List of historical period drama films and series

The historical period drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous people. Some historical dramas are docudramas, which attempt an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, to the degree that 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 in the interest of continuity, this list is primarily focused on films pertaining to the history of Near Eastern and Western civilization. For films pertaining to the history of East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, please refer also to the list of Asian historical drama films.

Films set in prehistory

• One Million B.C. (1940)
• One Million Years B.C. (1967)
• Prehistoric Women (1950)
• Prehistoric Women (1967)
• When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
• Creatures the World Forgot (1971)
• Quando le Donne Avevano la Coda (1970)
• Quando le Donne Persero la Coda (1972)
• Caveman (1981)
• Quest for Fire (1981)
• The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
• Ice Age (franchise) (2002-2016)
• 10,000 BC (2008)
• Year One (2009)
• AO, le dernier Néandertal (AO, the Last Neanderthal) (2010)
• The Croods (2013)
• The Good Dinosaur (2015)
• B.C. Butcher (2016)

Films set in Antiquity (until the fall of the Roman Empire in the West)

Films set in Antiquity (until the fall of the Roman Empire in the West)

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
La Donna dei Faraoni	1961	3100 BC	shortly after the unification of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
Land of the Pharaohs	1956	2589-2566 BC	based on the reign of pharaoh Khufu
Il Sepolcro dei re	1960	2589-2566 BC	based on the reign of pharaoh Khufu
Sudan	1945	2558-2532 BC	set during the reign of the pharaoh Khafra
The Bible (miniseries)	2013	2000 BC-90 AD	Television miniseries based on the Bible.
Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend	2011	c. 1600 BC	Docudrama which depicts a re-enactment of the events surrounding the Minoan eruption, a volcanic eruption which destroyed the island of Thera and the Minoan civilization, an incident believed to have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
Slave of Dreams	1995	17th-16th century BC	set in Ancient Egypt and based on the story of Joseph
Joseph	1995	17th-16th century BC	Ancient Egypt, probably during the reign of Sesostris III
Nefertiti, Regina del Nilo	1961	c. 1370-1330 BC	Ancient Egypt; loosely based on the life of Nefertiti.
The Egyptian	1954	1350 BC	Based on the novel The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, who adapted the Story of Sinuhe. In the film is mentioned the pharaoh Akhenaten, the Hittite Empire, and iron Age technology.
Tut (miniseries)	2015	1332–1323 BC	The three-part miniseries is based on the life of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.
The Ten Commandments	1956	c. 14th-13th century BC	Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, based on the story of the Exodus
Exodus: Gods and Kings	2014	c. 15th-14th century BC	Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, based on the story of the Exodus.
Iphigenia	1977	c. 1200 BC	Greece immediately before the soldiers set sail to attack Troy
Helen of Troy	1956	c. 1200 BC	western Anatolia during the Trojan War
Troy	2004	c. 1200 BC	western Anatolia during the Trojan War
L'ira di Achille	1962	c. 1200 BC	western Anatolia in the 9th year of the Trojan War
Guerra di Troia	1961	c. 1200 BC	western Anatolia in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War
The Trojan Women	1971	c. 1200 BC	the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War
La Leggenda di Enea	1962	early 12th century BC	Aeneas struggles to establish a new home-land in Italian Peninsula for his fellow survivors of the Trojan War
Electra	1962	early 12th century BC	Electra, the daughter of the Greek king Agamemnon seeks revenge for her father's murder.
Pharaoh	1966	1069 BC	Ancient Egypt during the reign of a fictitious king "Ramses XIII" (there were only 11 by that name)
King David	1985	c. 1040-970 BC	Southern Levant. The story of David.
A Story of David	1960	c.1040-970 BC	Southern Levant. The story of David.
David e Golia	1960	c.1040-970 BC	Southern Levant. The story of David and Goliath.
David and Bathsheba (film)	1951	1040-970 BC	Southern Levant. The story of David and Bathsheba.
Of Kings and Prophets	2015-2016	11th century BC	Based on the Biblical Books of Samuel. The story of kings Saul and David.
Solomon and Sheba	1959	1011-931 BC	Southern Levant. The story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Sins of Jezebel	1953	874-853 BC	Southern Levant during the reign of king Ahab.
Io, Semiramide	1962	810 BC	Assyria. The story of Semiramis.
Romolo e Remo	1961	753 BC	based on the story of Romulus and Remus, and the founding of the city of Rome
El Rapto de las Sabinas	1962	c. 750 BC	early Roman foundation myth
Orazi e Curiazi	1961	c. 650 BC	Roman legend of the Horatii
Le Sette Folgori di Assur	1962	c. 627 BC	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)
La cortigiana di Babilonia	1954	600 BC	Neo-Babylonian Empire
Gautama Buddha	2007	c. 563-483 BC	about the life of the Gautama Buddha
L'eroe di Babilonia	1963	539 BC	Cyrus the Great conquers Babylonia
Confugius	2010	505-479 BC	Life of Confucius.
Il Colosso di Roma	1964	509 BC	combining the Roman legends of Gaius Mucius Scaevola and the expulsion of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last King of Rome.
Coriolanus: Hero without a Country	1964	493 BC	Roman legend of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus
The Giant of Marathon	1959	490 BC	Greece: Battle of Marathon
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
Ester e il re	1960	465-424 BC	the biblical story of Esther
One Night with the King	2006	465-424 BC	the biblical story of Esther set in the Achaemenid Empire
Il tiranno di Siracusa	1961	400 BC	Syracuse, Sicily
Brenno il nemico di Roma	1963	387 BC	the Gallic sack of Rome
Alexander the Great	1956	356-323 BC	Greece (ancient kingdom of Macedonia) and Persia
Alexander	2004	356-323 BC	Greece (ancient kingdom of Macedonia) and Persia
