490 BC Greece: Battle of Marathon
Esther and the King 1960 486–482 BC the biblical story of Esther set in the Achaemenid Empire
One Night with the King 2006 486–482 BC the biblical story of Esther set in the Achaemenid Empire
The 300 Spartans 1961 480 BC Greece: Battle of Thermopylae
300 2007 480 BC Greece: Battle of Thermopylae
300: Rise of an Empire 2014 480 BC Greece: Battle of Salamis
Amazons of Rome 1961 476 BC Based on the legend of Cloelia
Damon and Pythias 1962 400 BC Syracuse, Sicily
Socrates 1971 399 BC A false accusation leads the philosopher Socrates to trial and condemnation in 5th century BC Athens.
Brennus, Enemy of Rome 1963 387 BC the Gallic sack of Rome
Hercules 2014 358 BC An American action fantasy adventure film based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, which presents a realistic and more human version of Hercules.
Alexander the Great 1956 356–323 BC Ancient kingdom of Macedonia and Persia
Alexander 2004 356–323 BC Ancient kingdom of Macedonia and Persia
The Goddess of Love 1957 339–338 BC Athens during the campaigns of Philip II
The Cleopatras 1983 305–30 BC Egypt – The entire Ptolemaic dynasty
The Colossus of Rhodes 1961 280 BC Fictional account of the island of Rhodes during its Classical period in the late third century before coming under Roman control
Gladiators Seven 1964 280 BC Sparta during the Achaean League
The Loves of Salammbo 1960 241–237 BC loosely based on the novel Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert.
Revak the Rebel 1960 218 BC Iberian Peninsula immediately before the Second Punic War
Cabiria 1914 (silent) 218–202 BC during the Second Punic War
Jupiter's Darling 1955 218–202 BC during the Second Punic War
Hannibal 1959 218–202 BC during the Second Punic War
Hannibal – Rome's Worst Nightmare 2006 218–202 BC during the Second Punic War
Siege of Syracuse 1960 214–212 BC the Roman Siege of Syracuse during the Second Punic War
Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal 1937 202 BC Battle of Zama which ended the Second Punic War
Scipio the African 1971 185 BC About the later life of Scipio.
The Old Testament 1962 167–141 BC based on the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire
Carthage in Flames 1960 149–146 BC Depicts the last of the Punic Wars between the Roman Republic and Carthage.
The Centurion 1961 146 BC Battle of Corinth between Rome and the Achaean League
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire 2006 146 BC–410 AD From Tiberius Gracchus to the Sack of Rome (410). BBC Docu-drama.
Julius Caesar 2002 100–44 BC a bio-pic of Julius Caesar, not the Shakespeare play about his death and the aftermath
Burebista 1980 82–44 BC The reign of King Burebista of Dacia (modern day Romania)
Julius Caesar Against the Pirates 1962 75 BC loosely based on actual events from the early life of Julius Caesar.
Sins of Rome 1953 73–71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators 1964 73–71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus 1960 73–71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus 2004 73–71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus 2010–2013 73–71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
The Revenge of Spartacus 1965 70 BC set shortly after de death of Spartacus
Caesar the Conqueror 1962 58–50 BC Julius Caesar leads the Roman army to battle against rebels in Gaul.
Slave of Rome 1961 58–50 BC Set in Gaul during the Gallic Wars
Druids 2001 58–51 BC the struggle between Julius Caesar and Vercingetorix in the Gallic Wars
Giants of Rome 1964 52 BC The film involves a group of soldiers infiltrating the enemy's stronghold to locate and destroy a secret weapon prior to the Battle of Alesia.
Rome 2005–2007 52–30 BC from the end of the Gallic Wars to the death of Mark Antony and the beginning of the Principate
Imperium: Augustus 2003 49 BC–14 AD Rome – the life of Augustus, the first emperor
Revolt of the Barbarians 1964 49 BC Rome – shortly after the Gallic Wars
The Slave 1962 48 BC Unofficial sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film Spartacus
A Queen for Caesar 1962 48 BC Egypt leading up to the arrival of Julius Caesar
Caesar and Cleopatra 1945 48–47 BC Egypt during the stay of Julius Caesar
Cleopatra 1917 48–30 BC Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Cleopatra 1934 48–30 BC Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Cleopatra 1963 48–30 BC Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Cleopatra 1999 48–30 BC Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Julius Caesar (many adaptations) 1908– 44–42 BC Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator
Antony and Cleopatra (many adaptations) 1908– 44–30 BC Shakespeare's play about the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Legions of the Nile 1959 44–30 BC Egypt during the reign of Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Two Nights with Cleopatra 1954 44–30 BC Egypt during the reign of Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Serpent of the Nile 1953 44–30 BC Tells the story of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and her relationship with the Roman general Mark Anthony from just after the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Empire 2005 44 BC Covers the struggle of a young Octavius to become the first emperor of Rome.
Domina 2021 43–22 BC The life and rise of Livia Drusilla, the powerful wife of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.
Herod the Great 1959 37–4 BC Herodian Kingdom of Judea during the reign of Herod the Great
The Cantabrians 1980 29 BC About the Cantabrian Wars during the final stage of the two-century long Roman conquest of Hispania.
The Caesars 1967 27 BC–68 AD Rome – the Julio-Claudian dynasty
I, Claudius 1976 12 BC–54 AD Rome – the reigns and family life of the Julio-Claudians
The Nativity Story 2006 4 BC Province of Judaea – The Biblical account of the nativity of Jesus, following the story of Mary and Joseph until the birth of Jesus occurs.
Desert Desperadoes 1959 4 BC Province of Judaea – during the reign of Herod the Great
King of Kings 1961 4 BC to 30–33 AD Province of Judaea – Dramatization of the story of Jesus of Nazareth from his birth and ministry to his crucifixion and resurrection.
Jesus of Nazareth 1977 4 BC to 30–33 AD Province of Judaea – the life of Jesus Christ
The Sword and the Cross 1958 4 BC to 30–33 AD Province of Judaea – the relationship between Maria Magdalene and Jesus Christ
Salome 1953 4 BC to 30–33 AD Province of Judaea – during the reign of Herod II (son of Herod the Great) and princess Herodias
Monty Python's Life of Brian 1979 6-4 BC to 30 AD Province of Judaea - Comedy parodying the life of Jesus Christ, through a man who lived his life parallel to Jesus.[2][3]
Massacre in the Black Forest 1967 9 AD Germany – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where the Cherusci ambushed and annihilated three Roman legions.
Barbarians 2020 9 AD Series is a fictional account of events during the Roman Empire's occupation of Germania, and the resulting rebellion of the Germanic tribes led by Arminius.
Ben-Hur 1959 26–30 AD Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Ben-Hur 2016 26–30 AD Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
The Last Temptation of Christ 1988 27–30 AD Province of Judaea – the life of Jesus Christ
The Robe 1953 30–36 Rome – ending reign of Tiberius, the beginning of Caligula
Pontius Pilate 1962 33 AD Province of Judaea – The events surrounding the Passion of Jesus Christ focusing on Pontius Pilate.
The Passion of the Christ 2004 33 AD Province of Judaea – The final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life
Risen 2016 33 AD Province of Judaea – Immediately after Jesus' crucifixion
Barabbas 1961 33–64 Rome – ending reign of Tiberius, the reign of Nero
Imperium: Saint Peter 2005 33–67 Saint Peter
A.D. The Bible Continues 2015 33–41 Beginning with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and continues with the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts.
The Inquiry 2006 37 Province of Judaea - shortly after the death of Jesus
Caligula 1979 37–41 Rome – the reign of the third emperor
Caligula... The Untold Story 1982 41 Rome – the end of Caligula's reign
Demetrius and the Gladiators 1954 41 Ancient Rome – the end of Caligula's reign
Messalina 1951 41–48 Rome – about the reign of Messalina and Claudius
Messalina 1960 41–48 Rome – about the reign of Messalina and Claudius
Nero 2004 41–68 Rome – spanning the reigns of Claudius and Nero
Britannia 2018 43 Set in AD 43, the series follows the Roman conquest of Britain
St. Thomas 1975 52–72 Rome – low budget Indian film on the missionary work of Thomas the Apostle in India.
Quo Vadis 1951 54–68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Quo Vadis 1985 54–68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Quo Vadis 2001 54–68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Nero and the Burning of Rome 1953 54–68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Nero's Mistress 1956 55 depicts a visit by the Roman Emperor Nero and his entourage to a coastal villa.
The Viking Queen 1967 60 Britain – loosely based on the revolt of Boudica
Boudica 2003 60 Britain – a rebellion shortly after the area had been conquered by Rome
Boudica 2023 60 Britain – a rebellion shortly after the area had been conquered by Rome
Pompeii 2014 62–79 Pompeii in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
The Sign of the Cross 1932 64 Persecution of the Christians immediately after the Great Fire of Rome
Fire Over Rome 1965 65 Rome during the reign of Nero
Alone Against Rome 1962 66 Rome during the reign of Nero
The Ten Gladiators 1963 68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Challenge of the Gladiator 1965 68 Rome during the reign of Nero
The Dovekeepers 2015 70 Judea – the Siege of Masada during the First Jewish–Roman War
Masada 1981 72–73 Roman province of Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War
The Last Days of Pompeii 1950 79 Pompeii in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
The Last Days of Pompeii 1959 79 Pompeii in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
79 A.D. 1962 79 Pompeii in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Pompeii: The Last Day 2003 79 Docu-drama that tells of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD
Dacii 1967 86–87 Dacia (modern Romania) – Domitian's Dacian War
The Apocalypse 2002 90–96 RomeEphesus
Revolt of the Praetorians 1964 96 Rome – the assassination of Domitian
Gold for the Caesars 1963 96 Rome – During the reign of Domitian
The Column 1968 105–106 the Roman emperor Trajan conquering Dacia
Centurion 2010 117 Roman Britain – the supposed fate of the Ninth Legion
Le schiave di Cartagine 1956 120 Set in Tarsus, in the Roman province of Cilicia
The Eagle 2011 140 Roman Britain – a young Roman man attempts to find out what happened to his father and the Ninth Legion
Androcles and the Lion 1952 161 Rome – Based on the 1912 George Bernard Shaw play of the same name.
The Two Gladiators 1964 180–192 Rome during the reign of Commodus
The Rebel Gladiators 1962 180–192 Rome during the reign of Commodus
The Fall of the Roman Empire 1964 180–192 Rome during the reign of Commodus
Gladiator 2000 180–192 Rome – spanning the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus
Sword of the Empire 1964 190 Rome during the reign of Commodus
Three Swords for Rome 1964 222 Rome during the reign of Elagabalus
The Magnificent Gladiator 1964 260–268 Rome during the reign of Gallienus
Sheba and the Gladiator 1959 260–273 Rome and the Palmyrene Empire during the reigns of Aurelian and Zenobia
Santa Barbara (film) 2012 273–306 Rome the story of Saint Barbara, a Christian martyr
Sebastiane 1976 288 Rome Low-budget homo-erotic film about Saint Sebastian
Constantine and the Cross 1962 306–312 Rome's first Christian emperor from the death of Constantius Chlorus to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
Katherine of Alexandria 2012 307 Roman province of Egypt shortly before the legalization of Christianity
Fabiola 1949 312 Rome early in the reign of Constantine I
The Revolt of the Slaves 1960 312 Rome early in the reign of Constantine I
The Fall of Rome 1963 337 Rome based on the persecution of Christians after the death of Emperor Constantine
Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire 2010 354–430 Roman province of Africa – focusing on the life of Augustine of Hippo, and including the Vandal conquest of Carthage
Agora 2009 360–415 Life and death of scientist/philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and the destruction of the Library.
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend 2000 387–493 Ireland and Roman Britain during the life of Saint Patrick
Roar 1997 400 IrelandCeltic warriors attempt to repel a fictitious Roman invasion
Hagbard and Signe 1967 5th century Scandinavia during the Germanic Heroic Age
Arthur of the Britons 1972–1973 5th century Britain after the Roman withdrawal
Sign of the Pagan 1954 406–453 Rome – the Huns conquests and the downfall of the Roman Empire
Attila 1954 406–453 Rome – the Hunnic leader up to his retreat from the Po river
Attila 2001 406–453 Rome – the life and death of the famous Hunnic leader
Tharus Son of Attila 1962 454 Set shortly after the reign of Attila
Revenge of the Barbarians 1960 410 the Visigothic sack of Rome
The Voyage Home 2004 415 Rome – loosely based on the 5th-century poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus
Die Nibelungen 1924 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Die Nibelungen 1966–1967 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Ring of the Nibelungs 2004 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried
King Arthur 2004 452–467 the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the Battle of Mount Badon
Revenge of The Gladiators 1964 454 the Vandal sack of Rome
The Last Legion 2007 476–490 connecting (in heavily fictionalized fashion) the deposition of the last Roman emperor Romulus Augustus by Odoacer with the Battle of Mount Badon
The Mists of Avalon 2001 late 5th – early 6th centuries heavily fictionalized story of King Arthur
Lovespell 1981 6th century Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult
Fire and Sword 1982 6th century Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult
Tristan & Isolde 2006 6th century Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult
Grendel Grendel Grendel 1981 6th century animated film based on the 1971 novel Grendel, retelling the Anglo-Saxon poem from the monster's perspective
Beowulf & Grendel 2005 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf
Grendel 2007 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – very loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf
Beowulf 2007 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf
Hamlet 1948 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – adaptation of the Shakespeare play based on the Danish legend of Amleth
Hamlet 1964 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – this is a Russian adaptation of the Shakespeare play based on the Danish legend of Amleth
Ophelia 2018 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – follows the story of Hamlet from Ophelia's perspective
Prince of Jutland 1994 6th century Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – legend of Amleth from the Danish Gesta Danorum
Teodora 1921 500–548 Byzantine empress Theodora
Theodora, Slave Empress 1954 500–548 Byzantine empress Theodora
The Last Roman 1968/1969 526–553 the Ostrogoths' struggle against the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and his generals Belisarius and Narses – adaption of a novel by Felix Dahn
Sword of the Conqueror 1961 567–572 Alboin and the Lombard invasion of Italy
Goliath and the Barbarians 1959 568 the Lombard invasion of Italy
The Message 1976 570–632 Arabian Peninsula – the life of Muhammad
The Messenger of God 2015 570–632 Arabian Peninsula – the life of Muhammad
Omar 2012 595–644 the life of Omar ibn Al-Khattab, one of the companions of Muhammad

Films set in the medieval era (600–1500)

[edit]

Early Middle Ages (7th–10th centuries)

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
The Lady of Heaven 2021 605–632 Arabia Biopic about Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad
681 AD: The Glory of Khan 1981 632–681 Bulgaria Epic about the fall of Old Great Bulgaria and the creation of First Bulgarian Empire; focuses on Kanasubigi Asparuh's life
Al Qadisiyya 1981 636 Sasanian Empire Depicts the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
Redbad 2018 c.680–719 Frisia a Dutch drama film based on the life of Redbad, King of the Frisians, who is often considered the last independent ruler of Frisia before Frankish domination
Outlander 2008 709 Scandinavia Loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, adapted to a science-fiction backstory involving a spaceship crashing in Iron Age Norway
Charlemagne, le prince à cheval 1993 768–800 France Charlemagne's reign up to his coronation as emperor in 800
Roland the Mighty 1956 778 France Roland, a knight of Charlemagne's court who was killed at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass
Erik the Conqueror 1961 786–806 England Two estranged brothers confront each other as rivals when war breaks out between Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the Vikings.
Vikings 2013–2020 793–825 Western Europe Series inspired by the sagas of Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of England and France.
An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God 2003 800 Poland The death of Popiel and the rise of Piast the Wheelwright
The Gaelic King 2017 800 Scotland Tells the story of warrior-king Alpin. When his young brother is captured, Alpin must hunt the kidnappers though a dark forest that hides an ancient evil.
Attack of the Normans 1962 early 9th century England set in England during the Viking Age ("Normans" in the title being used in its original continental sense, meaning "Vikings")
Útlaginn 1981 9th century Iceland Adaptation of the saga of Gisli Sursson
Pope Joan 1972 9th–11th century France, Italy Fictitious medieval legend of a woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to the status of Pope in the Middle Ages.
Pope Joan 2009 814–855 France, Italy Fictitious medieval legend of a woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to the status of Pope in the Middle Ages.
The Vikings 1958 860s England highly fictionalized account of the death of Ragnar Lodbrok and the subsequent invasion of Northumbria by two of his sons
The Last Kingdom 2015–2022 866–920 England Viking Age
Alfred the Great 1969 870–899 England Alfred the Great, king of Wessex repels the army of Guthrum and begins the unification of England
A Viking Saga 2008 870s Russia The Rus prince Oleg of Novgorod defeats Askold and Dir
The Northman 2022 895 Scandinavia Set in the Viking Age
The Conquest 1996 896 Hungary About the Magyar settlement in Hungary
When the Raven Flies 1984 897 Iceland Set in the Viking Age
Pathfinder 1987 900 Finnmark Based on a Sami legend
In the Shadow of the Raven 1988 900 Iceland Set in the Viking Age
The 13th Warrior 1999 922 Kievan Rus' blends elements of the historical account of the travels of Ahmad ibn Fadlan (AD 922), the legend of Beowulf (6th century), and the Kurosawa film Seven Samurai
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die 2023 924–937 England Set in the Viking Age
The Legend of Princess Olga 1983 950–1015 Kievan Rus' Olga of Kiev, the princess of Kievan Rus in the middle of the 10th century, the first of the Russian rulers to adopt Christianity.
Vikings: Valhalla 2022–2023 950–1066 Western Europe Set one hundred years after the events of Vikings, the series chronicles the beginning of the end of the Viking Age, marked by the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.
The Castilian 1963 930–970 Spain Ferdinand Gonzalez: an early hero of the Spanish Reconquista
Viking 2016 976–1016 Kievan Rus' Biopic of Vladimir I of Kiev, the ruler of the Kievan Rus', depicting his year in exile after his father's death and his subsequent rise to power
Gniazdo 1974 972 Poland about Mieszko I of Poland
The Ceremony of Innocence 1970 978–1016 England a fictionalized version of the reign of Æthelred the Unready
Prince Vladimir 2006 980–1015 Kievan Rus Vladimir I of Kiev
The Long Ships 1964 982–990 Scandinavia, Africa A vagabond Viking adventurer and a Moor both compete to find "The Mother of All Voices", a legendary golden bell near the Pillars of Hercules.
White Viking 1991 995–1000 Iceland and Norway Set in the Viking Age during the reign of Olaf Tryggvason of Norway and his project to Christianize Norway and Iceland.
The Viking Sagas 1995 late 10th, early 11th centuries Iceland Borrows elements from several Icelandic sagas, most notably Laxdœla saga and Njáls saga

