Films set in Medieval Times 476-1453
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- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsNigel TerryHelen MirrenNicholas ClayMerlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.One of the better Arthurian movie, in my opinion. And doesn't Helen Mirren look sleek and oozing with sex appeal as Arthur's sister Morgana. Watched it again, and it still looks good. Loved the the look of the production and the knights with shiney, almost glittery like armour. ***SPOILER*** I like the way Arthur discovers Guenevere and Lancelot's deception and leaves a message for them both as they both lie asleep in each other's arms. They wake up to discover Excalibur placed between their bodies and they realise Arthur knows the truth.
- DirectorAnthony HarveyStarsPeter O'TooleKatharine HepburnAnthony Hopkins1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.
- StarsGilles BéhatHélène DucJean-Luc MoreauSet during the reigns of the last five kings of the Capetian dynasty and the first two kings of the House of Valois, the series begins as the French King Philip the Fair, already surrounded by scandal and intrigue, brings a curse upon his family when he persecutes the Knights Templar. The succession of monarchs that follows leads France and England to the Hundred Years' War.Date set 1307 before the 100 years war
Reigining Monarch: King Philippe IV of France
Backdrop: build up to, what is termed "Hundred Years War" (a series of wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet) - DirectorAnthony MannStarsCharlton HestonSophia LorenRaf ValloneThe fabled Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (a.k.a. El Cid) overcomes a family vendetta and court intrigue to defend Christian Spain against the Moors.
- DirectorSergei BodrovStarsTadanobu AsanoAmadu MamadakovKhulan ChuluunThe story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world in 1206.Why on Earth is it here? Well considering it's set rough 1161–1206, well it could be said it's in the Middle Ages. Best Foreign film I've seen in 2007. wish there was more it it though. The way he loved his wife, and their children (even thought they were not his) is astonishing. This movie gives you a greater understanding of the legend of this remarkable man
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsAnatoliy SolonitsynIvan LapikovNikolay GrinkoThe life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev.
- DirectorSergei EisensteinDmitriy VasilevStarsNikolay CherkasovNikolai OkhlopkovAndrei AbrikosovThe story of how a great Russian prince led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.
- DirectorPeter GlenvilleStarsRichard BurtonPeter O'TooleJohn GielgudKing Henry II of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas Becket, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the King's.Date Set:1166 (roughly)
Reigning Monach: King Henry II
On my must watch soon list - StarsIan McShaneMatthew MacfadyenEddie RedmayneSet against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.Date set: 1135 and 1153 (aka as The Anarchy)
Reigning Monach: Due to the civil war in England when King Henry I died; the sucession of the crown was a contest between Stephen of Blois and Matilda of Boulogne (Empress Matilda)
I have read Ken Follets's "The Pillars Of The Earth", and it took me 2 days to complete. The movie production is a fine piece...that is if you have not read the book. By reading the book it kind of ruined the entertainment value of this film; so any critic I write is tainted.
So I won't bother going into details here. The only things I do have to write is this:
1. Eddie Redmayne as Jack Jackson is a strange choice for the main lead. But there you go.
2. David Oakes as William Hamleigh good casting...He also played Juan Borgia in the 2011/2012 production of The Borgias. But he really needs a role that expends his acting abilities.
3. Alison Pill as Princess Maude (aka Empress Matilda) again good casting and an unusual one. Would never have picked her as an medievil princess but there you go. She is brilliant in this TV production.
4. Finally costume; well done and very authentic. - DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsSean ConneryChristian SlaterHelmut QualtingerAn intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.Date Set: 1323
Reigning Monach: Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor (House of Wittelsbach)
Set: Benedictine monastery in Northern Italy
I rather liked this movie, part mystery/part detective/part christianity. I actually read the book and the production does follow it, with in reason. ***SPOILER*** during the ending it rather regretabe, to know all that knowledge stored in the library, gathering dust, destroyed by fire. - DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsMel GibsonGlenn CloseAlan BatesHamlet, Prince of Denmark, finds out that his uncle Claudius killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans revenge.I found this movie hard to digest. Not because this version of Shakespeare interpretation, but because of the casting of Mel Gibson in the lead role, which is pivotal to the play. The Danish prince Hamlet is young, intelligent and smart, but also there is a method to his madness. It's a challenging role and I am on the fence, whether Mel Gibson was right to play this lead character. Would it work with another actor? who knows. As for the supporting cast, they were fabulous. Glenn Close as Gertrude, always good in anything.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanMichael CrichtonStarsAntonio BanderasDiane VenoraDennis StorhøiA man, having fallen in love with the wrong woman, is sent by the sultan himself on a diplomatic mission to a distant land as an ambassador. Stopping at a Viking village port to restock on supplies, he finds himself unwittingly embroiled in a quest to banish a mysterious threat in a distant Viking land.
- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.
- DirectorFrantisek VlácilStarsPetr CepekJan KacerVera GalatíkováOndrej, a young boy who loves bees and bats, is introduced to his new mother, a woman much younger than his father. He brings her a basketful of flowers which she starts to throw in the air and then gives out a shriek, as she discovers several bats in the bottom of the bowl. In a rage, Ondrej's father picks the boy up and hurls him against the wall. As the boy lays on the ground paralyzed the father promises the Holy Virgin to dedicate the boy to her if she spares his life. Ondrej survives and is raised in a strict Knightly Order, where he is mentored by a devout monk, Armin. But one day, an extraordinary event makes him doubt the Order and remember where he came from.
- DirectorKonstantin ErshovGeorgiy KropachyovAleksandr PtushkoStarsLeonid KuravlyovNatalya VarleyAleksey GlazyrinA young priest is ordered to preside over the wake of witch in a small old wooden church of a remote village. This means spending three nights alone with the corpse with only his faith to protect him.
- DirectorJack GoldStarsBrenda BruceEileen WayAnne DysonMacbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.
- DirectorPaul McGuiganStarsWillem DafoePaul BettanyMarián AguileraA priest on the lam takes up with a traveling band of actors, who then discover a murder has occurred and try to solve it by recreating the crime in a play.Date Set: 1380
Reigning Monach: King Richard II, House of Plantagenet - DirectorLuc BessonStarsMilla JovovichJohn MalkovichRab AffleckA young girl receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors.Date set:1412 -1431.
Reigning Monarch:King Charles VII of France - DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsJames FrancoSophia MylesRufus SewellAn affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.Date set: roughly after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century.
Where do I start with this film.
Still this production is not bad but why cast James Franco as Tristan? His face has too much modern characteristics; though he does try his best in the awkard role. Sophie Myles is excellently cast as Isolde however the main stand out is Rufus Sewell (another actor that is often overlooked) as Lord Marke of Cornwall.
The only thing that I can say is the director Kevin Reynolds, may have had his hands tied or was restricted in the things he wanted in the production i.e. budget
***Spoiler*** the death scene at the end is the biggest let down of the film. I won't go into details, only to say it was too drawn out and it felt like the director wanted to wring out every last emotion in human kind. Alas sadly for me, call me a cynic but any great love story like Tristan & Isolde or Lancelot & Guinevere is free advertising for adultery and basic betrayal. - StarsCiarán HindsSusan LynchVictoria SmurfitAfter returning from the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, Ivanhoe discovers that England is under the rule of the corrupt Prince John.Saw this only once on TV, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've never read the book, but I've read this is as close as it can get to the book. ***SPOILER***Sian Phillips as Queen Eleanor, on a cold desolate beach side giving a thorough verbal 'kick up the backside' to her adult sons King Richard and Prince John. Talk about parental disapproval.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsRutger HauerJennifer Jason LeighTom BurlinsonIn medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners.Saw this years and years ago. The only thing I remember is the siege of the castle by a group of wayward mercenaries. No one can get in to the castle to save Jennifer Jason Leight until someone found a dead dog riddled that died of plague. They chopped the dog up and catapulted the chopped up dog flesh into the castle. One of the flesh fell into a well. And ofcourse people drunk from the well. I think they all died of the plague but I really can't remember that far
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsOrlando BloomEva GreenLiam NeesonBalian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.Date set: 1177AD
Reigning Monach: Saladin, first Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Backdrop:Battle of Montgisard
Some critics have been unkind to this production. I, on the other hand, found it to be engaging, interesting, great acting, beautiful scenery and costume design. Lighting was one of the things I've noticed in this movie. Ridley Scott has done a great job in directing, one again. Sure it starts of slow, but it is when Balian is in the middle east, things move along. The most stand out actor is Edward Norton, who played a minor role as the leper king, Baldwin (historically Baldwin was a 16 year old teenage boy who was seriously afflicted by leprosy). For whatever reason, the make up crew went a bit too heavy on the eye liner on Eva Green. - DirectorArthur LubinStarsMaureen O'HaraGeorge NaderVictor McLaglenAn 11th-century noblewoman opens her Saxon husband's eyes by riding bareback through town.
