"Looking for good films" Topic

Howdy,

I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for good historical films I can play for students. I am looking for stuff from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Dark ages, up to the crusades. I am specifically hoping for non-documentaries (As I already have plenty of those) that are relatively historically accurate. A few inaccuracies are to be expected but nothing too drastically messed up. There seem to be numerous historical films based off the modern era but far fewer from antiquity to the middle ages. Thanks for any help you can provide me.

How old are the students, as in, can they see adult content, or are they minors? It makes a VAST difference for some movies/shows.

Original "300 Spartans" is not a bad film. Also, "Helen of Troy", made about the same time as Spartans. One of the best medieval/dark ages films is "Warlord" with Charlton Heston. "Spartacus" with Kirk Douglas is an excellent film, but too long for students, may be. There is, of course, "Kingdom of Heaven", directors cut is much better than theatrical release.

Just few films that come to mind right away.

Kingdom of Heaven is pretty much par for the course in my district for medieval. For the FIW, I show Last of the Mohicans.

I try not to show a lot of full length movies but rather just clips. I show a clip from Waterloo and The Patriot to give them an idea of combat. For USI, I do show Gettysburg but most of the kids find it "too long." Unless there is death and destruction every 10 minutes, they don't want to watch it.

Masada, the miniseries starring Peter O'Toole. Excellent, and since it was an ABC production in the mid-80s, I'd classify it PG for thematic elements. Of course, the Jewish defenders committed mass suicide at the end, which might be a disturbing concept depending on the age of the students.

Historical accuracy is always iffy in any entertainment production; they're not out to educate, after all, but to tell a story in an enjoyable way. So with that caveat, consider the following:

Ben Hur
El Cid
Ivanhoe
The Odyssey (NBC mini-series; yes, it's mythology, but myth is a part of culture, too.)
The Vikings
The Lion in Winter (I like the Peter O'Toole/Hepburn version, but the Patrick Stewart version has its fans). Caveat: There is no historical evidence that Richard was gay, much less that he had a relationship with Philip, as implied by the film.
Caedfal BBC series. Fiction, of course, but still with the period feel.

Captains form Castile for Spain and the new world in the 1500's.

"Mohicans" would be great for the period. "Kingdom of Heaven" in parts; that movie has the typical Hollywood papery characters, and absolutely no understanding of the medieval mindset. Ah, Ridley Scott. "The Name of the Rose" would be better.

Pharaoh

link

James, they are high school age, mostly upperclassmen. I can show adult content to them provided I get permission forms to do so. I prefer to avoid anything too graphic if at all possible.

Kingdom of Heaven is a good film and I have it in my collection but it's pretty bad history so I am trying to stay away from that one.

I do like Last of the Mohicans…very different from the book but not too terrible from a historical perspective.

I will check out some of the films you all suggested. I have heard of a few of them but I was trying to keep away from older, less historically correct films. It has been a long time since I saw a few of those and I may wish to revisit them.

As an aside, for US History I show films like "The Crossing," "Gettysburg," "Rough Riders," and "The Lost Battalion." I was looking for those types of films from a world history perspective as I am being assigned to teach that class again after a several year hiatus.

Therrisok hit the nail on the head with my US history selections. Though my kids didn't like Rough Riders.

Given the kinds of books that the common core curriculum is now suggesting, it would seem that anything goes in films. In any event I would recommend " with fire and sword" as the ultimate Renaissance movie.

I think "intolerance" has the best example of siege warfare ever put into a movie. The best ancient sea battle that I know, is in Ben Hur" although the battle scene in "Cleopatra. "Is quite nice. Did anybody mention "Alexander Nevsky "that is a pretty good representation of the Crusades in the East isn't it. "Alexander " has a lot of flaws, but I was told by a competent history professor at Michigan that the battle scenes are very well done.

Alexander Nevsky is a cinematic classic. Clearly a propaganda film (a history lesson in its own right), but the battle scenes are terrific.

Ironclad? Might be too brutal, maybe. I don't remember. It's based on an historical event, The Siege of Rochester Castle, although I'm sure the specific plot for the characters are fiction.

Inglorious bastards by Quinton Traentino, Absolutely historical :) (just kidding)

Oh yeah how about the Sand pebbles and 55 days in Peking and Karatoum and Breaker Morant, and Zulu and Zulu dawn, great escape Might not be the era but they sure are great!
Kirk Douglas Spartacus is good.

Battle for Rom with orson Wells.

Flesh and Blood with Rudger Hauer

Fall of the roman empire with cristoper plummer

Apocalypso from Mel Gibson

Plus I second alexandere Nevsky

The sevend seal by ingmar bergmann

The black rose with tyrone power

The Nibelungen (The silent movie and the colour version

I think that it….
If they don't like the rough riders were volounteer fight you should show them cross of iron wih james coburn …. Maybe the best Anti-war movie ever made. As rough riders is shown in the Marines bootcamp is cross of iron used in the bundeswehr for all special forces.

Greetings
PS: I hope you do not consider rough riders historical?

Not historical characters, but Tristan and Isolde gives a reasonable feel to Post Roman Britain.

Cannot too highly recommend George Macdonald Fraser's book on historical movies:
link
It first appeared in 1988, but it is worth getting the second edition for his review of Braveheart, which he described elsewhere as " insulting, inaccurate drivel."
I have always thought that the book would be an excellent basis for a school world history course, but a word of warning: whenever I take it out just to remind myself what he said about a particular film, I find myself re-reading the whole thing yet again…

(Your students might also enjoy the highly educational Flashman novels too, but don't let the 'politically correct' hear you recommend them…)

Mike

I Claudius (TV mini-series) link
Ivanhoe (TV mini-series) link
La Reine Margot link
Prince of Foxes link
Arn Knight Templar link
Olefas (Pathfinder) link
Quo Vadis
Joan of Arc

Lots of good suggestions so far.

I'll add Kenneth Branagh's Henry V (1989). Decent history, based on one of Shakespeare's better plays, and it was a hit with both male and female movie-goers. (To be honest, some of the suggested movies will bore a lot of high school boys to tears, let alone the girls.)

Worthwhile even if all you screen is the St. Crispin's Day speech. Great cinema!

Granted, it's a little later than the Crusades.

Rudi the german
-No not really. Not sure why they felt the need to add German advisors and Maxim guns into the film but it is an issue I discuss with my students.

PraetorianHistorian
-Really? My students really love that movie. In part I think because many of them are brilliant but have ADD or other challenges and they kind of relate to Roosevelt. They also love the scene at the corral when the New York types show up to the bronco busting and are given the wildest horse there.

All
-Thanks for all the great suggestions. There are a few there that I should have known were great but I have not seen in years and quite a few I do not know but will take a look at.

While content might be an issue, the recent films of Mongol and Agora could be considered.

Alexander Nevsky is a cinematic classic. Clearly a propaganda film (a history lesson in its own right), but the battle scenes are terrific.

One of my favorite films, plus one of my favorite soundtracks, by none other than Sergei Prokofiev. But as a historical representation of the Battle of Lake Peipus?…….not really.