Il Colosso di Rodi	1961	280 BC
Asoka	2001	304-232 BC	Ancient India, during early years of the rule of Maurya emperor Asoka
Revak the Rebel	1960	c. 218 BC	Iberian Peninsula immediately before the Second Punic War
Siege of Syracuse	1960	214-212 BC	the Roman Siege of Syracuse during the Second Punic War
Cabiria	1914 (silent)	218-202 BC	during the Second Punic War
The Secret Under the Rose	2006	218-202 BC	during the Second Punic War
Hannibal	1959	218-202 BC	during the Second Punic War
Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal	1937	202 BC	Battle of Zama which ended the Second Punic War
Hannibal – Rome's Worst Nightmare	2006	218-202 BC	during the Second Punic War
The Centurion	1961	146 BC	Battle of Corinth between Rome and the Achaean League
Spartaco	1953	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
Julius Caesar	2002	100-44 BC	a bio-pic of Julius Caesar, not the Shakespeare play about his death and the aftermath
Druids	2001	58-51 BC	the struggle between Julius Caesar and Vercingetorix in the Gallic Wars
A Queen for Caesar	1962	48 BC	Egypt leading up to the arrival of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar	1953	44-42 BC	Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator
Julius Caesar	1970	44-42 BC	Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator
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
The Cleopatras	1983	305-30 BC	Egypt - The entire Ptolemaic dynasty
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
Empire	2005	1st century BC	Rome
Imperium: Augustus	2003	49 BC - 14 AD	Rome - the life of Augustus, the first emperor
Massacre in the Black Forest	1967	9 AD	Germany - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where the Cheruski ambushed and annihilated three Roman legions.
I, Claudius	1976	12 BC - 54 AD	Rome - the reigns and family life of the Julio-Claudians
The Nativity Story	2006	7–2 BC	Judea - The Biblical account of the nativity of Jesus, following the story of Mary and Joseph until the birth of Jesus occurs.
Jesus of Nazareth	1977	7–2 BC to 30–36 AD	Judea - the life of Jesus Christ
The Last Temptation of Christ (film)	1988	27-30 AD	Judea - the life of Jesus Christ
The Passion of the Christ	2004	33 AD	Judea - The final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life
The Caesars	1967	27 BC - 68	Rome - the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ	1925	c. 26-35	Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Ben-Hur	1959	c. 26-35	Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Ben-Hur	2016	c. 26-35	Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
The Inquiry	2006	c. 37	Roman province of Judea shortly after the death of Jesus
The Robe	1953	30-36	Rome - ending of the reign of Tiberius, the beginning of the reign of Caligula.
Imperium: Saint Peter	2005	ca. 33-64	Saint Peter
A.D. The Bible Continues	2015	30-41	Beginning with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and continues with the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts.
Caligula	1979	37-41	Rome - the reign of the third emperor, Caligula.
Demetrius and the Gladiators	1954	41	Ancient Rome - the end of Caligula's reign
Messalina	1960	41-48	Rome - about the reign of Messalina and Claudius
Boudica	2003	60	Britain - a rebellion shortly after the area had been conquered by Rome
Nero	2004	41-68	Rome - spanning the reigns of Claudius and Nero
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
Pompeii	2014	62-79 AD	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
Masada	1981	72-73	Roman province of Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War
The Dovekeepers	2015	72-73	Siege of Masada up to the end of the First Jewish–Roman War
Dacii	1967	86-87	Dacia (modern Romania) -Domitian's Dacian War
The Apocalypse	2002	c. 90-96	Rome - Ephesus
Revolt of the Praetorians	1964	96	Rome - the assassination 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
The Eagle	2011	140	Roman Britain - a young Roman man attempts to find out what happened to his father and the Ninth Legion
The Fall of the Roman Empire	1964	180-192	Rome during the reign of Commodus
Gladiator	2000	180-192	Rome during the reign of Commodus
Red Cliff	2008	winter of 208–209	epic war film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs
The Magnificent Gladiator	1964	c. 260-268	Rome during the reign of Gallienus
Sheba and the Gladiator	1959	c. 260-273	Rome and the Palmyrene Empire during the reigns of Aurelian and Zenobia
Sebastiane	1976	c. 288	Rome Low-budget homo-erotic film about Saint Sebastian
Katherine of Alexandria	2012	307	Roman province of Egypt shortly before the legalization of Christianity
Constantine and the Cross	1962	306-312 AD	Rome's first Christian emperor from the death of Constantius Chlorus to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
Fabiola	1949	c. 312	Rome early in the reign of Constantine I
Mayura	1975	354-365 AD	Kannada film set in Kadamba Dynasty, during the reign of Raja Mayurasharma
Augustine of Hippo	1972	354-430	Roman province of Africa
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
Roar	1997	400	Ireland - Celtic warriors attempt to repel a fictitious Roman invasion
Agora	2009	c. 360-415	Life and death of scientist/philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
Revenge of the Barbarians	1960	410	the Visigothic sack of Rome
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend	2000	387-493	Ireland and Roman Britain during the life of Saint Patrick
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
Die Nibelungen	1924	c. 450	about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Die Nibelungen	1967	c. 450	about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Ring of the Nibelungs	2004	c. 450	about the Germanic hero Siegfried
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire	2006	2nd century BC - 410	From Tiberius Gracchus to the Sack of Rome (410). BBC Docu-drama.
The Last Legion	2007	460-476	Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Late Antiquity/Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries)

Late Antiquity/Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries)