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsSean ConneryRichard GereJulia OrmondLancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who is due to be married to King Arthur. Meanwhile, a violent warlord tries to seize power from Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.bad movie, but would not see it again...ever
- StarsSam NeillHelena Bonham CarterJohn GielgudLegendary wizard Merlin tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.
- DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsPeter MacNicolCaitlin ClarkeRalph RichardsonA young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.
- StarsDerek JacobiMichael CulverJulian FirthThe medieval era cases of a Crusader-turned-Monk who investigates mysteries in the Norman English town of Shrewsbury.Date set: 1138-1145
Reiging monach: King Stephen and Empress Matilda (Maud).
Backdrop: battle for the throne of England between Stephen and Matilda
I know this is a detective TV series set in the middle ages, but this is the one that began my addiction to period dramas. This also stars one of my favourite British actor Derek Jacobi. - StarsAnjelica HustonJulianna MarguliesJoan AllenTales of Camelot and Avalon, told from the perspective of the women of Uther and Arthur Pendragon's world.A re-telling of the Arthurian legend from Arthur's sister Morgaine, played by Julianna Margulies. I felt in some parts it lagged a bit and the TV series was a bit long. The change of the old religion and pagan ways leading to the the advant of Christianity is highly noted in the movie. It's a different way of looking at how the birth of Arthurian legend and Camelot began.
- StarsChristian BrendelAnny DupereyLino CapolicchioYoung Charlemagns is placed on the Frankish throne in the middle of the 8th Century A.D. Despite having many powerful enemies he slowly unites the nations of Western Europe and rebuilds civilization on the ruins of the Roman Empire.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweCate BlanchettMatthew MacfadyenIn twelfth-century England, Robin Longstride and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.Date set: 1199 AD, after King Richard I death
Reigning Monarch: King John, House of Plantagenet
A refreshing look at Robin Hood, more earthy than the rest. Thankfully it's not a copy cat of the 1991 Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves, which was a good waste of a brain cell or 2.
Ridley Scott knows how to direct, AND he know his audience. The first act of the movie, gets you hooked, after that act 2 & 3 were mediocre and predictable.
One big plus is Marion (Kate Blanchette), she's a widow, past the prime of youth and hardened by life and the reality of it all. And thank goodness, for that, if a young Hollywood or English actress was the lead the film would never work.
Secondly, the costume, fantastic and it's obvious the wardrobe department had the budget to make the look authentic.
Finally, a bit of humour goes a long way. The film does not take itself too seriously. - StarsRobert LindsayNeil DudgeonTim McInnernyOn a pilgrimage from London to the tomb of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, a group of travellers from all walks of medieval society recount tales and stories to each other to provide amusement on the journey.
- DirectorBob CarruthersDavid McWhinnieStarsGary AndrewBrian BlessedRichard BrimblecombeIn the early 14th century, Scottish warrior and Earl Robert the Bruce is crowned King of Scots, leading Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.Date set: 1280 or 1297-1305
Reigning Monarch:Edward I (House of Plantagenet)
Never heard of William Wallace until this movie. The cast is almost perfect, and Mel Gibson is perfectly cast as the scotish rogue who turns into the stuff legends are made of. Battle scene are well crafted and the direction is wonderful. Really great banter amongst the scots as they talk of battle and life. However this movie is not to be taken as a "true" account of William Wallace's life and the time lines for King Edward I, Prince Edward II and Princess Isabella has obviously been 'fudged' and overlooked. Yes King Edward I, qualled the rebellion of the Scots, but Isabella and Edward II would have been mere children at this time.
***Trivia***I've watched a 6 part documentary on the history of Scotland. It appears Isabella was only a young child. She was born in 1295; Wallace was executed in 1305. You do the maths... - StarsKen MarshallDenholm ElliottTony VogelThe life and experiences of the thirteenth century explorer, who sought to connect the civilizations of China and Europe through trade.
- DirectorPupi AvatiStarsEdward FurlongRaoul BovaThomas KretschmannIn 1271, five young knights journey to Thebes in Greece to recover the Sacred Shroud and deliver it back to France and into the hands of the royal family.
