History of England in Film
by troyspears | created - 12 Nov 2013 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicI want to create a list of (fairly) historical films that tell the history of the England from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. I may also want to start listing films that deal with the period from Rome's departure through the pre-Norman period. This list doesn't include documentaries. I also want to avoid strictly period pieces that focus on fictional characters like Arthur and Robin Hood even though something can be learned from those tales as well. I know some of the movies (Braveheart and Rob Roy) are told from a Scots point of view, but at some point, I would like this list to cover the history of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
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1. William the Conqueror (1982)
316 min | Action, History
William'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 ... See full summary »
Directors: Gilles Grangier, Sergiu Nicolaescu | Stars: Hervé Bellon, John Terry, Mircea Albulescu, Violeta Andrei
Votes: 130
~1066 CE.
2. Becket (1964)
PG-13 | 148 min | Biography, Drama, History
King 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.
Director: Peter Glenville | Stars: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi
Votes: 15,831
~1155 to 1170 CE.
Middle Ages, First Plantagenet monarch, Henry "Curtmantle" II.
What we learned from the movie.... King Henry II of England has trouble with the Church. When the Archbishop of Canterbury dies, he has a brilliant idea. Rather than appoint another pious cleric loyal to Rome and the Church, he will appoint his old drinking and wenching buddy, Thomas Becket, technically a deacon of the church, to the post. Unfortunately, Becket takes the job seriously and provides abler opposition to Henry.
3. The Lion in Winter (1968)
PG | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
1183 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.
Director: Anthony Harvey | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, John Castle
Votes: 34,200 | Gross: $22.28M
Christmas 1183 CE.
Middle Ages, First Plantagenet monarch, Henry "Curtmantle" II.
What we learned from the movie... Grizzled old Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his feisty wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Kathryn Hepburn) have been feuding ever since she murdered his mistress - which is kinda understandable. Still, they get together to make nice at the wedding of their AC/DC son Richard (Anthony Hopkins) and Alais of France (Jane Merrow) - who's also Henry's new mistress, the sly old dog. Things don't go according to plan, with Richard refusing the marriage, Philip II of France (Timothy Dalton) fomenting rebellion among all three of Henry's sons, and all of them threatened with imprisonment or death by their father. That's probably why elder son Richard went on to become a psycho cannibal (the other two disappeared) and the French king triumphantly swanned off to become James Bond.
What really happened... There was no family Christmas at Chinon in 1183 (though they did get together the year before) and none of the events or dialogue in the film have much basis in fact. Still, the outcomes are pretty spot-on: Henry and Eleanor (who was a kick-ass character, by the by) had a fiery relationship in their later years, and he really did imprison her (whether she actually poisoned his mistress is still debated). Family strife between Henry and his three surviving sons also did much to fracture their parents' empire: Henry and Eleanor between them at one point ruled more of France than the French King did. Quel loser!
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/2.asp
4. Ironclad (2011)
R | 121 min | Action, Drama, History
In thirteenth-century England, a Knights Templar and a few of the Barons men fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.
Director: Jonathan English | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Jason Flemyng, Brian Cox, James Purefoy
Votes: 43,643
~1215 CE.
5. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 1,090,941 | Gross: $75.60M
~1292 to 1305 CE.
Middle Ages, Fifth Plantagenet monarch, Edward "Longshanks" I.
What we learned from the movie... Manly, heavy-metal-haired Scot William Wallace (Mel Gibson) gets fed up with those English comin' up here, rapin' his women, and decides to fight back. After some military success that is all due to the Scots flashing their bits at the English, notably at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace raids as far as York before being forced back and defeated at Falkirk. He is betrayed, captured by pantomime villain English King Edward I, and hung, drawn and quartered in public - although not before having it off with the French princess who married Edward's gay son. Yes, that sound you hear is the Scots having the last laugh.
