CINE MEDIEVAL

 

Peliculas Medievales

 

http://personal.redestb.es/anaevjosem/medfilms.htm

 

 
V. Septiembre/1999

Basado en la version 3.3 de Paul Halsall, 1997, halsall@murray.fordham.edu
Para mayor informacion ir a  Internet Medieval Source Book
o a la pagina principal de ORB


INDICE

El Mundo Antiguo Pagano

Caligula (1980)
US , Drama, 156, R, Color
Director: Franco Rossellini: El reparto incluye a: Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren
-Essentially a 15 million dollar porno movie, despite its excellent cast.

Fellini Satyricon (1970)
Italy, Historical, 129, Rated R, Color
Director: Federico Fellini; Cast includes" Martin Potter (Encolpio)
-Not exactly a filming of Petronius Arbiter's novel.. The tag ran "Rome. Before Christ. After Fellini". Potter is Encolpio a beautiful youth, whose young lover and slave, Gitone, has been stolen from him and sold to an older man. He vows to get him back.

Fall of the Roman Empire, The (1964)
US, Historical, 153, No rating, Color
Director: Anthony Mann; Cast includes: Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness (Marcus Aurelius), James Mason, Christopher Plummer (Commodus), Anthony Quayle
-By no means as bad as it might have been.

Last Roman, The (1968) [Alt: Kampf um Rom]
Germany-Romania, Historical, 92, No rating B&W
Director: Robert Siomak: Cast includes: Orson Welles
-Based on Felix Dann's German bestseller Kampf um Rom about the decline of the Roman Empire.

Revenge of the Gladiators (1965)
Italy, Historical/Adventure, 100, No rating, Color
Director: Michel Lupo

Sign of the Gladiator (1959)
Italy, Historical, 84, No rating, Color
Director: Vittorio Musy Glori; Cast includes: Anita Ekberg
-A gladiator captured by the Queen of Syria.

 

El Mundo Cristiano Antiguo

Ponzio Pilato (1962)
France/Italy, drama/religious, 100 1962 Color, In Italian
Director: Gian Paolo Callegari, Irving Rapper: Cast includes: Emma Baron, John Drew Barrymore, Basilk Rathbone

Silver Chalice, The (1954)
US, Religious, 144, No rating, Color
Director: Victor Saville: Cast includes: Virginia Mayo, Jack Palance, Paul Newman, Natalie Wood,
-Paul Newman as the Greek who designed the Chalice for the last supper. Newman later took out an ad to apologize for this, his first movie.

Barabbas (1962)
US, Religious, 134, No rating, Color
Director: Richard Fleischer; Cast includes: Anthony Quinn

Ben-Hur (1926)
Director: Fred Niblo: Cast includes: Ramon Navarro
US, Religious/Historical, 141, No rating B&W
-Famous for the naked male slave chained to a wall, and also included a topless woman.

Ben-Hur (1959)
US, Religious/Historical, 212, No rating, Color
Director: William Wyler: Cast includes: Charleton Heston, Stephen Boyd
-Based on Lew Wallace's book. The story of Judah Ben-Hur and his boyhood friend Messala.

Quo Vadis? (1951)
US, Historical, 171, No rating, Color
Director: Mervyn LeRoy; Cast includes: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov
-Story of St. Peter. Among other things.

Peter and Paul (1981)
US 200 min, No rating, Color,
Director: Robert Day; Cast includes: Anthony Hopkins, Robert Foxworth, Raymond Burr
-About SS Peter and Paul in Rome.

Robe, The (1953)
US, Religious, 135, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Koster; Cast includes: Richard Burton, Victor Mature, Jean Simmons
-Based on Lloyd C. Douglas' novel about Roman centurion who presides over Christ's crucifixion. The first movie in CinemaScope.

Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
US, Religious, 101, No rating, Color
Director: Delmer Davies: Cast includes: Victor Mature, Susan Hayward
-Sequel to the Robe. Caligula looks for it now.

Sign of the Cross, The (1932)
US, Historical, 118, No rating B&W
Director: Cecil B. DeMiller: Cast includes: Fredric March, Claudette Colbert (Empress Poppaea), Charles Laughton (Emperor Nero)

Androcles and the Lion (1952)
US, Comedy, 98, No rating, B&W
Director: Chester Erskine; Cast includes: Jean Simmons, Alan Young, Victor Mature
-Based on GB Shaw play.

Sebastiane (1976)
UK, religious, 82, Color, In Latin
Director: Derek Jarman
-[PBH Comment] Story of the early Christian martyr St. Sebastian set as a homoerotic fantasy around 303 CE.. Mostly filmed with all characters naked, and the dialogue is all in Latin. Jarman explicitly exploits the image of Sebastian as a gay icon, and although set in late antiquity is not a historical film in any useful way. It is interesting to see Latin used as a daily language, and for gay classicists the movie will have an especial appeal. It would be difficult in most institutions to show this to any other class than a history of sexuality class.

Fabiola (1917)
Italy
Director: Enrico Guzzanoi

Fabiola (1949) [Alt: Fabiola And The Fighting Gladiator / Fabulous Fabiola]
France-Italy, Historical, 96, No rating B&W
Director: Alessandro Blasetti
-About 4th-century persecution against Christians in Rome. The English-dubbed version, adapted by Marc Connelly and Fred Pressbburger features a different story line from the original! Both Fabiola movies are adaptations of the famous novel by Cardinal Wiseman about the persecutions of the Christians at Rome just before her conquest by Constantine.

Constantino Il Grande (1961)[Alt: Constantine The Great \Constantine And The Cross]
Italy, Drama, 120, No Rating, Color
Director: Lionello de Felice; Star; Cornel Wilde,Belinda Lee.
-The story of the founder of Byzantium in the center of which is the scene of the flaming cross which the Emperor sees in the sky just before the big battle. The movie gives a conventionally pious view of Constantine. Leonard Maltin rates it as "intelligent".

Il Crolo Di Roma (1963) [Alt: Rome In Flames]
Italy
Director: Antonio Margherriti
-About the time after the death of Constantine when sporadic persecution was still being carried out.

 

Los Bárbaros y el Impacto germánico

Attila Flagello Di Dio (1918)
Italy
Director: Febo Mari

Attila, Flagello Di Dio (1954) [Alt: Attila, Attila the Hun]
France-Italy, Historical, 83, No rating, Black & White/Colorized
Director: Pietro Francioso; Cast includes: Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren, Irene Pappas
-Attila prepares to attack Rome.

Attila (1980) [Alt: Attila, il flagello di Dio, Wild trieben es die alten Hunnen]
Italy
Director: Franco Castellano

Sign of the Pagan (1954)
US, Historical, 92, No rating, Color
Director: Douglas Sirk: Cast includes: Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance (Attila the Hun)
-Attila at the gates of Rome.

 

Bizancio, etc.

Simón del desierto (1965) [Alt: Simon of the Desert]
Mexico, historical religious, 44 1965 Black and White, In Spanish
Director: Luis Buñuel; Cast includes: Claudio Brook (Simon), Silvia Pinal
- Buñuel's version of the story of St. Simon Stylites, who stood on a pillar for forty years.

Theodora ,Imperatice Di Bizantico (1909) [Alt: Theodora Empress Of Byzantium]
Italy
Director: Ernesto Mario Pasquali

Theodora (1912)
France
Director: Henrey Pouctal

Teodora (1913)
Italy
Director: Ambrosio

Theodora (1919) [Alt: Theodora, the Slave Princess]
Italy
Director: Giovanni Vitrotti, Leopoldo Carlucci

Teodora (1921)
Italy ( no other details available)

Teodora Imperatice Di Bisanzio (1954) [Alt: Theodora Slave Empress\ Theodora Queen Of Byzantium \Theodora]
Italy/France, Adventure, Black & White, In Italian
Director: Riccardo Freda (as Robert Hampron); Cast includes: Gianna Maria Canal, George Marchal, Irene Pappas
- The most important movie about Theodora (though that really is not saying much)

Kampf Um Rome (1968-69) [Alt: Battle For Rome/The Last Roman]
West Germany-Italy
Director: Robert Siodmak; Cast includes: Orson Welles (Justinian), Syliva Coscina (Theodora), Lang Jeffries (Belisarius)
-Probably the most ambitious Byzantine movie ever which in its original German version was released in 2 part of some 4 hours. (everywhere else the movie was shown in only half its length). Based on a 19th century novel by Felix Dahn it presents the struggle of the daughters of the Gothic king Theodoric for power after his death. and then the conquest of their kingdom in Italy by the Byzantine general Belisarius . the movie won a very bad critical views but it is very grandiose and detailed.