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
King Arthur	2004	early 5th century	the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the Battle of Mount Badon
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
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
Theodora	1921	c. 500-548	Byzantine empress Theodora
Theodora, Slave Empress	1954	c. 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
Lovespell	1981	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
Grendel	2007	6th century	Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age - very loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf
Beowulf & Grendel	2005	6th century	Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age - 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	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
Prince of Jutland	1994	6th century	Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age - legend of Amleth from the Danish Gesta Danorum
Goliath and the Barbarians	1959	568	the Lombard invasion of Italy
Sword of the Conqueror	1961	567-572	Alboin and the Lombard invasion of Italy
The Message	1976	570-632	Arabian Peninsula - the life of Muhammad
Muhammad: The Messenger of God (film)	2015	570-632	Arabian Peninsula - the life of Muhammad
Omar (TV series)	2012	595-644	the life of Omar ibn Al-Khattab, one of the companions of Muhammad
681 AD: The Glory of Khan	1981	632-681	epic about the fall of Old Great Bulgaria and the creation of modern-day Bulgaria; focuses on Kanasubigi Asparuh's life
Roland the Mighty	1956	778	Roland, a knight of Charlemagne's court who was killed at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass
King Lear	1971	800	Celtic Britain
King Lear	1999	800	Celtic Britain
Charlemagne, le prince à cheval	1993	768-800	Charlemagne's reign up to his coronation as emperor in 800
An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God	2003	c. 800	Poland - the death of Popiel and the rise of Piast the Wheelwright
Vikings (TV series)	2013-2016	793- 865	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.
Attack of the Normans	1962	early 9th century	set in England during the Viking Age ("Normans" in the title being used in its original continental sense, meaning "Vikings")
The Last Viking	1997	9th century	Viking Age
The Last Kingdom	2015	late 9th century	Viking Age
Pope Joan	1972	9th - 11th century	Pope Joan, 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(?)	Pope Joan, 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	highly fictionalized account of the death of Ragnar Lodbrok and the subsequent invasion of Northumbria by two of his sons
Alfred the Great	1969	c. 870-899	England - Alfred the Great, king of Wessex repels the army of Guthrum and begins the unification of England
The Saxon Chronicles	2006	c. 871-899	England - the reign of Alfred the Great
A Viking Saga	2008	870s	Russia - the Rus prince Oleg of Novgorod defeats Askold and Dir
Boris I	1985	852-889	St. Boris I Michael (first half of the 9th century - 2 May 907), a Bulgarian tzar who imposed Christianity in AD 865 and introduced the new Slavonic alphabets of Glagolitza and Cyrillic in the Bulgarian Empire
The Conquest	1996	896	Magyar settlement in Hungary
When the Raven Flies	1984	897	Iceland in the Viking Age
Útlaginn	1981	9th century	Iceland - adaptation of the saga of Gisli Sursson
Pathfinder	1987	c. 900	Norway - based on a Sami legend
In the Shadow of the Raven	1988	c. 900	Iceland in the Viking Age
White Viking	1991	c. 900	Iceland in the Viking Age
The 13th Warrior	1999	922	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 Castilian	1963	930-970	Ferdinand Gonzalez: an early hero of the Spanish Reconquista
Gniazdo	1974	c. 972	about Mieszko I of Poland
The Viking Sagas	1995	late 10th, early 11th centuries	Iceland - borrows elements from several Icelandic sagas, most notably Laxdœla saga and Njáls saga
The Ceremony of Innocence	1970	978-1016	a fictionalized version of the reign of Æthelred the Unready
Njálssaga	2003	960-1020	Iceland - adaptation of Njáls saga
The Viking	1928	999 or 1000	Leif Ericson and the expedition to North America
Valhalla Rising	2009	1000	Scandinavia and North America in 1000 AD

High and Late Middle Ages (1000-1453)

High and Late Middle Ages (1000-1453)