What really happened... First of all, he's 1000 years late with the blue face paint, 500 years too early with the kilts - and we're not convinced by the mooning. The stuff about primae noctis and local lords demanding the right to first dibs on Scottish brides is urban legend, Robert the Bruce gets a bad rap, Edward's son probably wasn't gay, and Isabelle didn't even arrive in England until several years after Wallace's death, which sadly means he didn't knock her up and sneakily infiltrate the British monarchy.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/4.asp
6. Henry V (1989)
PG-13 | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Simon Shepherd, James Larkin
Votes: 31,645 | Gross: $10.16M
1413 to 1420 CE.
Middle Ages, second Lancastrian, King Henry V.
What we learned from the movie... This adaptation of Shakespeare's play sees the young and untried Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) decide to attack France, both in pursuit of his own dynastic claims to the French throne and in retribution after the French king sends him tennis balls as an insult (Imagine! Tennis balls!). Despite huge forces being arrayed against him, Henry won a notable victory at Agincourt (where the French army lost 10,000 and Henry lost 29 men), and forced Charles of France to appoint Henry his heir. Henry's due to be crowned by the Norse God Thor in 2011.
What really happened... This one's mostly right, since Shakespeare paid a good bit more attention to history than any modern screenwriter or studio would countenance. The tennis balls bit is probably balls; by the time of that scene, Henry had already proved his military prowess, the French were shaking in their stylish-but-rather-foppish boots and were not going to poke their neighbor with a stick, or a tennis ball. Interestingly, Branagh's film adds a bit of extra authenticity in portraying the French king as a lunatic; history suggests he was.
The numbers killed at Agincourt may have been exaggerated, however. The French casualties were probably more like 7,000 according to modern historians and the English between 400 - 1,600. Still a clear win for Henry though. Vive l'Angleterre!
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
7.
An Age of Kings (1960)
Episode:
Part Nine: The Red Rose and the White
(1960)
Drama, History
Following his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Hayes | Stars: Patrick Garland, John Ringham, Noel Johnson, Robert Lang
Votes: 24
1422 to 1445 CE. Third Lancastrian, King Henry VI.
8.
An Age of Kings (1960)
Episode:
Part Ten: The Fall of a Protector
(1960)
Drama, History
Following his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Hayes | Stars: Edgar Wreford, Terry Scully, Mary Morris, John Ringham
Votes: 23
1422 to 1445 CE. Third Lancastrian, King Henry VI.
9.
An Age of Kings (1960)
Episode:
Part Eleven: The Rabble from Kent
(1960)
Drama, History
Following his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Hayes | Stars: John Ringham, Terence Lodge, Adrian Brine, Patrick Garland
Votes: 23
1422 to 1445 CE. Third Lancastrian, King Henry VI.
10.
An Age of Kings (1960)
Episode:
Part Twelve: The Morning's War
(1960)
Drama, History
Following his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Hayes | Stars: Frank Windsor, Jack May, Julian Glover, Patrick Garland
Votes: 22
1422 to 1445 CE. Third Lancastrian, King Henry VI.
11.
An Age of Kings (1960)
Episode:
Part Thirteen: The Sun in Splendour
(1960)
Drama, History
Following his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Hayes | Stars: John Warner, Tamara Hinchco, Mary Morris, John Greenwood
Votes: 22
1422 to 1445 CE. Third Lancastrian, King Henry VI.
12. Richard III (1995)
R | 110 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, War
The classic Shakespearean play about the murderously scheming 15th-century king is reimagined in an alternative setting of 1930s England as clouds of fascism gather.
Director: Richard Loncraine | Stars: Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Christopher Bowen, Edward Jewesbury
Votes: 15,564 | Gross: $2.60M
1482-1485 CE.
End of the Middle Ages, second reigning York, King Richard III.
What we learned from the movie... Hitler-moustache-sporting Richard (Ian McKellen) is the brother of the popular, handsome King Edward IV (John Wood), but plots against his sibling in secret, eventually seizing the throne on his brother's death despite having two nephews. But the hunchbacked, paranoid Richard soon finds enemies ranged against him, because after all no one likes a bloke who murders his nephews and goes around dressing like a Nazi. As these enemy forces (not the French, for once) seem poised to triumph against him at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard's car gets stuck in the mud and he offers to exchange his kingdom for a horse. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to keep either because he is killed by the future Henry VII.