Films set in the 11th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
The Viking 1928 1000 Norway, North America Leif Ericson and the expedition to North America
Severed Ways 2009 1007 America Two Scandinavians left behind in North America after the settlements made by Leif Ericson were abandoned
The Physician 2013 1021–1041 England - Kakuyid Persia In 11th-century England, a travelling barber surgeon attempted to supply medical care to the ordinary population decided to meet the famous doctor Ibn Sina in Isfahan, the most important school for aspiring practitioners in the world at that time.
William the Conqueror 2015 1034–1066 France the life of William of Normandy prior to the Norman conquest
William the Conqueror 1982 1035–1066 France, England William the Conqueror from his recognition as Duke of Normandy to his coronation as King of England
El Cid 1961 1040–1099 Spain / Kingdom of Castile Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, an 11th-century Spanish warrior known as El Cid
El Cid 2020–2021 1040–1099 Spain / Kingdom of Castile Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, an 11th-century Spanish warrior known as El Cid
Macbeth 1908 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1909 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1909 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1911 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1913 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1915 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
The Real Thing at Last 1916 1050s Scotland Satirical silent movie based on the play Macbeth
Macbeth 1916 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1922 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1948 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1954 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Throne of Blood 1957 1050s Japan (Scotland) Transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth from Medieval Scotland to feudal Japan
Macbeth 1960 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1960 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1961 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1971 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1979 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1981 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1982 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 1987 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 2004 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 2006 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 2010 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth 2015 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
The Tragedy of Macbeth 2021 1050s Scotland Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Lady Godiva of Coventry 1955 1050s England an English noble woman who allegedly rode naked through the streets of Coventry in protest of unfair taxation
The War Lord 1965 1060 Normandy A Norman duke sends one of his knights to build a defensive fortress in order to guard the borders against Frisian raiders.
1066: The Battle for Middle Earth 2009 1066 England The Norman Conquest of England through the eye of ordinary people in the village of Crowhurst
Valhalla Rising 2009 1069 Scandinavian Scotland, North America Follows a Norse warrior named One-Eye and a boy as they travel with a band of Christian Crusaders by ship in the hopes of finding the Holy Land.
The Crusaders 1911 1096–1099 Jerusalem Depicts the Siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade
The Mighty Crusaders 1958 1096–1099 Jerusalem Depicts the Siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade
Rytsarskiy roman 2000 1096–1099 Byzantine Empire First Crusade
The Crusaders 2001 1096–1099 Italy and the Levant First Crusade

Films set in the 12th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Vision 2009 1098–1179 Holy Roman Empire The life of Benedictine nun and Medieval German Roman Catholic Saint Hildegard von Bingen
Stealing Heaven 1988 1120 France Peter Abelard and Héloïse
The Pillars of the Earth 2010 1120–1170 England during the civil wars between King Stephen and his cousin Maud
Didgori: Land of Sacrificed Knights 2009 1121 Kingdom of Georgia Battle of Didgori, in which Georgia's king David IV defeated the Seljuks
Destiny 1997 1126–1198 Spain about Averroes, the 12th-century philosopher from Muslim-controlled Andalusia in Spain whose commentaries would become a staple for subsequent generations of students of Aristotle in Europe
The Devil's Crown 1978 1154–1216 England During the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John
Becket 1964 1155–1170 England archbishop Thomas Becket, once a close personal friend of Henry II
The Flame and the Arrow 1950 1155–1190 Northern Italy Dardo, a Robin Hood-like figure, and his loyal followers use a Roman ruin in Medieval Lombardy as their headquarters as they conduct an insurgency against their Hessian conquerors.
Nemanjić Dynasty: The Birth of the Kingdom 2018 1165–1227 Serbia Serbian historical drama television series about the Serbian medieval dynasty Nemanjići
Murder in the Cathedral 1951 1170 England Fictionalized account of the last moment of Archbishop Thomas Becket immediately before his murder in the Canterbury Cathedral
Richard the Lionheart 2013 1173 England King Henry II decides to evaluate the courage of his son Richard the Lionheart, his possible successor.
Barbarossa 2009 1176 Northern Italy Battle of Legnano
Arn – The Knight Templar 2007 1179–1187 Kingdom of Jerusalem a Swedish knight is sent to Jerusalem as penance while his lover languishes in a convent
The Flowers of St. Francis 1950 1181–1226 Italy Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi 1961 1181–1226 Italy Francis of Assisi
Brother Sun, Sister Moon 1972 1181–1226 Italy Francis of Assisi
Francesco 1989 1181–1226 Italy Francis of Assisi
The Lion in Winter 1968 1183 Chinon, Angevin Empire (France) Henry II is in power as his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine plots with their sons
The Lion in Winter 2003 1183 Chinon, Angevin Empire (France) Henry II is in power as his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine plots with their sons
Kingdom of Heaven 2005 1183–1190 Kingdom of Jerusalem events which led to the Third Crusade (the Battle of Hattin and the Siege of Jerusalem)
Soldier of God 2005 1187 Kingdom of Jerusalem a Templar who has survived the Battle of Hattin
Saladin 1963 1187–1192 Levant events leading up to and including the Third Crusade
Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End 2008 1187–1205 The Levant and Sweden following the Battle of Hattin, the knight returns home to Sweden and participates in the civil wars
Richard the Lion-Hearted 1992 1189 Levant based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman and set in the Third Crusade
The Crusades 1935 1190–1192 Levant About the Third Crusade
Richard the Lion-Hearted 1923 1190 Levant based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman and set in the Third Crusade
Robin Hood 1912 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin Hood 1922 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart after his release from captivity in 1194
The Story of Robin Hood 1952 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
The Arrows of Robin Hood 1975 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin of Sherwood 1984 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin Hood 1991 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 1991 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart after his release from captivity in 1194
Robin Hood: Men in Tights 1993 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin Hood - fourth arrow 1997 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
The New Adventures of Robin Hood 1997 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
Robin Hood 2006 1190s England During the life of Richard the Lionheart
King Richard and the Crusaders 1954 1191 Levant While leading the Third Crusade, King Richard Lionheart battles treachery in his own camp as well as the Saracens and their charismatic leader Saladin.
Ivanhoe 1913 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1913 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1952 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1958 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
The Revenge of Ivanhoe 1965 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1970 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1982 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe 1983 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Young Ivanhoe 1995 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Ivanhoe 1997 1192 England adaptation of the novel by Sir Walter Scott about the English knight who returns from the Third Crusade to find that his name has been falsely slandered
Robin Hood 2010 1199 England from the death of Richard the Lionheart until the early reign of King John
Robin and Marian 1976 1199–1201 England from the death of Richard the Lionheart until the early reign of King John

Films set in the 13th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Valley of the Bees 1968 13th century Kingdom of Bohemia The film follows a young man who's sent to join Teutonic order by his father.
Diriliş: Ertuğrul 2014 early-to-late 13th century Anatolia 13th century Turkish warrior Ertuğrul agrees to fight the enemies of Seljuk Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I in exchange for land when a good deed endangers his clan. It centres around the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I, who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire
The Last King 2016 1204 Norway Set during the civil war era in Norway during the 13th-century, centers on the efforts of the Birkebeiner loyalists to protect the infant, Haakon Haakonsson, the heir to the Norwegian throne after the death of his father, King Haakon Sverresson.
Gates to Paradise 1968 1212 France the ill-fated Children's Crusade
Ironclad 2011 1215 England the siege of Rochester Castle during the First Baron's War
Eye of the Eagle 1997 1218 Denmark Adventure film about the prince of Denmark stopping a conspiracy to seize the crown
Ironclad: Battle for Blood 2014 1221 England A survivor of the Great Siege of Rochester Castle fights to save his clan from Celtic raiders. A sequel to the 2011 film, Ironclad.
The Tartars 1962 1236–1242 Kievan Rus' Mongol invasion of Russia
Prince Daniil Galitsky 1987 1238–1253 Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia King Daniel of Galicia, the first King of Rus'.
King Danylo – Kingdom Of Swords 2018 1238–1253 Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia King Daniel of Galicia, the first King of Rus'.
The Mongols 1961 1240-1241 Kingdom of Poland Mongol invasion of Poland
Alexander Nevsky 1938 1241 North-eastern Europe Prince Alexander Nevsky and the Battle of the Ice
The Adventures of Marco Polo 1938 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco Polo 1962 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco the Magnificent 1965 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco 1973 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco Polo 1975 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco Polo 1982 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco Polo 2007 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Marco Polo 2014–2016 1254–1325 China the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Northern Crusades 1972 1260–1273 Prussia the Great Prussian Uprising against the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades
King Mindaugas (Valdžia) 1992 1263 Lithuania Two-part psychological costume drama about the life of Lithuanian king Mindaugas based on a play by Latvian playwright Mārtiņš Zīverts, aired by Lithuania's national broadcaster.
Knights of the Quest 2001 1271 Europe French knights journey to Greece to retrieve the Shroud of Turin
Les Rois maudits 1972 1285–1328 France the later Capetian dynasty and the arrest of the order of the Knights Templar and the seizure of their wealth by the French crown in 1307
Les Rois maudits 2005 1285–1328 France the later Capetian dynasty and the arrest of the order of the Knights Templar and the seizure of their wealth by the French crown in 1307
Knightfall 2017–2019 1291–1307 France recounts the success, fall, persecution, and suppression of the Knights Templar
Braveheart 1995 1296–1305 Kingdom of Scotland William Wallace, a Scotsman who fought for Scotland's independence in the 1290s
The Virgin Spring 1960 late 13th century Sweden adaptation of the 13th century Swedish ballad, Töres döttrar i Wänge

Films set in the 14th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Kristin Lavransdatter 1995 early-to-mid-14th century Norway About a noblewoman with an arranged marriage who falls in love with someone else.
Kings of the Sun 1963 1300s Mexico On the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Native American tribe of chief Black Eagle clashes with the Mayan tribe of King Balam
Outlaw King 2018 1304–1307 Scotland Robert the Bruce rebels against Edward I's rule over Scotland, thus becoming an "outlaw", depicts the Battle of Loudoun Hill
The Bruce 1996 1305–1314 Scotland Robert the Bruce, who took over the rebellion against Edward "Longshanks" following the death of William Wallace in 1305
Robert the Bruce 2019 1306–1314 Scotland The story follows Robert the Bruce during the First War of Scottish Independence
Tower of Lust 1955 1314 France Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of France
Cathedral of the Sea 2018 1320–1370 Spain – Barcelona The action takes place in 14th century Barcelona at the height of the city's trade and military power in the Mediterranean, during the construction of Santa Maria del Mar serving as background to the story.
Anchoress 1993 1329 England Christina Carpenter, an anchoress from Shere, in southern England
Journey to Mecca 2009 1325 Middle-East A dramatised documentary film charting the first real-life journey made by the Islamic scholar Ibn Battuta from his native Morocco to Mecca for the Hajj
The Name of the Rose 1986 1327 Italy set in an Italian monastery
The Name of the Rose 2019 1327 Italy Miniseries set in an Italian monastery. A dispute over the evangelical counsels of poverty between representatives of the Franciscan Order and the Avignon Papacy
World Without End 2012 1327–1361 England A sequel to the 2010 miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, set in England at the outset of the Hundred Years War
Kazimierz Wielki 1976 1333–1370 Poland Casimir III the Great of Poland
The Decameron 1971 1348 Italy based on the novel Il Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio.
Black Death 2010 1348 England During the initial outbreak of the plague
The Seventh Seal 1957 1351 Sweden During the initial outbreak of the plague
Du Guesclin 1948 1354–1380 France Bertrand du Guesclin, a Constable of France in the Hundred Years' War
A Knight's Tale 2001 1356 England loose adaptation of The Knight's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, this tale is partially inspired by the exploits of William Marshall, but set in the 1350s (with mention made of Edward, the Black Prince and the Battle of Poitiers (1356))
A Walk with Love and Death 1969 1358 France near Paris and Meaux Anjelica Huston in the turmoil of the Jacquerie
The Dark Avenger 1955 1359 England Edward, the Black Prince
Andrei Rublev 1966 1360–1430 Russia about the life of Andrei Rublev, who was considered to be the greatest medieval Russian painter of icons and frescoes
John Wycliffe: The Morning Star 1984 1378–1384 England the life and teachings of John Wycliffe, the 14th-century English theologian who is often seen as a fore-runner of the Protestant Reformation
The Reckoning 2003 1380 England A priest on the lam takes up with a traveling band of actors, who then discover a murder has occurred and try to solve it by recreating the crime in a play.
The Last Duel 2021 1386 France Based on the book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager.
Mircea 1989 1386–1418 Wallachia Mircea the Elder, who repelled the Ottoman Empire during his reign
Boj na Kosovu 1989 1389 Serbia, Montenegro a battle between Medieval Serbia and the Ottoman Empire
Banović Strahinja 1983 1389 Serbia a battle between Medieval Serbia and the Ottoman Empire
Knights of the Teutonic Order 1960 1390s-1410 Poland Set in the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War
An Age of Kings 1960 1398–1485 England TV series based on Shakespeare's plays depicting the lives of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England, Henry V of England, Henry VI of England, and Richard III of England
The Hollow Crown 2012–2016 1398–1485 England series of films based on Shakespeare's plays depicting the lives of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England, Henry V of England, Henry VI of England, and Richard III of England
The Canterbury Tales 1972 late 14th century England Based on the medieval narrative poem The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Films set in the 15th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Tirante el Blanco 2006 15th century France and Constantinople Adaptation of the 1490 romance, Tirant lo Blanc, about a French knight in the service of the Byzantine emperor in campaigns against the Ottoman Turks.
Chimes at Midnight (Falstaff) 1966 1400–1413 England William Shakespeare's recurring character Sir John Falstaff and the father-son relationship he has with Prince Hal
John Hus 1977 1400–1415 Kingdom of Bohemia Biography of church reformer Jan Hus.
12 Paces Without a Head 2009 1401 Baltic Sea medieval German folk-hero Klaus Störtebeker, a pirate captain in the Baltic Sea who was said to have walked 12 paces after being decapitated by officials of the Hanseatic League
Margrete: Queen of the North 2021 1402 Scandinavia The film is a fictionalised account of the Man from Graudenz, an impostor who in 1402 claimed to be the deceased King Olaf II/Olav IV of Denmark-Norway, son of the Margrete I of Denmark.
Jan Hus 2015 1402–1415 Kingdom of Bohemia Biography of church reformer Jan Hus
Medieval 2022 1402–1419 Kingdom of Bohemia fictionalised account of Czech military commander Jan Žižka prior to the Hussite Wars
The King 2019 1403–1420 England and northern France Henry V of England, depicts the Siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt
Krzyzacy 1960 1406–1410 Central Europe the Battle of Grunwald
Medici 2016–2019 1409–1492 Republic of Florence The series follows the Medici family, bankers of the Pope, during Renaissance Florence.
Jan Hus 1954 1412–1415 Kingdom of Bohemia Biography of church reformer Jan Hus.
Joan of Arc 1999 1412–1431 France Miniseries about Joan of Arc from her birth in 1412 until her execution in 1431
Henry V 1944 1413–1422 England and northern France Henry V of England's wars in France
Henry V 1989 1413–1422 England and northern France Henry V of England's wars in France
Jan Žižka 1955 1419–1420 Kingdom of Bohemia Biopic about Hussite reformer Jan Želivský.
Against All 1956 1420 Kingdom of Bohemia Hussite reformation.
Joan of Arc 1948 1426–1431 France Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
Saint Joan 1957 1429–1456 France The story of Joan of Arc, told from the perspective of Charles VII, from the time she first met him at court until 25 years after he executed her.
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 1999 1429–1431 France Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
Joan the Maiden, Part 1: The Battles, Part 2: The Prisons 1994 1429–1431 France Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War, from her first encounter with Charles VII until her execution
The Silence of Joan 2011 1430–1431 France Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War, from her capture in late 1430 until her execution in 1431
The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928 1431 England The trial and execution of Joan of Arc
Vlad Tepes 1979 1439–1476 Wallachia about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign
Dracula Untold 2014 1439–1476 Wallachia Origin story of Dracula, alter ego of prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia
Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula 2000 1439–1476 Wallachia about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign
Rise of Empires: Ottoman 2020 1444–1453 Constantinople the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire
The Hour of the Pig 1993 1452 France A public defender in a remote, rural province finds himself expected to defend a pig in a murder trial
Richard III 1912 1452–1485 England Richard III of England
Richard III 1955 1452–1485 England Richard III of England
Looking for Richard 1996 1452–1485 England Documentary film about William Shakespeare's Richard III
The Life of Leonardo da Vinci 1971 1452–1519 Italy, France The life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519).
Io, Leonardo 2019 1452–1519 Italy, France A journey in Leonardo da Vinci's mind.
Leonardo 2021 1452–1519 Italy Leonardo da Vinci accused of the murder of a fictional Caterina da Cremona.
The Conquest of Constantinople 1951 1453 Constantinople the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire
Fetih 1453 2012 1453 Constantinople the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire
The Black Arrow 1948 1455–1485 England adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about the Lancastrian hero in the Wars of the Roses
Black Arrow 1985 1455–1485 England adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about the Lancastrian hero in the Wars of the Roses
The Conclave 2006 1458 Papal States Depicting a tense, politically charged Papal conclave
Isabel 2012–2014 1460–1504 Spain Biography about the Queen of Castile, Isabella the Catholic.
Tower of London 1939 1462–1483 England during the reign of Edward IV of England
The White Queen 2013 1464 England the House of York and the House of Lancaster, are in violent conflict over the throne[4]
Stephen the Great - Vaslui 1475 1975 1475 Moldavia Battle of Vaslui
Leonardo 2011–2012 1475–1490 Italy Set in 15th-century Florence, the show follows the adventures of a teenage Leonardo da Vinci
Da Vinci's Demons 2013–2015 1475–1490 Italy Historical fantasy drama series that presents a fictional account of Leonardo da Vinci's early life
Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne 2017 1477–1507 Austria Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (many adaptations) 1905– 1482 France Victor Hugo's novel, set in Paris.
Tower of London 1962 1483–1485 England during the reign of Richard III of England
The Shadow of the Tower 1972 1485–1509 England during the reign of Henry VII of England
The White Princess 2017 1485 England Elizabeth of York's marriage to Henry VII, as well as his early reign
Princes in the Tower 2005 1490s England the trial of Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be prince Richard, rightful heir to the throne before his untimely death in the Tower as a child
Christopher Columbus 1949 1492 New World the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus 1985 1492 New World the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery 1992 1492 New World the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
1492: Conquest of Paradise 1992 1492–1506 New World the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
The Borgias 1981 1492–1503 Italy the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
Los Borgia 2006 1492–1503 Italy the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
Borgia 2011 1492–1503 Italy the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
The Borgias 2011 1492–1503 Italy the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
Muhteşem Yüzyıl 2011–2014 1494–1566 Ottoman Empire Based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent
Lucrèce Borgia 1953 1497–1501 Italy Lucrezia Borgia from the annulment of her first marriage to Giovanni Sforza until her final marriage to Alfonso d'Este