Title	Release date	Time period	Setting	Notes
Severed Ways	2009	1007	North America	two Scandinavians left behind in North America after the settlements made by Leif Ericson were abandoned
Prince Vladimir	2006	980-1015	Kievan Rus'	Vladimir I of Kiev
The Viking	2016	970-1016	Kievan Rus'	Vladimir I of Kiev
Yaroslav - A millenium ago	2011	1000–1010	Kievan Rus'	bio-pic about the Rus prince Yaroslav I the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise	1981	978-1054	Kievan Rus'	bio-pic about the Rus prince Yaroslav I the Wise
Macbeth	1971	1050s	Scotland	Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Macbeth	1997	1050s	Scotland	Scottish king Mac Bethad mac Findlaích
Lady Godiva of Coventry	1955	1050s	England	Lady Godiva, an English noble woman who allegedly rode naked through the streets of Coventry in protest of unfair taxation
The Physician (2013 film)	2013	1100	England-Middle East	A adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Noah Gordon.[
William the Conqueror	1982	1066	England	William the Conqueror, the Norman duke who conquered England
Blood Royal: William the Conqueror	1990	1066	England	During the Norman conquest
Brave	2012	10th-11th century	Scotland
1066 The Battle for Middle Earth	2009	1066	England	During the Norman conquest
Hereward the Wake	1965	1066–1087	England	Hereward the Wake, the Anglo-Danish leader who led a resistance against Norman rule
The War Lord	1965	1066-1100	England	A knight in the service of a duke goes to a coastal village where an earlier attempt to build a defensive castle has failed.
El Cid	1961	1040–1099	Spain / Kingdom of Castile	Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, an 11th-century Spanish warrior known as El Cid
The Raid of the Aegean	1946	1096–1099	Eastern Mediterranean Sea	First Crusade
The Mighty Crusaders	1958	1096–1099	Levant	First Crusade
Rytsarskiy roman	2000	1096–1099	Byzantine Empire	First Crusade
The Crusaders	2001	1096–1099	Italy and the Levant	First Crusade
Stealing Heaven	1988	c. 1120	France	Peter Abelard and Héloïse
Didgori: Land of Sacrificed Knights	2009	1121	Kingdom of Georgia	Battle of Didgori, in which Georgia's king David IV defeated the Seljuks
The Pillars of the Earth	2010	1120–1170	England	during the civil wars between King Stephen and his cousin Maud
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
Barbarossa	2009	1176	Northern Italy	Battle of Legnano
The Lion in Winter	1968	1183	England	Henry II is in power as his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine plots with their sons
The Lion in Winter	2003	1183	England	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
Richard the Lion-Hearted	1923	1190	Levant	based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman and set in the Third Crusade
Richard the Lion-Hearted	1992	1190	Levant	based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman and set in the Third Crusade
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.
Knight Kenneth	1993	1190	Levant	based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman and set in the Third Crusade
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
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
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
The Adventures of Robin Hood	1938	1190s	England	During the life of Richard the Lionheart after his release from captivity in 1194
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves	1991	1190s	England	During the life of Richard the Lionheart after his release from captivity in 1194
Robin Hood	2010	1199	England	from the death of Richard the Lionheart until the early reign of King John
Robin and Marian	1976	1199-c. 1201	England	from the death of Richard the Lionheart until the early reign of King John
The Life and Death of King John	1951	1199–1216	England	The reign of King John
The Life and Death of King John	1984	1199–1216	England	The reign of King John
Francis of Assisi	1961	1182–1226	Italy	Francis of Assisi
Brother Sun, Sister Moon	1972	1181–1226	Italy	Francis of Assisi
Francesco	1989	1181–1226	Italy	Francis of Assisi
Gates to Paradise	1968	1212	France	the ill-fated Children's Crusade
Ironclad	2011	1215	England	the siege of Rochester Castle
Mongol (film)	2007	1192- 1227	Mongolia	A film about the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as Genghis Khan
Eye of the Eagle	1997	1218	Denmark
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.
Alexander - Battle of Neva	2008	1240	Russia	Prince Alexander Nevsky and the Battle of Neva
Alexander Nevsky	1938	1241	North-eastern Europe	Prince Alexander Nevsky and the Battle of the Ice
Valley of the Bees	1968	13th century	Kingdom of Bohemia
The Adventures of Marco Polo	1938	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 (TV series)	2014	1254–1325	China	the Italian explorer who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan
Herkus Mantas	1972	1260–1273	Prussia	the Great Prussian Uprising against the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades
The Virgin Spring	1960	late 13th century	Sweden	adaptation of the 13th century Swedish ballad, Töres döttrar i Wänge
The Black Rose	1950	mid-to-late 13th century	China	the fictional exploits of a young Englishman who travells to China, falls in love along the way, and manages to return with a formula for gunpowder
Knights of the Quest	2001	1271	Europe	French knights journey to Greece to retrieve the Shroud of Turin
Braveheart	1995	1296–1305	Great Britain	William Wallace, a Scotsman who fought for Scotland's independence in the 1290s
The Bruce	1996	1274–1329	Scotland	Robert the Bruce, who took over the rebellion against Edward "Longshanks" following the death of William Wallace in 1305
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
The Tears of Saint Peter	1995	1300	Sweden	a con-artist selling the "Tears of Peter," which are said to be a cure for any illness
Tower of Nesle	1955	1314	France	Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of France
Tower of Screaming Virgins	1968	1314	France	Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of France
Anchoress	1993	1325	France	An anchorite
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
World Without End	2012	1327-1349	England	A sequel to the 2010 miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, set in England during the 1300s
Kristin Lavransdatter	1995	early-to-mid-14th century	Norway
The Decameron	1971	1348	Italy
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
Second Sight	1994	1349	Norway	During the initial outbreak of the plague
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 to Edward, the Black Prince and the Battle of Poitiers (1356))
Inês de Castro	1944	1357	Portugal	Inês de Castro, the lover of Pedro I of Portugal, who had her posthumously declared his wife and queen in 1357
The Dark Avenger	1955	1359	England	Edward, the Black Prince
Kazimierz Wielki	1976	1333–1370	Poland	Casimir III the Great of Poland
John Wycliffe: The Morning Star	1984	1325–1384	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 Canterbury Tales	1972	late 14th century	England
The Canterbury Tales	1998–2000	late 14th century	England
The Reckoning	2003	1380	England
Richard the Second	1978	1367–1399	England	adaptation of Shakespeare's play about Richard II
Boj na Kosovu	1989	1389	Eastern Europe	a battle between Medieval Serbia and the Ottoman Empire
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
Mircea	1989	1386–1418	Wallachia	Mircea the Elder, who repelled the Ottoman Empire during his reign
Andrei Rublev	1966	c. 1360-1430	Russia	about the life of Andrei Rublev, who was considered to be the greatest medieval Russian painter of icons and frescoes
Krzyzacy	1960	1406-1410	Eastern Europe	the Battle of Grunwald
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
The Whore	2010	1414–1415	Germany
John Hus	1977	1415	Bohemian	John Hus, the theologian from Prague whose proto-reformationist teachings prompted his conviction and execution for heresy, which would be the catalyst for the anti-imperial Hussite Wars which would plague central Europe in the 15th century
Joan of Arc	1948	1429-1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
Saint Joan	1957	1429-1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
Joan of Arc	1999	1429-1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc	1999	1429-1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
The Passion of Joan of Arc	1928	1431	England	The trial and execution of Joan of Arc
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
Jeanne d'Arc, le pouvoir et l'innocence	1989	1429-1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
The Silence of Joan	2011	1431	France	Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War
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
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
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
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
The Conquest of Constantinople	1951	1453	Constantinople	the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II
Fetih 1453	2012	1453	Constantinople	The siege of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks, ending the Byzantine Empire.