What really happened... Well, of course the 1930s fascist setting isn't accurate, what with it being deliberately anachronistic. Aside from that, and our aul' mucker Shakespeare here proves that he does have what it takes to work in Tinseltown by engaging in historical distortion and outright slander. There's no proof that Richard ordered the murder of the princes in the Tower, nor that he was a hunchback. Oh, and while practically every actor to have played him is in his 40s or older, Richard died at age 32, so he was only a stripling. But given that Henry VII's granddaughter was Queen in Shakespeare's day, the Bard was a little reluctant to point any of that out.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
13. The White Queen (2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Three different, yet equally relentless women vie for the throne in 15th-century England.
Stars: Aneurin Barnard, Rebecca Ferguson, Amanda Hale, Faye Marsay
Votes: 31,372
1464 to 1485 CE. First reigning York, Edward IV, and second reigning York, Richard III.
14. The Shadow of the Tower (1972)
Biography, Drama, History
A series recording the key events in the reign of Henry Tudor and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty
Stars: James Maxwell, Bruce Hodgkins, Norma West, Hugh Sullivan
Votes: 229
1485-1509, Henry VII, shows a modern king learning how to navigate finance rather than chivalry.
15. The White Princess (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Based on the Philippa Gregory book of the same name, the story of Elizabeth of York, the White Queen's daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII.
Stars: Jodie Comer, Rebecca Benson, Jacob Collins-Levy, Richard Dillane
Votes: 15,567
1485 - 1501 CE. Daughter of Edward IV of York and niece to Richard III of York. Married Henry VII Tudor and was mother to Henry VIII Tudor.
16. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 81,157
1514 - 1547 CE. Second Tudor, Henry VIII. Begins with the Field of the Cloth of Gold and the Treaty of Redon. Ends with Henry VIII on his deathbed.
17. A Man for All Seasons (1966)
G | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Leo McKern
Votes: 37,144 | Gross: $28.35M
~1527 to 1535 CE.
Second Tudor, Henry VIII.
What we learned from the movie... Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), scholar, lawyer, politician, family man and man of conscience, is highly regarded by Henry VIII (Robert Shaw), who considers himself a scholar and man of conscience too - even when he's boffing bit-on-the-side Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave) and attempting to divorce his wife. When More refuses to assist the King in attaining a divorce, or in declaring himself Head of the Church of England and breaking with Rome, the two come into conflict and More loses his head. Literally.
What really happened... Well, this one's pretty much spot-on in terms of the historical record. The only question, really, is what we actually think of Thomas More. Lately there's been something of a backlash against him, with More portrayed as a sadomasochistic religious fantatic in the likes of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Frankly, Empire's inclined to dismiss such revisionism as unfair: More's writings portray a man who was hardly unthinking in his acceptance of the Catholic faith, and virtually every contemporary account agrees that he was a decent bloke. He did wear a hair shirt, though, so he did have something of a thing for self-punishment - but to each his own, eh?
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
18. The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.
Director: Justin Chadwick | Stars: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess
Votes: 119,934 | Gross: $26.81M
Second Tudor, Henry VIII.
19. Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
PG | 145 min | Biography, Drama, History
King Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Catharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas, Anthony Quayle
Votes: 8,110 | Gross: $2.07M
Second Tudor, Henry VIII.
20. Elizabeth R (1971)
520 min | Biography, Drama, History
When Elizabeth Tudor comes to the throne, her (male) advisers know she has to marry. Doesn't she? Thus starts a decades-long political/matrimonial game, during an age of high passions and high achievement.
Stars: Glenda Jackson, Ronald Hines, Robert Hardy, Stephen Murray
Votes: 1,937
Fifth Tudor, Elizabeth I.
21. Elizabeth I (2005)
TV-MA | 112 min | Biography, Drama, History
Mini-series about the the public and private lives of the later years of Queen Elizabeth I.
Stars: Helen Mirren, Toby Jones, Hugh Dancy, Patrick Malahide
Votes: 7,031
Fifth Tudor, Elizabeth I.