Warrior and the Slave Girl, The (1958)
Italy, Historical, 84, No rating, Color
Director: Vittorio Cottafavi
-Set in ancient Armenia

 

El mundo Bizantino - Rusia

Alexander Nevsky (1938)
Russia, War/Historical, 107, No rating B&W
Director: Sergei Eisenstein, D.I. Vassillev; Cast includes: Nikolai Cherkassov
-The repelling of a German invasion in the 13th century. Score by Prokofiev. One of the great movies.

Andrei Rublev (1966)
Russia, Historical, 185, No rating, Color, B&W
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
-about the 15th-century icon painter.

Ivan the Terrible, Part One (1943)
Russia, Historical/Drama, 96, No rating B&W
Director: Sergei Eisenstein, D.I. Vassillev; Cast includes: Nikolai Cherkassov
-Music by Prokofiev

Ivan the Terrible, Part Two (1946)
Russia, Historical/Drama, 88, No rating B&W
Director: Sergei Eisenstein, D.I. Vassillev; Cast includes: Nikolai Cherkassov
-Music by Prokofiev. This was banned in Russia until 1958 because Stalin object to the portrayal of Ivan's secret police.

Prisoner of the Volga (1960)
Yugoslavia, Historical, 102, No rating, Color
Director: W. Tourjansky
-About a solider who seeks revenge when a general impregnates his wife.

El 13º Guerrero (1999)
USA. Color
de Antonio Banderas
- Ambientada en el s. IX. Entre árabes, bizantinos y rusos. Básicamente de aventuras y espadas aunque se basa en un viaje real.
 

 

Islam

Mohammad, Messenger of God/The Message (1977)
Lebanon-UK, Religious, 180, Rated PG, Color
Director: Moustapha Akkad; Cast includes: Anthony Quinn, Irene Pappas
-In accordance with Islamic law, Muhammad is not actually shown on screen, and neither he, nor most of his relatives are allowed to speak. This left Muhammad's uncle as the central character.

Arabian Nights (1942)
US, Adventure, 86, No rating, Color
Director: John Rawlins; cast includes: Maria Montez, Sabu
-"Camp"

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944)
US, Adventure, 87, No rating, Color
Director: Arthur Lubin; cast includes: Maria Montez, Jon Hall
-A follow-up to Arabian Nights.

The Golden Blade
US, Adventure, 81 min, No rating, Color
Director: Nathan Juran; Cast includes: Rock Hudson (Harun), Piper Laurie (Princess Khairuzan), Anita Ekberg, Bill Radovich (Eunuch)
-Arabian nights type adventure

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
UK, Fantasy/Adventure, 104 min, Rated G, Color
Director: Gordon Hessler; Cast includes: John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, Tom Baker

Arabian Nights (1974)
France-Italy, Fantasy, 128, No rating, Color
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
-Several 1001 Nights stories, framed by the story of slave-girl Pellegrina, who becomes "king" of a great city. [Part of Pasolini's Medieval trilogy of Arabian Nights, Decameron, and Canterbury Tales]

Omar Khayyam (1957)
US, Adventure, 101, No rating, Color
Director: William Dieterle; Cast includes: Cornel Wilde
-Set in medieval Persia.

Saladino
Egipto
-Los egipcio han rodado varias películas sobre esta figura a la que consideran imagen del lider árabe/musulmán (Una de ellas salio en el especial del canal temático...)

 

El mundo Celta

Fighting Prince of Donegal, The (1966)
US, Historical/Children's, 112, No rating, Color
Director: Michael Herlihy; Cast includes: Peter McEnery, Susan Hampshire
-Disney movie for children. Swashbuckler.
 

 

Los Vikingos

 

Erik the Conqueror (1961) [Alt: The Invaders]
Italy, Historical, 81, No rating, Color
Director: Mario Bava; Cast includes: Cameron Mitchell
-10th century Vikings.

Eaters of the Dead (1998) [Alt: Vikings, The]
USA, Action / Thriller / Viking, Color
Director: John McTiernan; Cast includes: Antonio Banderas, Omar Sharif, Diane Venora
-Disney movie, based on a Michael Crichton novel. A civilized Arab is sent to help barbarous Vikings.

Erik the Viking (1989)
UK, Historical, 104, Color
Director: Terry Jones; Cast includes: Tim Robbins, Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt

Hrafninn flýgur (1984) [Alt: Korpen flyger, When the Raven Flies]
Iceland/Sweden, 109, Color, [In Icelandic]
Director: Hrafn Gunnlaugsson

Hvite Viking, Den (1991)
Norway/Denmark/Sweden, Adventure, 131, Color
Director: Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
-10th century Norway

The Long Ships (1964)
UK-Yugoslavia, Adventure, 125 min, No rating, Color
Director: Jack Cardiff; Cast includes: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier.

Norseman, The (1978)
US, Adventure, 90, Rated PG, Color
Director: Charles B. Pierce: Cast includes: Lee Majors, Cornel Wilde
-About an 11th-century Viking prince sailing to America in search of his father, abducted by Indians.

Tartari, I (1962) [Alt: The Tartars]
Color
Director: Ferdinando Baldi, Richard Thorpe (I); Cast includes: Victor Mature, Orson Welles

Viking Queen, The (1967)
UK, Historical/Adventure, 91, No rating, Color
Director: Don Chaffey
-Leonard Maltin summarizes it as "Empty-headed costumer of early England under Roman rule, with plenty of gore as anarchists incite a violent uprising among the people." "England"! Rome!, Viking Queens! Ouch.

Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957)
US, Fantasy/Adventure, 66, No rating B&W
Director: Roger Corman
-original title - The Saga of The Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of The Great Sea Serpent.

Viking, The (1928)
USA, 9 reels, adventure 1928 Color
Director: Roy William Neill; Cast includes: Donald Crisp (Leif Ericsson), Pauline Starke
-Amazing, but true, an all color silent Viking movies from 1928.

Vikings, The (1958)
US, Historical/Adventure, 114, No rating, Color
Director: Richard Fleischer: Cast includes: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh
 

 

Feudalismo/ Caballería

War Lord, The (1965)
US, War/Historical/Drama, 123, No rating, Color
Director: Franklin Schaffner; Cast includes: Charlton Heston
-Based on Leslie Stevens' The Lovers. Heston is a knight invoking the "right" to sleep with another man's bride on their wedding night. (See Braveheart for the same myth)
-[PBH Comments] The War Lord is a complex story, but a modern one. It is set in a slightly hazy eleventh-century primarily to use the myth of the "first night" as a springboard for the story. Apart from that detail it could have been a western. As a film it is moderately interesting. For teaching purposes, fairly extensive discussion of inaccuracies would be required.
 

 

Ley

The Advocate [Alt: The Hour of the Pig]
US (1994): Historical/Drama/Crime
Director: Peter Thompson: Cast includes: Colin Firth
-A 15th-century French lawyer defends a pig put on trial for murder.

 

Cruzadas

 

Crusades, The (1935)
US, Historical/Drama, 123, No rating B&W
Director: Cecil B. DeMille; Cast includes: Loretta Young (Berengaria), Henry Wilcoxon (Richard), Ian Keith (Saladin)

King Richard and the Crusaders (1954)
US, Historical, 114, No rating, Color
Director: David Butler; Cast includes: Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Virginia Mayo
-Not well regarded. Based on Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman.

Lionheart (1987)
US, Adventure, 104 min, Rated PG, Color
Director: Frankilin J. Schaffner; Cast includes: Eric Stoltz
-Stoltz leads a "childrens crusade in search of King Richard I in the 12th century.

Mighty Crusaders, The (1957)
Italy, Religious/Historical/Action, 87, No rating, Color
Director: Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
-A version of Tasso's poem

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
UK, Historical/Comedy, 90, Rated PG, Color
Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones; Star; Graham Chapman
-Meant to be humorous. It is, in parts.

Seventh Seal, The (1957)
Sweden, Drama, 96, No rating B&W
Director: Ingmar Bergman: Cast includes: Max Von Sydow
-Set in 14th-century Sweden, about a knight returning from a crusade playing a chess game with death. The film made Bergman famous.

Black Cross (1960)
Poland, Historical/Adventure, 175, No rating, Color
Director: Aleksander Ford
-About the Teutonic knights. Not up to Eisenstein.

Saladino
- nos referimos a una de las versiones hechas en Egipto. Fue emitida en la noche temática de la 2

The Last Crusade (1979?)
- A pesar del título, se trata de las luchas por la "unificación" de Rumanía, durante la última década del s. XVI. Algo que empezó o que tuvo momentos de estar amparada por la cruzada contra los Turcos. Realizada a mayor gloria del pueblo rumano(recordemos que fue realizada durante la dictadura comunista), es curiosos de ver la manipulación de los temas históricos y personajes...

