Topic: Historical

Explore the top movies, series, and documentaries on Historical. Enjoy the must-watch titles that define this topic.


I, Claudius (TV Miniseries)

1976 · Series · 650 min. · United Kingdom

Direction Herbert Wise

Cast Derek Jacobi · Sian Phillips · John Hurt · George Baker

Synopsis I, Claudius (TV Miniseries) (1976) is a 13-episode adaptation of Robert Graves' novel, detailing the extraordinary journey of Claudius (Derek Jacobi), a man who, despite physical challenges including a deformed leg and a speech impediment, ascends to the throne of...

8.3

9K votes

8.3

9K votes

The Passion of Joan of Arc

1928 · Movie · 110 min. · France

Direction Carl Theodor Dreyer

Cast Maria Falconetti · Eugene Silvain · Maurice Schutz · Michel Simon

Synopsis The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) is set in the year 1431, where a young French woman, Joan of Arc, faces a trial for purported treason. Once celebrated as a national hero, she is now a pawn in a...

Max

8.3

9K votes

8.3

9K votes

1900 (Novecento)

1976 · Movie · 314 min. · Italy

Direction Bernardo Bertolucci

Cast Gérard Depardieu · Robert De Niro · Dominique Sanda · Stefania Sandrelli

Synopsis 1900 (Novecento) (1976) unfolds in the early 20th century in the rural landscapes of northern Italy. On the day Giuseppe Verdi passes away, two boys are born: one to a wealthy landowner and the other to a humble farmworker. Their...

8.2

19K votes

8.2

19K votes

Judgment at Nuremberg

1961 · Movie · 186 min. · United States

Direction Stanley Kramer

Cast Spencer Tracy · Burt Lancaster · Richard Widmark · Marlene Dietrich

Synopsis Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) unfolds three years after the major Nazi leaders faced justice. This legal drama centers around four judges who exploited their positions to enforce Nazi sterilization and cleansing policies. The formidable task of presiding over this trial...

8.2

12K votes

8.2

12K votes

The Island of Love

1982 · Movie · 169 min. · Portugal

Direction Paulo Rocha

Cast Luis Miguel Cintra · Clara Joana · Zita Duarte · Jorge Silva Melo

Synopsis The Island of Love (1982) is a cinematic journey that elegantly portrays the life of Wenceslau de Moraes, a distinguished officer in the Portuguese Marine Corps. The narrative unfolds as de Moraes embarks on a transformative voyage to Japan, where...

8.2

28 votes

8.2

28 votes

The Pianist

2002 · Movie · 148 min. · United Kingdom

Direction Roman Polanski

Cast Adrien Brody · Thomas Kretschmann · Maureen Lipman · Ed Stoppard

Synopsis The Pianist (2002) is based on the memoir of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew who recounted his endurance during the tumultuous period of World War II. As a gifted composer and pianist, Szpilman performed the final live musical piece broadcasted...

8.2

149K votes

8.2

149K votes

La Commune (Paris 1871)

2000 · Documentary · 345 min. · France

Direction Peter Watkins

Synopsis La Commune (Paris 1871) (2000) immerses viewers in the tumultuous year of 1871, juxtaposing the official narrative from Versailles Television with the grassroots perspective of a fictional Commune television channel. The documentary unfolds on a theatrical set where over 200...

8.1

430 votes

8.1

430 votes

Battleship Potemkin

1925 · Movie · 77 min. · Soviet Union (USSR)

Direction Sergei M. Eisenstein

Cast Aleksandr Antonov · Vladimir Barsky · Grigori Aleksandrov · Mikhail Gomorov

Synopsis Battleship Potemkin (1925) chronicles the tale of a naval vessel that has recently concluded its service in the Russo-Japanese War, where the crew is on the brink of rebellion due to harsh conditions and inadequate food supplies. The situation reaches...

Max

8.0

28K votes

8.0

28K votes

Lawrence of Arabia

1962 · Movie · 222 min. · United Kingdom

Direction David Lean

Cast Peter O'Toole · Omar Sharif · Alec Guinness · Jack Hawkins

Synopsis Lawrence of Arabia (1962) unfolds during the tumultuous year of 1916, as a young British officer, Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), is dispatched from his post in Cairo to undertake a crucial mission. His task is to forge an alliance with Prince...

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8.0

46K votes

8.0

46K votes

Andrei Rublev

1966 · Movie · 205 min. · Soviet Union (USSR)

Direction Andrei Tarkovsky

Cast Anatoly Solonitsyn · Ivan Lapikov · Nikolai Sergeyev · Nikolai Grinko

Synopsis Andrei Rublev (1966) is a cinematic journey through the tumultuous life of the renowned Russian icon painter, Andrei Rublev, set against the backdrop of medieval Russia during the early 15th century. The film is structured into seven distinct segments, each...