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsHeath LedgerMark AddyRufus SewellAfter his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.What can I say...except I got bored with this movie. I found the costume and hairstyle of the leading lady, far too modern and the humour, way too over the top; the sly comments weren't even witty. Thumbs up for attempting to blend ancient themes of heroism with the music of rock, thumbs down for thinking the audience buys into this crap. Watch and you decide for yourself whether or not you enjoyed it
- DirectorGilles GrangierSergiu NicolaescuStarsHervé BellonJohn TerryMircea AlbulescuWilliam's government blended elements of the English and Norman systems into a new one that laid the foundations of the later medieval English kingdom.[141] How abrupt and far-reaching the changes were is still a matter of debate among historians, with some such as Richard Southern claiming that the Conquest was the single most radical change in European history between the Fall of Rome and the 20th century.
- DirectorDominique Othenin-GirardStarsAlessandro GassmannJohannes BrandrupThure RiefensteinTowards the end of the 11th century, three friends - bell founder Peter, baron's son Richard and shepherd Andrew - set off to join The Crusades, after watching soldiers returning from Jerusalem.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMatthew BroderickRutger HauerMichelle PfeifferThe thief Gaston escapes the dungeon of medieval Aquila through the latrine. Soldiers are about to kill him when Navarre saves him. Navarre, traveling with his spirited hawk, plans to kill the bishop of Aquila with help from Gaston.A wonderful love story of a knight and the lady he loves, cursed by the jealous suitor. Isabor is a hawke by day, returning to her true form by night, Etainne is a man by day, at night he transforms into a wolf. Both destined to never to touch until day is night and night is day.***SPOILER*** an eclipse is the only way to break a curse like this.
Trivia:a babyfaced Mathew Broderick star as the young thief who assist Etainne in his revenge - DirectorPierre JolivetStarsVincent LindonGuillaume CanetMélanie Doutey13th century France. To live, to survive, requires weapons. Which do you choose? Weapons of war, which give the power to punish and kill? Or the sword of knowledge, which gives the power to read and heal? Two brothers, separated long ago, must do battle. Alongside, and coming between them, a woman... Thomas, the mercenary, his body marked by scars of varying degrees of valor, left the family farm many years ago. When he returns, his mother, the local healer, is dead. She passed on her skills to her younger son, Arnaud. But he has lost his memory after a beating from a gang of ruthless outlaws. And so, Arnaud's young and defiantly resourceful wife, Guillemette, must persuade Thomas to help her in the quest for lost knowledge.
- DirectorAlberto SciammaStarsLena HeadeyDavid La HayeJason FlemyngIn 1348, with the horrors of the Black Death haunting Europe, English soldiers return home from war with a French nobleman as hostage. When people in their home village soon after begin to die, it is believed that the Black Death has struck once more. However, there are other dark reasons behind the sudden deaths.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsEric StoltzGabriel ByrneNicola CowperA young knight intent on joining King Richard's crusaders pledges to lead a group of orphans to safety and to protect them from a notorious slaver.
- DirectorPeter FlinthStarsJoakim NätterqvistSofia HelinStellan SkarsgårdArn, the son of a high-ranking Swedish nobleman, is educated in a monastery and sent to the Holy Land as a knight templar to do penance for a forbidden love.Date Set:roughly between 1177 to 1197 (this is only estimates)
Reigning Monach: King Canute I of Sweden and Saladin, first Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Backdrop: Battle of Montgisard, Battle of Hattin
Not a bad production. Its a simple story of 2 young lovers who fall in love, they get torn apart by family, she goes to the convent, Arn goes in the military and is fighting in the crusades. After many years they come together....can't tell you the ending, you need to see it. I've read somewhere it's a part of a trilogy - DirectorMargarethe von TrottaStarsBarbara SukowaHeino FerchHannah HerzsprungThe life story of the multi-talented German nun Hildegard von Bingen. The film portrays an original woman - best known as a composer and religious visionary - whose grand claims often run counter to the patriarchal world around her. The monks and nuns at the convent become a kind of family, offering both confidants and enemies. For example Jutta, struggling with her jealousy of Hildegard's success, and the young Richardis who worships Hildegard both as an intellectual role model and a mother figure.