Renaissance era (1500–1700)

[edit]

Films set in the 16th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Viy 1967 16th century Soviet horror film set in 16th century Ukraine, based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol.
Ever After 1998 early 1500s A modern interpretation of the Cinderella story, involving several historical figures like Francis I, King Henry (later Henry II of France) and Leonardo da Vinci
The Man Who Laughs 1966 1500–1502 Set during the war between the Borgia family and Astorre Manfredi, prince of Faenza.
Prince of Foxes 1949 1500–1507 About fictional Andrea Orsini, a captain in the service of Cesare Borgia.
The Black Duke 1963 1500–1510 The domain of Cesare Borgia is opposed by Caterina Sforza.
Conspiracy of the Borgias 1959 1500–1510 Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia chasing a conspiracy document.
Don Juan 1926 1500–1510 Fictional Don Juan famous as a lover and pursued by many women, including the powerful Lucrezia Borgia.
Lucrezia Borgia 1912 1500–1510 Silent film about Lucrezia Borgia.
Lucrezia Borgia 1922 1500–1510 Silent film about Lucrezia Borgia.
Lucrezia Borgia 1935 1500–1510 French film about Lucrezia Borgia.
Lucrezia Borgia 1947 1500–1510 Argentine film about Lucrezia Borgia.
Meriota the Dancer 1922 1500–1510 Love affair between Cesare Borgia and the dancer Meriota.
A Season of Giants 1990 1500–1550 Depicts real life events of Michelangelo.
Lucrezia Borgia 1940 1501 Lucrezia Borgia's marriage to Alfonso d'Este
Bride of Vengeance 1949 1501 Lucrezia Borgia's brother Cesare Borgia has her second husband Prince Bisceglie killed in order to marry her to Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara.
The Spanish Princess 2019 1501–1509 Catherine of Aragon
Apocalypto 2006 1502 Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, the declining period of the Maya civilization.
La corona partida 2016 1504–1516 After the death of Queen Isabella I of Castile, both Ferdinand II of Aragon and Felipe el Hermoso fight to succeed her.
The Mandrake 1965 1504 Set in Florence in 1504, based on Niccolò Machiavelli's play.
Luther 2003 1505–1530 Martin Luther, from the time he became a friar until his trial before the Diet of Augsburg.
The Agony and the Ecstasy 1965 1508–1512 The painting of the Sistine Chapel.
A Princess of Destiny 1929 1509–1547 Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII and His Six Wives 1972 1509–1547 Henry VIII of England
Henry the Ache 1934 1509–1547 Short film burlesque of the 1933 film The Private Life of Henry VIII
Condottieri 1937 1510–1520 Depicts the life of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, a famous 16th century Condottiero.
Nostradamus 1994 1510–1566 The life story of Nostradamus.
Sin 2019 1513 The life of the famous sculptor and painter of the Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence, set immediately after the death of Pope Julius II.
Judgement 1970 1514 Rebellion of György Dózsa, Hungary.
When Knighthood Was in Flower 1922 1514–1515 The story of Mary Tudor, and her marriages to Louis XII and Charles Brandon.
The Sword and the Rose 1953 1514–1515 The story of Mary Tudor, and her marriages to Louis XII and Charles Brandon.
Emperor 2018 1516–1558 In the 16th century, a young woman asked Emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor to help her in her revenge.
Henry VIII 1911 1520–1530 British silent historical film based on William Shakespeare and John Fletcher's play Henry VIII
The Other Boleyn Girl 2003 1520–1536 Anne and Mary Boleyn
The Other Boleyn Girl 2008 1520–1536 Anne and Mary Boleyn
The Other Conquest 1998 1521 Mexico, depicting the secret adherence to traditional religious beliefs of the converted Aztec survivors.
Diane 1956 1523–1559 Based on the relationship between Diane de Poitiers and Henry II of France.
Diane de Poitiers 2022 1523–1559 The story of Diane de Poitiers and her destiny as the favorite of King Henry II of France.
Anna Boleyn 1920 1524–1536 Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I.
Anne of the Thousand Days 1969 1524–1536 Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I.
God's Outlaw 1986 1525 Depicts the historical figure of William Tyndale and his struggles with the authorities in the time of Henry VIII for translating the Bible into English.
The Headsman 2005 1525 An executioner in Tyrol (part of the Holy Roman Empire).
A Man for All Seasons 1966 1525–1535 Thomas More
A Man for All Seasons 1988 1525–1535 Thomas More
The Profession of Arms 2001 1526 Ludovico de' Medici and the War of the League of Cognac.
The Royal Hunt of the Sun 1969 1532 Francisco Pizarro's capture of Atahualpa, Sapa Inca.
Wara Wara 1930 1535 Romance set at the time of the Spanish conquest of Bolivia.
Carry On Henry 1971 1536–1540 Fictionalised story involving Henry VIII, ends with his marriage to Catherine Howard
The Private Life of Henry VIII 1933 1536–1543 Henry VIII of England, from immediately after the execution of Anne Boleyn until his marriage to Catherine Parr.
Young Bess 1953 1536–1558 From the death of Anne Boleyn to the coronation of Elizabeth I of England.
The Return of Martin Guerre 1982 1542–1560 Imposture of French peasant Martin Guerre in Artigat, France.
Jodhaa Akbar 2008 1542–1605 The love story of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great and Rajput princess "Jodhaa" i.e. Empress Mariam uz-Zamani.
Gunpowder, Treason & Plot 2004 1542–1605 The reigns of Mary, Queen of Scots and her son James I of England.
Firebrand 2023 1544–1547 Catherine Parr, from her time as regent until the death of her husband Henry VIII.
Monarch 2000 1547 The final days of Henry VIII of England
Ivan the Terrible 1944, 1958 1547–1569 Two-part film about Ivan IV of Russia, beginning with his coronation as Tsar of Russia and ending with the death of Vladimir of Staritsa.
The Prince and the Pauper (many adaptations) 1909– 1547 Mark Twain's novel, featuring a fictional portrayal of Edward VI of England.
The Return of Martin Guerre 1982 1548–1588 The case of Martin Guerre in France – a true case of identity theft.
Stars of Eger 1968 1552 During the Ottoman–Hungarian wars, after the Ottomans have taken Buda, the Hungarian Capital (in 1541), the siege of Eger (1552).
Tudor Rose (Nine Days a Queen) 1936 1553 About Lady Jane Grey, Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days.
Lady Jane 1986 1553 About Lady Jane Grey, Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days.
Elizabeth 1998 1554–1563 The early reign of Elizabeth I of England.
Mughal-e-Azam 1960 1556–1605 The Story of Akbar the Great, Mughal emperor and his son Jahangir. Jahangir's relationship with slave girl Anarkali is featured.
Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth 1912 1558–1603 Love affair between Elizabeth I of England and the Earl of Essex.
The Virgin Queen 1923 1558–1603 The reign of Elizabeth I of England.
The Virgin Queen 1928 1558–1603 The reign of Elizabeth I of England.
The Virgin Queen 1955 1558–1603 It focuses on the relationship between Elizabeth I of England and Sir Walter Raleigh.
Elizabeth R 1971 1558–1603 The reign of Elizabeth I of England.
The Virgin Queen 2005 1558–1603 The reign of Elizabeth I of England.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God 1972 1560 Lope de Aguirre's ill-fated expedition down the Amazon in search of El Dorado.
Mary, Queen of Scots 1971 1560–1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Queens: The Virgin and the Martyr 2017 1561 The rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England
Mary of Scotland 1936 1561–1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Das Herz der Königin 1940 1561–1587 Selective use of the life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her execution by Queen Elizabeth I for anti-English and pro-Scottish propaganda.
The crown is made of gold 1979 1561–1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots 2013 1561–1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots 2018 1561–1587 Mary, Queen of Scots
Dangerous Beauty 1998 1562–1583 The film is about Veronica Franco, a courtesan in 16th-century Venice who becomes a hero to her city, but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft.[5]
The Mill and the Cross 2011 1564 Life in Flanders under Spanish Habsburg rule as depicted in Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1564 painting The Procession to Calvary.
Tsar 2009 1566–1569 Film about Ivan IV of Russia during the Oprichnina and the Livonian War
El Greco 2007 1567–1600 Greek biographical film about the life of the Greek painter of the Spanish Renaissance, Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco.
Otello 1906 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Othello 1922 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Othello 1951 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Othello 1955 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Othello 1965 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Otello 1979 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Otello 1986 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Othello 1995 1570–1573 During the Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus
Anonymous 2011 1570–1604 Life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, poet and patron of the arts, suggested as the actual author of William Shakespeare's plays.
Countess Dracula 1971 1570–1614 Based on the legends surrounding the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthory.
Bathory 2008 1570–1614 Based on the story of Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian countess in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Countess 2009 1570–1614 Based on the story of Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian countess in the 16th and 17th centuries.
La Reine Margot 1954 1572 France during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The massacre was part of the French Wars of Religion.
La Reine Margot 1994 1572 France during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The massacre was part of the French Wars of Religion.
The Princess of Montpensier 2010 1572 France during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The massacre was part of the French Wars of Religion.
Beatrice Cenci 1909 1577–1599 About the life events of Beatrice Cenci.
Beatrice Cenci 1926 1577–1599 About the life events of Beatrice Cenci.
Beatrice Cenci 1941 1577–1599 About the life events of Beatrice Cenci.
Beatrice Cenci 1956 1577–1599 About the life events of Beatrice Cenci.
Beatrice Cenci 1969 1577–1599 It depicts real life events of Francesco and Beatrice Cenci.
Elizabeth I 2005 1578–1603 The last 25 years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.
Ermak 1996 1580–1690 Yermak Timofeyevich and the Russian conquest of Siberia.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age 2007 1585–1590 The reign of Elizabeth I of England and the Spanish Armada.
The Testament of Aga Koppanyi 1967 1586 Hungarian adventure film based on the eponymous novel by István Fekete. It talks about the adventourous life of the Hungarian soldiers in the Ottoman Hungary, during the Ottoman–Hungarian wars.
The Execution of Mary Stuart 1895 1587 The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Fire Over England 1937 1588 The Spanish Armada during the Anglo-Spanish War.
The Sea Hawk 1940 1588 The Spanish Armada during the Anglo-Spanish War.
Will (TV series) 2017 1589 The young upstart actor/playwright William Shakespeare, a Catholic from the small town of Stratford, arrives in wild and turbulent Elizabethan era' London during a time of religious turmoil looking for fame and fortune.
Goltzius and the Pelican Company 2012 1590 Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius
Bill 2015 1593–1598 Set during Shakespeare's "lost years" —the crucial period, long a mystery to scholars, covering his rise from obscurity in Stratford-upon-Avon to fame as a playwright in Elizabethan era' London. When hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his family and home to follow his dream. It's a tale of murderous kings, spies, lost loves, and a plot to blow up Queen Elizabeth I.
Shakespeare in Love 1998 1593 Fictional love affair involving playwright William Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps while Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet.
Mihai Viteazul 1970 1593–1601 Michael the Brave, prince of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania.
The Merchant of Venice 2004 1596 Set in the Republic of Venice. The film focuses on the Venetian Ghetto.
Nova Zembla 2011 1596–1597 About the last journey of Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerk, when they and their crew attempted sail to the Indies via Northeast Passage over Russia. They were stranded on the island of Nova Zembla.
The Favourite of the Queen 1922 1596–1601 Elizabeth I of England
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex 1939 1596–1601 Elizabeth I of England and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Elizabeth the Queen 1968 1596–1601 Elizabeth I of England and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Galileo 1968 1597–1642 Depicts the life of Galileo Galilei and particularly his clash with the Catholic Church.