The Crusades (1996)
Serie para la TV de la BBC en coproducción con USA (si no me equivoco)

Les Croisades (1992)
4*60´. Dir.: Jim Goddard Reparto: Fernando Rey, Valeria Cavalli, Jean Yves Berteloot
Serie para la TV/Documental. Versión novelada sobre la epopeya de "Las Cruzadas", predicadas en el año 1185 por el papa Urbano Ii y relatada por un niño de corta edad...
 

 

La Literatura Medieval Europea en el Cine

 

Beowulf (1998)
USA. Fantasía. color
-Otra americanada con Cristopher Lambert a la cabeza.

Canterbury Tales, The (1971)
France-Italy, Drama, 109, No rating, Color
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
-Four stories. Graphic and sadistic footage will appeal to some.
-[From a correspondent] Canterbury Tales has Ninetto Davoli in a Chaplinesque version of "The Cook's Tale" [he had a good eye, Pier Paolo].
[Part of Pasolini's Medieval trilogy of Arabian Nights, Decameron, and Canterbury Tales]

Dante's Inferno (1935)
US, Drama, 88, No rating, Black & White
Director: Harry Lachman; Cast includes; Spencer Tracy, (and in a minor role Rita Hayworth)
-Not about Dante, but a modern circus owner. The film does contain an Inferno Devil's Paradise sequence.

Decameron Nights (1953)
UK, Drama, 87, No rating, Color
Director: Hugo Fregonese; Cast includes: Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan as Boccaccio.

Decameron, The (1970)
France-Italy-West Germany, Drama, 111, Rated X, Color
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
-Eight tales from Boccacio. Pasolini plays Giotto.
[Part of Pasolini's Medieval trilogy of Arabian Nights, Decameron, and Canterbury Tales]

El Cid (1961)
US, War/Biography, 184, No rating, Color
Director: Anthony Mann; Cast includes: Sophia Loren (Chimene), Charlton Heston (Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar El Cid), John Fraser (King Alfonso).

Mighty Crusaders, The (1957)
Italy, Religious/Historical/Action, 87, No rating, Color
Director: Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
-A version of Tasso's poem. A love story between a Christian and a Saracen forms the basic story.

Eternal Return, The (1943) [Alt: L'Eternel Retour]
France, Drama, 100, No rating B&W In French
Director: Jean Delannoy: Cast includes: Jean Marais, Madeleine Sologne
-Based on Jean Cocteau's modern-dress adaptation of the Tristan and Isolde legend.

Perceval (1978)
US, Drama, time?, No rating, Color
Director: Eric Rohmer
-Based on the 12th century French romance, translated by Rohmer. Unfortunately Roger Ebert calls it "relentlessly turgid".

Grendel, Grendel, Grendel (1980)
Australia, Animated, 90, No rating, Color
Director: Alexander Stitt; Star; (voices) Peter Ustinov, Keith Mitchell
-Beowulf's opponent.

Die Nibelungen (1924) [Two Parts: Kriemhild's Revenge, Siegfried]
Germany, Fantasy, 186 min, No rating, Black & White
-Extraordinary silent film.
 

 

Inglaterra

Alfred the Great (1969)
UK, Historical, 122, Rated PG, Color
Director: Clive Donner; Cast includes: David Hemmings, Michael York

Lady Godiva (1955)
US, Drama, 89, No rating, Color
Director: Arthur Lubin; Cast includes: Maureen O'Hara
-About the woman who rode naked through Coventry. It would be filmed differently today!

Black Arrow (1985)
US 93, No rating, Color
Director: John Hough: Cast includes: Oliver Reed
-Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's hero.

Black Shield of Falworth, The (1954)
US, Adventure, 99, No rating, Color
Director: Rudolph Mate; Cast includes: Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh
-Knighthood in medieval England. Based on Howard Pyle's Men of Iron

Becket (1964)
US, Historical/Drama, 148, No rating, Color
Director: Peter Glenville; Cast includes: Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton
-Based on Jean Anouilh's play about Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas à Becket and his English King, Henry II. Although there is no historical data to support the suggestion, Anouilh sees a homosexual relationship. Superb film.
 

Lion in Winter, The (1968)
UK, Historical/Drama, 135, No rating, Color
Director: Anthony Harvey: Cast includes: Katherine Hepburn (Eleanor), Peter O'Toole (Henry II), Anthony Hopkins (Richard the Lionheart)
-[PBH Comment] Probably the greatest of all "medieval movies" for sheer enjoyment. The intra-familial disputes of the Plantagenets are quite accurately depicted. What does not come across is that by the late 12th century dynasticism, although it still had legs, was supplemented by increasingly elaborate state structures. And then there is Hepburn. Magnificent as ever, it must be remembered that she never played anyone but herself. Recommended for teaching simply as a way to excite student interest.

 

King Richard and the Crusaders (1954)
US, Historical, 114, No rating, Color
Director: David Butler; Cast includes: Rex Harrison, Virgina Mayo
-Not well regarded

Ivanhoe (1952)
US, Romance/Adventure, 106, No rating, Color
Director: Richard Thorpe; Cast includes: Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine
-based on Sir Walter Scott's romantic novel. Saxons support Richard, Normans support John, and Elizabeth Taylor at her most beautiful as Rebecca (one of the few movie representations of any Medieval Jewish character).

Edward II (1970)
Cast includes: Ian McKellen
-Made for TV version of Marlowe's play

Edward II (1991)
UK, Drama, , 91 min, No rating, Color
Director: Derek Jarman; Cast includes: Steven Waddington, Tilda Swinton
based on the 1592 play by Christopher Marlowe about the homosexual Edward II.

Warriors, The (1955) [Alt: The Dark Avenger]
UK, Historical, 85, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Levin; Cast includes: Errol Flynn (Prince Edward), Michael Hordern (King Edward III)
-Early hundred year's war

Henry V (1945)
UK, War/Drama, 137, No rating, Color
Director: Laurence Olivier; Cast includes: Laurence Olivier
-Shakespeare's play, played for wartime nationalism.

Henry V (1989)
UK, Historical/Drama, 137, No rating, Color
Director: Kenneth Branagh; Cast includes: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed
-Brilliant, but much darker version of Shakespeare than Olivier's.

Richard III (1955)
UK, War/Historical, 155, No rating, Color
Director: Laurence Olivier; Cast includes: Laurence Olivier (King Richard III), Ralph Richardson (Buckingham), Claire Bloom (Lady Anne), John Gielgud (Clarence)
-Shakespeare's play.

Tower of London (1939)
US, Historical, 92, No rating B&W
Director: Rowland V. Lee; Cast includes: Basil Rathbone (Richard III), Boris Karloff (Mord, the Executioner)
-Princes in the Tower story

Tower of London (1962)
US, Historical, 79, No rating B&W
Director: Roger Corman; Cast includes: Vincent Price
-remake of 1939 film

Private Life of Henry VIII, The (1933)
UK, Biography, 97, No rating B&W
Director: Alexander Korda; Cast includes: Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Elsa Lanchester, Merle Oberon.

Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1973)
UK, Biography, 125, Rated PG, Color
Director: Waris Hussein; Cast includes: Keith Michell, Donald Pleasence, Charlotte Rampling
-Condensed from the British TV series.

Man for All Seasons, A (1966)
UK, Drama, 120, No rating, Color
Director: Fred Zinnemann: Cast includes: Paul Scofield
-The story of St. Thomas More as a man of conscience. Won six Oscars.

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
US, Historical, 145, Rated PG, Color
Director: Charles Jarrott; Cast includes: Richard Burton (King Henry VIII), Geneviève Bujold (Anne Boleyn), Irene Papas (Queen Katherine), Anthony Quayle (Wolsey)
-About Anne Boleyn. Quite inaccurate!

Lady Jane (1985)
UK, Biography, 142, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Trevor Nunn; Cast includes: Helena Bonham Carter

Tudor Rose (1936)
(No other information)
-The story of Lady Jane Grey.

Sword and the Rose, The (1953)
US, Romance/Historical, 93, No rating, Color
Director: Ken Annakin; Cast includes: Richard Todd, Glynis Johns (Princess Mary Tudor), James Robertson Justice (King Henry VIII)
-Disney movie set in England of Mary Tudor. A color re-filming of When Knighthood was in Flower.

Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The (1939)
US, Romance/Biography, 106, No rating, Color
Director: Michael Curtiz; Cast includes: Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Vincent Price

Virgin Queen, The (1955)
US, Historical, 92, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Koster; Cast includes: Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins
-Elizabeth and Raleigh

Seven Seas to Calais (1962)
Italy, Historical/Biography, 102, No rating, Color
Director: Rudolph Mate; Cast includes: Rod Taylor, Keith Mitchell
-About Sir Francis Drake

Fire Over England (1937)
UK, War/Historical/Adventure, 89, No rating B&W
Director: William K. Howard; Star; Laurence Olivier, Flora Robson (Queen Elizabeth), Leslie Banks (Earl of Leicester), Raymond Massey, (Philip of Spain), Vivien Leigh (Cynthia)
-About the Armada

 

La Inglaterra Artúrica

See Robbins Library: Arthurian Bibliographies

Camelot (1967)
USA, musical, Color
Director: Joshua Logan; Cast includes: Richard Harris, David Hemmings, Lionel Jeffries, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave

Excalibur (1981)
UK, Fantasy/Action, 140, Rated PG, Color
Director: John Boorman; Cast includes: Nigel Terry (Arthur), Paul Geoffrey (Perceval), Cherie Lunghi (Guenevere), Helen Mirren (Morgana), Nicholas Clay (Lancelot)

First Knight (1995)
US, Romance/Adventure, 132, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Jerry Zucker; Cast includes: Sean Connery (Arthur), Richard Gere (Lancelot), Julia Ormond (Guinevere)

Knights of the Round Table (1953)
US, Historical, 115, No rating, Color
Director: Richard Thorpe; Cast includes: Robert Taylor (Sir Lancelot of the Lake), Ava Gardner (Queen Guinevere), Mel Ferrer (King Arthur)
-MGM's first widescreen film

Perceval (1978)
US, Drama, time?, No rating, Color
Director: Eric Rohmer
-Based on the 12th century French romance, translated by Rohmer. Unfortunately Roger Ebert calls it "relentlessly turgid".

Siege of the Saxons (1963)
UK, Historical/Adventure, 85, No rating, Color
Director: Nathan Juran
-About king Arthur's daughter.

Prince Valiant (1954)
US, Adventure, 100, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Hathaway; Cast includes: James Mason, Janet Leigh,
-A cartoon character in the middle ages, with Arthurian characters.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)
UK, Adventure, 101, Rated PG, Color
Director: Philip Breen; Cast includes: Murray Head
 

Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Gawain and the Green Knight. (1982)
UK, Adventure, 101, Rated PG, Color
Director: Stephan Weeks; Cast includes: Miles O'Keeffe (Gawain), Sean Connery (Green Knight), Trevor Howard (Arthur), Peter Cushing

Lancelot du Lac (1974) [Alt: Le Graal, The Grail, Lancelot of the Lake]
France/Italy, Drama, 84, Color
Director: Robert Bresson; Cast includes: Luc Simon, Dominique Sanda
-What happens after the knights have failed to find the Grail.

 

Inglaterra - Robin Hood

See Robbins Library: Robin Hood Sources Bibliography
See Robbins Library: Robin Hood Filmography

Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
US, Adventure, 102, No rating, Color
Director: Michael Curtiz, Willim Keighley ; Cast includes: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains

Bandit of Sherwood Forest, The (1946)
US, Adventure, 86, No rating, Color
Director: George Sherman, Henry Levin; Cast includes: Cornel Wilde
-Robin Hood's son carrying on the old tradition.

Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)
UK, Adventure, 77, No rating, Color
Director: Val Guest; Cast includes: Don Taylor

Prince of Thieves, The (1948)
US, Adventure, 72, No rating, Color
Director: Howard Bretherton; Cast includes: Jon Hall

Robin and Marian (1976)
UK, Romance/Adventure, 112, Rated PG, Color
Director: Richard Lester; Cast includes: Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn
-Middle aged Robin and Marion in a "revisionist" story.

Robin Hood (1973)
US, Children's/Animated/Action, 83, Rated G, Color
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
-Animals play the human roles. Not a Disney great.

Robin Hood (1991)
US, 150, No rating, Color
Director: John Irvin; Cast includes: Patrick Bergin, Uma Thurman.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
US, Historical/Adventure/Action, 138, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Kevin Reynolds; Cast includes: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Alan Rickman
-Quite good in fact, although very 1990's. Stay for the last shot!

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950)
US, Historical/Adventure, 80, No rating, Color
Director: Gordon Douglas ; Cast includes: John Derek
-Robin's son fights to get Magna Carta signed.

Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, The (1952)
US, Children's/Adventure, 83, No rating, Color
Director: Ken Annakin; Cast includes: Richard Tood, Joan Rice, Peter Finch
-Reasonable Disney version.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
UK, Adventure, 80, No rating, Color
Director: Terence Fisher ; Cast includes: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing

Time Bandits (1981)
UK, Fantasy/Comedy, 110, Rated PG, Color
Director: Terry Gilliam; Cast includes: John Cleese (Robin Hood)
-Time travel fantasy.

 

Escocia

Braveheart (1995)
US, Romance/Historical/Action, 177, Rated R, Color
Director: Mel Gibson; Cast includes: Mel Gibson
-[PBH Comments] Won a lot of Oscars! This is a massively inaccurate portrayal of the life of the 13th-century Scots hero William Wallace. Gibson plays a woaded Wallace with a Glaswegian accent. The history is twisted in so many ways - the myth of ius primae nocte, the supposed liaison between Wallace and Isabella - that they would need a web site to unravel. On the other hand the battle scenes are very well done - violent bloody, and altogether impressive and the story is well told, in a conventional way. I was not, however, entirely convinced by Gibson as a suffering saviour. For class use, many students will enjoy this film, and, as ever, might be inspired to read up on the subject.

Mary of Scotland (1936)
US, Historical/Biography, 123, No rating B&W
Director: John Ford; Cast includes: Katharine Hepburn, Frederic March
-Flopped at the box office

Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
US, Historical/Biography, 128, Rated PG, Color
Director: Charles Jarrott; Cast includes: Vanessa Redgrave (Mary, Queen of Scots), Glenda Jackson (Queen Elizabeth), Patrick McGoohan (James Stuart), Timothy Dalton (Henry, Lord Darnley), Nigel Davenport, Trevor Howard, Daniel Massey, Robert Dudley,Ian Holm
-Incredible cast, but inaccurate. The homosexual relationship between Darnleyl and Riccio is portrayed.

 

Francia

The Advocate [Alt: The Hour of the Pig]
US (1994): Historical/Drama/Crime
Director: David Thompson: Cast includes: Colin Firth
-A 15th-century lawyer defends a pig put on trial for murder.

Hunchback of Notre Dame, The (1923)
US, Drama, 93, No rating B&W
Director: Wallace Worsely; Cast includes: Lon Chaney

Hunchback of Notre Dame, The (1939)
US, Horror, 115, No rating B&W
Director: William Dieterle; Cast includes: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara
-The classic version of Victor Hugo's novel.

Beatrice (1988)
France, Historical, 128, Rated R, Color
Director: Bertrand Tavernier: Cast includes: Julie Delpy
-Violent family story set during the Hundred Years War. A father bullies his son and engages in incest with his daughter.

Les Visiteurs du soir, (1942) [Alt: The Devil's Envoys]
France, Romance/Fantasy, 110, No rating B&W
Director: Marcel Carné
A fantasy romance set in the 15th century and based on a French legend:

Ladyhawke (1985)
US, Fantasy/Adventure, 124, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Richard Donner; Cast includes: Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Broderick
-rightly called a fantasy, but set in Medieval France.

Vagabond King, The (1956)
US, Musical/Historical, 86, No rating, Color
Director: Michael Curtiz; Cast includes: Kathryn Grayson, Oreste, Rita Moreno
-About François Villon, a version of Rudolf Frimal's operetta. Filmed before in 1930. Story without music as The Beloved Rogue (1927), and If I Were King (1928)

Diane (1956)
US, Historical, 110, No rating, Color
Director: David Miller: Cast includes: Lana Turner
-Set in the court of Francis I of France.

Queen Margot (1954)
France, Historical/Drama/Biography,
Cast includes: Jeanner Moreau
-About the St. Bartholemew's day massacre.

Queen Margot (1994)
France-Germany-Italy, Historical/Drama/Biography, 143, Rated R, Color
Director: Patrice Chéreau; Cast includes: Isabelle Adjani
-Adjani as Marguerite de Valois and the events surrounding the St. Bartholemew's day massacre of 1572. Good critical reception. Based on Alexander Dumas' novel. The French language version runs 166.

