The 26 Best Historical Epics Now Streaming
Historical epics once dominated the box office, reliably bringing in money and trophies every year. Over the past decade or so, that has changed. Most of Hollywood's big money is now flowing into sci-fi spectacle or superhero franchises, as traditionally expensive historical epics have become somewhat passé—at least on the big screen. Ridley Scott isn't giving up, however, and the "Gladiator" director is trying to keep the franchise alive: The big-budget "Napoleon" is about to be released, but it's unlikely to be released next. The next film, a sequel to Gladiatoris in the works. It could be an uphill battle: 2022's The Queen received great reviews but still only made decent box office returns, while Scott's own 2021's The Last Duel struggled in the ratings Also performed equally well but lost a lot of money in the process. Still, movie tastes are always a bit cyclical, and if we notice signs of superhero fatigue, there might be an opportunity for some big-budget trips back to the real past.
Titanic (1997)
Historical Background: North Atlantic, April 1912
There's definitely some melodrama here, but James Cameron's "River of Tears" is also a magnificent portrait of a very special moment, one that captivates us with the fascination of that era and then confronts us with those who were in society. The price paid by those who spend their lives at the bottom. It's also a very complex and entertaining game, with a plot that cleverly takes us on a tour of the Titanic. By the end, we felt like we knew her and all her passengers very well.
Live broadcast at: Paramount+
Malcolm X (1992)
Historical Background:Malcolm's Life presents the life of a black activist who helped define the 1960s and the era of the Civil Rights Movement. Denzel Washington pretty much conveys the film's themes with his stellar performance, which is both stylish and dynamic.
Where to watch: Tubi
The Last Duel (2021)
Historical Background :Medieval France, circa 1386
Ridley Scott’s previous epic, based on Eric Jager’s non-fiction book, tells the story of the Middle Ages. France, Jean de Carouge (Matt Damon) and Jacques LeGris (Adam Driver) are raped after Jean's wife Margaret (Jodie Comer) Later, the trial was conducted by fighting. Scott deftly treats the story as a European Rashomon, presenting it from each person's wildly different perspective before we get the full picture from Margaret's point of view. The story and the players in the duel may not care about this perspective, but Scott and the movie do.
Live broadcast location: Fubo
Schindler’s List (1994)
Historical Context:Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia during World War II
Steven Spielberg won his first Oscar for this tragic and important film set against the backdrop of the Holocaust Best Director Award. Oskar Schindler, an industrialist and Nazi himself, became slowly disillusioned and then appalled by the Party's actions, which employed more than 1,000 Jewish refugees in its factories in order to Rescued from concentration camps.
Streaming: Showtime, Fubo
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
Historical Context:16th Century South America
Arguably the lowest-budget epic on this list, Werner Herzog’s film tells the story of tells the story of the conquistador Lope de Aguirre (played by the legendary and unhinged Klaus Kinski). He searches for the mysterious golden kingdom of Eldorado. The real Aguirre was known as "El Loco" for his grandiose and arrogant plans. Herzog and Kinski capture a sense of doomed obsession. The film served as a huge inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
Where to watch:Tubi, Vudu, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Shout Factory TV, Plex
The Battle of Algiers(1966)
Historical Background:Algiers, 1954-1962
A film about tensions between Algerian nationalists and French troops in North Africa Shockingly relevant movie about relationships. A conflict led to three years of war. Director Gillo Pontecorvo's surreal film is exciting in some ways, but also extremely challenging. While the moral of the film leans slightly toward the Algerians trying to retake their homeland from the French, the shocking violence committed by the guerrilla fighters also clearly mocks any discussion of heroes or villains.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Historical Background: Odessa, 1905
The cinematic life of Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece of revolutionary propaganda far exceeded its intended purpose (i.e.: commemorating the First 20th anniversary of the Russian Revolution). The film's groundbreaking and influential style and editing techniques can be seen in films from Laurel & Hardy to Star Wars, with Brian De Palma's The Untouchables bringing them to life One of the most famous Odessa Steps scenes in film involves a pram spinning out of control in the chaos.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Gladiator (2000)
Historical Background:The Roman Empire, around 180 AD.
Ridley Scott tells the story of a high-ranking Roman officer who is forced into Rome. The gladiatorial arena after the conflict with the new emperor Commodus.The film was a box office hit and an awards season favorite that year, marking a revival of the historical epic genre that never quite materialized. But since we've talked so much about Scott, his next historical epic will be a sequel to the Oscar-winner.
Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount+
Chaos (1985)
Historical background:Japan's Honshu Warring States Period
<< "Ran" is one of Kurosawa's later films and his last true epic. It is still the director's most popular One of those films that blends Japanese history and folklore with hints of Shakespeare. Akira Kurosawa mixed the story of the real daimyo Mori Motonari with "King Lear" to create a fictional story set in the 16th century. Elder warlord Ichimonji Hidetora (Ryuya Nakadai) decides to divide his kingdom among his three sons, only to discover that greed and lust for power are stronger than loyalty. It's the director's most expensive film, with gorgeous cinematography and lavish period design.
Play on: Prime Video
The Death of Stalin (2017)
History Background:Moscow, 1953
The history of Armando Iannucci, who brought his typically dark wisdom to the political power game, follows the death of the Soviet leader. As in Veep , Iannucci exposes the greed and narrow desires behind power politics, no matter how respectable it may appear on the surface. Speaking of details, it may not be the most accurate sequence in film history, but it's still one of the most honest.
Where to stream: Hulu, Tubi, Roku Channel
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
Historical Background: Tokyo, 1920s to 1970s Paul Schrader's kaleidoscopic drama begins on the last day of the life of Yukio Mishima, a writer famous for his Known for public hara-kiri. One of the most important Japanese artists of the 20th century, Mishima's rejection of modern material culture resulted in extreme traditionalism and led him to form his own private army. He is an unconventional subject for an unconventional historical epic (which dramatizes moments from his work alongside scenes from his life), but a life that is evident, for better or for worse.
Streaming address: Standard Channel
Becket (1964)
Historical background :12th Century England.Century
It's based on a play rather than actual history, so a lot of what's here is either questionable or just plain wrong. although! It's a big, fun, old-school movie epic about the political and religious battles between Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Thomas Becket (Richard Burton). Thomas Becket was a former friend of the king who later became an enemy when he became Archbishop of Canterbury. Burton took a nap, but O'Toole was clearly having a great time - he would reprise the role and star alongside Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter. em> Just a few years later.
Streaming on: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, Roku Channel
From Here to Eternity (1953) h2>
Historical Background: Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, 1941
Initially, the film feels more like a romantic melodrama than a A war movie. The iconic image shows Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster making out on the beach. But it all takes us into the lives of the people surrounding Schofield Barracks on Oahu, by Lancaster and Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed and Ernest Played by an all-star cast including Ter Borgnine. As the bombs begin to fall, we become deeply immersed in the lives and destinies of these characters.
Live broadcast location: Max
This is nothing new on the Western Front (2022)
Historical Background: Western Europe, 1917-1918
Idealistic soldier Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) hoped to be when he and his friends volunteered to fight in the German Army hero. His illusions about glory and noble sacrifice are quickly shattered as he is forced to face the horrors, and he realizes that survival is the best outcome he can hope for. While it doesn't have the power of the 1930 original, it's still a powerful film about the futility of war, set in the trenches of World War I.
Where to watch: Netflix
Edward II (1991)
Historical Background :14th-century England
Filmmaker provocateur and activist Derek Jarman removes the mystery from the relationship between Edward II and his beloved courtier Piers Gaveston any historical ambiguity (not that it's particularly vague), while reimagining medieval Europe as a postmodern fantasy filled with willful anachronisms, while Anne Lennox appears on the soundtrack. Think Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, but happier.
Live broadcast location: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto, Freevee
Ashoka (2001)
Historical Background:The Maurya Empire (covering most of modern India), 3rd century BC. BC
With highly stylized action scenes and replete with musical interludes, the film dramatizes the life of the eponymous Moorish emperor (played by Shah Rukh Khan). After an early period of violent conquest, he discovered Buddhism and pacifism. Luckily, this transition happens much later in the movie, so we still get to see plenty of well-choreographed action sequences. The film was a huge success in much of Asia and was one of the rare Indian films at the time to receive wide theatrical release around the world.
Where to stream: Netflix
Seven Samurai (1954)
Historical background: Japan's Warring States Period, 1586
Kurosawa's masterpiece is as much a dramatic achievement as it is a technical one, succeeding brilliantly as a simple action film but putting the combined team's Members are shaped into unique and complex individuals. In many ways, they were no better than the bandits they were hired to fight. In the film, poor villagers decide to hire samurai to fend off marauders. Apart from food, they have no choice but to seek out the most desperate ronin to help them. A ragtag group of misfits must band together to face a relentless attack, and while the film is more about historical context than specific real-life events, the style of the film is stunningly realistic.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
The Northman (2022)
Historical Background:Northern Europe, circa 895 AD
The underrated novel The Northmen by Robert Eggers is not based on any specifically Scandinavian is based on the history of Via, but instead incorporates elements of legend and mythology into a carefully recreated historical setting. Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, a Viking warrior prince who narrowly escapes a coup that destroys his dynasty and begins a Shakespearean The pursuit of revenge at all costs. The film offers a strong nihilistic view of the world while challenging extreme notions of honor. Nicole Kidman's performance is wonderful.