- DirectorCaroline ThompsonStarsMiranda RichardsonTom IrwinVera FarmigaSnow White's mother dies during childbirth, leaving baby Snow and father John for dead on an icy field, who then receives a visit from one of Satan's representatives, granting him three wishes.have deep reservations regarding this movie, on one hand it's the same formula, on the other hand it's a film that I would tag as "entertaining, but only watch it when it's screen on TV"
***Trivia***: Kristin Kreuk the actress who plays Lana Lang of Smallville TV series is Snow White - DirectorLiliana CavaniStarsMickey RourkeHelena Bonham CarterAndréa FerréolDocudrama about the life of St-Francis of Assisi.
- DirectorChristopher SmithStarsEddie RedmayneSean BeanCarice van HoutenSet during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is given the task of learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.Date Set: 1348
Reigining Monach: King Edward III, House of Plantagenet
A look at how a very young innocent monk, in love with a girl, changes, by the end of the film, into a man with no love in his heart. Set in a isolated village, with no black plague or death within their village.***SPOILER***Sean Bean character dies a brutal death. They tie his left arm and left to one horse and his right and arm and let to another and rip his limbs from his body. - DirectorSönke WortmannStarsJohanna WokalekDavid WenhamJohn GoodmanA woman of English extraction born in the German city of Ingelheim in the ninth century disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican ranks.Date set: 1099 (roughly)
This is a odd movie. I found the acting wooden and the drama a tad on the dull side. I truly hoped this film would be worthy, but sadly not. The most interesting thing about the production is it's historical content. - DirectorJeshua De HortaStarsDarin ScottJames C. MorrisDoug GuibordSet in the 9th century, Alfred the Great, England's most influential and inspiring king, escapes his kingdom when it is attacked by the Viking Horde. Anguished and alone he finds himself in the company of some unlikely friends and discovers the power within to save his kingdom and lead his people to true freedom. A tumultuous tapestry of history and emotional epic saga of the birth of England, "The Saxon Chronicles" is a true inspirational tale of the power of faith to overcome all things.
- StarsJane LapotaireJohn DuttineChristopher GableHenry Plantagenet (later King Henry II), sees his opportunity to seize the crown of England and create a kingdom of law and order.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowGunnar BjörnstrandBengt EkerotA knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
- DirectorKen RockefellerArthur Allan SeidelmanStarsRichard KileyJames BroderickLarry GatesEvents leading up to Sweyn Forkbeard's invasion of England in AD 1013.
- DirectorNils GaupStarsMikkel GaupIngvald GuttormNils UtsiA young Sámi man witnesses a band of vicious raiders slay his family and flees to a nearby village, where he learns he must become a Pathfinder.Date set: 1000 AD
- DirectorDumitru FernoagaDoru NastaseStarsStefan SileanuErnest MafteiEmanoil PetrutVlad Tepes, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler and Dracula, fights the Ottoman Turks on the battlefield and the Hungarian Boyars in his court.This story tell of the Vlad the impaler, the actor who plays him, in my taste, is too boney and looked like he could do with a few Mcdonalds to fill him up.
- DirectorBjorn AndersonStarsWayne BastrupMindy ByramRicco DiStefanoThe film Warrior's End is a story of a young prince who has to come to terms with his destiny and grow up quickly in the face of war. While on a forced tour of the northwest border of his country of Midea, Prince Andreas and his escort are set upon by invading soldiers from the neighboring country of Kilea. After escaping, Andreas, his friend Johan, and bodyguard Kael realize that there is an entire army marching over the passes into the unsuspecting, undefended, Midea. Not only are the Kileans marching over the passes in the northwest, they are attacking from the southern plains and western passes as well. In order for his country to survive the onslaught, Prince Andreas must assume the mantle of leadership and create a resistance from the burnt out villages in the north to hold the line until relief and reinforcements arrive, if at all.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowBirgitta ValbergGunnel LindblomIn 14th-century Sweden, an innocent yet pampered teenage girl and her family's pregnant and jealous servant set out from their farm to deliver candles to church, but only one returns from events that transpire in the woods along the way.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsLoretta YoungHenry WilcoxonIan KeithKing Richard and the Third Crusade (1190-1192) are given the DeMille treatment with more spectacle than history.
- DirectorRobert HughesStarsPatrick BerginLuke GriffinAlan BatesA young Christian boy attends a druid worship that is attacked by invading Irish tribes. Taken captive, he is taken back to Ireland to become a slave. Enduring many hardships, he finds comfort and eventually salvation in his faith. After several years, he escapes back to England, where he joins a convent to prove his faith. His greatest desire is to return to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. Years later, he is given the opportunity. As soon as he sets foot on Irish soil. all of the snakes automatically flee from the land. He then overcomes many obstacles, including disagreements with the British Cardinal (Malcolm McDowell), to fulfill his destiny, and hie is ultimately given Sainthood.