Films set in the 17th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Shōgun 1980 1600– Miniseries adaptation of the novel by James Clavell, which is loosely based on the adventures of English navigator William Adams, who journeyed to Japan in 1600 and rose to high rank in the service of the shōgun.
Mary & George 2024 1600–1628 British television miniseries based on Benjamin Woolley's non-fiction book The King's Assassin (2017) about the affair between James VI and I and George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.
Hamlet A.D.D. 2014 1602–future Re-imagines Hamlet Shakespeare's play as a bizarre and comical tour through the ages. The story begins in 1602 and leaps chronologically through time to the present, then into the distant future.
Gunpowder 2017 1603–1605 English Catholic Robert Catesby and the Gunpowder Plot
Orlando 1992 1603– Set in the Elizabethan era, loosely based on Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando: A Biography
Rembrandt 1936 1606–1669 Life of Dutch painter Rembrandt
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas 1953 1607–1609 Relationship between Captain John Smith and Pocahontas in Jamestown, Virginia
The New World 2005 1607–1617 The colonization of Jamestown, Virginia
Galileo 1975 1609–1633 Biopic about the life of Galileo Galilei, focusing on his conflict with the Catholic church
1612 2007 1612 The Tsardom of Russia during the Time of Troubles
All Is True 2018 1613–1616 later years in the life of William Shakespeare
The Last Valley 1970 1618–1648 Set in the Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War.
Jamestown 2017–2019 1619–1622 The colonization of Jamestown, Virginia
Benedetta 2021 1619-1661 About the life of Italian nun Benedetta Carlini
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale 1994 1620 The life of Patuxet man Squanto and arrival of the Mayflower
Molière 1978 1622–1673 The French playwright Molière
Royal Affairs in Versailles 1954 1623 A historical film showing Palace of Versailles from its beginnings to the present day
Day of Wrath 1943 1624 Loosely based on the case of alleged witch Anne Pedersdotter, and using a fictitious witchcraft trial as a metaphor for the then-current Nazi persecution of Jews.
The Three Musketeers Several adaptations (1903–2014) 1625–1673 Based on the novels (The Three Musketeers and its sequels) by Alexandre Dumas. The protagonists are loosely based on historical figures Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan, Armand d'Athos, Isaac de Porthau, and Henri d'Aramitz.
Cardinal Richelieu 1935 1626–1642 The life of the great 17th-century French statesman Cardinal Richelieu and his dealings with Louis XIII of France
Silence 2016 1630s–1638 Jesuit priests from Portugal attempt to spread Catholic Christianity in Edo-era Japan
Queen Christina 1933 1632–1654 Christina, Queen of Sweden
Le Roi danse 2000 1632–1687 Jean-Baptiste Lully, an Italian immigrant to France and noted composer of Baroque music.
Black Robe 1991 1634 Jesuit missionary among the Hurons.
The Devils 1971 1634 The life and trial of Urbain Grandier, who was convicted of witchcraft and burned. He was blamed for the Loudun possessions.
The Devil's Whore 2008 1638–1660 The English Civil War and the reign of Oliver Cromwell
Witchfinder General 1968 1640s Set during the English Civil War. A fictionalized depiction of Matthew Hopkins, a witch-hunter.
Admiral 2015 1640s–1650s The life of Michiel de Ruyter and the Dutch civil war
A Field in England 2013 1640s During the English Civil War
Barbara 1997 1640 Set in Faroe Islands. About a love triangle between the pastor for the parish of Vágar, his unfaithful wife, and her foppish lover.
Cromwell 1970 1640–1653 The English Civil War and the dissolution of the Rump Parliament
Cyrano 2021 1640–1655 The life of Cyrano de Bergerac in early 17th century Paris
Alatriste 2006 1643 Life of a Spanish soldier (Capitaine Alatriste) until the Battle of Rocroi. Based on the novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Molière 2007 1645 The French playwright Molière
The Libertine 2004 1647–1680 Life of the poet John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
With Fire and Sword 1999 1648–1654 The Khmelnytsky uprising in Ukraine against the control of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It led to the period of the Commonwealth known as the Deluge.
To Kill a King 2003 1648–1658 The reign of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector.
Charles II: The Power and The Passion 2003 1649–1685 The reign of Charles II of England
Restoration 1995 1649–1685 Set during the reign of Charles II of England
The First Churchills 1969 1650–1722 A BBC serial about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
The Deluge 1974 1655–1660 The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Second Northern War
The Man in the Iron Mask 1977 1660–1667 Loosely based on the existence of the Man in the Iron Mask. Set in France in the reign of Louis XIV
The Great Fire 2014 1666 Set during the Great Fire of London in England in 1666
Versailles 2015 1660s Fictionalized drama about the reign of King Louis XIV of France and the building of Versailles
Cutthroat Island 1995 1668 A female pirate and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure.
Colonel Wolodyjowski 1968 1668 The Ottoman invasion of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, part of the Polish–Ottoman Wars.
Time of Violence 1988 1668 Bulgarian Christian region is selected by the Ottoman rulers to serve as an example of conversion to Islam
England, My England 1995 1670–1695 Depicts the life of the composer Henry Purcell
Vatel 2000 1671 France during the life of master chef François Vatel
The Prince of Homburg 1997 1675 Adaptation of the Heinrich von Kleist play fictionalizing the deeds of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg in the Battle of Fehrbellin against Sweden. The Battle was part of the Scanian War.
Witchhammer 1970 1678–1696 Northern Moravia witch trials
The Red Violin 1998 1681 One section of the film is set in 1681 in Cremona
A Little Chaos 2014 1682 King Louis XIV of France and the design and construction of the Gardens of Versailles
Peter the Great 1984 1682–1725 The reign of Peter I of Russia
The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683 2012 1683 Second Ottoman siege of Vienna.
The Cantor of St Thomas's 1984 1685–1750 German composer Johann Sebastian Bach
The Crucible 1957 1692–1693 Dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Crucible 1996 1692–1693 Dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in Province of Massachusetts Bay
Salem 2014 1692–1693 Loosely inspired by the real Salem witch trials in the 17th century
The Draughtsman's Contract 1982 1694 Set during the reign of William III and Mary II in England.
Robinson Crusoe 1997 1694–early 18th century Robinson Crusoe flees Britain on a ship after killing his friend over love for the same woman. A fierce ocean storm wrecks his ship and leaves him stranded by himself on an uncharted island where he must fight for survival.
Tous les matins du monde 1991 late 17th century French composer Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe.

Films set in the industrial era (1700–1900)

[edit]

Films set in the 18th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Rákóczi hadnagya 1954 1708 Adventure movie in Hungary during Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–11).
The Sovereign's Servant 2007 1709 The Battle of Poltava during the Great Northern War.
A Glass of Water 1960 1710 Set in London during the War of Spanish Succession
The Favourite 2018 1711 A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue 1953 1713 Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor
Rob Roy 1995 1713 Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor
Black Sails 2014–2017 1715–1726 Set roughly two decades before the events of Treasure Island and during the Golden Age of Piracy
Farinelli 1994 1715–1740 Depicts the life of Farinelli, one of the most famous castrati
Our Flag Means Death 2022-2023 1717 Television series depicting the relationship between pirates Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard (Edward Teach) during the Golden Age of Piracy
Blackbeard, the Pirate 1952 1718 British Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard aboard pirate Blackbeard's ship.
Blackbeard 2006 1718 the infamous pirate Edward Teach
Maria Theresia 2017 1723–1741 Depicts the life of the young Maria Theresa
King of the Wind 1990 1727 Depicts the life of the Godolphin Arabian, an Arabian colt in 18th-century Kingdom of Great Britain during the reign of George II of Great Britain.
Of Love and Other Demons 2009 1730s Depicts the daily life in the colonial port-city of Cartagena de Indias, at the Viceroyalty of New Granada at a time of extreme religious intolerance (thanks to the Holy Inquisition) and slavery.
The Great King 1942 1740–1786 It depicts the life of Frederick the Great
Maria Theresa 1951 1740–1780 Depicts the life of Maria Theresa
Joseph Andrews 1977 1742 An adaption of the novel Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding.
Outlander (TV series) 2014 1743–ongoing Depicts events leading up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745
George Washington 1984 1743–1783 George Washington's life up to the American Revolutionary War
The Scarlet Empress 1934 1744–1762 Catherine II of Russia
The Rise of Catherine the Great 1934 1744–1762 Catherine II of Russia
Young Catherine 1991 1744 Catherine II of Russia
Catherine the Great 1995 1744–1762 Catherine II of Russia
Ekaterina 2014–2019 1744–1782 Catherine II of Russia
Catherine the Great 2015 1744–1782 Catherine II of Russia
The Master of Ballantrae 1953 1745–1746 Jacobite Rising of 1745
Culloden 1964 1745–1746 Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Master of Ballantrae 1984 1745–1746 Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Great 2020 1745 Loosely based on the rise to power of Catherine the Great, Empress of All Russia
Chasing the Deer 1994 1745–1746 Jacobite Rising of 1745
Mein Name ist Bach 2003 1747 Depicts Johann Sebastian Bach's visit to Frederick the Great in Potsdam, Prussia, when The Musical Offering was composed.
Horseman 2003 1747 Set in the borders between the regions of Bosnia and Dalmatia, the crossroads of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. It deals with issues relating to the region's native Croats as they struggle to live between two empires and two faiths: Catholicism and Islam. Also covers the possibility of a love affair between a Christian soldier and a Muslim noblewoman.
The Amazing Grace 2006 1748 Tells the story of John Newton's transformation from slave trader to Anglican priest; story is set in Calabar, Nigeria.
Plunkett & Macleane 1999 1748 Loosely based on The Gentlemen Highwaymen William Plunkett and Captain James MacLaine. They were highwaymen noted for their restrained and courteous behavior towards their victims.
Treasure Island 1934 1750 Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island 1950 1750 Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island 1972 1750 Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island 1990 1750 Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Casanova 2005 1753–1757 Giacomo Casanova
Lady Oscar 1979 1755–1789 The woman Oscar François de Jarjayes is raised as a man by her father, later gaining a career as a guard for Marie Antoinette.
A Tale of Two Cities 1911 1755–1792 England and France prior and during the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities 1935 1755–1792 England and France prior and during the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities 1958 1755–1792 England and France prior and during the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities 1980 1755–1792 England and France prior and during the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities 1980 1755–1792 England and France prior and during the French Revolution.
Amadeus 1984 1756–1791 Austria composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Barry Lyndon 1975 1756–1789 The Seven Years' War, etc.
The Last of the Mohicans 1936 1757 French and Indian War
The Last of the Mohicans 1992 1757 French and Indian War
Northwest Passage 1940 1757 French and Indian War and the ranger campaign of Robert Rogers
Clive of India 1935 1757 Robert Clive, Commander-in-Chief, India and the Battle of Plassey. The Battle was part of the Carnatic Wars.
John Paul Jones 1959 1759–1792 Biographical adventure film about American Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones.
The Mission 1986 1760–1763 Jesuit missionaries in South America
Belle 2013 1761–1804 The true history of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed–race daughter of British Naval officer John Lindsay and an African woman. She was taken to England by her father to be raised by his uncle, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, as an aristocratic Lady, as befits her blood line. This forces Lord Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice, to confront his own views on race, society and the antiquated laws of the time.
Mozart's Sister 2010 1763 The early life of Maria Anna Mozart, older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Unconquered 1947 1763 Pontiac's War focusing on the Siege of Fort Pitt.
Brotherhood of the Wolf 2001 1764–1767 Based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and on the famous legend of the Beast of Gévaudan
Catherine the Great 2019 1764–1796 Catherine II of Russia
Sons of Liberty 2015 1765–1776 A story about the Founding Fathers of the United States and the American Revolution.
A Royal Affair 2012 1766–1783 Set at the court of the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark, and focuses on the romance between his wife, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, and the royal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee.
Napoléon 1955 1769–1821 French historical epic film that depicts major events in the life of Napoleon.
John Adams 2008 1770–1826 The story about the American Founding Father John Adams from the Boston Massacre in 1770 to his death in 1826.[6]
Louis van Beethoven 2020 1770s–1827 Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, called Louis in family
The Duchess 2008 1774–1806 The life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Marie Antoinette 1938 1774–1792 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Marie Antoinette Queen of France 1956 1774–1792 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Marie Antoinette 2006 1774–1792 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Marie Antoinette 2022 1774–1792 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Drums Along the Mohawk 1939 1776 Settlers during the American Revolution. They are raided by a combined force of British, Loyalist, and Indian raiders.
1776 1972 1776 A musical retelling of the American Revolution's political struggle in the Continental Congress to declare independence.
The Crossing 2000 1776 George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton
Revolution 1985 1776–1777 Fictionalized story of the American Revolution in New York
La Fayette 1961 1776–1781 The film depicts the life of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, in particular his role in the American War of Independence.
The Patriot 2000 1776–1781 Based on the life of Francis Marion, an officer of the Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.
Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor 2003 1776–1782 Depicting Benedict Arnold, both an early hero of the American Revolution and a notorious defector.
Turn: Washington's Spies 2014–2017 1776–1814 American Revolutionary War
The Queen's Necklace 1946 1780s Based on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy, a descendant of the House of Valois and courtesan takes revenge by scamming Marie Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan, and others. The scandal kindling the flames of the French Revolution.
Admiral Ushakov 1953 1780–1792 Portrays the career of Feodor Ushakov, a celebrated naval officer and contemporary of Horatio Nelson
The Affair of the Necklace 2001 1780s Based on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy, a descendant of the House of Valois and courtesan takes revenge by scamming Marie Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan, and others. The scandal kindling the flames of the French Revolution.
Poldark 1975–1977 1781–1799 Adaptation of Winston Graham's novels set in Cornwall in the late 18th century
Poldark 2015–2019 1781–1801 Adaptation of Winston Graham's novels set in Cornwall in the late 18th century
Les Liaisons dangereuses 1959 1782 Adaptation of 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, originally set in pre-Revolution Paris. This adaptation is set in present-day France.
Dangerous Liaisons 1988 1782 Adaptation of 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, set in pre-Revolution Paris
Valmont 1989 1782 Adaptation of 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, set in pre-Revolution Paris
Dangerous Liaisons 2022 1782 Prequel of 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, set in pre-Revolution Paris
Ridicule 1996 1783–1794 On the brink of the French Revolution. A minor baron and engineer from Lyon tries to gain audience with King Louis XVI of France to fund drainage of the mosquito-infested swamps bringing sickness and death to his region.
The Liberator 2013 1783–1830 Life of Simon Bolivar
Jefferson in Paris 1995 1784–1788 A semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France before his presidency and of his alleged relationships with British artist Maria Cosway and his slave, Sally Hemings.
Botany Bay 1953 1787 Fictional story about the First Fleet sailing to Botany Bay, New South Wales
The Madness of King George 1994 1788 The deteriorating mental health of George III of the United Kingdom, King of Great Britain and Ireland
George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation 1986 1788–1797 George Washington's life during his time as President of the United States.
Mutiny on the Bounty 1935 1789 the Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty 1962 1789 the Mutiny on the Bounty
The Bounty 1984 1789 The Mutiny on the Bounty
Farewell, My Queen 2012 1789 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
La Révolution française 1989 1789–1794 French Revolution
The Scarlet Pimpernel 1934 1792 French Revolution
The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982 1792 French Revolution
Madame Sans-Gêne 1961 1792–1811 Historical comedy drama during the reign of Napoleon
Charlotte Corday 2008 1793 Trial and execution of Charlotte Corday after her murder of Jean-Paul Marat. Marat was a Jacobin journalist and politician.
Napoleon 2023 1793–1821 Historical epic film that depicts major events in the life of Napoleon.
Danton 1983 1794 Conflict between Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution.
La Pola 2010 1795–1822 Historical series which explored the life and the times of Policarpa Salavarrieta, also known as La Pola, Icon of Colombia, a Neogranadine seamstress who spied for the Revolutionary Forces during the Spanish Reconquista of the Viceroyalty of New Granada a woman who became one of the most important figures during the tumultuous years of the Colombian Declaration of Independence for preferring death instead of submission.
Napoléon (miniseries) 2002 1795–1821 Historical miniseries which explored the life of Napoleon Bonaparte
Beau Brummell 1954 1795 Beau Brummell, a 19th-century arbiter of fashion in England who popularized the man's suit and necktie
Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna 1967 1798–1831 Films are about Sangolli Rayanna, a prominent general from Karnataka, who fought against the East India Company until he was captured and executed in 1831.
Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna 2012 1798–1831
Attack from the Sea 1953 1798–1811 Russian naval commander Fyodor Ushakov during the Mediterranean campaign
Northanger Abbey 1986 late 18th century (1798) adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the time Miss Austen wrote the novel.
Sleepy Hollow 1999 1799 Set in the years after the American Revolution, when a Headless Horseman haunted a little town, Sleepy Hollow, New York.
The Remains of Nothing 2004 1799 Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel
Désirée 1954 1799–1815 The love story between Désirée Clary and Napoleon I
Napoléon 1927 1799–1815 Napoléon I of France