Renaissance and Early Modern (1454-1700)

Early Modern (1454-1700)

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
Richard III	1955	1452–1485	Richard III of England
Black Arrow	1985	1455–1485	adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about the Lancastrian hero in the Wars of the Roses
The Conclave	2006	1458	depicting this tense, politically charged Papal election
Tower of London	1939	1462-1483	during the reign of Edward IV of England
The White Queen (TV series)	2013	1464	the House of York and the House of Lancaster, are in violent conflict over the throne[1]
Tower of London	1962	1483-1485	during the reign of Richard III of England
The Shadow of the Tower	1972	1485-1509	during the reign of Henry VII of England
Princes in the Tower	2005	1490s	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	1985	1492	the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery	1992	1492	the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
1492: Conquest of Paradise	1992	1492–1506	the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus
The Borgias	1981	1492–1503	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	the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
Borgia	2011	1492–1503	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	the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era
Apocalypto	2006	1502	Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, the declining period of the Maya civilization
Luther	2003	1505–1530	Martin Luther
The Agony and the Ecstasy	1965	1508–1512	the painting of the Sistine Chapel
Henry VIII and His Six Wives	1972	1509–1547	Henry VIII of England
The Private Life of Henry VIII	1933	1509–1547	Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII	2003	1509–1547	Henry VIII of England
The Tudors	2007–2010	1509–1547	Henry VIII of England
Muhteşem Yüzyıl	2011-2014	1520-1566	Based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent
The Other Conquest	1998	1521	Mexico, depicting the secret adherence to traditional religious beliefs of the converted Aztec survivors
The Headsman	2005	c. 1525	an executioner in Tyrol (part of the Holy Roman Empire)
A Man for All Seasons	1966	1525–1535	Thomas More
Anne of the Thousand Days	1969	1525–1536	Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I
The Other Boleyn Girl	2008	1525–1536	Anne and Mary Boleyn
Ivan Groznyy	2009	1530–1584	19-episodes TV Series about Ivan IV of Russia
The Royal Hunt of the Sun	1969	1532	Francisco Pizarro's capture of Atahualpa, Sapa Inca.
Young Bess	1953	1535–1558	From the death of Anne Boleyn to the corronation of Elizabeth I of England
Wara Wara	1930	16th century	romance set at the time of the Spanish conquest of Bolivia
Mary of Scotland	1936	1542–1587	Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots	1971	1542–1587	Mary, Queen of Scots
Jodhaa Akbar	2008	1542–1605	The great 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
Ivan the Terrible	1944, 1958	1547–1569	Two-part film about Ivan IV of Russia
The Return of Martin Guerre	1982	1548–1588	The case of Martin Guerre in France - a true case of identity theft.
Lady Jane	1986	1553	About Lady Jane Grey, Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days.
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.
Reign (TV series)	2013-	1557–	Mary, Queen of Scots
Elizabeth R	1971	1558–1603	The reign of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth	1998	1554-1563	The early 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.
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.[2]
Tsar	2009	1566–1569	Film about Ivan IV of Russia during the era of 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
Bathory	2008	1571-1614	Visually sumptuous feminist-themed conspiracy retelling of the life of Hungary's Countess Elizabeth Báthory, commonly held to be history's most prolific female serial killer
La Reine Margot	1994	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
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.
Fire Over England	1937	1588	The Spanish Armada during the Anglo-Spanish War.
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.
Beatrice Cenci	1969	1599	It depicts real life events of Francesco and Beatrice Cenci
Shōgun	1980	1600	Loosely based on the adventures of William Adams, an English sailor who travelled to Japan in 1600 and served as a samurai and advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was a figure in the early Tokugawa shogunate.
Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem	2015-	1602-	The life of Kösem Sultan, wife of Sultan Ahmed I.
The New World	2005	1608	The colonization of Jamestown, Virginia
1612	2007	1612	The Tsardom of Russia during the Time of Troubles
The Last Valley	1970	c. 1618-1648	Set in the Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War.
Molière	1978	1622–1673	The French playwright Molière
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 (film)	1935	1626–1642	The life of the great 17th-century French statesman Cardinal Richelieu and his dealings with Louis XIII of France
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.
Michiel de Ruyter	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
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
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
Versailles (TV Series)	2015	1668-	Fictionalized drama about the reign of King Louis XIV and the building of Versailles
Colonel Wolodyjowski	1968	1668	The Ottoman invasion of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, part of the Polish–Ottoman Wars.
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
Peter the Great	1984	1682–1725	The reign of Peter I of Russia
The Cantor of St Thomas's	1984	1685–1750	German composer Johann Sebastian Bach
The Crucible	1996	1692–1693	Dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in Province of Massachusetts Bay
Tous les matins du monde	1991	late 17th century	French composer Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe.