- DirectorW.D. HoganStarsTim AbellBill MendietaMapi GalánA Knights Templar meets a mysterious Muslim in the desert where they find refuge in an oasis with beautiful woman. As the Knight falls for the woman, he questions himself but the Muslim holds a secret that will change their lives for ever.
- DirectorCharles B. PierceStarsLee MajorsCornel WildeMel FerrerAn eleventh century Viking Prince sails to America to find his father, who on a previous voyage had been captured by Indians.
- DirectorRichard LesterStarsSean ConneryAudrey HepburnRobert ShawRobin Hood, aging none too gracefully, returns exhausted from the Crusades to woo and win Maid Marian one last time.
- DirectorJoshua LoganStarsRichard HarrisVanessa RedgraveFranco NeroThe story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere. The plot of illegitimate Mordred to gain the throne and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, threaten to topple Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJames MasonJanet LeighRobert WagnerA young Viking prince strives to become a knight in King Arthur's Court and restore his exiled father to his rightful throne.also see:
Prince Valiant (1997) - StarsJohn Murray ScottFrank WindsorDavid AndrewsA linking together of Shakespeare's history plays chronicling the rise and fall of monarchs over the eighty-six years between Richard II and Richard III.
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierCedric HardwickeNicholas HannenShakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJon FinchFrancesca AnnisMartin ShawA ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.A decent Macbeth story by 'had sex with young girl' director Roman Polanski. The opening scene with the 3 witches on a desolate beach, digging a hole and placing a human arm, a knife and a noose into it, has a rustic charm about it. It took me a while to figure out Lady MacBeth is Francesca Annis, who usually is a brunette but is a blonde in this movie. Polanski has made this film with a kind of erotic sexualism, a coven of naked witches (of various ages) chanting spells around a cauldren, Lady Macbeth sleep walking, in the nude, unable to cleanse her concious with the deed she had done and a young boy on the very edge of manhood, standing in a tub after a bath, in his birthday suit (something today's directors would be legally charged with for child pornography). One thing I did enjoy was the cinematography, I felt this production belonged to the big screen and it looked diminished on my flat TV screen. Still one of the better productions of Shakespeares Macbeth. ***SPOILER***Jon Finch portrayal of Macbeth is interesting. When Macbeth learns that Macduff was not born of woman, you can see the sweat run off his forehead and the shock in his eyes, when he realises he is staring Death in the eyes
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJeanne MoreauMargaret RutherfordWhen King Henry IV ascends to the throne, his heir, the Prince of Wales, is befriended by Sir John Falstaff, an old, overweight, fun-loving habitual liar. Through Falstaff's eyes we see the reign of King Henry IV and the rise of Henry V.
- DirectorRoberto RosselliniStarsAldo FabriziGianfranco BelliniPeparuoloA series of vignettes depicting the lives of the original Franciscan monks, including their leader and the bumbling Ginepro.
- DirectorMelvin FrankNorman PanamaStarsDanny KayeGlynis JohnsBasil RathboneA hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful King.
- DirectorWalerian BorowczykStarsMichel SimonGeorges WilsonJacques PerrinBlanche is the young, pure, beautiful wife of the Master of the castle, in a secluded land. Every man is in love with her, including the King and his servant Bartolomeo, visiting the Master.
- DirectorFrantisek VlácilStarsPetr CepekJan KacerVera GalatíkováOndrej, a young boy who loves bees and bats, is introduced to his new mother, a woman much younger than his father. He brings her a basketful of flowers which she starts to throw in the air and then gives out a shriek, as she discovers several bats in the bottom of the bowl. In a rage, Ondrej's father picks the boy up and hurls him against the wall. As the boy lays on the ground paralyzed the father promises the Holy Virgin to dedicate the boy to her if she spares his life. Ondrej survives and is raised in a strict Knightly Order, where he is mentored by a devout monk, Armin. But one day, an extraordinary event makes him doubt the Order and remember where he came from.
- DirectorRichard MarquandToby RobertsonStarsIan McKellenTimothy WestDiane FletcherThe reign of Edward II, King of England, is troubled from the start, when he brings his male lover, hated by the nobles, out of exile.