8.0

5K votes

8.0

5K votes

The Battle of Algiers

1966 · Movie · 120 min. · Italy

Direction Gillo Pontecorvo

Cast Jean Martin · Yacef Saadi · Brahim Haggiag · Fusia El Kader

Synopsis The Battle of Algiers (1966) is a compelling cinematic exploration of the Algerian War of Independence, commissioned by the Algerian government. The narrative delves into the perspectives of both the French colonial forces and the Algerian revolutionaries. The French Foreign...

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8.0

6K votes

8.0

6K votes

Braveheart

1995 · Movie · 177 min. · United States

Direction Mel Gibson

Cast Mel Gibson · Sophie Marceau · Patrick McGoohan · Angus MacFadyen

Synopsis Braveheart (1995) is a historical epic that draws inspiration from the life of the famed 13th-century Scottish hero, William Wallace. After returning to his native Scotland following the passing of a childless monarch, Wallace (Mel Gibson) encounters a tumultuous political...

8.0

151K votes

8.0

151K votes

Napoleon

1927 · Movie · 235 min. · France

Direction Abel Gance

Cast Albert Dieudonné · Gina Manès · Edmond Van Daële · Antonin Artaud

Synopsis Napoleon (1927) is a sweeping biographical film that chronicles the life of Napoleon Bonaparte over a span of roughly 16 years. The narrative begins with Napoleon's formative years, highlighting his early strategic prowess in a schoolyard snowball fight. The film...

8.0

3K votes

8.0

3K votes

Spartacus

1960 · Movie · 196 min. · United States

Direction Stanley Kubrick

Cast Kirk Douglas · Tony Curtis · Laurence Olivier · Peter Ustinov

Synopsis Spartacus (1960) follows the gripping tale of a defiant slave, Spartacus, portrayed by Kirk Douglas, who ignites a fierce uprising against the corrupt Roman Empire. Inspired by Howard Fast's novel of the same name, the film delves into the historical...

8.0

68K votes

8.0

68K votes

I Am Cuba

1964 · Movie · 141 min. · Soviet Union (USSR)

Direction Mikhail Kalatozov

Cast Luz María Collazo · José Gallardo · Raúl García · Sergio Corrieri

Synopsis I Am Cuba (1964) delves into the alluring yet corrupt realm of pre-revolutionary Cuba under the rule of Fulgencio Batista, juxtaposing it with the harsh realities of poverty and oppression faced by the Cuban populace. The film weaves together four...

7.9

2K votes

7.9

2K votes

Doctor Zhivago

1965 · Movie · 197 min. · United States

Direction David Lean

Cast Omar Sharif · Julie Christie · Geraldine Chaplin · Alec Guinness

Synopsis Doctor Zhivago (1965) chronicles the tumultuous period before, during, and after the Russian Revolution, as experienced by the poet and physician Yuri Zhivago, portrayed by Omar Sharif. This epic film, adapted from Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize-winning novel, weaves together a...

7.9

35K votes

7.9

35K votes

Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence

1999 · Movie · 122 min. · Japan

Direction Kazuhiro Furuhashi

Synopsis Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence (1999) follows the life of Himura Kenshin, who was abducted by slave traders as a young boy and later rescued after a violent encounter with bandits. He is then taken under the wing of a master of...

7.9

5K votes

7.9

5K votes

Hamilton

2020 · Movie · 160 min. · United States

Direction Thomas Kail

Cast Lin-Manuel Miranda · Daveed Diggs · Renee Goldsberry · Leslie Odom Jr.

Synopsis Hamilton (2020) delves into the extraordinary life of Alexander Hamilton, a pivotal figure in America's founding and its first Secretary of the Treasury. This captivating production was recorded live on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, featuring the original Broadway...

7.9

2K votes

7.9

2K votes

The Leopard

1963 · Movie · 186 min. · Italy

Direction Luchino Visconti

Cast Burt Lancaster · Claudia Cardinale · Alain Delon · Paolo Stoppa

Synopsis The Leopard (1963) unfolds in the tumultuous 1860s Sicily, depicting the fall of a prestigious aristocratic family amidst sweeping political transformations. The narrative follows the diminishing influence of the esteemed household of Fabrizio Corbero, Prince of Salina, affectionately known as...

7.8

16K votes

7.8

16K votes

Rome (TV Series)

2005 · Series · 52 min. · United States

Direction John Milius · William J. MacDonald · Bruno Heller · Michael Apted

Cast Kevin McKidd · Ray Stevenson · Polly Walker · James Purefoy

Synopsis Rome (TV Series) (2005) is a historical drama that unfolds in 52 B.C., when the city of Rome stands as the world's most affluent metropolis, home to a million people and the heart of a vast empire. Established on principles...

Max

7.8

32K votes

7.8

32K votes