Films set in the 18th century

Films set in the 18th and 19th centuries

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
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 Sovereign's Servant	2007	1709	The Battle of Poltava during the Great Northern War.
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 (TV series)	2014-	1715-1726	Set roughly two decades before the events of Treasure Island and during the Golden Age of Piracy
Blackbeard	2006	1718	the infamous pirate Edward Teach
Bajirao Mastani	2015	1720-1740	Bollywood film based on the life of Bajirao I
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.
The Scarlet Empress	1934	1729–1796	Catherine II of Russia, the "enlightened despot" who reigned as Empress of Russia.
Catherine the Great	1995	1729–1796	Catherine II of Russia
The Rise of Catherine the Great	1934	1740s	Early years of Catherine II of Russia
Young Catherine	1991	1744	Early years of Catherine II of Russia
The Great King	1942	1740- 1786	It depicts the life of Frederick the Great
Sachsens Glanz und Preußens Gloria	1985 -1987	1697-1763	A six-part TV movie, which goes back to historical events of the years 1697-1763
Maria Theresia	1980	1740-1780	Depicts the life of Maria Theresa
George Washington	1984	1743–1783	A story of George Washington.
Outlander (TV series)	2014-	1743-	A time travel themed TV series which goes back to historical events surrounding Jacobite risings, starting from 1743.
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.
Chasing the Deer	1994	1745–1746	Jacobite Rising of 1745
Culloden	1964	1745–1746	Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Master of Ballantrae	1953	1745–1746	Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Master of Ballantrae	1984	1745–1746	Jacobite Rising of 1745
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	c. 1750	Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island	1950	c. 1750	Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island	1972	c. 1750	Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island	1990	c. 1750	Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson
Adesuwa	2012	1752	Benin Kingdom
Casanova	2005	1753–1757	Giacomo Casanova
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	1989	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.
The Mission	1986	c. 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
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.
Les Deux Fragonard	1989	c. 1768	Story of the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard and his cousin, the anatomist Honoré Fragonard, called "Cyprien Fragonard" in the movie, and the supposed model for The Swing
The Duchess	2008	1770s - 1790s	The life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
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.[3]
Marie Antoinette	1938	1774–1792	Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Marie Antoinette	2006	1774–1792	Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France
Drums Along the Mohawk	1939	1776	Settlers during the American Revolution. They suffer British, Loyalist, and Indian attacks on their farm.
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.
Turn: Washington's Spies	2014–	1776–1778	A story of George Washington and the Culper Ring.
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.
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.
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 in order to fund drainage of the mosquito-infested swamps bringing sickness and death to his region.
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	A story of George Washington.
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
The French Revolution	1989	1789–1794	French Revolution
The Scarlet Pimpernel	1934	1792	French Revolution
The Scarlet Pimpernel	1982	1792	French Revolution
The Red Violin	1998	1793	One section of the film is set in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria in 1793.
Charlotte Corday	2008	1793	Trial and execution of Charlotte Corday after her murder of Jean-Paul Marat. Marat was a Jacobin journalist and politician.
Danton	1983	1794	Conflict between Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution.
Beau Brummell	1954	c. 1795	Beau Brummell, a 19th-century arbiter of fashion in England who popularized the man's suit and necktie
Sangolli Rayanna (film)	2012	1798-1831	Film is about Sangolli Rayanna, a prominent Indian military leader from Karnataka, who fought the British East India Company until he was captured and executed in 1831.
Sleepy Hollow	1999	1799	Set in the years after the American Revolution, when a Headless Horseman haunted a little town, Sleepy Hollow, New York.
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

Films set in the 19th century

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
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
The Duellists	1977	1804–1814	The Napoleonic Wars
Tripoli	1950	1805	Battle of Derne
Conquest	1937	1806–1816	The love story between Marie Walewska and Napoleon I
Amazing Grace	2006	1807	William Wilberforce's Abolitionist campaign to abolish slavery in the British Empire
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	c. 1810-1828	Lady Caroline Lamb, the British aristocrat, novelist and Lord Byron's lover
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)
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	1814–1831	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.
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 Deceivers	1988	1825	British officer in India investigates the Thugee cult.
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser	1974	1828–1833	The story of foundling Kaspar Hauser in the German Confederation.
Kaspar Hauser	1993	1828–1833	The story of foundling Kaspar Hauser in the German Confederation.
The Horseman on the Roof	1995	1832	Second cholera pandemic in July Monarchy France
The Alamo	1960	1836	Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
The Alamo	2004	1836	Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
The Young Victoria	2009	1837 - 1840s	Early reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort.
Victoria (TV series)	2016	1837 - 1840s	Early reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort.
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.
The Emigrants	1971	1840s	The Swedish immigrants in Minnesota.
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.
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.
Eureka Stockade	1949	1854	Peter Lalor and the Eureka Rebellion, a gold miners' rebellion at the Eureka Stockade (Ballarat, Australia).
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 (film)	1955	1854	It is the first installment in the trilogy of films about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, nicknamed Sissi.
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
Sissi – The Young Empress	1956	1855-1856	Sissi adapts to life as Empress of Austria.
The Duelist	2016	1855-1860	An exploration of the underground world of duelling between nobility in 19th century Russia
Quanto è bello lu murire acciso	1976	1857	Failed rising organized by Carlo Pisacane in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Ride with the Devil	1999	1861–1864	Depicts the activities of Confederate States of America's Bushwhackers, guerrilla fighters, in Missouri.
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.
Glory	1989	1862–1863	The American Civil War from the Battle of Antietam to the Second Battle of Fort Wagner
Gettysburg	1993	1863	The Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War
Wyatt Earp	1994	1863–1884	Events leading up to and following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
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	1865–1869	Based on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Dances with Wolves	1990	c. 1865-1870	The American Civil War and its aftermath in the American West, interaction with the Lakota Sioux
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.
Young Winston	1972	1874–1902	The biography Winston Churchill before he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II.
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
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
Thousand Pieces of Gold	1991	1880s	Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West.
The Miracle Worker	1962	1880-1887	The early childhood of Helen Keller, her infancy contraction of blindness and deafness and Anne Sullivan's arrival
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 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
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.
Geronimo: An American Legend	1993	1886	Events leading up to the capture of Geronimo, a prominent Apache leader during the Apache Wars.
From Hell	2001	1888	Set in London, about the Jack the Ripper murders. The full historical case is covered in the Whitechapel 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.
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.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee	2007	1890	Wounded Knee Massacre
Heaven's Gate	1980	1892	Covers the Johnson County War
El Presidente	2012	1896-1964	Philippine Revolution and the final years and death of President of the Philippines Emilio Aguinaldo
Rough Riders	1997	1898	Depicts The Battle of San Juan Hill, part of the Spanish–American War
Heneral Luna	2015	1898-1899	The Second Phase of the Philippine Revolution and the heroism of General Antonio Luna

Films set in the early/mid 20th century

Title: 1918 Release date: 1985 Time period: 1918 Notes on setting: Written by Horton Foote, depicts life in Texas and the devastating effect of the great flu epidemic of 1918.