22. Elizabeth (1998)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama, History
The early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.
Director: Shekhar Kapur | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Liz Giles, Rod Culbertson, Paul Fox
Votes: 105,084 | Gross: $30.08M
~1558 to ~1560 CE.
Fourth Tudor, Mary I, and fifth Tudor, Elizabeth I.
What we learned from the movie... Following the death of her less attractive, borderline crazy sister Mary (Kathy Burke), lovely lovely Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) ascends to the English throne, following a lifetime of persecution and dancing on the border of imprisonment. After some early missteps, and a doomed love affair with Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes), Elizabeth reinvents herself as the tough-as-nails Virgin Queen, who has the heart and stomach of a King of England. Just not the other bits.
What really happened... While the broad outline of this plot's all fair enough, the detail is all over the place. Many of the characters' ages are wrong, notably William Cecil (who Elizabeth did not retire) and Kat Ashley (Emily Mortimer), while Dudley didn't betray Elizabeth - they were, like, BFFs for life. On the other hand, there's no actual evidence that they were at it in the first place. We might be presuming too modern a lifestyle on the Virgin Queen when we suggest that she was anything but a virgin. Then again, they may've been at it like rabbits. That's the joy of history: nobody really knows, so you can argue about it all day.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
23. Reign (2013–2017)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama
Mary, Queen of Scots, faces political and sexual intrigue in the treacherous world of the French court.
Stars: Adelaide Kane, Megan Follows, Celina Sinden, Torrance Coombs
Votes: 54,371
1557 - 1565 CE.
24. Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History
During the sixteenth century, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots engages in over two decades of religious and political conflict with her cousin, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England, amidst political intrigue in her native land.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Patrick McGoohan, Timothy Dalton
Votes: 4,881 | Gross: $2.33M
~1560 CE.
25. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
PG-13 | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History
A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments.
Director: Shekhar Kapur | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Jordi Mollà
Votes: 75,041 | Gross: $16.29M
1585 to 1588 CE.
Fifth Tudor, reign of Elizabeth I.
What we learned from the movie... Good Queen Elizabeth (still Cate Blanchett) is beset by enemies at home and abroad. Domestically, the Babington plot is trying to assassinate her and place Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) on the throne; abroad, Philip of Spain (Jordi Molla) is stroking his moustache, plotting against her and planning a Spanish Armada to conquer England. Elizabeth herself is distracted by a bad crush on Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), who's hubba-hubbaed his way back from the New World and into the knickers of Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting Bess (Abbie Cornish). Still, she's tough, so she manages to pull it all together, have a word with the Almighty and get some bad weather for the Spanish fleet, and generally emerge triumphant. Girl power!
What really happened... The real timeline is all over the place here: Raleigh and Bess Throckmorton's secret marriage occurred several years after the Armada - and Raleigh wasn't even at that battle, which was led by Robert Dudley (yes, Joseph Fiennes from the previous film) and whose most famous participant was Sir Francis "let's have a quick game of boules" Drake.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
26. Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2004 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 205 min | Drama, History
Mini series depicting the turbulent and bloody reigns of Scottish monarchs Mary, Queen of Scots and her son King James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England and foiled the Gunpowder Plot.
Director: Gillies MacKinnon | Stars: Vulpe Adrian, Carmen Ungureanu, Clémence Poésy, Tadeusz Pasternak
Votes: 1,922
1561 - 1587 CE Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, James I.
27. The Devil's Mistress (2008)
189 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Drama charts the progress of the English Civil War through the story of a young woman, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, and her three husbands.
Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Dominic West, Tom Goodman-Hill, John Simm
Votes: 2,728
1636 - 1660 CE Charles I, Oliver Cromwell
28. Cromwell (1970)
G | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
Puritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.
Director: Ken Hughes | Stars: Richard Harris, Alec Guinness, Robert Morley, Dorothy Tutin
Votes: 6,953 | Gross: $1.37M
1648 to 1658 CE. Charles I, Oliver Cromwell; English Civil War; Commonwealth
29. To Kill a King (2003)
Not Rated | 102 min | Biography, Drama, History
A recounting of the relationship between General Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, as they try to cope with the consequences of deposing King Charles I.