Films set in the 19th century

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Sense and Sensibility 1971 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Sense and Sensibility 1981 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Sense and Sensibility 1995 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Sense and Sensibility 2008 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Pride and Prejudice 1940 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Pride and Prejudice 1980 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Pride and Prejudice 1995 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Pride and Prejudice 2005 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Mansfield Park 1983 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1814 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Mansfield Park 1999 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1814 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Mansfield Park 2007 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1814 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Emma 1972 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Emma 1996 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Emma 1996 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Emma 2009 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Emma 2020 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Persuasion 1971 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Persuasion 1995 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Persuasion 2007 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Northanger Abbey 2007 early 19th century adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the Regency era in Great Britain
Centennial 1979 19th century miniseries based on the James A. Michener novel chronicling the history of the American frontier in a fictional town in Colorado
The Divine Lady 1929 1803–1815 Tells the story of the love affair between Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton
That Hamilton Woman 1941 1803–1815 Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the film tells the story of the rise and fall of Emma Hamilton, dance-hall girl and courtesan, who married Sir William Hamilton, British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 2003 1803–1805 During the Napoleonic Wars
Vanity Fair 2004 1803–1814 The Napoleonic era
War and Peace 1956 1803–1815 The Russian Empire during the Napoleonic era
Eroica 2003 1804 first performance of Beethoven's third symphony
The Duellists 1977 1804–1814 The Napoleonic Wars
Tripoli 1950 1805 Battle of Derne
Austerlitz 1960 1805 Portrays Napoleon in this film about his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz
War & Peace 2016 1805–1812 The Russian Empire during the Napoleonic era
Conquest 1937 1806–1816 The love story between Marie Walewska and Napoleon I
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 1951 1807 The Napoleonic Wars
The Pride and the Passion 1957 1807–1814 The Napoleonic Wars, the Peninsular War in Spain
Lady Caroline Lamb 1972 1810–1828 Lady Caroline Lamb, the British aristocrat, novelist and Lord Byron's lover
Mary Shelley 2017 1813–1821 Depicts the affair between poets Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley
Napoleon and Me 2006 1814 Principality of Elba during the Napoleonic Wars
Waterloo 1970 1815 Battle of Waterloo during the Napoleonic Wars.
Les Misérables 1934 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
Les Misérables 1935 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
Les Misérables 1995 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
Les Misérables 1998 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
Les Misérables 2012 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
Les Misérables 2018 1815–1832 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
The Count of Monte Cristo 1934 1815–1838 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
The Count of Monte Cristo 1975 1815–1838 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy)
The Count of Monte Cristo 2002 1815–1831 France after Napoleon I (Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy); Unlike the first two films, this version states 1814 at the start. Dantes' plan happens over a three-year period, having been imprisoned for thirteen years, as is stated during the film. The ending is set shortly after Albert's sixteenth birthday, having been born in 1815.
Bright Star 2009 1818–1821 The last three years of poet John Keats' life
Peterloo 2018 1819 based on the Peterloo massacre of 1819
In the Heart of the Sea 2015 1820–1850 the story of the whaleship Essex which inspired the writing of Moby-Dick
The Greatest Showman 2017 1820–1860 Based on the story and life of P.T. Barnum, a famous showman and entertainer, and his creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus
The White Slave 2016 1821 In the newly formed Great Colombia, a Spanish plantation burns down and only the baby of some planters is saved. She is sent to Kingdom of Spain, but as an adult, she hatches a plan to return home and become an abolitionist.
El Santo de la Espada 1970 1821–1822 José de San Martín and the Spanish American wars of independence
Bouboulina 1959 1821–1829 Laskarina Bouboulina, heroine of the Greek War of Independence
The Revenant 2015 1823 American frontiersman Hugh Glass fights for survival in the unincorporated Dakotas
Copying Beethoven 2006 1824 final years of Ludwig van Beethoven
The Deceivers 1988 1825 British officer in India investigates the Thugee cult
Mr. Turner 2014 1826–1851 Based on the last 25 years of the life of artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851)
Immortal Beloved 1994 1827 aftermath of the death of Beethoven
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser 1974 1828–1833 The story of foundling Kaspar Hauser in the German Confederation.
Bleak House 2005 1830s Based on Charles Dickens' 1852–1853 novel
The Devil's Violinist 2013 1830s Based on the life story of the 19th-century Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini
A Song to Remember 1945 1830–1849 Based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin
La Note bleue 1991 1830–1849 Based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin
Impromptu 1991 1830–1849 Based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin
Chopin: Desire for Love 2002 1830–1849 Based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin
Disraeli 1916 1830–1880 It details the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Disraeli 1921 1830–1880 It details the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Disraeli 1929 1830–1880 It details the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister 1941 1830–1880 It details the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Disraeli 1978 1830–1880 It details the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Horseman on the Roof 1995 1832 Second cholera pandemic in July Monarchy France
Young Mr. Lincoln 1939 1832–1837 Early career of future president Abraham Lincoln
Miss Marx 2020 1833–1898 Story of the daughter of Karl Marx, Eleanor Marx
The Alamo 1960 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
Victoria in Dover 1936 1836 Young Queen Victoria meets her future husband Prince Albert
Victoria in Dover 1954 1836 Young Queen Victoria meets her future husband Prince Albert
Victoria the Great 1937 1836–1861 Life of Queen Victoria
The Young Victoria 2009 1836–1840 Early reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort
Sixty Years a Queen 1913 1837–1901 Life of Queen Victoria
Victoria Regina 1961 1837–1897 Life of Queen Victoria
Victoria 2016–2019 1837–1850s Life of Queen Victoria
Amistad 1997 1839–1841 Mutiny aboard La Amistad, a ship containing slaves from Africa. The ship had left Havana and was bound for Camagüey, both ports being in Spanish Cuba. The film follows the ship's entry into United States custody and the subsequent trial. The case was resolved by the trial United States v. The Amistad.
How the West Was Won 1962 1839–1889 United States expansion into and settlement of the West.
Belgravia 2020 1840 British society during the early Victorian era
The Emigrants 1971 1840s The Swedish immigrants in Minnesota
Ammonite 2020 1840s The romance between British paleontologist Mary Anning and Charlotte Murchison
Livingstone 1925 1840–1871 Depicts the life of the African missionary David Livingstone
David Livingstone 1936 1840–1871 Portrays the expedition of the British explorer David Livingstone to Africa
Song of Love 1947 1840–1856 The marriage of Robert and Clara Schumann and their close friendship with Johannes Brahms. All three were notable composers.
12 Years a Slave 2013 1841–1853 The story of free African American Solomon Northup after he was abducted and sold into slavery. Based on the autobiography of the same name
Edward the Seventh 1975 1841–1910 The life of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Alias Grace 2017 1843 The story of Grace Marks, a maid who allegedly murder her employer and his wife in 1843
The Young Karl Marx 2017 1844–1848 Karl Marx
To Walk Invisible 2016 1845–1848 Based on the later lives of the Brontës as they wrote and published their written works.
Angelique's Isle 2018 1845 Based on the story of Angelique Mott, an Anishnaabe woman and her voyageur husband Charlie Mott who were stranded on Isle Royal in Lake Superior during the Ontario copper rush
Harriet 2019 1840s–1863 biographical film about Harriet Tubman
Gangs of New York 2002 1846–1863 New York City prior and during the American Civil War. The events occur in the crime- infested neighborhood of Five Points, Manhattan. The film opens in 1846 with a conflict between a Nativist gang and the Dead Rabbits. The action then moves forward to the 1860s with the Nativists still active and involved with William M. Tweed, "boss" of Tammany Hall. The action culminates in the New York City draft riots of 1863.
80 Hussars 1978 1848 Hungarian movie about the 1848–49 Revolution and War of Freedom in Hungary. Under the leadership of Farkas Paál a small Hussar troupe escapes from Poland to Hungary to join the Independence war against the Habsburgs. Their adventurous journey is full of thousands of dangers.
The Sea Has Risen 1953 1848–49 Epic Hungarian movie in Communist style about the 1848–49 Revolution and War of Freedom in Hungary, and about the great Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi. Known with the title: Föltámadott a tenger
Men and Banners 1965 1848–49 Epic Hungarian movie about the 1848–49 Revolution and War of Freedom in Hungary. Known with the title A kőszívű ember fiai
Flowers of Reverie 1984 1849 Hungarian movie which talks about the time after the defeat of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Surrender at Világos
Dead or Alive 1980 1851 Hungarian movie which talks about the failed assassination by Gáspár Noszlopy on Franz Joseph I of Austria
The Sisters Brothers 2018 1851 Takes place during the California Gold Rush
The Empress 2022 1853 Historical drama series on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.
Eureka Stockade 1949 1854 Peter Lalor and the Eureka Rebellion, a gold miners' rebellion at the Eureka Stockade (Ballarat, Australia).
Mountains of the Moon 1990 1854–1864 Journey of Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke in their expedition to Central Africa and the rivalry that followed
The Charge of the Light Brigade 1968 1854 The disaster of the Crimean War known as the Charge of the Light Brigade. It took place within the Battle of Balaclava.
Sissi 1955 1854 It is the first installment in the trilogy of films about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, nicknamed Sissi.
Sisi 2021 1854–1860 TV series about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, nicknamed Sissi.
Sisi & I 2023 1854–1860 Fictionalised story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria from the point of view of her lady-in-waiting, Irma Sztáray.
Sissi – The Young Empress 1956 1855–1856 Sissi adapts to life as Empress of Austria.
Dickinson 2019 1856–1862 A TV series on the early life of American poet Emily Dickinson, taking place in part during the American Civil War
Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress 1957 1857–1860 Last film in the Sissi trilogy.
Quanto è bello lu murire acciso 1976 1857 Failed rising organized by Carlo Pisacane in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Garibaldi 1961 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi leads a military campaign known as the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860
The Leopard 1963 1860 The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies during the Risorgimento
Sixty Glorious Years 1938 1861–1901 Life of Queen Victoria, sequel to the 1937 film Victoria the Great
Ride with the Devil 1999 1861–1864 depicts the activities of pro-Confederate Bushwhackers, guerrilla fighters, in Missouri during the American Civil War
Cold Mountain 2003 1861–1864 A couple in North Carolina is separated during the American Civil War and try to find each other again.
Gone with the Wind 1939 1861–1877 Georgia during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.
Mrs Brown 1997 1861–1883 The relationship between Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and her personal servant John Brown.
Gods and Generals 2003 1861–1863 The American Civil War from the outset of the war to the Battle of Chancellorsville
Glory 1989 1862–1863 The American Civil War from the Battle of Antietam to the Second Battle of Fort Wagner
Copperhead 2013 1862 based on novel by Harold Frederic, set in upstate New York during the American Civil War
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 1966 1862 Two bounty hunters in an uneasy alliance against a third attempt to find a stash of hidden Confederate gold in New Mexico in the middle of the chaos of the American Civil War
Gettysburg 1993 1863 The Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War
Lillie 1978 1863–1929 British television about Lillie Langtry
Wyatt Earp 1994 1863–1884 Events leading up to and following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Dances with Wolves 1990 1863–1870 Fictional story set during the American Civil War and its aftermath in the American West, interaction with the Lakota Sioux
Ludwig 1973 1864–1886 Life and death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Lincoln 2012 Early 1865 Events chronicling the last few months of the life of President of the United States Abraham Lincoln.
The Conspirator 2011 April 1865 Based on the events of the aftermath of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Hell on Wheels 2011–2016 1865–1867 based on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Senso 1954 1866 An Italian countess as an affair with an Austrian soldier in Venice during the Third Italian War of Independence
Tommy's Honour 2016 1866–1876 The complex and bittersweet relationship between the pioneering and legendary Scottish golfing champions Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris.
Riel 1979 1869–1885 The activities of Louis Riel, a Métis in both the Red River Rebellion of Manitoba and the North-West Rebellion in the District of Saskatchewan.
The Lone Ranger 2013 1869 The Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto bring justice to the wild west.
Stanley and Livingstone 1939 1870–1871 Welsh reporter Sir Henry M. Stanley's quest to find Dr. David Livingstone
Lust for Life 1956 1870–1890 The life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh
Vincent & Theo 1990 1870–1890 About the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo
News of the World 2020 1870 based on the 2016 American Western novel
Lonesome Dove 1989 1870s the closing years of the Old West
Daniel Deronda 2002 1870s based on George Eliot's 1876 novel
Citizen Kane 1941 1871–1940 Chronicles the life of fictional yellow journalist Charles Foster Kane.
Young Winston 1972 1874–1902 The biography Winston Churchill before he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II.
Quigley Down Under 1990 1874 A Sharpshooter from Wyoming is hired by an Australian rancher paying a very high price. But when Quigley arrives Down Under, all is not as it seems.
Cannibal! The Musical 1993 1873–1883 Comedic musical retelling the story of cannibal Alferd Packer.[7][8]
Centennial Summer 1946 1876 Set in Philadelphia at the time of the Centennial Exposition
Wild Bill 1995 1876 The last days of legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok
The Last Samurai 2003 1876–1877 Events in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in the Empire of Japan, 1876–1877
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee 2007 1876–1895 Events leading to the Wounded Knee massacre
Corsage 2022 1877 Empress Elisabeth of Austria nearing her 40th birthday
Ned Kelly 1970 1878–1880 British-Australian biographical film of 19th-century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly 2003 1878–1879 Biographical film of Ned Kelly based on the historical novel Our Sunshine
Warrior 2019– 1878 set during the Tong Wars in San Francisco
Zulu Dawn 1979 1879 The Battle of Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu War
Zulu 1964 1879 The Battle of Rorke's Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War
The English Game 2020 1879–1883 early association football in Great Britain
The Great McGonagall 1974 1880s Humorous biopic of the Scottish poet William McGonagall
The Current War 2017 1880–1893 the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States (often referred to as the "war of the currents").
Thousand Pieces of Gold 1991 1880s Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West.
Thariode: The Lost City TBA 1880s Based on the 2019 documentary film "Thariode" by Nirmal Baby Varghese. History of gold mining in Thariode, one of the most ancient cities of Malabar region, British India on 19th century.
Canadian Pacific 1949 1880s Follows surveyors for the Canadian Pacific Railroad
The Miracle Worker 1962 1880–1887 The early childhood of Helen Keller, her infancy contraction of blindness and deafness and Anne Sullivan's arrival
Unforgiven 1992 1881 set in the American Old West
Tombstone 1993 1881–1884 Events leading up to and following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 2007 1881–1892 The end of Jesse James' career as a criminal and the man who eventually kills him, Robert Ford in 1882
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain 2021 1881–1930 The life of English artist Louis Wain
The Gilded Age 2022 1882 society in New York City during the Gilded Age
The Four Feathers 1939 1882–1888 During the British Army's Nile Expedition
The Four Feathers 2002 1882–1888 During the British Army's Nile Expedition
Wilde 1997 1882–1897 Oscar Wilde
Khartoum 1966 1884 Charles George Gordon defense of the Sudanese city of Khartoum from the forces of the army of Muhammad Ahmad during the Siege of Khartoum. Muhammad Ahmad had proclaimed himself to be the Mahdi.
Tesla 2020 1884–1900 Biographical drama film about Nikola Tesla
Houdini 2014 1884–1926 Miniseries about the life of the legendary illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini from poverty to worldwide fame.
The Mudlark 1950 1885 A fictional account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Prince Albert.
Arms and the Man 1958 1885 Takes place during the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Melba 1953 1886–1900 Musical biopic drama film of the life of Australian-born soprano Nellie Melba
Geronimo: An American Legend 1993 1886 Events leading up to the capture of Geronimo, a prominent Apache leader during the Apache Wars.
Freud 2020 1886 Depicts early career of Sigmund Freud, centred around a fictional criminal case in Vienna
Princess Kaiulani 2009 1887–1898 based on the life of Princess Kaʻiulani of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
Victoria & Abdul 2017 1887–1901 About the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim
From Hell 2001 1888 based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell about the Jack the Ripper murders.
Mayerling 1968 1888–1889 Based on the Mayerling Incident, a series of events leading to the apparent murder–suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera.
At Eternity's Gate 2018 1888–1890 the final years of painter Vincent van Gogh's life
The Illusionist 2006 1889 tells the story of a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna
Man of God 2021 1889 brings to life the incredible true story of Saint Nectarios of Aegina, Greece.
Ripper Street 2012 1889-