Intolerance (1916)
US, Drama, 178, No rating B&W
Director: D.W Griffiths: Cast includes: Lillian Gish
-Griffiths wrote "The purpose of the production is to trace a universal theme through various periods of the race's history. Ancient, sacred, medieval, and modern times are considered. Events are not set forth in their historical sequence, or according to the accepted forms of dramatic construction, but as they might flash across a mind seeking to parallel the life of the different ages." It has a section on the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of the French Huguenots in 1572.
IMDb: Intolerance (1916)

Carnival in Flanders (1935) [Alt: La Kermesse Héroïque]
France, Historical/Comedy, 95, No rating B&W In French
Director: Jacques Feyder
-Pauline Kael wrote: "It is a day in 1616; a Spanish regiment comes to a town in occupied Flanders. The cowardly burghers hide, but their charming ladies meet the challenge, and in the morning the Spaniards depart, poorer in worldly goods, richer in experience."
-Altamente recomedable. Fue la pelicula elegida en aquel memorable  programa de "La Clave", para ilustrar el debate sobre el Imperio Español y los Paises Bajos.

Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
France, Romance/Drama, 138, Rated PG, Color
Director: Jean Paul Rappeneau; Cast includes: Gerard Depardieu -Based on a late 19th century play about a long-nosed early 17th century Frenchman.

Return of Martin Guerre, The (1982) [Alt: La Retour de Martin Guerre]
France, Historical, 111, No rating, Color
Director: Daniel Vigne, Jean Claude Carrierè: Cast includes: Gerard Depardieu
-Based on trial records about an impostor in 16th century Southern France. An excellent movie, with solid historical advice given by Natalie Zemon Davis to the film makers. Try to see subtitled version, not the dubbed one.

Cardinal Richelieu (1935)
US, Historical/Biography, 83, No rating B&W
Director: Rowland V. Lee; Cast includes: George Arliss

Le Moine et la sorcière, [ alt The Sorceress
France (1987): Historical/Drama, 97 minutes.
Director: Suzanne Schiffman; Cast includes Tchéky Karyo and
Christine Boisson

The Sorcesess was written by a professional Medieval scholar -
Pamela Berger of Boston College - and was shot in both French and
English. It is based on a genuine medieval text by the
13th-century Dominican, Etienne de Bourbon, about the cult of s
St. Guinefort near Lyons in France.  The story, which is slow
but involving, focuses accurately on early 13th century
historical issues: the survival of "folk" culture; the role of
women; the beginnings of the Dominican order; the use of
profit-based farming techniques (in this case carp ponds) by
local nobilities.

The big boo-boo is that the film is yet another case of jus
primae nocte beging used as part of the story line!

 

Francia - Juana de Arco

 

Joan of Arc (1998)
USA.... 180, color.
Versión moderna hecha por los norteamericanos para la televisión.

Jeanne of Arc (1999-2000)
Francia-Usa.Dir. Luc Besson
La última revisión a la leyenda

Jeanne la Pucelle 1. Les Batailles (1993) [Alt: Joan the Maid 1.: The Battles]
France, drama, 160 Color , In French (1993)
Director: Jacques Rivette; Cast includes: Olivier Cruveiller, André Marcon, Sandrine Bonnaire (Jeanne d'Arc)

Jeanne la Pucelle 2. Les Prisons (1993) [Alt: Joan the Maid 1.: The Prisons]
France, drama, 176 Color , In French (1993)
Director: Jacques Rivette; Cast includes: Sandrine Bonnaire (Jeanne d'Arc)

Joan of Arc (1948)
US, Religious/Biography, 100, No rating, Color
Director: Victor Flemming; Cast includes: Ingrid Bergman, José Ferrer
-Originally 145 minutes.

Passion of Joan of Arc, The (1928) [Alt: La Passion de Jeanne D'Arc]
France, Historical, 77, No rating B&W, silent
Director: Carl Dreyer; Cast includes: Renée Maria Falconetti
-The original negatives were destroyed, but a reconstruction of the film was successfully undertaken, with Dreyer's blessing by Lo Duca in 1952 using a serendipitously found negative and lip-readers to determine the text [by Joseph Delteil, author of Jeanne D'Arc, (Paris 1925)]. Lo Duca added a score of works by Albinoni [Adagio], Vivaldi, Scarletti, Bach and Palestrina. Dreyer himself had used plainchaint. [Cf. Maria Warner, Joan of Arc, (London: 1981) p.275n64]. The video version currently available has a piano score.
-held by Pauline Kael to be the greatest performance ever captured on film. The film was so powerful that it was initially banned in England. Based on actual trial transcripts.
-[PBH Comment] The film provides no context, no laughable dauphin, dramatic visions. It is a simple rendition of the trial records from 1431 presented as a series of direct parallels with the passion of Christ as seen in 15th century art. Falconetti's intensely innocent face is the focus of the action, such as it is. Kael is correct in her assessment of the film. For teaching, it might be hard to persuade a class to watch a silent movie, but I can guarantee a strong emotional reaction.

Saint Joan (1957)
US, Religious/Historical/Biography, 110, No rating B&W
Director: Otto Preminger; Cast includes: Jean Seberg, Richard Widmark
-based on G.B. Shaw's play. Screenplay by Graham Greene.

Trial of Joan of Arc, The (1962) [Alt: Procès De Jeanne D'arc]
France, Drama/Biography, 65, No rating B&W
Director: Robert Bresson
-An hour-long précis of the trial based on the historical records.

 

España y Portugal

La batalla de los 3 reyes (alt. tambores de fuego. 1990)
Coproduccion España-Portugal-Marruecos. director: ben barka, souheil
La cruzada en la que el príncipe Sebastian de Portugal y el ejército cruzado encontraron la muerte en las tierras de Marruecos. S- XVI.

El Cid (1961)
US, War/Biography, 184, No rating, Color
Director: Anthony Mann; Cast includes: Sophia Loren (Chimene), Charlton Heston (Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar El Cid), John Fraser (King Alfonso).

El Greco (1966)
France-Italy, Biography, 95, No rating, Color
Director: Luciano Salce; Cast includes: Mel Ferrer

Castillan, The (1963)
Spain, Historical/Adventure, 129, No rating, Color
Director: Javier Seto: Cast includes: Cesar Romero, Frankie Avalon
-Un noble defiende a su gente contra los invasores.

Captain From Castile (1947)
US, Historical/Adventure, 140, No rating, Color
Director: Henry King: Cast includes: Tyrone Power, Ceasar Romero
-Se centra en la conquista de México por Cortes, con importante aparición de la Inquisición. Famosa BSO de Alfred Newman.

Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969)
UK, Historical/Drama/Adventure, 118, Rated G, Color
Director: Irving Lerner ; Star; Christopher Plummer (Inca King Atahualpa), Robert Shaw (Pizzaro)
- Sobre la conquista de Perú por Pizarro.

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) [Alt: Aguirre: The Wrath of God, alt: Aguirre, la cólera de Dios]
US/West Germany, drama/historical, 90, 1972 Color
Director: Werner Herzog: Cast includes: Alejandro Repulles, Gonzalo Pizarro, Cecilia Rivera, Helena Rojo, Edward Roland
-La típica y tópica película para ilustrar una de las motivaciones de los conquistadores españoles. El ansia de riqueza. Aún así no deja de ser una muy buena peli.

Private Life of Don Juan, The (1934)
UK, Romance/Biography/Adventure, 80, No rating B&W
Director: Alexander Korda; Cast includes: Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon
-Don Juan entrado en años.

(La leyenda de) los 100 Caballeros (1964)
España-Italia. Color. Director: Vittorio cottafavi
Director:
-Una coproduccion mucho mejor de lo que podria esperarse. La lucha en la frontera castellana contra el vecino de al lado musulman.

Pedro el Cruel (1964)
España-Italia. Histórica. Color. Interpr.: Mark Damon, Paolo Gozlino
Director: Ferdinando Baldi.

Mar de Luna (1995)
España. Color. Director: M. Matji. Interpretes: José Sancho, E. Panell, A. Rivela
-Aventuras de dos jóvenes que descubren el mundo.

Mujeres en la Historia (1994-1997)
Serie. TVE.
-Una de las mejores series históricas hechas en España. Se centra en diferentes personajes femeninos, protagonistas o testimonio de diferentes épocas históricas de España. Realizada por especialistas; aunque, como siempre, hay unos capítulos mejores que otros.

La conquista de Albania (1983)
España, color. director: Alfonso Ungria. Interpretes: Xavier elorriaga, chema muñoz,...
 - Los almogávares de la Aragon y navarra a la conquista de los principados griegos...

al-Andalus. El camino del sol (1988)
España, color. director:A. Tarruella, J. Oriol. Interpretes: L. Suarez, L.Escobar, C. Higueras,...
- Sobre la figura de abd-al-Rahman I. La verdad es que es muy normalita y desaprovecha mucho el pasaje histórico y el personaje en que se basa.