Director: Mike Barker | Stars: Tim Roth, Dougray Scott, Olivia Williams, James Bolam
Votes: 3,408
1648 to 1658 CE.
Charles I, Oliver Cromwell; English Civil War; Commonwealth.
What we learned from the movie... Dashing Thomas Fairfax (Dougray Scott) and slightly psycho Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth) are bestest buds, engaged in a Civil War against the arrogant Charles I (Rupert Everett) who claimed the divine right to rule without listening to anyone, and probably used commoners for furniture in his many palaces. Fairfax and Cromwell's friendship is tested, however, when the former gets worried that the King isn't getting a fair trial. Cue estrangement that lasts nearly a decade.
What really happened... Fairfax did step out of the King's trial, but it didn't lead to any significant falling out between himself and Cromwell; in fact, Fairfax remained Lord-General of Commonwealth land forces until 1650 (a year after the King's execution) when he decided he didn't want to pre-emptively attack Scotland (he was probably nervous he'd get mooned). He didn't fall out with Cromwell until the latter had Fairfax's son-in-law arrested a few weeks before Cromwell's death - so the rosy deathbed reunion scene in this film is pretty much the opposite of what happened.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
30. The Libertine (2004)
R | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.
Director: Laurence Dunmore | Stars: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Paul Ritter
Votes: 37,765 | Gross: $4.84M
~1660 CE.
31. Restoration (1995)
R | 117 min | Biography, Drama, History
The exiled royal doctor to King Charles II devotes himself to helping Londoners suffering from the plague, and in the process falls in love with an equally poor woman.
Director: Michael Hoffman | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Sam Neill, David Thewlis, Polly Walker
Votes: 9,922 | Gross: $4.10M
1660 to 1666 CE.
Restoration of Charles II to the English Throne after the Civil War.
What we learned from the movie... Robert Downey Jr. is Robert Merivel, a part-time medical student and full-time drunk who has the unmitigated gall to fall in love with his own wife, after he is married to the King's mistress (Polly Walker) for convenience. He's exiled from court, which sucks since at court everyone's dressed in fabulous outfits and the rest of England is mud-coloured, and which sucks even more when first the Great Plague and then the Great Fire hit London. Still, Merivel grows up, develops a conscience and invents a magic metal suit and is soon back in the royal favour.
What really happened... Merivel and his story are entirely invented, but Charles II really was a big lech, with 14 illegitimate children and often more than one mistress on the go at a time. And it was common practice in those days to marry mistresses off to someone at court for the sake of appearances, on the understanding that such husbands should keep their hands off their wives. The Plague and the Fire really happened, however; the latter helpfully getting rid of the last traces of the former, which just goes to show that every city-swallowing conflagration has a silver lining.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
32. Rob Roy (1995)
R | 139 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
In 1713 Scotland, Rob Roy MacGregor is wronged by a nobleman and his nephew, becomes an outlaw in search of revenge while fleeing the Redcoats, and faces charges of being a Jacobite.
Director: Michael Caton-Jones | Stars: Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth
Votes: 45,658 | Gross: $31.60M
~1719 to ~1722 CE.
33. The Madness of King George (1994)
PG-13 | 110 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
When King George III goes mad, his Lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation.
Director: Nicholas Hytner | Stars: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Rupert Graves, Amanda Donohoe
Votes: 18,379 | Gross: $15.24M
~1788 CE.
Reign of King George III and regency of his son.
What we learned from the movie... George III (Nigel Hawthorne) has a smokin' hot Queen (Helen Mirren) but is plagued by bouts of insanity. His ambitious son (Rupert Everett. Again) is tired of waiting around for the throne and wants to step in during his father's illness - preferably permanently. The King's closest aides try to hide the extent of his dementia, his doctor (Ian Holm) tries to cure it and in Parliament the Prime Minister tries to delay a Regency Bill long enough for the King to recover. It's all a bit like the recent UK election, if the Queen started acting like her corgis were people.