Films set in the early/mid 20th century

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
Gandhi	1982	1893-1947	Biopic about the life and activism of Mahatma Gandhi.
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
We of the Never Never	1982	1902	Semi-fictional story of Jeannie Gunn's experiences at Elsey Station in Australia's Northern Territory
Meet Me in St. Louis	1944	1904	Life of a middle-class American family at the time of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
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	1900-1919	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
Iron Jawed Angels	2004	1913-1920	American women's suffrage movement during the 1910s
Titanic	1943	1912	the Titanic disaster
A Night to Remember	1958	1912	the Titanic disaster
Titanic	1997	1912	the Titanic disaster
Reds	1981	1912-1920	Russian Revolution
Doctor Zhivago	1965	1912–1923	World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War
Stalin	1992	1917-1953	Brutal Career and Corruption of Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin
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
A Very Long Engagement	2004	1914–1920s	Western Front of World War I
The Aviator	2004	1914-1947	Biopic about Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer, director, and successful film producer.
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.
Shimon Haber	2008	1915–1919	Development and usage of Chemical weapons in World War I
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.
The Lighthorsemen	1987	1917	Battle of Beersheba in the Middle Eastern theatre of 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.
Between Wars	1974	1918–1939	Four episodes in the life of an Australian doctor from the end of World War I to the onset of World War II
Max	2002	1918-1919	Semi-historical hypothetical exploration of Adolf Hitler's move towards politics and Nazism following World War I through his relationship with fictional wealthy Jewish art dealer Max Rothman
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.
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.
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.
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.
The King's Speech	2010	1924-1939	The quest of George VI, King of the United Kingdom to overcome his stammer.
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.
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 sunk 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 caddy, 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.
Bonnie and Clyde	1967	1931–1934	About the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, American outlaws and robbers during the Great Depression.
Public Enemies	2009	1933-1934	Set during the Great Depression, it chronicles the final years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger.
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.
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.
Unbroken	2014	1936-1998	The life of Louis Zamperini.
Race	2016	1936	The life of Jesse Owens wons four gold medals during Athletics.
The Hindenburg	1975	1937	The Hindenburg disaster at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
The Flowers of War	2011	1937	The Nanking Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
John Rabe	2009	1937	The Nanking Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
KanColle: The Movie	2016	1939-1991	Based on Kantai Collection and true events of World War II and Cold War.
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 Last Bastion	1984	1939–1945	Australia during World War II
The Pianist	2002	1939–1945	Poland during World War II
Max Manus: Man of War	2008	1939-1945	Norway during World War II and Winter war
Battle of Britain	1969	1940	The Battle of Britain
Malèna	2000	1940–1944	Italy during World War II
The Way Back	2010	1941	Escape from a Siberian Gulag
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.
Tora! Tora! Tora!	1970	December 7, 1941	The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor	2001	December 1941-April 1942	The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent American retaliation in the Doolittle Raid.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas	2008	1942	Set during the Holocaust
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.
Midway	1976	June 1942	The Battle of Midway
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
Enemy at the Gates	2001	winter 1942-1943	The activities of Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev in the Battle of Stalingrad
Kill Your Darlings	2013	1943-1945	The college days of some of the earliest members of the Beat Generation
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
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.
Patton	1970	1943–1945	The exploits of United States Army General George S. Patton during World War II
The Monuments Men	2014	1943–1977	A story of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, based on true events.
Red Tails	2012	1944	Tuskegee Airmen during World War II
The Longest Day	1962	June 6, 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	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
Saints and Soldiers	2003	December 1944-January 1945	The Malmedy massacre and its aftermath during the Battle of the Bulge.
Battle of the Bulge (film)	1965	December 1944-January 1945	The Battle of the Bulge.
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.
Fury	2014	April 1945	2nd Armored Division Tank crewmen during the Western Allied invasion of Germany
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
The Good German	2006	July–August 1945	During the Potsdam Conference
Nuremberg	2000	November 1945-October 1946	The first of the Nuremberg trials
Judgment at Nuremberg	1961	1947	the Judges' Trial
The Black Dahlia	2006	1947	The murder of Elizabeth Short and subsequent investigation
Jinnah	1998	1920–1947	Depicts the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the independence of Pakistan.
Exodus	1960	1947–1948	Foundation of Israel
Cast a Giant Shadow	1966	1948	United States Army colonel Mickey Marcus's involvement in the Israeli War of Independence

