Topic: 12th Century

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Kinuyo Tanaka · Yoshiaki Hanayaki · Kyôko Kagawa · Eitarô Shindô

Synopsis Sansho the Bailiff (1954) delves into a grim period of Japanese history, drawing from a 12th-century folk tale to illustrate the cruelty and inhumanity of a bygone era. The narrative begins with a provincial governor who advocates for the rights...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Machiko Kyô · Masayuki Mori · Takashi Shimura

Synopsis Rashomon (1950) unfolds in feudal Japan, where a tragic event in a dense forest sets the stage for a complex narrative. Masako (Machiko Kyo), a woman, and her spouse Takehiro (Masayuki Mori) encounter a dangerous bandit, Tajomaru (Toshiro Mifune), who...

Direction Jacques Tourneur

Cast Burt Lancaster · Virginia Mayo · Nick Cravat · Robert Douglas

Synopsis The Flame and the Arrow (1950) is set in the 12th century in Lombardy, where the region is oppressed by the tyrannical German overlord, Count Ulrich 'The Hawk'. However, in the mountains, a group of rebels continues to fight against...

Direction Peter Glenville

Cast Richard Burton · Peter O'Toole · John Gielgud · Donald Wolfit

Synopsis Becket (1964) is a historical drama that delves into the complex relationship between King Henry II of England and the Church. When the Archbishop of Canterbury passes away, Henry II seizes the opportunity to appoint a more malleable figure to...

Direction Anthony Harvey

Cast Katharine Hepburn · Peter O'Toole · Jane Merrow · Anthony Hopkins

Synopsis The Lion in Winter (1968) unfolds during the Christmas of 1183, as the cunning and aging King Henry II orchestrates a gathering with the intent to designate his heir. He invites a cast of influential figures to the festivities: his...

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Narutoshi Hayashi · Raizô Ichikawa · Tatsuya Ishiguro · Akitake Kôno

Synopsis The Taira Clan Saga (1955) unfolds in the vibrant and tumultuous 12th Century Japan, where a complex tapestry of social and political intrigue sets the stage for an epic narrative of power dynamics, familial conflicts, and human vulnerability. The story...

Direction Richard Thorpe

Cast Robert Taylor · Elizabeth Taylor · Joan Fontaine · George Sanders

Synopsis Ivanhoe (1952) presents a grand narrative of chivalry and romance, directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor. This cinematic adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's 1819 novel follows the journey of Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a valiant knight on a mission...

Direction Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

Cast Eddie Redmayne · Hayley Atwell · Matthew Macfadyen · Ian McShane

Synopsis The Pillars of the Earth (TV Miniseries) (2010) is an expansive saga that delves into themes of morality, betrayal, and power, all set against a backdrop of conflict, religious discord, and political maneuvering that devastates lives and families. Spanning eight...

Direction Morio Asaka · Shigeyuki Miya · Tetsurō Araki · Ryosuke Nakamura

Synopsis Blue Literature (TV Series) (2009) is an animated series that brings to life six renowned works of classical Japanese literature. The series includes adaptations of "No Longer Human" (Ningen Shikaku) and "Run, Melos" (Hashire, Melos) by Osamu Dazai, "Kokoro" by...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Tomisaburô Wakayama · Shima Iwashita · Hiroko Isayama · Kô Nishimura

Synopsis Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975) unfolds the narrative of a captivating urban woman and a daring bandit who becomes infatuated with her. Following her abduction by the bandit, she is taken to his secluded mountain hideout. There, the bandit...

Direction Cecil B. DeMille

Cast Loretta Young · Henry Wilcoxon · Ian Keith · C. Aubrey Smith

Synopsis The Crusades (1935) presents a fictionalized account of the Third Crusade, where King Richard the Lionheart embarks on a holy expedition to evade a political marriage to Princess Alice of France. Along the way, he marries Berengaria to secure provisions...

Direction Roger Corman

Cast Vincent Price · Hazel Court · Jane Asher · David Weston

Synopsis The Masque of the Red Death (1964) is widely regarded as a standout among Roger Corman's adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's works. This film delivers the anticipated eerie ambiance and brutal scenes against the backdrop of a plague-stricken countryside, along...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Denjirô Ôkôchi · Susumu Fujita · Takashi Shimura · Kenichi Enomoto

Synopsis The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945) is a renowned masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa, created as a last-minute project when his initial plans for a grand costume drama fell through. Utilizing the sets, costumes, and actors from the...

Direction Israel del Santo

Cast Álvaro Martín Ronco · Aitor Legardon · Miguel Díaz de Espada · Juan Luis Cabellos

Direction Stuart Elliott

Direction Mario Monicelli

Cast Ugo Tognazzi · Maurizio Nichetti · Alberto Sordi · Lello Arena

Synopsis Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and Cascacenno (1984) follows the tale of a resourceful farmer who dares to challenge King Alboino in a battle of wits before the entire royal court in 12th-century Verona, Italy. Armed with nothing but his sharp intellect, the...

Direction Clive Donner

Cast Derek de Lint · Kim Thomson · Denholm Elliott · Kenneth Cranham

Synopsis Stealing Heaven (1988) follows the passionate and forbidden love story of Pierre Abelard, a renowned philosopher and educator in medieval Paris, and his brilliant and enchanting pupil, Heloise. Abelard is tasked with instructing Heloise, but their intellectual bond quickly evolves...

Direction Shinichirô Sawai

Cast Takashi Sorimachi · Rei Kikukawa · Mayumi Wakamura · Eugene Nomura

Synopsis Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea (2007) delves into the extraordinary journey of one of history's most formidable leaders, tracing his path from humble beginnings to his legendary conquests across Asia. The film explores the pivotal...

Direction Raúl García

Direction Branko Ranitovic · Pavao Stalter · Manfredo Manfredi