Alfonso X y el Reino de Murcia (1985)
Documental/ficción-España. Director:Pr. Perez. Int.: A. Ferrandis, L. prendes, J. Prieto. 45 min

A esa lista podemos añadir la magnífica serie coproducida por TVE y la BBC que se hizo con ocasión del 4º centenario del episodio de La Armada invencible.

Una serie a tener en cuenta es la realizada por TVE sobre Pedro I, el Cruel. De mediados de los ochenta. Si ni no recuerdo mal la serie no valia mucho la pena como obra cinematográfica, pero al menos se preocupaba por una de los personajes y sucesos mas interesantes y obscuros de nuestro pasado  medieval, la muerte del rey a manos de su hermanastro y la entronización de la nueva dinastía de los Trastámara en castilla (s. XIV)

Por otra parte no sabemos si recordareis una serie española titulada "Los Paladines" (1972; 13*30´), ambientada en la España Medieval y que narraba diferentes aventuras y peripecias de una serie de caballeros, tanto musulmanes como cristianos a ambos lados de la frontera. Alguno de sus capítulos fueron memorables. Contaba con la misma compaña de actores de la serie de Curro Jimenez, ...entretenida.

Otra serie fue la de "Los últimos días de la Alhambra"; o algo parecido, ahora ya no recuerdo bien su nombre, pero narraba eso, desde la juventud del último rey de Granada Boabdil el Chico. Producida por TVE (¿1989?), y creo que contanto con la participación, en el guión, de Gala ("Manuscrito Carmesí") ... Curiosa...

Una última serie para TV: El juglar y la reina (1978; 13*30´)
Director Antonio Betancor..... Reparto: Julián Mateos, Maribel Martín, Pedro Mari Sánchez
Abarca la historia de España desde el siglo XIII hasta el XVIII, basada en el romancero, que es el legado cultural popular más importante de la historia universal.

 

 

Italia

Magnificat (1993)
Italy, In Italian
Director: Pupi Avati
-[From a correspondent] Hierarchical relations in the earlier middle ages: a young girl becomes a monastic oblate, a young man who succeeds his father as lord of the territory calls for divine signs, there is a very civilized exercise of jus primae noctis.

Bride of Vengeance (1949)
US, Drama, 91, No rating B&W
Director: Mitchell Leisen: Cast includes: Paulette Goddard
-Story of Borgia intrigue in Italy.

Prince of Foxes (1949)
US, Historical/Adventure, 107, No rating B&W
Director: Henry King; Cast includes: Tyrone Power, Orson Welles (as Borgia)
-About Cesare Borgia. Extremely lavish production.

Flame and the Arrow, The (1950, ALT. EL halcón y la flecha)
US, Adventure, 88, No rating, Color
Director: Jacques Tourneur; Cast includes: Virgina Mayo, Burt Lancaster
-rebel leaders romping through medieval Italy. Una película de los más entretenido con Burt Lancaster y su compañia de guerreros saltimbanquis...

King's Whore, The (1990) [Alt: The King's Mistress]
Austria-France-Italy-UK, Historical/Drama, 115, Rated R, Color
Director: Axel Corti; Star; Timothy Dalton
-Set in court of Piedmont [time period?]

Die Pest in Florenz (1919)
Germany, horror, 96, Black & White
Director: Otto Rippert; Screenwriter: Fritz Lang
-[From IMD] An evil seductress causes Cesare, the city's ruler, and his son to both fall madly in love with her. The son, killing his father before an order to torture the woman can be carried out, then turns the city's churches into dens of sexual debauchery. Acts of evil and corruption continue unabated until the arrival of Death, who brings with her a horrible plague which she is about to loose upon the city. [Period?]

Il miracolo (1948) [Alt: The Miracle]
Italy, 41, Black & White, In Italian.
Director: Roberto Rossellini

L'Amore (1948) [Alt: Ways of Love, Woman]
Italy, Drama, 69, In Italian
Director: Roberto Rossellini; Cast includes: Anna Magnani
-Magnani believes she has believes she has been divinely impregnated. The 1/2 of the Fellini's 8 1/2. [Period?]

Romeo and Juliet (1936)
US, Romance/Historical, 126, No rating B&W
Director: George Cukor: Cast includes: Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, John Barrymore
-Shakespeare's play, but simplified.

Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Italy-UK, Romance/Historical, 138, Rated PG, Color
Director: Franco Zeffirelli; Cast includes: Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, Michael York
-Shakespeare's play, played by two age-appropriate actors. Only about half the play is used. Famous musical score by Nino Roto

Galileo (1973)
UK, Biography, 145, Rated PG, Color
Director: Joseph Losey; Topol (Galileo), Edward Fox (Cardinal Inquistor)
-Based on Bertolt Brecht's play.

 

Escolásticos y Escolasticismo

Stealing Heaven (1988)
Yugoslavia, Romance/historical, Rated R, Color
Director: Cliver Donner;
-Sexually explicit account of Abelard and Heloise.

Name of the Rose, The (1986)
France-Germany-Italy, Mystery/Historical, 130, Rated R, Color
Director: Cast includes: Sean Connery
-Based on the novel by Umberto Eco.

 

Herejia y O. Mendicantes

Francesco, giullare di Dio (1950) [Alt: Flowers of St. Francis, Francis: God's Jester]
Italy, religious, 75, Black & White, In Italian.
Director: Roberto Rossellini: Cast includes: Brother Nazario Gerardi (Francis)
-Written by Fellini

Francis of Assisi (1961)
US, Religious/Biography, 111, No rating, Color
Director: Michael Curtiz: Cast includes: Bradford Dillman (Francis Bemardone), Dolores Hart (Clare Scefi)

Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1973)
Italy-UK, Historical, 121, Rated PG, Color
Director: Franco Zeffirelli; Cast includes: Graham Faulkner (Francesco), Judi Bowker (Clare), Alec Guinness (Pope Innocent III)
-Zeffirelli's hippy St. Francis. Music by Donovan.

Francesco (1989)
Germany-Italy, Historical/Drama, 105, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Liliana Cavani; Cast includes: Mickey Rourke (St. Francis), Helena Bonham Carter
-Odd casting, to say the least

Uccelacci e uccellini (1966) [Alt: Hawks and Sparrows].
Italy., history/religion, 88, Black & White, In Italian
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini;
-Toto and Ninetto Davoli as two friars on the road.

 

Vida urbana y rural

Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey, The (1988)
New Zealand, Fantasy/Adventure, 92, Rated PG, Color, B&W
Director: Vincent Ward; Cast includes: Bruce Lyons, Chris Hayward
-An odd story, but a good film. About an English boy who leads a group of villagers into a tunnel to escape the plague, and emerges in a modern city (Auckland?)

Return of Martin Guerre, The (1982) [Alt: La Retour de Martin Guerre]
France, Historical, 111, No rating, Color
Director: Daniel Vigne, Jean Claude Carrierè: Cast includes: Gerard Depardieu
-[PBH Comment] Based on trial records about an impostor in 16th century Southern France. An excellent movie, with solid historical advice given by Natalie Zemon Davis to the film makers. Make sure to see the subtitled version, not the dubbed. Return raises issues about the nature of family life, geographical isolation, class and education boundaries, religious conflict and social control - all in a way that makes real sense to viewers. Moreover, it addresses real issues of the use of historical evidence as well. This is among the best possible movies to show to a class, perhaps with NZD's book on the subject, or the American Historical Review set of articles devoted to the movie.

Pied Piper, The (1972)
UK, Drama, 90, Rated G, Color
Director: Jacques Demy; Cast includes: Jack Wild, Donald Pleasance, Donovan (The Piper)
-Not exactly a children's story in this version of plague-ridden (in this case rats) villagers.

 

Espiritualidad Cristiana

Simón del desierto (1965) [Alt: Simon of the Desert]
Mexico, historical religious, 44 1965 Black and White, In Spanish
Director: Luis Buñuel; Cast includes: Claudio Brook (Simon), Silvia Pinal
- Buñuel's version of the story of St. Simon Stylites, who stood on a pillar for forty years.

Anchoress (1993)
US, Religious/Drama, 108, No rating, Color
Director: Chris Newby; Cast includes: Natalie Morse.
-Set in the Middle Ages, about a young woman who chooses to be walled up for the rest of her life.