What really happened... This play's pretty closely based in reality, even the icky bits with leeches and doctors who spend all day poking at bits of *beep* George III really did go a bit crazy for periods of time, especially towards the end of his life - possibly due to the hereditary blood disease porphyria - and his illness did cause a constitutional and political crisis in the country, since he and his heir cordially loathed each other and supported different political parties. Fun fact, however: George III didn't wear powdered wigs. That hair was all his, baby.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
34. The House of Rothschild (1934)
Passed | 88 min | Biography, Drama, History
The wealthy Rothschild family undergoes prejudice from the anti-Semitic society they live within.
Directors: Alfred L. Werker, Sidney Lanfield | Stars: George Arliss, Boris Karloff, Loretta Young, Robert Young
Votes: 1,326
How Nathan Rothschild bought England and became Europe and America's banker.
35. Amazing Grace (2006)
PG | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai
Votes: 25,689 | Gross: $21.21M
~1797 CE.
36. That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Passed | 125 min | Drama, History, Romance
The story of courtesan and dance-hall girl Emma Hamilton, including her relationships with Sir William Hamilton and Admiral Horatio Nelson and her rise and fall, set during the Napoleonic Wars.
Director: Alexander Korda | Stars: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Alan Mowbray, Sara Allgood
Votes: 5,058
1790 to 1815 CE.
Napoleonic Wars, reign of George IV.
What we learned from the movie... Emma, Lady Hamilton (Vivien Leigh) was largely happy with her much older husband (after an early life as a showgirl) until naval hero Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier) shows up, being all dashing and flaunting his great big flagship. They start an affair that scandalises the nation, but it's alright because he still finds time to beat the French (them again! Zut alors!) at the decisive Battle of the Nile and again at Trafalgar, where he is killed in action. Despite having squished Napoleon's naval ambitions and having become a national hero, Nelson's dying wish that the nation look after Emma is roundly ignored by the family values crowd, and she dies in poverty in 1815.
What really happened... Well, this isn't all that far off. Nelson was the man responsible for Great Britain's greatest victories against Napoleon, putting a firm kibosh on his ambitions to invade these sceptr'd isles. And he and Emma were definitely at it; they openly lived together, alongside her husband, for years. Shamefully, the nation did repay Nelson's heroism, and the loss of his arm, eye and a few teeth in its service, by refusing his last wishes and heaping accolades on his brother rather than the mother of his child. Enough to make you wish Napoleon had won, eh?
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
37. Victoria (2016–2019)
TV-PG | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
The early life of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18 to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert.
Stars: Jenna Coleman, Adrian Schiller, Tommy Knight, Jordan Waller
Votes: 30,858
1835 - [1901?] CE.
38. The Young Victoria (2009)
PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson
Votes: 66,362 | Gross: $11.00M
~1835 to ~1840 CE.
Early Victorian, reign of Queen Victoria.
What we learned from the movie... Victoria (Emily Blunt) is heir to the British throne but isn't allowed to walk downstairs on her own. When her uncle dies and she inherits, there are some teething troubles while she sorts out her tendency to form girlish crushes on her Prime Minister (Paul Bettany - who can blame her?) and to arrange a marriage to the German Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Still, all's well that ends well, and after a failed assassination attempt and a couple of riots, she's all set to spend the rest of her life being Empress of India and balancing a doily on her head.
What really happened... The broad strokes are fine here; it's just the detail that's a little off. After all, Prince Albert was never actually shot in defence of the Queen; the bullets fired by young Edward Oxford both missed. In fairness, we're sure that Alfred would've taken a bullet for her; anyone with sideburns that luxuriant or trousers that tight can be relied upon to throw himself in harm's way, if only to escape a lift of sideburns and tight trousers.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
39. Creation (I) (2009)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Torn between faith and science, and suffering hallucinations, English naturalist Charles Darwin struggles to complete 'On the Origin of Species' and maintain his relationship with his wife.
Director: Jon Amiel | Stars: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Ian Kelly, Guy Henry
Votes: 15,127 | Gross: $0.34M
1850 to 1855 CE.
