"Best English Civil War Movie? " Topic

I have Cromwell sitting here ready to be watched but is there any other rousing good ECW films I should see?

Is there a "Zulu" caliber film for this period or is Cromwell basically it ..?

Cromwell is the only one that comes to mind, I haven't seen that one myself so I can't tell you how it is.

Mark

The BFI just released Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo's "Winstanley" on both blu-ray and DVD. It's an excellent film, but not what you're looking for if you want battle scenes and non-stop action, as the movie focuses on the politics of the period and the formation of the Diggers by Gerrard Winstanley. It's second to none for period authenticity, though.

There's not much else that I know of, apart from a recent four-part British TV drama entitled "The Devil's Whore", starring Dominic West as Cromwell. I haven't seen it, so can't comment on its merits but it appears to have been reasonably well received.

See the links below for more details :

link

link

Saw it in my teens – a long time ago! Cromwell is inaccurate historically and battle scenes wise – but it's a fun watch IIRC.
Don't know of anything much else, film-wise. If you can go for a whole series, the BBC's "By The Sword Divided" is pretty good – though I may be biased as I'm in it, fighting on both sides during the battle scenes!

Another vote for By the Sword Divided.

Though a miniseries rather than a movie, I have fond memories of watching By the Sword Divided on Masterpiece Theatre in my youth.

Alec Guinness, as King Charles, is very-very good. Richard Harris as Cromwell, shouts all his lines (as usual). But by all means watch the movie. Just keep in mind that they used a lot of poetic-license with the history.

Mike B

Any thoughts on the movie To Kill a King?

Even though "To Kill A King" is not a full battle/action movie, I would recommend it. The acting is superb. It is the usual Drama. Tim Roth plays a good Cromwell, Doungray Scott as Fairfax. and Rupert Everett as Charles I.

I'm a history instructor so I'll put it to you like I put it to my students when I showed it in Advanced Placement History class…

"Is it history or Hollywood (or the English equivilent)?" (Couldn't ask them the REAL question…"Is it BS or not?" Had to maintain SOME decorum you know)

Nah, it's terrible for purists and as a reference movie and the politics are like scrambled eggs. Don't think about it as a seriously historical movie It is FUN and PRETTY. We provincials in the U.S. don't have a clue about how England looks, the land, architecture, the people of the 17th century, and frankly just how beautiful a country it is. I counseled my students to do the ancillary readings and let's have some fun with the movie with all the bellowing. weaseling and politikin'! I then had the students do a follow on paper comparing history/Hollywood parts of the movie as a critic. Yeah…I stole the idea from the History Channel so sue me. :) If it gets students to read a little bit, I'm really ok with it. They ate the movie up and wrote some stiletto sharp essays. Objective achieved!!!

Bottom line, I HAD to watch Cromwell several times to keep motivated painting up my 28mm ECW collection. A fun movie, and yeah; a sucky movie at the same time but who am I to judge? I wasn't there, never been to England, and have a small inklin' on the true pieces of the Civil Wars gleaned from secondary and tertiary sources.

Watch the movie already and get to paintin!

Steve Miller
DFW Irregulars

I would recommend "To Kill a King" – well acted and explains the political situation at the end of 1648 and the decision to execute Charles.

Yep to all the above. Am hoping either Masterpeiece Theatre or BBC America show the new Cromwell mini-series, though NOT a Roundhead fan.

"The Witchfinder General", AKA "The Conqueror Worm", with Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins.

Gone With The Wind.. 3/4 of the cast were Brits..:-)

British != English

So nyaaah!

I think By the Sword Divided and Cromwell are the only ones people go for.

I can't think of a movie about the Bishop's War or the Solemn League and Covenenant

Hurcheon,

There was a tv play set during Montrose's campaigns back in 1979/80. IIRC Brian Cox played a mercenary returned from the German Wars trying to stay neutral during Montrose's attack on Aberdeen in 1644. It was written by Fulton McKay. No big battle scenes (although after nearly 30 years the memory's a bit vague) more of a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do western flavour.

Imdb lists a play in 1980 written by McKay & starring Cox called "Dalhousie's Luck" but no plot listed so it may not be it.

John.

Its kind of sad when Benny Hill as Cavaliers and Roundheads is the definitive period piece.

There was a good sketch on the Bill Bailey show, possibly more historically correct than 'Cromwell' but with a smaller budget:

YouTube link

To Kill a King is as realistic as Braveheart – I rushed out to buy it (it lasted 3 days at my local cinema) and have put it into "important to have but do not watch again collection". It is dreadful – Cromwell reminded me of both Brian Aldridge and Matt Crawford and Fairfax was King Arthur.

There are NO realistic ECW films. Winstanley comes close.

The Brian Cox "play" revolved around him being used by Montrose to kill the drummer boy outside Aberdeen by using a rifled musket (sniper) – it really sticks in my mind.

Cromwell is stirring but totally incorrect, By The Sword Divided has a good scene (the siege) but underlines inaccurate preconceptions, the beginning of Witchfinder General was Vietnam, and you can find old black and white films that daren't show the Parliamentarians as good.

There was a film made in 1973/4 but I forget its name.

Yet the mixed emotions of the period should have produced one.

And then … YouTube link

Unfortunately By The Sword Divided isn't available in the US.

That was another one I ended up in as a extra during the siege.

"To Kill a King" Bloody awful film, Cromwell portrayed as a cross between Wormtongue and Uriah Heep!

one springs to mind looking at the period when the war was over and the Royalists were on the run

The Moonraker? george baker as the hero wonderful
clipped accent but good as an adventure.

Think it was a hammer film UK late 50's early 60's (George Baker being in the running as 007 but Sean got it instead so Baker became good old Wexford)

Thora Hird's Nice History of Britain! LOL that was brilliant.

Cheers,

The only ECW film worth its salt.
Full of correct historical detail and actors who know their history
YouTube link

A interesting one on Cromwell
YouTube link
I'm in it as well!!

I was in the Thora Hird Nice History of Britain. Paid us £80.00 GBP each for 8 of us. We were badly outnumbered by the BBC Film Crew, so to make it look as if we were a horde of rampaging 17th century soldiers, they had us run round a tree a few times while filming our feet.

There really isn't a good film on the ECW. The Devils Whore has decent costume and scenery (although lots was filmed in South Africa as England is to built up to do the long shots). However, the story line is poor and there only appear to have been a couple of battles each with about 20 a side!

"To kill a king" has some interesting acting but has huge flaws in the history. Cromwell comes out as a secret police freak rather than a man who knew what he wanted to acheive but didn't know how to do it. Mind you it does at least remember that the NMA was commanded by Black Tom Fairfax during the first Civil War.

Cromwell has some very good acting by Guiness it hits some of the historical targets and tries to show something of cromwell's character.

So all in all I vote for cromwell as the least worse

Not exactly the ECW but still very good for the feel of the period are Cyrano de Bergerac(Gerard Depardieu), and Richard Lester's Three Musketeer films. All 'good feel' period pieces – and worth a look.

Also not ECW, but "Alatriste" is awesome for pike and shot early to mid 17th century action, with a reasonable sense of realism. The story kind of gets lost in the fact they try to cram a whole series worth of novels into a film, but it is most enjoyable to watch regardless.

Of course, if you don't like subtitles you should avoid this one, as I have yet to find a version of this film dubbed in any language I speak…. But I tend to be okay with subtitles, so it doesn't bother me much.