Magnificat (1993)
Italy, In Italian
Director: Pupi Avati
-[From a correspondent] Hierarchical relations in the earlier middle ages: a young girl becomes a monastic oblate, a young man who succeeds his father as lord of the territory calls for divine signs, there is a very civilized exercise of jus primae noctis.

Nostradamus (1994)
US, Drama/Biography, 118, Rated R, Color
Director: Roger Christian; Cast includes: Tcheky Karo, F. Murray Abraham,

Virgin Spring, The (1959) [Alt: Jungfrukällan]
Sweden, Drama, 88, No rating B&W
Director: Ingmar Bergman: Cast includes: Max Von Sydow
Story of religious medieval Swedish family whose daughter is raped by vagrants. Oscar for best foreign movie.

Viridiana (1961)
Spain, Drama, 90, No rating B&W
Director: Luis Buñuel; Cast includes: Silvia Pinal
-The story of a young religious novice, Viridiana (Silvia Pinal), as she is about to take her vows. Said to be Buñuel's greatest film.

 

La mujer Medieval

Anchoress (1993)
US, Religious/Drama, 108, No rating, Color
Director: Chris Newby; Cast includes: Natalie Morse.
-Set in the early Middle Ages, about a young woman who chooses to be walled up for the rest of her life.

Magnificat (1993)
Italy, In Italian
Director: Pupi Avati
-[From a correspondent] Hierarchical relations in the earlier middle ages: a young girl becomes a monastic oblate, a young man who succeeds his father as lord of the territory calls for divine signs, there is a very civilized exercise of jus primae noctis.

Pope Joan (1972)
UK, Religious, 132, Rated PG, Color
Director: Michael Anderson; Cast includes: Liv Ullman
-About the Pope Joan myth.

Kristin Lavransdatter (1995). [Alt: Kransen, Kristin Lavransdotter] Norway/German/Sweden, 180, In Norwegian
Director: Liv Ullmann;
From the novel by Sigrid Undset. A young woman, daughter of a medieval Norwegian landowner, tries to find her own path.

Stealing Heaven (1988)
Yugoslavia, Romance/historical, Rated R, Color
Director: Cliver Donner;
-Sexually explicit account of Abelard and Heloise.

Mary of Scotland (1936)
US, Historical/Biography, 123, No rating B&W
Director: John Ford; Cast includes: Katharine Hepburn, Frederic March
-Flopped at the box office,

Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
US, Historical/Biography, 128, Rated PG, Color
Director: Charles Jarrott; Cast includes: Vanessa Redgrave (Mary, Queen of Scots), Glenda Jackson (Queen Elizabeth), Patrick McGoohan (James Stuart), Timothy Dalton (Henry, Lord Darnley), Nigel Davenport, Trevor Howard, Daniel Massey, Robert Dudley,Ian Holm
-Incredible cast, but inaccurate. The homosexual relationship between Darnleyl and Riccio is portrayed.

Viridiana (1961)
Spain, Drama, 90, No rating B&W
Director: Luis Buñuel; Cast includes: Silvia Pinal
-The story of a young religious novice, Viridiana (Silvia Pinal), as she is about to take her vows. Said to be Buñuel's greatest film.

 

El Renacimiento

Agony and the Ecstasy, The (1965)
US, Biography, 140, No rating, Color
Director: Carol Reed; Cast includes: Charlton Heston (Michelangelo), Rex Harrison (Pope Julius II)
-Based on Irving Stone's story of Michelangelo. Omits to mention M's homosexuality.

Titan--Story of Michelangelo, The (1950)
US, Documentary/Biography, 68, No rating B&W
Director: Robert Snyder
Originally a Swiss film made in 1940, it was reedited for U.S. release by Robert Snyder, and won an Oscar as Best Documentary.

Caravaggio (1986)
UK, religious, 97, No rating, Color
Director: Derek Jarman; Cast includes: Nigel Terry, Tilda Swinton
-Story of Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571-1610)in which Jarman develops his belief that Caravaggio was homosexual. The actor use modern British slang.

Rembrandt (1936)
UK, Biography, 84, No rating B&W
Director: Alexander Korda; Cast includes: Charles Laughton (Rembrandt van Rijn), Gertrude Lawrence, Elsa Lanchester

 

Reforma y Contrareforma

Martin Luther (1953)
US, 105, Black & White
Director: Irving Pichel; Cast includes: Niall MacGinnis (Martin Luther)

Luther (1974)
UK, Biography, 112, No rating, Color
Director: Guy Green: Cast includes: Stacey Keach
-based on John Osborne's play.

Man for All Seasons, A (1966)
UK, Drama, 120, No rating, Color
Director: Fred Zinnemann: Cast includes: Paul Scofield
-The story of St. Thomas More as a man of conscience. Won six Oscars.

Queen Margot (1954)
France, Historical/Drama/Biography,
Cast includes: Jeanner Moreau
-About the St. Bartholemew's day massacre.

Queen Margot (1994)
France-Germany-Italy, Historical/Drama/Biography, 143, Rated R, Color
Director: Patrice Chéreau; Cast includes: Isabelle Adjani
-Adjani as Marguerite de Valois and the events surrounding the St. Bartholemew's day massacre of 1572. Good critical reception. Based on Alexander Dumas' novel. The French language version runs 166.

Intolerance (1916)
US, Drama, 178, No rating B&W
Director: D.W Griffiths: Cast includes: Lillian Gish
-Griffiths wrote "The purpose of the production is to trace a universal theme through various periods of the race's history. Ancient, sacred, medieval, and modern times are considered. Events are not set forth in their historical sequence, or according to the accepted forms of dramatic construction, but as they might flash across a mind seeking to parallel the life of the different ages." It has a section on the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of the French Huguenots in 1572.
IMDb: Intolerance (1916)

Queen Christina (1933)
US, Romance/Historical, 97, No rating B&W
Director: Rouben Mamoulian ; Cast includes: Greta Grabo
-Garbo's greatest role, perhaps. Set in Sweden in 1637. Christina was raised as a man, she tells advisors she will not marry and have children. She has eyes only for Countess Ebba (with whom she exchanges a kiss), who betrays her by falling in love with a man. Christina, distraught, dresses as man and takes a room in a local inn. There she meets, and falls in love with a Spanish nobleman. She eventually abdicates to be with him, but is killed before they can marry.

 

La expansión Ultramarina

Norseman, The (1978)
US, Adventure, 90, Rated PG, Color
Director: Charles B. Pierce: Cast includes: Lee Majors, Cornel Wilde
-About a, 11th-century Viking prince sailing to America in search of his father, abducted by Indians.

Christopher Columbus (1949)
UK, Historical/Biography, 104, No rating, Color
Director: David MacDonald; Cast includes: Frederic March

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
France-Spain-UK-US, Historical/Drama/Adventure, 145, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Ridley Scott; Cast includes: Gerard Depardieu (Columbus), Sigourney Weaver (Queen Isabella)
-Somewhat lumbering. Stirring music by Vangelis.

Christopher Columbus--the Discovery (1992)
Spain-US, Historical/Adventure, 120, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: John Glen; Cast includes: Marlon Brando (Torquemada), Tom Selleck {Ferdinand), Rachel Ward (Isabella), George Corraface (Columbus)
-Not well reviewed

Captain From Castile (1947)
US, Historical/Adventure, 140, No rating, Color
Director: Henry King: Cast includes: Tyrone Power, Ceasar Romero
Cortez' conquest of Mexico and the Spanish Inquisition all involved in on story. With a famous score by Alfred Newman.

Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969)
UK, Historical/Drama/Adventure, 118, Rated G, Color
Director: Irving Lerner ; Star; Christopher Plummer (Inca King Atahualpa), Robert Shaw (Pizzaro)
-About Pizzaro and the conquest of Peru
-According to Pauline Kael, Plummer camps it up, while Shaw plays Pizzaro straight.

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) [Alt: Aguirre: The Wrath of God]
US/West Germany, drama/historical, 90, 1972 Color
Director: Werner Herzog: Cast includes: Alejandro Repulles, Gonzalo Pizarro, Cecilia Rivera, Helena Rojo, Edward Roland
-16th century ruthless conquerors pursue wealth in South America.

Retorno a Aztlan (1991) [Alt: Necuepaliztli in Aztlan, In, Return to Aztlan]
Mexico, Drama/historical Color, In Nahuatl
Directors: Juan Mora Catlett
Ancient Mexico before the Spanish conquest.

The Mission (1986)
UK, Drama, 125, Rated PG, Color
Director: Roland Joffe; Cast includes: Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson
-The story of the Jesuit mission in Paraguay. Screenwriter Robert Bolt.