1897

a British mystery drama television series set in Whitechapel in the East End of London. It begins in 1889, six months after the infamous Jack the Ripper murders.
Van Gogh 1991 1890 Set in 1890, the film follows the last 67 days of Vincent van Gogh's life
Woman Walks Ahead 2017 1890 the story of Catherine Weldon, a portrait painter who travels from New York to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull
The English 2022 1890 an Englishwoman travels to the American West
The Prestige 2006 1890s rival stage magicians in Victorian London
Colette 2018 1890s Based upon the life of the French novelist Colette
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969 1890s–1908 Covers the activities of Butch Cassidy and Harry Longabaugh, prominent members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. The Wild Bunch was a loosely organized outlaw gang from Wyoming.
Loving Vincent 2017 1890–1891 The circumstances of Vincent Van Gogh's death and aftermath
Heaven's Gate 1980 1892 Covers the Johnson County War
Hostiles 2017 1892 A U.S. Cavalry officer who must escort a Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their home in Montana
Lizzie 2018 1892 The Lizzie Border murders
Gandhi 1982 1893–1947 Biopic about the life and activism of Mahatma Gandhi
Mao Zedong 2013 1893–1949 Television series about Mao Zedong, from his childhood to the foundation of the People's Republic of China
Radioactive 2019 1893–1934 Biopic about the life and scientific discoveries of Marie Curie
An Officer and a Spy 2019 1894 Depicts the events of the Dreyfus Affair
The Last Czars 2019 1894–1918 Docudrama miniseries about the reign of Tsar Nicholas II from his coronation until his assassination
El Presidente 2012 1896–1964 Philippine Revolution and the final years and death of President Emilio Aguinaldo
Entente cordiale 1939 1898–1904 Depicts events between the Fashoda crisis in 1898 and the 1904 signing of the Entente Cordiale creating an alliance between Britain and France and ending their historic rivalry
Rough Riders 1997 1898 Depicts The Battle of San Juan Hill, part of the Spanish–American War
A merénylet (The assassination) 2018 1898 Depicts the tragic assassination of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Heneral Luna 2015 1898–1899 The Second Phase of the Philippine Revolution and the heroism of General Antonio Luna
Trotsky 2017 1898–1918 Biographical television miniseries about Leon Trotsky
There Will Be Blood 2007 1898–1927 Epic drama set during the Southern California Oil Boom, loosely based on the book Oil!
Ohm Krüger 1941 1899 The film depicts the life of the South African politician Paul Kruger and his eventual defeat by the British during the Boer War
Gold 2013 1899 the Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon Territory
Newsies 1992 1899 Based on the Newsboys' strike of 1899 in New York City

Films set in the modern era (1900–1949)

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Knick 2014 1900 Doctors, Nurses, and others work at The Knickerbocker hospital
55 Days at Peking 1963 1900 Depicts the Battle of Peking during the Boxer Rebellion.
Breaker Morant 1980 1901 An Australian Lieutenant, Harry "Breaker" Morant, who ordered the summary execution of several prisoners during the Second Boer War
The Godfather Part II 1974 1901–1958 Second installment in The Godfather trilogy, the film serves as both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather
The Battle of Port Arthur 1980 1904–1905 The film depicts the fiercest battles in Siege of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905.
Nicholas and Alexandra 1971 1904–1918 Covers the last 14 years of the life and reign of Nicholas II of Russia, last Emperor of Russia. Includes the events of World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Russian Civil War and the shooting of the Romanov family.
A Dangerous Method 2011 1904–1912 Covers personal and professional relationships between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein
Rosa Luxemburg 1986 1904–1919 Biography Of Marxist And Anti-War Activist Rosa Luxemburg and her assassination in 1919.
The Battleship Potemkin 1925 1905 The Russian battleship Potemkin uprising, part of the Revolution of 1905 in the Russian Empire.
The Real Glory 1939 1906 Moro Rebellion
The Passion of Marie 2012 1910 Biopic about Marie, the wife of Danish painter Peder Severin Krøyer
Tolkien 2019 1890s–1930s Biopic about the life of J. R. R. Tolkien
Titanic 1943 1912 the Titanic disaster
Titanic 1953 1912 the Titanic disaster
A Night to Remember 1958 1912 the Titanic disaster
S.O.S. Titanic 1979 1912 the Titanic disaster
Titanic 1997 1912 the Titanic disaster
Titanic 2012 1912 the Titanic disaster
War Horse 2011 1912–1918 journey of a horse raised by a British teenager during World War I
Reds 1981 1912–1920 Russian Revolution
Doctor Zhivago 1965 1912–1923 World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War
Iron Jawed Angels 2004 1913–1920 American women's suffrage movement during the 1910s
Gallipoli 1981 1914–1915 Gallipoli Campaign of World War I
Flyboys 2006 1914–1917 Focusing on the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of American volunteer combat pilots in service for the Allies of World War I.
Admiral 2008 1914–1917, 1964 Covers the last three years of the naval career of Alexander Kolchak, a vice-admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy and leader of the anti-communist White Movement during the Russian Civil War. The film also depicts the love triangle between the Admiral, his wife, and the poet Anna Timiryova.
All Quiet on the Western Front 1930 1914–1918 Western Front of World War I
All Quiet on the Western Front 1979 1914–1918 Western Front of World War I
All Quiet on the Western Front 2022 1914–1918 Western Front of World War I
A Very Long Engagement 2004 1914–1920s Western Front of World War I
La Masseria Delle Allodole 2007 1915 Set during World War I in the Ottoman Empire, depicting the Armenian genocide.
Ararat 2002 1915 Based on the Defense of Van in 1915, an Armenian insurgence in the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian genocide.
The Promise 2017 1915 The Armenian genocide
Renoir 2012 1915–1919 Biopic about French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir focusing on the last four years of his life
Shimon Haber 2008 1915–1919 Development and usage of Chemical weapons in World War I
Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea 2007 1915 The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
Rebellion 2016 1916 Miniseries dramatization of the Easter Rebellion in Dublin
Lawrence of Arabia 1962 1916–1918 T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt in the Ottoman Empire.
Michael Collins 1996 1916–1922 Later life of Irish resistance leader Michael Collins and his participation in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.
1917 2019 1917 European theatre of World War I
The Lighthorsemen 1987 1917 Battle of Beersheba in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I.
Stalin 1992 1917–1953 Brutal Career and Corruption of Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin
Erna i krig 2020 1918 A woman disguises herself as a man to join the army in order to protect her educationally subnormal son who has been called up to fight in World War I
The Wind Rises 2013 1918–1945 The life of Jiro Horikoshi
The Lost Battalion 1919 1918 Covers the fate of the Lost Battalion, units of the 77th Infantry Division. The units under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey penetrated deep into the Forest of Argonne in France during World War I. They were trapped and surrounded by the German Army.
The Lost Battalion 2001 1918 Covers the fate of the Lost Battalion, units of the 77th Infantry Division. The units under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey penetrated deep into the Forest of Argonne in France during World War I. They were trapped and surrounded by the German Army.
1918 1985 1918 Written by Horton Foote, depicts life in Texas and the devastating effect of the great flu epidemic of 1918.
La Vie en Rose 2007 1918–1963 Biopic of French singer Édith Piaf
The Wind that Shakes the Barley 2006 1919–1923 The Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War
Chariots of Fire 1981 1919–1924 British runners face prejudice and compete in the 1924 Summer Olympics. The runners are Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Liddell was a Scottish man and Abrahams was A British Jew.
Killers of the Flower Moon 2023 1919–1926 the Osage Indian murders in Oklahoma
Al Capone 1959 1919–1929 Biopic of American gangster Al Capone from the beginning of his career in 1919 until his arrest in 1929
Rebel in the Rye 2017 1919–1951 Biopic of American author J.D. Salinger, from his childhood until the publication of his debut novel Catcher in the Rye in 1959
Evita 1996 1919–1952 Biopic of Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina.
J. Edgar 2011 1919–1972 Life and career of J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1935 to 1972.
The Wind that Shakes the Barley 2006 1920–1923 War film set during the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War
Maria Cano 1990 1920s Life of Maria Cano a Colombian poet and writer who was the country's first female political leader. Called the "Flor del trabajo" (Labor flower), Cano led the struggle for basic civil rights and for the rights of salaried workers. She was the leader of several workers' strikes
Anastasia 1956 1920s Based upon theories on the survival of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia and the activities of Anna Anderson. Anderson was the most famous of the Romanov impostors.
Vita & Virginia 2018 1920s Depicts the relationship between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West
A Real Vermeer 2015 1920s Biopic about Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren
Legionnaire 1998 1920–1926 Rif War
The First of the Few 1942 1922–1936 Aerospace engineer R.J. Mitchell designs the Spitfire despite his failing health.
Little Ashes 2008 1922–1938 Depicts the love affair between artist Salvador Dalí and poet Federico García Lorca
Frida 2002 1922–1953 A biography of artist Frida Kahlo
Rosewood 1997 1923 Depicts the Rosewood massacre
Bertie and Elizabeth 2002 1923–1952 Explores the relationship between King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth from their first meeting to the King's death in the winter of 1952.
The King's Speech 2010 1924–1939 The quest of George VI, King of the United Kingdom to overcome his stammer.
Togo 2019 1925 the story of Togo, a lead dog during the 1925 serum run to Nome
Inherit the Wind 1960 1925 Fictionalized account of the Scopes Trial in Tennessee
The Ogre 1996 1925–1945 The account of a simple Frenchman caught up in the events of World War II. He involuntarily serves in the French Army, spends time as a prisoner of war in East Prussia, and gets hired to take care of the animals in the local estate of Hermann Göring. When fired, the Frenchman finds a new job at nearby Kaltenborn Castle, a Nazi Germany military academy for boys. He gets tasked with recruiting children to serve the cause. Continuing service while Nazi Germany deteriorates and East Prussia faces a Soviet invasion.
Death Defying Acts 2007 1926 An episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in the 1920s.
Murderous Maids 2000 1926–1933 Set in Le Mans, France, tells the story of two French maids, Christine and Léa Papin who murdered their employer in 1933.
Hacksaw Ridge 2016 1926–1945 Early life and World War II experiences of Desmond Doss
Downton Abbey 2019 1927 film sequel to the television series of the same name
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 2020 1927 A fictional story about real blues singer Ma Rainey, taking place during a single recording session.
The Aviator 2004 1927–1947 Biopic about Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer, director, and successful film producer.
Changeling 2008 1928 Based on the Wineville Chicken Coop murders
Downton Abbey: A New Era 2022 1928 film sequel to the television series of the same name
Phar Lap 1983 1928–1932 Biography about the New Zealand-born Australian racehorse Phar Lap
The Imitation Game 2014 1928–1950 British cryptanalyst Alan Turing, who decrypted German intelligence messages for the British government during the Second World War
Lion of the Desert 1981 1929–1931 About the struggle of Libyan rebels under Omar Mukhtar against the Italian Royal Army in the years leading up to World War II.
Joe MacBeth 1955 1930s Modern retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth, set in a 1930s American criminal underworld.
Mildred Pierce 2011 1930s based on the 1941 novel, set during the Great Depression
Richard III 1995 1930s Adapts Richard III story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the thron
Mank 2020 1930–1940 Biopic about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and the development of the screenplay for Citizen Kane
Henry & June 1990 1931 Biopic about two writers Henry Miller and Anais Nin
Hugo (film) 2011 1931 A young boy discovers the history of early filmmaking
Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002 1931 Australia's Stolen Generations
The Legend of Bagger Vance 2000 1931 Set in Savannah, Georgia, during the Great Depression; loosely based on the Bhagavad Gita. The story starts by setting a background. A noteworthy golf player went off to fight in World War I. He returned a decorated veteran but traumatized by the deaths of his unit in battle. He then sank into a life of habitual alcohol intoxication. In 1931, there is to be an exhibition match between famous golfers Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. The veteran is asked to participate and compete against them. A mysterious man volunteers to be his caddie, helping the veteran to come to grips with his personal demons and play golf again.
Road to Perdition 2002 winter 1931 A film set in Illinois during the Great Depression, and featuring Prohibition Era-organized crime figures. The protagonist is a mob enforcer for an Irish mob boss. The son of the boss wants to kill him, however, and manages to kill his wife and one of his sons. The protagonist and his remaining son escape to Chicago, attempting to find new work under Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit. Underboss Frank Nitti rejects the offers of the protagonist to join them. Nitti also contacts the Irish mob boss and they agree to have the protagonist killed. Starting an escalating conflict.
Perry Mason 2020 1931–1932 a fictional detective in Depression-era Los Angeles, based on the award-winning series of the same name broadcast from 1957 to 1966
Christopher and His Kind 2011 1931–1952 Biopic about playwright and novelist Christopher Isherwood, focusing on his years in Berlin before the Second World War
Bonnie and Clyde 1967 1931–1934 About the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, American outlaws and robbers during the Great Depression.
Frances 1982 1931–1958 Life of actress Frances Farmer
Last Man Standing 1996 1932 During Prohibition in the United States, gun-wielding mercenary John Smith, arrives at the small town Jericho, Texas, close to the Mexico–United States border. He plays on both sides in a gang war between the Irish Mob and the American Mafia, while scheming to eliminate both gangs. The film is a loose remake of Yojimbo (1961), which was set in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate. The original film was a loose adaptation of the novels Red Harvest (1929) and The Glass Key (1931) by Dashiell Hammett.
Gosford Park 2001 1932 murder mystery set at an English country house during the Interwar period
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014 1932 (1968, 1985) Two men team up to try and make a fortune
King Kong 2005 1933 A greedy film producer assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island.
Public Enemies 2009 1933–1934 Set during the Great Depression, it chronicles the final years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger.
Race 2016 1933–1936 The life of Jesse Owens who won four gold medals during Athletics.
The First Lady 2022 1933–2017 It portrays life and family events of three first ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.
Murder on the Orient Express 2017 1934 murder mystery set aboard the Orient Express train traveling from Istanbul to London
The Highwaymen 2019 1934 Film about two Texas Rangers tasked with apprehending Bonnie and Clyde
The National Anthem 1999 1934–1935 Set in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and the resulting conflict.
A Pearl in the Forest 2008 1934–1938 Set during the Great Purge initiated by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. The film focuses on the spillover effects of the Purge on the Mongolian People's Republic, a satellite state of the Soviet Union.
The Gathering Storm 2002 1934–1939 Biopic about British prime minister Winston Churchill in the years leading up to the outbreak of World War 2
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 1984 1935 In 1935, Indiana Jones arrives in India, still part of the British Empire, and is asked to find a mystical stone.
Cinderella Man 2005 1935 biographical sports film about American boxer James J. Braddock
Atonement 2007 1935–1940 A romantic suspense war film. Opening in the interwar period of the United Kingdom, during the late 1930s, and continuing to the early days of World War II. The film opens in 1935 with the interactions between the girls of the wealthy Tallis family and their cousin Lola on one side, and a lower class-man by the name of Robbie Turner on the other. When Lola gets raped, Robbie gets blamed for the act, arrested, and imprisoned. Four years later, Robbie is released on condition of serving in the British Army as part of the British Expeditionary Force on the areas of the French Third Republic.
Olga 2004 1935–1942 The relationship between German-Brazilian communist militant Olga Benário and Luís Carlos Prestes, one of the main leaders of the opposition against Brazilian dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas.
Elvis 2022 1935–1956 Biopic about the early life and career of Elvis Presley
Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 1936 In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant.
Unbroken 2014 1936–1998 The life of Louis Zamperini.
The Hindenburg 1975 1937 The Hindenburg disaster at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000 1937 set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. Its story is a modern satire loosely based on Homer's epic poem The Odyssey that incorporates mythology from the American South
Seabiscuit 2003 1937 Race horse Seabiscuit
I Saw the Light 2015 1937–1953 Biopic about country singer Hank Williams
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 1938 An art collector appeals to Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail.
The Good Shepherd 2006 1938–1961 Rise of Central Intelligence Agency's counterintelligence, leading up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Voyage of the Damned 1976 1939 Based on the events of the MS St. Louis
The Dig 2021 1939 The 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo
Hyde Park on Hudson 2012 1939 The 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Roosevelt's country estate.
The Last Bastion 1984 1939–1945 Australia during World War II
Schindler's List 1993 1939–1945 German industrialist Oskar Schindler's efforts to keep Jewish people from being interred in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
The Pianist 2002 1939–1945 World War II experiences of Polish-Jewish pianist/composer and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman
Max Manus: Man of War 2008 1939–1945 Norway during World War II and Winter War
The Zookeeper's Wife 2017 1939–1945 the story of Antonina Żabińska and Jan Żabiński, who saved the lives of 300 Jews imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto following the German invasion of Poland during World War II
Battle of Britain 1969 1940 The Battle of Britain
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005 1940 Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia
April 9th 2015 1940 9 April, German invasion of Denmark. A group of Danish bicycle infantry is sent as a vanguard to slow down the German advance until reinforcements can arrive.
The Exception 2016 1940 Deposed Kaiser Wilhelm II living in exile in Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
Kongens nei (The King's Choice) 2016 1940 The film focuses on King Haakon VII and the Norwegian Royal family in the days before and immediately after the German invasion of Norway in April 1940.
Darkest Hour 2017 1940 May–June 1940. Winston Churchill's early days as Prime Minister, as Hitler closes in on Britain during World War II.
Dunkirk 2017 1940 The Dunkirk evacuation of World War II
Hurricane 2018 1940 The Battle of Britain
Malèna 2000 1940–1944 Italy during World War II
Un village français 2009 1940–2000 German military forces invade the fictional French village of Villeneuve, near the French-Swiss border.
Life Is Beautiful 1997 early 1940s A Jewish-Italian man and his son during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp
The Way Back 2010 1941 Escape from a Siberian Gulag
The Good Traitor 2020 1941 Henrik Kauffmann and the signing of the Greenland treaty with the United States
Sink the Bismarck! 1960 May 1941 Depicts German battleship Bismarck and its last battle.
Defiance 2008 August 1941 Story of three Jewish brothers of the Bielski partisans who saved and recruited Jews during the Nazi occupation of Belarus.
Das Boot 1981 October 1941 Battle of the Atlantic
Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970 7 December 1941 The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Hong Kong 1941 1984 December 1941 The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, and the story of local resistance against Japanese forces.
Pearl Harbor 2001 December 1941 – April 1942 The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent American retaliation in the Doolittle Raid.
The Gallant Hours 1960 1942 U.S. Navy admiral William Halsey in the crucial early weeks of his command of American forces in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II.
U-571 2000 1942 Battle of the Atlantic
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep 2007 1942 A boy named Angus MacMorrow lives in the manor house of Lord Killin on Loch Ness with his mother Anne MacMorrow and his sister, Kirstie.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 2008 1942 Set during the Holocaust
Allied 2016 1942 a Canadian intelligence officer and a French Resistance fighter pose as a married couple during a mission in Casablanca
Das Boot 2018 1942 Battle of the Atlantic, sequel to Das Boot (1981)
Greyhound 2020 1942 Battle of the Atlantic
Midway 1976 June 1942 The Battle of Midway
Midway 2019 June 1942 The Battle of Midway
Kokoda 2006 August 1942 Australia's 39th Battalion during the early days of the Kokoda Track campaign
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 1942–1943 Construction of the Burma Railway by forced labour, mainly British prisoners of war, during the Burma Campaign of World War II.
Captain America: The First Avenger 2011 1942–1945 Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America
Stalingrad 1993 August 1942 – February 1943 The Battle of Stalingrad from a German perspective.
The Thin Red Line 1998 August 1942 – February 1943 The Guadalcanal Campaign
Band of Brothers 2001 August 1942 – May 1945 Miniseries portraying the soldiers in Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from training in boot camp to action in the European Theatre of World War II.
The Pacific 2010 August 1942 – August 1945 Miniseries portraying the Pacific Theater of World War II
Enemy at the Gates 2001 winter 1942–1943 The activities of Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev in the Battle of Stalingrad
Masters of the Air 2024 spring 1943–1945 Miniseries portraying the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II and follows bomber crews on dangerous missions to destroy targets inside German-occupied Europe
Patton 1970 1943–1945 The exploits of United States Army General George S. Patton during World War II
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days 2005 February 1943 The ultimate days of Sophie Scholl, a White Rose revolutionary. She actively opposing Nazi Germany until her execution and death.
Cross of Iron 1977 spring 1943 Eastern Front
Hvidsten Gruppen (This Life) 2012 1943 the story about the Danish resistance movement Hvidsten Gruppen.
The Dam Busters 1955 May 1943 Development of the Upkeep bouncing bomb and its use in Operation Chastise
Memphis Belle 1990 May 1943 About the 25th and last mission of the Memphis Belle, an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber flying over Nazi Germany as part Strategic bombing operations.
Eye of the Needle 1981 1944 a German spy in England who discovers vital information about the upcoming D-Day invasion
Black Book 2006 1944 a Dutch-Jewish singer becomes a spy for the resistance in German-occupied Netherlands
Flame & Citron 2008 1944 the story of two Danish resistance movement fighters nicknamed Flame and Citron, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark
Red Tails 2012 1944 Tuskegee Airmen during World War II
The Longest Day 1962 6 June 1944 The Normandy landings, the first stage of the Invasion of Normandy
Saving Private Ryan 1998 June 1944 The Normandy landings and their aftermath
Windtalkers 2002 June–July 1944 Focuses on Navajo code talkers during the Battle of Saipan
Valkyrie 2008 July 1944 Set in Nazi Germany during World War II. It depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country.
A Bridge Too Far 1977 September 1944 Operation Market Garden
Kanal 1956 September 1944 Warsaw uprising
When Trumpets Fade 1998 September 1944 The Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Saints and Soldiers 2003 December 1944 – January 1945 The Malmedy massacre and its aftermath during the Battle of the Bulge.
Battle of the Bulge 1965 December 1944 – January 1945 The Battle of the Bulge. Based on the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, towards the end of the war in Europe.
The Great Raid 2005 January 1945 Liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The camp was set up during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
Flags of Our Fathers 2006 February–March 1945 the Battle of Iwo Jima from an American perspective.
Letters from Iwo Jima 2006 February–March 1945 The Battle of Iwo Jima from a Japanese perspective.
The Shadow In My Eye 2021 21 March 1945 Operation Carthage
Grave of the Fireflies 1988 March–September 1945 Japanese sibling struggle to survive toward the end of World War II during the firebombing of Kobe and its aftermath.
Fury 2014 April 1945 2nd Armored Division Tank crewmen during the Western Allied invasion of Germany
The Captain 2017 April 1945 German war Criminal Willi Herold assumes command after finding a Nazi uniform.
Downfall 2004 April–May 1945 Depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's reign over Nazi Germany and their immediate aftermath. Events take place during the Battle of Berlin.
Ashes and Diamonds 1958 May 1945 Polish Home Army soldiers assigned to assassinate a Communist commissar
A Royal Night Out 2015 May 1945 The teenaged Princess Elizabeth, with younger sister Princess Margaret, ventures out of Buckingham Palace to enjoy the VE Day celebrations.
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage 2016 July 1945 The sinking of the USS Indianapolis.
The Good German 2006 July–August 1945 During the Potsdam Conference
Nuremberg 2000 November 1945 – October 1946 The first of the Nuremberg trials
42 2013 1945–47 Jackie Robinson biopic of MLB playing career
The Godfather 1972 1945–1955 Vito Corleone, the aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty, transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son Michael Corleone. The film is set primarily in New York City, and is based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo. The novel and film fictionalize actual people and events connected to the Five Families. Vito Corleone himself was a composite of real-life organized crime bosses Frank Costello and Carlo Gambino.[9]
Judgment at Nuremberg 1961 1947 The Judges' Trial
Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988 1947 A toon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.
The Black Dahlia 2006 1947 The murder of Elizabeth Short and subsequent investigation.
Exodus 1960 1947–1948 Foundation of Israel
Cast a Giant Shadow 1966 1948 United States Army colonel Mickey Marcus's involvement in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Roa 2013 1948 The final days in the life of Juan Roa Sierra, the man who was blamed for the 1948 assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, the charismatic liberal candidate for president of the Republic of Colombia his murder provoked the Bogotazo rioting and the imminent beginning of the bloody La Violencia
The Pact 2021 1948 The intense friendship between Karen Blixen, the Danish author best known for her autobiographical novel Out of Africa, and Thorkild Bjørnvig, a young and promising poet.