- DirectorReinhard KungelStarsPeter KlewitzPhilipp J. SpronglYvonne BroschWinter AD 1373 in southern Germany. The day-taller Konrad lost his parents and gets into the service of the knight Ekkelin Gayling. In the coming feuds and robberies he has to realize, that his ideas of chivalry don't exist any longer. Konrad and his master lose everything in their struggle for life. When Ekkelin is finally betrayed and executed, Konrad searches revenge for his master.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghDerek JacobiSimon ShepherdIn the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.Date Set: 1414AD -1415AD
Backdrop: Battle of Agincourt
Reigning Monarch: King Henry V, House of Lancaster.
King Henry of England, invades Frances, wins an impossible battle on the field of Agincourt with only a handful of Enlishmen. Great play by William Shakespeare. Having seen Kenneth Branagh Henry V (1989) and Sir Laurence Olivier Henry V (1944)adaptions it was hard tell which was better than the other as I liked them both. Branaghn was modern, well acted and the battle scenes were very realistics. A round of applause for Derek Jacobi as the narrator of the production. While Oliviers still stands the test of time, superbly acted, exceptionally casted and very much in the tradition of a Shakespeare play...just look at the sets.
The reason I added the 1989 version on the list is simply because of the poster. - DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierRobert NewtonLeslie BanksIn the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.Date Set: 1414AD -1415AD
Backdrop: Battle of Agincourt
Reigning Monarch: King Henry V, House of Lancaster.
Well I just had to add it...see my comments about it below - DirectorTerence FisherStarsRichard GreenePeter CushingNiall MacGinnisWhile King Richard is away at the Crusades, some Nottingham nobles and their Sheriff plot to confiscate estates of fallen Crusaders but Robin Hood and Maid Marian foil their plan.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsTyrone PowerOrson WellesCécile AubryA disinherited 13th Century Saxon nobleman leaves Norman England with an archer friend to seek his fortune in the Far East.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsLiv UllmannJeremy KempNatasa NicolescuIn medieval Europe, a pious young woman becomes a scholar of theology, disguises herself as a man, rises through the Catholic Church hierarchy and is elected Pope.
- DirectorCarl Theodor DreyerStarsMaria FalconettiEugene SilvainAndré BerleyIn 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJeanette NolanDan O'HerlihyMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
- StarsRichard GreeneVictor WoolfArchie DuncanRobin of Loxley, otherwise known as Robin Hood, and his band of Merry Men protect England from the evil machinations of Prince John while King Richard the Lionheart is away fighting in the Crusades.There are some who would like to see the other British TV series "Robin Hood" listed. I found the modern TV version of Robin Hood (2006) dull and I could never get past the first 3 eposides of it. But if you have a strong argument that persuades me, then I will add it
- StarsJean-Claude DrouotCéline LégerFernand BellanFictional adventures of Thierry de Janville, nicknamed "Thierry la fronde or Thierry the sling-slingshot", after his weapon of choice. A young of brave nobleman in XIVth century France, Thierry and his (merry ?) men fight oppression, by thwarting every bad deed of the evil Black Prince - the son of the king of England - whose armies are occupying the Aquitaine region. Together they restore hope (mainly by saving Isabelle, Thierry's love interest, from the claws of the English in every other episode) in the hearts of the french people.
- DirectorJerzy HoffmanStarsMichal ZebrowskiMarina AleksandrovaMalgorzata ForemniakIn the 9th century, a tyrant oppresses pre-Christian Slavic tribes living on the Polish lands. They must unite for the common future.pity there isn't a poster image
- DirectorDavid ButlerStarsRex HarrisonVirginia MayoGeorge SandersWhile leading the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart (George Sanders) battles treachery in his own camp as well as the Saracens and their charismatic leader Emir Hderim Sultan Saladin (Sir Rex Harrison).
- DirectorYoung-jun KimStarsShin Hyeon-junKim Hee-seonJung Jin-youngA sweeping, epic tale of a martial arts warrior who attempts to defy a kingdom to be with his love.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsYul BrynnerGeorge ChakirisShirley Anne FieldOn the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Native American tribe of chief Black Eagle clashes with the Mayan tribe of king Balam.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsChow Yun-FatGong LiJay ChouDuring China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsZiyi ZhangTakeshi KaneshiroAndy LauA romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
- DirectorYoung-jun KimStarsShin Hyeon-junYoon So-yiLee Seo-jinSo-ha, a deadly female warrior, is sent to find a exiled prince after the Killer Blade Army killed the royal family.