Black Robe (1991)
Australia-Canada, Historical/Drama/Adventure, 101, Rated R, Color
Director: Bruce Beresford; Cast includes: Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young
-Based on a splendid novel by Brian Moore. Looks at French Jesuits among "Canadian" Indians and issues of two-way acculturation.

 

Los mongoles

Conqueror, The (1956)
US, War/Historical/Adventure, 111, No rating, Color
Director: Dick Powell: Cast includes: John Wayne
-Mongols vs. Tartars, and John Wayne as Genghis Khan. Shot in Utah downwind of a nuclear facility, a high percentage of stars and crew, including Wayne, later developed cancer.

Genghis Khan (1965)
US, Biography/Adventure, 124, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Levin: Cast includes: Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Telly Savalas.

Mongols, The (1961)
Italy, Historical/Adventure, 102, No rating, Color
Director: André de Toth, Leopolda Savona; Cast includes: Jack Palance, Anita Ekberg
-Palance as the son of Genghis Khan on the rampage in 13th century Europe.

The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
US, Adventure, 100 min, No rating, Black & White
Director: Archie Mayo; Cast inlcudes; Gary Cooper (Marco Polo), Sigrid Gurie, Basil Rathbone, Lana Turner

Marco Polo (1962)
Italy, Biography/Adventure, 90, No rating, Color
Director: Hugo Fregonese, Piero Pierotti; Cast includes: Rory Calhoun
-Epic about journey to China

Marco the Magnificent (1965)
US, Biography/Adventure, 100, No rating, Color
Director: Denys de la Patelliere, et al; Cast includes: Horst Bucholtz (Marco), Anthony Quinn (Kublai Khan)

Marco (1973)
US, Musical/Biography/Adventure, 109, Rated G, Color
Director: Seymour Robie: Cast includes: Desi Arnaz (Marco Polo), Zero Mostel (Kublai Khan)

 

China, Japón e India medievales

Ran (1985)
France-Japan, War/Historical, 161, Rated R, Color
Director: Akira Kurosawa:
-Set in 16th century Japan, this is a version of King Lear.

Gate of Hell (1953) [Alt: Jigokuman]
Japan, Historical/Drama, 89, No rating, Color
Director: Teinsuke Kinugasa
-12th century samauri falls in love with and shames a married woman. Oscar for best foreign film and costume design.

Lightning Swords of Death (1974)
Japan, Action, 83, Rated R, Color
Director: Kenji Misumi
-Violent story of an outlaw samauri wandering medieval japan

Kagemusha, la sombra del guerrero
Director: Akira Kurosawa

Kagetora. El guerrero  (1992) [alt: Heaven and Hearth)
Japón. Belica/Histórica. 96, Color
Director: Haruki adokawa
- Fines del S. XVI. Asistimos a la confrontacion decisiva entre los señores Kagetora y Takeda, antes de la unificacion del país.

Rikiu (1982)
Japon, Historica, Color
- Una version muy subjetiva e incluso "ascetica" de la corte del Shogunato japones durante la etapa final de la reunificacion de las islas (ca. 1600), vista desde la perspectiva del maestro de te de Nobunaga e Hideyoshi.

The Silk Road (1992)
China-Japan: Drama, 126 min, , Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Junya Sato
-Epic set in 11th-century China.

Los 7 Samurais (....)
Japón. Aventuras. B/N
Director: Akira Kurosawa
- La mejor películas de Samurais

 

Fantasía Medieval

Dark Crystal (El cristal obscuro)
US, Adventure/Fantasy

Dragonslayer (El dragón del lago de Fuego)(1980?)
US, Adventure/Fantasy, 108 min, Rated PG-13, Color
Director
Sobre el aprendiz de un mago que se tiene que cargar al dragón de un lago...

Dragonheart (1996)
US, Adventure/Fantasy, 108 min, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Rob Cohen; Cast inlcudes: Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery
-Roger Ebert called this "sublimely silly". About the last of the Dragonslayers.

High Crusade, The (1994)
Germany, Sci-Fi / aliens / knights / comedy, 100, 1994 Color
Director: Klaus Knoesel, Holger Neuhäuser; Cast includes: John Rhys-Davies, Rick Overton

Ladyhawke (1985)
US, Fantasy/Adventure, 124, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Richard Donner; Cast includes: Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Broderick
-rightly called a fantasy, but set in Medieval France.

Lair of the White Worm, The (1988)
UK, Horror, 94, Rated R, Color
Director: Ken Russell; Cast includes: Hugh Grant, Amanda Donahue
-"campy"

Leonor (1975)
France-Italy-Spain, Drama, 90, Rated PG, Color
Director: Juan Bunel; Cast includes: Liv Ullman
-woman rises from the dead

Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991)
US, Comedy, 95, Rated PG, Color
Director: Stewart Rafill; Cast includes: Kristy Swanson
-Medieval peasant's spirit trapped for a 1000 years in a dummy is released in the modern world..

Masque of the Red Death (1989)
US, Horror, 83, Rated R, Color
Director: Larry Brand; Cast includes: Adrian Paul, Patrick McNee

Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey, The (1988)
New Zealand, Fantasy/Adventure, 92, Rated PG, Color, B&W
Director: Vincent Ward; Cast includes: Bruce Lyons, Chris Hayward
-An odd story, but a good film. About an English boy who leads a group of villagers into a tunnel to escape the plague, and emerges in a modern city (Auckland?)

Prince Valiant (1954)
US, Adventure, 100, No rating, Color
Director: Henry Hathaway; Cast includes: James Mason, Janet Leigh,
-A cartoon character in the middle ages, with Arthurian characters.

Princess Bride, The (1987)
US, Comedy/Children's/Adventure, 98, Rated PG, Color
Director: Rob Reiner: Cast includes: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin

The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
US, Fantasy, 100 min, Rated R, Color
Director: Albert Pyun
-Warlocks and sword fighters.

El caballero del Dragon

-Aquella ¿inolvidable? pelicula en la que Miguel Bose hace de extraterrestre bajado del cielo en un castillo español durante el Medievo,... incalificable...

Los Paladines
Italia-Usa, Fantasia

Aventuras épicas entre Caballeros Cristianos y Musulmanes en una fantastica Sicilia Medieval

 

Tiempos modernos / Temas medievales

Paseo Por la Vida y la Muerte
USA, John Houston
El testamento fílmico de est3e gran director

Tempest (1959)
Italy, Historical, 125, No rating, Color
Director: Alberto Lattuada
-A peasant uprising in Catherine the Great's Russia

Green Glove, The (1952)
Director: Rudolph Mate; Cast includes: Glenn Ford
US, Crime, 88, No rating B&W
-Post WWII France, ex-solider returns to find a medieval jewelled religious item.

Knightriders (1981)
US, Drama, 145, Rated R, Color
Director: George Romero; Cast includes: Ed Harris
-About a traveling band which stages "medieval fairs" at which they joust in full medieval gear, from motorcyles.

Agnes of God (1985)
US, Mystery, 98, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: Norman Jewison: Cast includes: Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly
-A pregnant Quebecker nun.

Mazes and Monsters (1982)
Canada 100, No rating, Color
Director: Steven H. Stern; Cast includes: Tom Hanks
-Four teenagers caught up in Medieval role playing games.

The Milky Way (1970) [Alt: La Voie Lactée].
France, Religious, 102 min, Rated PG, Color
Director: Luis Buñuel
-About two pilgrim-tramps and their encounters with the Devil, the Virgin Mary, people who are arguing about Catholic doctrine, and assorted religious zealots.

Month in the Country, A (1987)
UK, Drama, 96, Rated PG, Color
Director: Pat O'Connor; Cast includes: Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh
-A modern story, but with a medieval painting as a focus as a man recovers from WWI shell shock by restoring the painting in a Yorkshire curch.

Rapture, The (1991)
US, Drama, 102, Rated R, Color
Director: Michael Tolkin; Cast includes: Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny
-Modern millenialism. The movie represents, quite literally, the coming of the Apocalypse.

Romero (1989)
US, Political/Biography, 102, Rated PG-13, Color
Director: John Duigan; Cast includes: Raul Julia

El rey pescador [alt. The Fisher KIng)

Robert Williams logra contagiar su locura medieval a un descreido y hundido j. Bridges...

La Muerte
Director: I. Bergman
Una excepcional película en todos los sentidos

 

LISTAS

A. Peores Peliculas Medievales .La lista hecha por Hallsall y los miembros de the Mediev-l list incluia las siguientes peliculas:

 

B. Mejores Peliculas Medievales - por exactitud historica . La lista de Hallsall incluía a:
 

 

Tomado de:

http://personal.redestb.es/anaevjosem/medfilms.htm

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html