Mid-Victorian.
What we learned from the movie... Enough with kings and queens: let's look at the people who really matter: old white men with beards. Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany, clearly on a Victorian spree) is pretty sure that living things, what's the word, evolve. But he dithers about, trying to fit what he's seeing in with his religious beliefs (and those of his devout wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly)). After losing all faith following the death of his beloved daughter, however, he finally finishes his masterpiece, On The Origin Of Species, and incidentally kicks off a revolution in science, thought and religion.
What really happened... Well, we have no evidence that his daughter really did come back as a ghost, but aside from that this isn't too bad. Darwin did procrastinate about publishing his great work for years, and was prodded into it by a rival's publication on the same subject, as shown in the film. We just wish they could've added an epilogue showing David Attenborough making fascinating documentaries that back Darwin up, and generations of Bushes and Palins getting all het up over his assertions that facts matter.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
40. Mrs. Brown (1997)
PG | 101 min | Biography, Drama, History
When Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert dies, she finds solace in her trusted servant, Mr. John Brown, but their relationship also brings scandal and turmoil.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher
Votes: 15,579 | Gross: $9.22M
41. Victoria & Abdul (2017)
PG-13 | 111 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard
Votes: 38,216 | Gross: $22.25M
1887 -1901 CE.
42. Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
G | 144 min | Comedy, Musical, War
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Wendy Allnutt, Colin Farrell, Malcolm McFee, John Rae
Votes: 3,253 | Gross: $0.80M
1914 to 1918 CE.
World War I.
What we learned from the movie... World War I was fought in a theatre on Brighton Pier, where the upper classes watched and laughed as the proletariat died for their amusement. Maggie Smith seduced men into joining the army, while death was generally caused by someone giving you a poppy - so beware flowers! Still, everyone still had a jolly old time and spent loads of time singing together.
What really happened... World War I killed about 16 million people and left another 21 million wounded - not counting those who died from the Spanish Flu that followed it. It decimated a generation, changing the map but also the psyche of entire countries and whole political systems. The disastrous peace settlement that followed it directly caused World War II, killing tens of millions more, and therefore also led to the Cold War, the conflict in Afghanistan and the rise of Jedward. It was, in other words, nothing to sing about.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/
43. The King's Speech (2010)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 707,757 | Gross: $138.80M
44. Churchill (2017)
PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, History
Ninety-six hours before the World War II invasion of Normandy, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill struggles with his severe reservations with Operation Overlord and his increasingly marginalized role in the war effort.
Director: Jonathan Teplitzky | Stars: Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson, John Slattery, Julian Wadham
Votes: 15,780 | Gross: $1.28M
45. Darkest Hour (2017)
PG-13 | 125 min | Drama, War
In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn
Votes: 220,631 | Gross: $56.47M
46. Dunkirk (2017)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Drama, History
Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy
Votes: 739,621 | Gross: $188.37M
47. The Crown (2016–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 256,548
48. The Iron Lady (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama
An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.
Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Susan Brown
Votes: 113,603 | Gross: $30.02M
49. The Queen (2006)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Drama
After the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings
Votes: 115,965 | Gross: $56.44M
1997 CE.
Reign of Elizabeth II (obviously) and government of Tony Blair.
What we learned from the movie... The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, causes Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) no end of grief. Not only is she trying to comfort her bereft grandsons, but the super-keen new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) keeps chasing her to make some sort of public show of herself, which very much goes against her tweed-wearing grain.
What really happened... Writer Peter Morgan carried out extensive interviews with Buckingham Palace and Downing Street insiders before writing the film, so the history's not far off. As we all know, Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, and while a most-unBritish public display of grief erupted from all sides, the Queen delayed making any public address to the nation - or lowering the flag at Buckingham Palace (something which was not traditional except on the death of a monarch) - for days, which significantly dented her popularity. Still, Her Madge came through in the end - and she's still there, while the more-popular-at-the-time Blair is long gone. Just goes to show: tweed never truly goes out of style.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/complete-english-history-in-movies/20.asp
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