Where to watch: Peacock
The Fortress (2017)
Historical Background: Korea, 1636
The Fortress is a war movie that doesn’t look like a war movie at all, and is set in the Qing Dynasty, when Korea invaded in 1636. The Joseon state of modern Korea maintained relations with China's Ming dynasty, but came under pressure from the Qing before a full-scale invasion. The film picks up where the story ends, with King Injo and his followers seeking refuge in the fortress of the title. This is not the story of the Alamo, however, but of moral compromise and politics, as the defenders of the fortress struggle to navigate between two larger forces while literally being under siege. The film was a huge hit in South Korea and won several major awards.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Queen (2022)
Historical Background: Dahomey, West Africa, 1823
Although the film has deeper ambitions, there are a few things worth mentioning. Watching this film is a sheer pleasure, as does the bloated Viola · Davis led an almost unstoppable force of African warriors to fight back against the colonial invaders. Set in West Africa in 1823, the film is based on the real-life lives of the Agoje, also known as the Amazons of Dahomey. In the film, Davis plays General Naniska, the leader of the country's military who, despite his abilities, is forced to navigate the complex regional politics. The most exciting scene in the movie involves kicking a slave trader's ass.
Where to watch: Netflix
1917 (2019)
Historical context: The Western Front of World War I, 1917
Sam Mendes's drama about the First World War is not that effective. , considering the premise involves a bit of gimmickry: it's presented as if it were taken in two consecutive takes, with no cuts in between. The result might feel like a video game, but instead, that conceit gives life to the story of two soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Black (Dean-Charles Chapman). There came an unusual, gut-wrenching directness as they were desperate to deliver the message to cancel an attack they knew was doomed to fail.
Where to watch: "Showtime", "Fubo"
The Last Emperor (1987)
Historical Context:Early 20th Century China, specifically Beijing
While it should not be considered a history lesson (few narrative films should be), But Bernardo Bertolucci's beautiful epic is all about location: shot at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Zunlong plays the adult Puyi, who was proclaimed emperor of China at the age of two and was forced to abdicate at the age of six. The film chronicles his life as a rebel and then as a puppet of China's new communist government.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Kesari (2019)
Historical Background:Saragarhi (now Pakistan), 1894
Nothing particularly challenging here, but Kesari is still a story about facing the odds. A thrilling story of military courage and heroism against all odds. The film recounts the events of the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, in which 21 Sikh soldiers from British India fought 300 against 10,000 Afghan attackers Combat. The film's political plot is complex, but the acting is top-notch and the fight choreography is impeccable.
Watch on: Prime Video
Spartacus (1960)
Historical Background:Third Slave War, Mediterranean, first century BC.
Stanley Kubrick's Roman Republic-era epic eschews most of the sword-and-sandals conventions the film's year of release might suggest for a thrilling tale of freedom and nonconformism. s story.Written by blacklisted author Dalton Trumbo, Spartacus not only called out Roman-style slavery but also the then-modern communist witch-hunts.
Play location:History Library
Thirteen Assassins (2010)
History Background:Japan's Ecological Era, 1844
At the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, the thoroughly sadistic (not to mention corrupt) Lord Naritsugu would gain a seat, and a promotion, in the shogunate council Not only would this increase the power of a ruthless ruler, but it could also spark civil war between his followers and those who hate him. The shogun's minister of justice believed that assassination was the only method, so he hired a dozen samurai to carry out the execution. This action-packed and violent film reminds us that director Takashi Miike is known for several memorable horror films.
Where to watch: Hulu
Rustin (2023)
Technically, there is no war here , even though the civil rights movement was an era of violent conflict; there's no better, more overlooked perspective than the life of Bayard Rustin (the brilliant Coleman Domingo). Bayard Rustin was one of the leaders of the movement and the mastermind behind the March on Washington. However, as an openly queer man, he has been ignored and erased from the history of the movement—at least until this appropriately epic biopic.
Where to watch: Netflix
In the context of discussing historical epic movies to stream, here are two sentences that contain the words 'historical epic movies to stream':
- If you're in the mood for some historical epic movies to stream, you might want to check out Paramount+'s offering of Titanic (1997).
- For another historical epic movie to stream, consider Fubo's broadcast of Ridley Scott's The Last Duel (2021).
Source: lifehacker.com