Films set in the atomic era (1950–1999)

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 2013 1925–1995 Nelson Mandela
Walk the Line 2005 1944–1968 Johnny Cash
The Notorious Bettie Page 2005 1949–1959 Bettie Page
The Right Stuff 1983 1947–1963 History of the space race
The Shawshank Redemption 1994 1947–1987 takes place in a state penitentiary set in mid-century New England
A Beautiful Mind 2001 1947–1994 based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics
The Crown 2016 1947–2005 Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.
American Hot Wax 1978 1950 Disc jockey Alan Freed's involvement in the emergence of rock and roll
Snow Falling on Cedars (film) 1999 1950 A Japanese-American fisherman is accused of killing his neighbor at sea. In the 1950s, race figures into the trial. So does reporter Ishmael.
71: Into the Fire 2010 1950 The story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War
Taegukgi 2004 1950–1953 A drama about the fate of brothers forced to fight in the Korean War
Sayonara 1957 1950–1953 the story of an American Air Force pilot during the Korean War who falls in love with a famous Japanese dancer
A Funny Man 2011 1950s–1980 Dirch Passer
Rocketman 2019 1950s–1982 Elton John
Hail, Caesar! 2016 1951 A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line
The Queen's Sister 2005 1952–1975 A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, from 1952 until the mid-1970s
The Finest Hours 2016 1952 The SS Pendleton Coast Guard rescue mission attempt
The Motorcycle Diaries 2004 1952–1967 The life of Che Guevara
The Kennedys 2011 1952–1968 The triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family
Good Night, and Good Luck 2005 1953 The conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy relating to the anti-Communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
The Front Line 2011 1953 A drama centered on the Korean War's final battle which will determine the border between North Korea and South Korea
The Death of Stalin 2017 1953 The events that transpired after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953
Being the Ricardos 2021 1953 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz deal with accusations that Lucille is a communist in Cold War America while preparing to film an episode of I Love Lucy
Elvis 1979 1953–1972 The story follows the life and career of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley
The People vs. Larry Flynt 1996 1953–1988 Biopic about Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler magazine
The Quiet American 2002 1954 The film covers early American covert involvement in Vietnam during the last days of the First Indochina War. It set the stage for the subsequent Vietnam War.
Shutter Island 2010 1954 In Massachusetts, U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels investigates the disappearance of murderer Rachel Solando, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. The film is set in Boston Harbor, and is based on the novel Shutter Island (2003) by Dennis Lehane. The hospital is loosely based on the Chronic Disease Hospital of Long Island.
The Founder 2016 1954 The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned the innovative fast food eatery of

Richard and Maurice McDonald, McDonald's, into one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world. Th film depicts Kroc using a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.

The Battle of Algiers 1966 1954–1960 During the Algerian War
Forrest Gump 1994 1954–1981 The remarkable life story of a kind and brave Alabama man with an IQ of 75.
Lumumba 2000 1955–1961 Path of the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo Patrice Lumumba and his killing. The Republic itself was the former Belgian Congo following its independence.
Che 2008 1955–1967 The life and death of Che Guevara
Goodfellas 1990 1955–1980 Biopic about mobster Henry Hill. Hill was an associate of the