Films set in the later 20th century

Films set in the later 20th century

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
Evita	1996	1926-1952	Rise of Eva Perón, a powerful First Lady of Argentina
Frances	1982	1931-1958	Life of actress Frances Farmer
The Good Shepherd	2006	1938–1961	Rise of Central Intelligence Agency's counterintelligence, leading up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Right Stuff	1983	1947–1963	The Project Mercury space launches, the first human spaceflight program of the United States
American Hot Wax	1978	1950s	Disc jockey Alan Freed's involvement in the emergence of Rock and roll
The Finest Hours	2016	1952	The SS Pendleton Coast Guard rescue mission attempt
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 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.
The Battle of Algiers	1966	1954–1960	During the Algerian War
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
The Motorcycle Diaries	2004	1952–1967	The life of Che Guevara
Goodfellas	1990	1955-1980	Biopic about mobster Henry Hill
Blow	2001	1955-1994	Biopic about drug trafficker George Jung
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
Bridge of Spies	2015	1957-1960	Based on 1960 U-2 incident disaster.
Scandal	1989	1959–1963	Christine Keeler, Stephen Ward and the Profumo affair
Heaven & Earth	1993	1960s - 1980s	Vietnam War
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.
K-19: The Widowmaker	2002	1961, 1989	Soviet submarine K-19 nuclear disaster
The Siege of Jadotville	2016	1961	The Congo Crisis and Siege of Jadotville
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
Thirteen Days	2000	October 1962	The Cuban Missile Crisis
Z	1969	1963	The assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis
Catch Me If You Can	2002	1963-1974	The life of Frank Abagnale, a con artist and famous check forger.
Ghosts of Mississippi	1996	1963-1990s	Events surrounding the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
Mississippi Burning	1988	1964	The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into the Mississippi civil rights workers' murders
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
Selma (film)	2014	1965	Civil rights protesters march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama
The Year of Living Dangerously	1982	1965	Set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno
1965 (film)	2014	1963-1966	Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore and National Day of 1965
Dekada '70 (The 70s)	2002	1970s	Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting is period of Martial law during the Marcos Era
Ikaw Lamang (Only You)	2014	1960s–1980s	The film depicts the lifestyle of the wealthy Filipino landowners during the 1960s up to 1980s during the Marcos Era
Coming Home	2014	1966-1976	Cultural Revolution in China.
We Were Soldiers	2002	November 1965	The Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War
Born on the Fourth of July	1989	1965–1968	Ron Kovic's experiences in the Vietnam War
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
Bobby	2006	1968	The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Full Metal Jacket	1987	1968	Battle of Huế in the Vietnam War
Coming Home	1978	1968	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.
The Deer Hunter	1978	1968–1975	Vietnam War
Hamburger Hill	1987	1969	Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War
Apocalypse Now	1979	1969	Vietnam War
Nixon	1995	1969–1974	The political life of President of the United States Richard M. Nixon
Romero	1989	1977-1980	The assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero at the height of the Salvadorian Civil War
Zodiac	2007	1969–1975	the Zodiac murders in Northern California
The Odd Angry Shot	1979	late 1960s	Experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War
City of God	2002	late 1960s-early 1980s	The growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro
'Secretariat	2010	1970-1973	Race horse Secretariat.
Apollo 13	1995	April 1970	Apollo 13 lunar mission
Milk	2008	1970–1978	Gay rights activist Harvey Milk
The Last King of Scotland	2006	1971–1976	President of Uganda Idi Amin
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	January 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
The Killing Fields	1984	1973–1979	The Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime
The Night We Called It a Day	2003	1974	Frank Sinatra's controversial 1974 tour of Australia
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
Frost/Nixon	2008	1977	the Frost-Nixon interviews
Summer of Sam	1999	1977	The Son of Sam murders in New York City
Boogie Nights	1997	1977-1984	The rise and fall of fictional pornographic film actor Dirk Diggler
Gracie	2007	1978	Six years after the introduction of Title IX
American Hustle	2013	1978	Abscam operation
54 (film)	1998	1979	The last year of Studio 54 in New York City.
Argo	2012	1979-1980	A portrayal of the CIA's role in the Canadian Caper.
Walesa: Man of Hope	2013	1980-1989	Portrayal of Polish labor leader Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement.
Miracle	2004	February 1980	The United States men's national ice hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Charlie Wilson's War	2007	1980–1989	CIA's covert involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War
Goodbye Bafana	2007	c. 1980-1990	Nelson Mandela's imprisonment
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)
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)
The Falklands Play	2002	1980–1982	Diplomacy leading up to and during the Falklands War
Steve Jobs (2015 film)	2015	1984-1998	Covers fourteen years of Steve Jobs computing career
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
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.
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi	2016	1988-2006	Based on Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
Straight Outta Compton (film)	2015	1986-1996	The story behind rap group, N.W.A
Narcos	2015	1989	Pablo Escobar rules the Columbian Drug Cartels.
Jarhead	2005	1989–1991	Gulf War
Three Kings	1999	1991	1991 uprisings in Iraq against Saddam Hussein and aftermath of the Gulf War and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Perfect Storm	2002	1991	1991 Perfect Storm
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
Invictus	2009	1991–1995	Post-apartheid South Africa and the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Savior	1998	c. 1995	During the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia
Behind Enemy Lines	2001	1995	the Mrkonjić Grad incident during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia
The Queen	2006	1997	A fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Open Water	2004	1998	Tom and Eileen Lonergan
Blood Diamond	2006	1999	During the Sierra Leone Civil War

Films set in the 21st century

Films set in the 21st century

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting
Spotlight (film)	2015	July–December 2001	The Boston Globe's investigative story on the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston and September 11 attacks
World Trade Center	2006	September 11, 2001	September 11 attacks
Flight 93	2006	September 11, 2001	September 11 attacks
In the Name of God	2007	September 11, 2001	Relate to South Asian culture and the subsequent misinterpretations of Islam in Pakistan's society.
United 93	2006	September 11, 2001	September 11 attacks
My Name is Khan	2010	c. 2001	Muslim-Americans dealing with reactions to September 11 attacks
The Social Network	2010	c. 2003-2007	The founding of the social networking service-website Facebook
In the Valley of Elah	2007	2004	The murder of an Iraq War-veteran and the subsequent investigation
The Impossible	2012	2004	The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, from the viewpoint of a tourist family in Thailand
Lions for Lambs	2007	c. 2005	the War in Afghanistan
Green Zone	2010	c. 2005	The Iraq War
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 Hurt Locker	2008	c. 2006	the Iraq War
Last Flight to Abuja	2012	2006	The series of 2006 airplane crashes in Nigeria
The Fifth Estate	2013	2007-2010	About Julian Assange and the foundation of his news-leaking site Wikileaks
Margin Call	2011	2008	Collapse of a large investment firm ahead of the 2008 financial meltdown
Too Big to Fail	2011	2008	The 2008 financial meltdown
Captain Phillips	2013	c. 2009	Kidnapping of merchant mariner Richard Phillips by Somalian pirates
American Sniper	2014	1998-2011	Based on the 2012 memoir of former US Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle
Zero Dark Thirty	2012	2001-2012	The finding and assassination of Osama Bin Laden
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 2008 financial meltdown

See also

• List of films based on actual events
• List of films based on Greco-Roman mythology
• List of films set in ancient Rome
• List of war films and TV specials
• List of World War II films
• Middle Ages in film
  • List of films based on Arthurian legend
• Asian historical period drama films
  • Jidaigeki
  • Samurai cinema
• Period piece

References

External links

• 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.