- DirectorPeter FlinthStarsNijas Ørnbak-FjeldmoseLasse BaunkildeLars LohmannIn 1218 Danish king Valdemar sends his homonymous young son and heir in safety, as war is at the borders, to Erskil, the bishop of Ravensburg, who is instructed to see to the prince's education. Alas the bishop is the brain of a conspiracy to seize the crown for himself, as most of the nobles are dissatisfied with the endless wars that bring them no profit. The prince and kitchen-boy Aske accidentally fall out of the castle and overhear the conspirators, but are seen and pursued by the men of the One-eyed Man, a feared mercenary who is in the conspiracy to take mortal revenge on the king for leaving him behind on a battlefield where he lost an eye which was eaten by an eagle, which he tamed and now shares his sight with.Date set: 1218 AD
- DirectorJonathan EnglishStarsPaul GiamattiJason FlemyngBrian CoxIn thirteenth-century England, a Knights Templar and a few of the Barons men fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.Date set: 1215 AD
Reigning Monarch: King John, House of Plantagenet
The beginning of the film has a good introduction; the barons revolted against King John and forced him to sign the Magna Carta. Then the movie shifts to the seige of Rochester Castle, after that the movie, sadly,goes off track. The 2 main thing I thought was obvious was (1) the producers wanted to please every audience type and (2) the lack of finance. Evident in the costume, the sets and the amount of extras in the background.
However Paul Giamatti performance as the bittered King John is one of the best performance of King John in a long time. Watch the emotion as he starts ranting about his right to be of the King of England. The supporting cast of vetran actors Brian Cox, Charles Dance and Derek Jacobi is wonderful, but their screen time is limited. One more thing, the camera work is awful and the hand held camera shots of the actions is clumsy and not well executed.
***Trivia***Megan Fox was suppose to be in this film, it is rumoured she was fired and was replaced by Kate Mara. - DirectorStefano MillaStarsFrancesco ChinchellaSuzi LorraineMaurizio CoriglianoIn a distant time and place, power is decided by a cruel game in which two teams of gladiators fight in a vast arena.Date set:1066 AD
This is also listed the Period Dramas-The Age of the Vikings - DirectorStephen WeeksStarsMiles O'KeeffeCyrielle ClairLeigh LawsonThe Green Knight challenges King Arthur's knights. But only young Gawain accepts and decapitates him. The knight takes his head and now gives Gawain one year to learn about virtues, knighthood and then face the challenge himself.
- DirectorDominic SenaStarsNicolas CageRon PerlmanClaire Foy14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce that her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.Hmm...this is an odd film, which fails on so many fronts.
(1) Nicholas Cage: a huge error in casting. There are actors who has a face & body build that can be in any period dramas. Nicholas Cage is not one of them; his face is modern looking
(2) Dialogue: delivery was wooden and stiff.
(3) Script: could the ending be any worse. The more your watch this film the more the find your thoughts drifting away.
(4) The ending...crap - DirectorCornel WildeStarsCornel WildeJean WallaceBrian AherneLancelot is King Arthur's most valued Knight of the Round Table and a paragon of courage and virtue. Things change, however, when he falls in love with Queen Guinevere.
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsJanette ScottRonald LewisRonald HowardIn league with the Saxon invaders, Edmund of Cornwall plans to slay King Arthur, marry his daughter and usurp the throne of England but wizard Merlin and outlaw Robert Marshall stand in the way.
- DirectorRalph L. ThomasStarsStacy KeachMargot KidderNick MancusoIvanhoe is learning his way while having dealing with his father, Sir Cedric. The Normans are threatening England so he must quickly develop under the tutelage of the Black Knight, secretly King Richard, and followers of Robin Hood.
- DirectorTay GarnettStarsAlan LaddPatricia MedinaAndré MorellDuring King Arthur's time, a sword maker wishes to win Lady Linet's heart but first he must become a noble knight.
- DirectorPeter FlinthStarsJoakim NätterqvistSofia HelinStellan SkarsgårdThe Knight Arn is sent on a last mission against Saladin. He has to win this battle, before he can go home to Sweden, and finally marry his Cecilia and start a family. But the peace back home is threatened by the Danes.Date set:1187 to 1205