Lucchese crime family, who later became an informant of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Blow 2001 1955–1994 Biopic about drug trafficker George Jung
The Club 2021 1950–1955 Multiple depictions that show an anti-Greek sentiment in Turkey, Varlık Vergisi and in the last episode the Istanbul pogrom is depicted.[10]
Pains of Autumn 2009 September 1955 Istanbul pogrom against Greek minority.[11]
Nasser 56 1996 1956 The Suez Crisis from the Egyptian point of view
Children of Glory 2006 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Great Balls of Fire! 1989 1956–1958 The early career of Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis
Quiz Show 1994 1956–1958 Twenty-One Quiz show scandals
My Week with Marilyn 2011 1956 The film focuses on the week during the shooting of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl. Marilyn Monroe was escorted around London by Colin Clark, after her husband Arthur Miller had returned to the United States.
The Iron Giant 1999 1957 Animated film; A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008 1957 In 1957, archaeologist and adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. is called back into action.
Motherless Brooklyn 2019 1957 A private investigator struggling with Tourette syndrome works to solve the mystery of his mentor's demise during the 1950s in New York City
Bridge of Spies 2015 1957–1961 During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet-captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
The Butler 2013 1957–1986 Based on the life of White House butler Eugene Allen
Loving 2016 1958–1967 Based on the lives of Mildred and Richard Loving and the events surrounding the landmark court case of Loving v. Virginia.
In Cold Blood 1967 1959 Based on Truman Capote's nonfiction book of the same name about the murdered Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas.
Black and White 2002 1959 Biographical film about the Max Stuart case where an Indigenous Australia man was found guilty of murder and the legal fight to have his death sentence commuted.
Hollywoodland 2006 1959 a private detective investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of actor George Reeves
Scandal 1989 1959–1963 Christine Keeler, Stephen Ward and the Profumo affair
Respect 2021 1959–1972 Follows the career of African American singer Aretha Franklin
Heaven & Earth 1993 1960–1980 Vietnam War
The Courier 2020 1960–1966 Greville Wynne
The Odd Angry Shot 1979 1960s Experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Ruby Bridges (film) 1998 1960 A young black girl attends a white only school.
The German Doctor 2013 1960 The life of Josef Mengele in Argentina. He was a former Nazi wanted for War crimes. He was a target for Nazi hunters.
Gagarin: First in Space 2013 1960–1961 The Vostok 1 mission, making the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the first human to cross into outer space. It was the first human spaceflight.
City of God 2002 1960–1980 The growth of organized crime in Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro.
Selena (film) 1997 1961; 1981–1995 Biographic of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
The Eichmann Show 2015 1961 The behind the scenes of the television broadcast of the Eichmann Trial
Experimenter 2015 1961 Milgram experiment
The Siege of Jadotville (film) 2016 1961 Irish forces battle French and Belgian forces in the Congo
Hidden Figures 2016 1961 The black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race
K-19: The Widowmaker 2002 1961, 1989 Soviet submarine K-19 nuclear disaster
Saving Mr. Banks 2013 1961–1964 Events surrounding the development of the film Mary Poppins
JFK 1991 1961–1966 The assassination of President of the United States John F. Kennedy and subsequent investigation
First Man 2018 1961–1969 About the life of Neil Armstrong and the decade leading up to the Apollo 11 lunar mission
The Sandlot 1993 1962 Boys playing baseball in Los Angeles fearing a big dog
Thirteen Days 2000 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis
Green Book 2018 1962 a tour of the Deep South by African American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Italian American bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga who served as Shirley's driver and bodyguard
Dear Comrades! 2020 1962 Novocherkassk massacre
Z 1969 1963 The assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis
A Perfect World 1993 1963 A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, while the search is headed up by an honorable Texas Ranger.
The Help 2011 1963 Race relations in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement
Parkland 2013 1963 Immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination
Jackie 2016 1963 Jacqueline Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination
All the Way 2016 1963–1965 Lyndon Baines Johnson becomes the President of the United States in the chaotic aftermath of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. He spends his first year in office fighting to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
LBJ 2016 1963–1969 The story of President of the United States Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House.
Catch Me If You Can 2002 1963–1974 The life of Frank Abagnale, a con artist and famous check forger.
Ghosts of Mississippi 1996 1963–1990 Events surrounding the murder of NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers during the civil rights movement in Mississippi
The Kennedys: After Camelot 2017 1963–1994 Follow-up to the 2011 miniseries The Kennedys, the triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family.
The Theory of Everything 2014 1963–1998 Stephen Hawking biographic
1965 2014 1963–1966 Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) and National Day of 1965
Mississippi Burning 1988 1964 The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner
The Doors 1991 1964–1971 Biopic about the 1960s–1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison
The Year of Living Dangerously 1982 1965 Set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno
Selma, Lord, Selma 1999 1965 Bloody Sunday
We Were Soldiers 2002 1965 The Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War
An American Crime 2007 1965 The film tells the story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski.
Selma 2014 1965 Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama during the civil rights movement
Born on the Fourth of July 1989 1965–1968 Ron Kovic's experiences in the Vietnam War
Coming Home 2014 1966–1976 Cultural Revolution in China.
Ultraman Mebius 2006 1966–1981 Mirai Hinbino, a rejected member of The rookie team Crew GUYS, and transforms into a giant hero Ultraman Mebius
Ultraman Mebius & Ultra Brothers 2006 1966–1981 Mirai Hinbino, a rejected member of the rookie team Crew GUYS, and transforms into a giant hero Ultraman Mebius
W. 2008 1966–2003 The life and presidency of President of the United States George W. Bush
Platoon 1985 1967–1968 Vietnam War
Half of a Yellow Sun 2013 1967–1970 the Nigerian Civil War
Detroit 2017 1967 The 12th Street Riot in Detroit, Michigan
Coming Home 1978 1968 Vietnam War
Full Metal Jacket 1987 1968 Battle of Huế in the Vietnam War
Bobby 2006 1968 The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Judy 2019 1968 American actress and singer Judy Garland performs a series of concerts in London in the last year of her life
Rose Island 2020 1968 Establishment of the Republic of Rose Island off the coast of Rimini
The Trial of the Chicago 7 2020 1968 Follows the story of the Chicago Seven
The Deer Hunter 1978 1968–1975 Vietnam War
The Damned United 2009 1968–1975 Brian Clough as manager of Derby County and Leeds United
American Gangster 2007 1968–1976 Frank Lucas and his heroin drug trade.
Hamburger Hill 1987 1969 Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War
Apocalypse Now 1979 1969 Vietnam War
Four Days in September 1997 1969 Kidnapping of the United States Ambassador to Brazil, Charles Burke Elbrick, by members of 8th October Revolutionary Movement and Ação Libertadora Nacional
Chappaquiddick 2017 1969 Chronicles the untold story of Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick incident during July 1969.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019 1969 follows an actor and his stunt double as they navigate the changing film industry in Los Angeles, set during the time of the Manson murders
Judas and the Black Messiah 2021 1969 The betrayal and assassination of Chicago based Black Panther Fred Hampton
Belfast 2021 1969 A young boy's childhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland during The Troubles
Secretariat 2010 1969–1973 Race horse Secretariat.
Nixon 1995 1969–1974 The political life of President of the United States Richard M. Nixon
Zodiac 2007 1969–1975 the Zodiac murders in Northern California
Apollo 13 1995 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission
Dekada '70
(The 70s)
2002 1970 Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting is the period of martial law in the Philippines, under the control of President Ferdinand Marcos.
We Are Marshall 2006 1970 It depicts the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 75 people: 37 players of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and the airplane crew of five.
Inherent Vice 2014 1970 Based on the novel following detective Doc Sportello.
Elvis & Nixon 2016 1970 The untold true story behind the meeting between Elvis Presley, the King of rock and roll, and President Richard Nixon.
Misbehaviour 2020 1970 The disruption of the 1970 Miss World competition in London by the women's liberation movement
Roma 2018 1970–1971 The story of a Mixteco maid living in Mexico City during the Corpus Christi Massacre
Milk 2008 1970–1978 Gay rights activist Harvey Milk
Bohemian Rhapsody 2018 1970–1985 Follows the band Queen from their formation all the way to the Live Aid concert.
Diana: Her True Story 1993 1970–1992 The story of Diana, Princess of Wales, based on the publication of the same name by Andrew Morton.
Remember the Titans 2000 1971 Follows a desegregated high school's football team in 1970s Alexandria, Virginia
'71 2014 1971 Northern Ireland during The Troubles
The Post 2017 1971–1972 Journalists from The Washington Post and The New York Times who published the Pentagon Papers, regarding the United States' covert political and military involvement during the Vietnam War.
The Last King of Scotland 2006 1971–1976 President of Uganda Idi Amin
Whatever Love Means 2005 1971–1981 About Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Charles, Prince of Wales
Pirates of Silicon Valley 1999 1971–1997 Follows the growth of the personal computer industry through the lives of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs
Bloody Sunday 2002 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Northern Ireland
All the President's Men 1976 1972 The Nixon-era Watergate scandal
Alive 1993 1972 Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
Cry Freedom 1987 1972–1978 Steve Biko and Donald Woods in the apartheid era of South Africa
Munich 2005 1972–1979 Mossad efforts to avenge the Munich massacre, the murder of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics
Missing 1982 1973 The 1973 Chilean coup d'état and the murder of Charles Horman
Colonia 2015 1973 The 1973 Chilean coup d'etat and the Colonia Dignidad[12]
Vinyl 2016 1973 The musical industry in 1973.
All the Money in the World 2017 1973 The kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in July 1973.
The Killing Fields 1984 1973–1979 The Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot
Jobs 2013 1974–2001 Biopic about the career of Steve Jobs
West Beirut 1998 1975 High school students living in Beirut during the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War
The Amityville Horror 2005 1975 A year after the murders of the DeFeo family in Amity, New York another family moves into the house where the murders took place. Soon, it becomes clear that the house is haunted. The film was based on the novel The Amityville Horror (1977) by Jay Anson. The novel was inspired by real-life reports of a haunted house in Amity, and by the house's connection to six murders performed by former resident Ronald DeFeo Jr. in 1974.
Balibo 2009 1975 the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the Balibo Five
Raid on Entebbe 1977 1976 The July 1976 rescue of passengers from a hijacked plane in Uganda by the IDF
Dazed and Confused 1993 1976 Based on Richard Linklater's life experiences.
Invincible 2006 1976–1978 story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978
Summer of Sam 1999 1977 The Son of Sam murders in New York City
Frost/Nixon 2008 1977 the Frost-Nixon interviews
Romero 1989 1977–1980 The assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero at the height of the Salvadorian Civil War
Boogie Nights 1997 1977–1984 Golden Age of Porn: The rise and fall of fictional pornographic film actor Dirk Diggler
Detroit Rock City 1999 1978 Four teenagers embark on a roadtrip from Columbus, Ohio, to Detroit, Michigan, to attend a concert by KISS, their favourite band. The film is named after the song Detroit Rock City (1976) and depicts a concert within Cobo Center.
Gracie 2007 1978 Six years after the introduction of Title IX
American Hustle 2013 1978 Abscam operation
The Godfather: Part III 1990 1979 Aging Mafia Don Michael Corleone seeks to avow for his sins, while taking his nephew Vincent Mancini under his wing. The film is loosely based on the sudden death of Pope John Paul I (1978), whose entire term lasted 33 days, and the Banco Ambrosiano scandal (1981–1982).
54 1998 1979 The last year of Studio 54 in New York City.
Super 8 2011 1979 Kids filming a horror movie film something out of this world instead.
Escape from Pretoria 2020 1979 The prison escape of three white South Africans, Tim Jenkins, Stephen Lee and Dennis Goldberg who were imprisoned for anti-Apartheid activism
Argo 2012 1979–1980 A portrayal of the CIA's role in the Canadian Caper.
The 9th Company 2005 1979–1989 Young Soviet Army recruits are stuck in the bloody War in Afghanistan, that was started by politicians.
The Iron Lady 2011 1979–1990 An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband Denis Thatcher, as she struggles to come to terms with his death. Scenes from her past life, from girlhood to her terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, intervene.
House of Saddam 2008 1979–2006 A mini-series that explores the inner workings of President of Iraq Saddam Hussein's family and his relationship with his closest advisers.
Walesa: Man of Hope 2013 1980–1989 Portrayal of Polish labor leader Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement.
Miracle 2004 1980 The United States men's national ice hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics
No Country For Old Men 2007 1980 While hunting in West Texas, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon several dead men and dogs, and a suitcase full of cash. This makes him the target for psychotic hitman Anton Chigurh, who hunts him down to retrieve the stolen money. The film is based on the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, and dramatizes the illegal drug trade across the Mexico–United States border. The character Llewelyn Moss is depicted as a veteran of the Vietnam War.
The Falklands Play 2002 1980–1982 Diplomacy leading up to and during the Falklands War
The Reagans 2003 1980–1989 Legacy and career of Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan.
Charlie Wilson's War 2007 1980–1989 CIA's covert involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War
Oranges and Sunshine 2010 1980s Based on the book Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys about her investigations in British Home Children.
Goodbye Bafana 2007 1980–1990 Nelson Mandela's imprisonment
Scarface 1983 1980–1983 Ruthless Cuban criminal Tony Montana arrives in Miami, Florida as part of the Mariel boatlift (1980) and builds a drug empire. The film was a remake of Scarface (1932), and dramatizes the war on drugs and the illegal drug trade.
Catch a Fire 2006 1980–1994 Set during the early 1980s concerning the plight of the ANC's military wing in the apartheid-era of South Africa
Wonderland 2003 1981 Wonderland murders
Hunger 2008 1981 1981 Irish hunger strike (Part of the Cold War and The Troubles)
Joker 2019 1981 Backstory of the character Joker (character).
The Americans 2013–2018 1981–1987 spy thriller series detailing the lives of KGB agents posing as Americans during the Cold War
Barry 2016 1981–2009 A look into the early life of President of the United States Barack Obama.
An Ungentlemanly Act 1992 1982 The first days of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands
Tumbledown 1988 1982 Falklands War (Part of the Cold War and The Troubles)
Heartbreak Ridge 1986 1983 United States invasion of Grenada: A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife, as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.
Halt and Catch Fire 2014–2017 1983–1995 Set in the years from 1983 to 1995, the series depicts a fictionalized insider's view of the personal computer revolution of the 1980s and the growth of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s
The Hunt for Red October 1990 1984 Soviet submarine during the late Cold War era
White Boy Rick 2018 1984–1987 Loosely based on the story of Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14.
Steve Jobs 2015 1984–1998 Covers fourteen years of Steve Jobs' computing career
The Lives of Others 2006 1984–1993 In East Berlin, a Stasi agent is assigned to wire-tap a playwright and his lover, who are suspected to be disloyal to the GDR. However, the agent finds himself increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Paid in Full 2002 1985 During the Crack epidemic of the 1980s
Climber's High 2008 1985 Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123
Shizumanu Taiyō 2009 1985 Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123
Dallas Buyers Club 2013 1986 The story of Ron Woodroof who was diagnosed with AIDS during the AIDS epidemic
Chernobyl 2019 1986–1987 Mini-series depicting the Chernobyl disaster.
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie 2016 1986–2016 A satirical rendition of Donald Trump's 1987 best selling business book, The Art of the Deal.
Foxcatcher 2014 1986–1996 Wrestling coach John Eleuthère du Pont and Wrestlers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and the events of Foxcatcher farm in the lead up to, and following, the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Straight Outta Compton 2015 1986–1996 The story behind hip hop group, N.W.A
Hamlet Goes Business 1987 1987 Based on William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, but the events are housed in a modern Finnish wood processing family business.
Endgame 2009 1987–1990 final days of apartheid in South Africa
Polytechnique 2009 1989 Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal
Narcos 2015 1989 Pablo Escobar rules the Medellín Cartel.
Atomic Blonde 2017 1989 Spy thriller set in the days before, during and after the Fall of the Wall
Good Bye, Lenin! 2003 1989–1990 Fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification
Jarhead 2005 1989–1991 Gulf War
The Big Lebowski 1998 early 1990s Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski needs a new rug after being mistaken for another Lebowski
Beans 2020 1990 A young Mohawk girl lives through the Oka Crisis in Quebec
tick, tick...BOOM! 2021 1990 Adaptation of musical by the same name as well as biopic of its creator Jonathan Larson
Joy 2015 1990–1995 Joy Mangano and the invention of the Miracle Mop
Three Kings 1999 1991 1991 Iraqi uprisings against Saddam Hussein and aftermath of the Gulf War and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Perfect Storm 2000 1991 1991 Perfect Storm
Spencer 2021 1991 Princess Diana spends a Christmas with the British royal family at the Queen's Sandringham House
Invictus 2009 1991–1995 Post-apartheid South Africa and the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Welcome to Sarajevo 1997 1992 Bosnian War
No Man's Land 2001 1992 Bosnian War
As If I Am Not There 2010 1992 Bosnian War
In the Land of Blood and Honey 2011 1992 Bosnian War
Snowtown 2011 1992–1999 Snowtown murders
Black Hawk Down 2001 1993 The Battle of Mogadishu, Somali Civil War
The Fighter 2010 1993 About boxer Micky Ward and his family
Hotel Rwanda 2004 1994 Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira and Rwandan genocide
Shooting Dogs 2005 1994 Rwandan genocide
Sometimes in April 2005 1994 Rwandan genocide
Shake Hands with the Devil 2007 1994 Rwandan genocide
The Special Relationship 2010 1994–2001 The United Kingdom–United States Special Relationship between Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and President of the United States Bill Clinton
Savior 1998 1995 During the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia
Behind Enemy Lines 2001 1995 the Mrkonjić Grad incident during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia
Pain & Gain 2013 1995 Based on the criminal activities of the short-lived Sun Gym gang (1994–1995) of Miami Lakes, Florida, which consisted mostly of bodybuilders. In the film, a trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Captain Marvel (film) 2019 1995 A woman by the name Veers tries to find her identity
Diana 2013 1995–1997 Depicts the last two years of Princess Diana of Wales' life, from her divorce from Prince Charles to her death in 1997
Bernie 2011 1996 Murder of Marjorie Nugent by Bernie Tiede
Everest 2015 1996 Based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster
The Queen 2006 1997 A fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana: Last Days of a Princess 2007 1997 A fairly accurate (albeit semi-fictionalized) account of the last two months in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, leading up to her death on 31 August 1997.
Open Water 2003 1998 Tom and Eileen Lonergan
I'm Not Ashamed 2016 1998–1999 Based on the writings of Rachel Scott
American Sniper 2014 1998–2011 Based on the 2012 memoir of former US Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle
Coach Carter 2005 1999 Story of high school basketball coach Ken Carter who suspended his team due to poor academic results
The Rookie 2002 1999–2000 The story of Jim Morris, an American baseball player who reached the major leagues at the age of 35
Blood Diamond 2006 1999–2000 During the Sierra Leone Civil War
Alpha Dog 2006 1999–2000 Based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000

Films set in the information era (after 2000)

[edit]
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Holy Spider 2022 2000–2002 Iranian serial killer Saeed Hanaei
Mary: The Making of a Princess 2015 2000-2004 the relationship between Mary Donaldson and Prince Frederik
World Trade Center 2006 2001 September 11 attacks
United 93 2006 2001 September 11 attacks
Flight 93 2006 2001 September 11 attacks
William & Kate: The Movie 2011 2001 the relationship between Prince William and Catherine "Kate" Middleton (now The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)
Diaz - Don't Clean Up This Blood 2012 2001 The 2001 G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy and the storming of the Armando Diaz school by police
Spotlight 2015 2001 The Boston Globe's investigative story on the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston and the September 11 attacks
Zero Dark Thirty 2012 2001–2012 The finding and assassination of Osama Bin Laden
Moneyball (film) 2011 2002 Based on Michael Lewis's 2003 nonfiction book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team.
The Dropout 2022 2002–2017 Disgraced biotechnology company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes
The Social Network 2010 2003–2007 The founding of the social networking service-website Facebook
127 Hours 2010 April 2003 The true story about Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who had his arm trapped by a boulder while climbing in an isolated slot canyon in Utah.
The Hurt Locker 2008 2004 the Iraq War, just before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
The Impossible 2012 2004 The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, from the viewpoint of a tourist family in Thailand
Lone Survivor 2013 2005 Based on the 2007 non-fiction book of the same name about Operation Red Wings by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
The Big Short 2015 2005–2008 Based on the 2010 book of the same name, about numerous financial experts who predict and proceed to take advantage of the 2007–2008 financial crisis
The Fifth Estate 2013 2007–2010 About Julian Assange and the foundation of his news-leaking site WikiLeaks
Too Big to Fail 2011 2008 The 2007–2008 financial crisis
Million Dollar Arm 2014 2008 the story of Indian baseball pitchers Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel
Captain Phillips 2013 2009 Kidnapping of merchant mariner Richard Phillips by Somalian pirates
Sully 2016 2009 the story of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and the aftermath of US Airways Flight 1549
Deepwater Horizon 2016 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi 2016 2012 2012 Benghazi attack: During an attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
Uncut Gems 2019 2012 Kevin Garnett's performance in the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals
Patriots Day 2016 2013 The Boston Marathon Bombing.
Daniel 2019 2013–2014 the experiences of Daniel Rye who was held hostage by ISIS for 13 months
Operation Red Sea 2018 2015 The People's Liberation Army Navy entered the Yemeni Civil War and the International military intervention against ISIL.
Zola 2021 2015 Based on a viral Twitter thread about a part-time stripper who is convinced to travel to Tampa by her new friend for a gig.
Brexit: The Uncivil War 2019 2015–2016 The lead up to the 2016 Brexit referendum from the perspective of strategists in the Vote Leave campaign

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Albertz 2003, pp. 69–70.
  2. ^ "Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) - Terry Jones | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  3. ^ "Jesus | Facts, Teachings, Miracles, Death, & Doctrines | Britannica". 13 February 2024.
  4. ^ The White Queen
  5. ^ Dangerous Beauty
  6. ^ "John Adams". Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
  7. ^ "Cannibal! The Musical (1993) - Trey Parker | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  8. ^ "Was the 'Colorado Cannibal' a villain or a victim? You decide". 29 March 2023.
  9. ^ "The Godfather by Mario Puzo". FactBehindFiction.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Turkish Netflix series turns cameras on pogroms, hidden Greeks". Al-monitor. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  11. ^ "'Güz Sancısı' casts light on dark chapter of Turkish past". Today's Zaman. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  12. ^ "Colonia (2015) - Florian Gallenberger | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
  • History on Film—A historian looks at how Hollywood has presented historical events in the films.
  • Fraser, George McDonald, The Hollywood History of the World, from One Million Years B.C. to 'Apocalypse Now', London: M. Joseph, 1988; "First U.S. ed.", New York: Beech Tree Books, cop. 1988. Both eds. collate thus: xix, 268 p., amply ill. (b&w photos). ISBN 0-7181-2997-0 (U.K. ed.), 0-688-07520-7 (U.S. ed.)
  • The Period-Drama Timeline—listing costume dramas according to the year in which they are set.
  • Enchanted Serenity of Period Films—A fansite dedicated to period films.
  • Period Movies and Dramas—listings of period films and costume dramas according to various criteria (century, subject, alphabetical, directors, and actors).
  • Recycled Movie Costumes—Site dedicated to documenting costumes used in more than one film
  • Frock Flicks—Blog and podcast about costumes in historical costume movies and TV shows.
  • Period Movies Box—Blog with information on latest period movies, exciting facts and honest reviews.