Best Historical Epic Movies (Medieval Setting)

So now moving on to Historical Epic films that are set in the Medieval Age. This period of history, often referred to as the Dark Ages, spans from the fall of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance (600-1500 AD). Now one thing right off the bat I can say is that there aren't too many significant films set in this era. The only two that came to mind are Braveheart and Kingdom of Heaven. Which is strange because there is a lot of intriguing historical content to divulge into; such as the Vikings, the campaigns of Charlamegne, the Norman Conquest of England, and the Crusades for the Holy Land. So as of now here are the iconic historical epic films, and here's to hoping that there are many more to come in this era.


Medieval Age

• 793-865 AD

• Vikings
• Released in 2013
• Historical Setting: Medieval Scandinavia
• Running Time: 6 seasons; 79 episodes
• Created by: Michael Hirst
• Pertains to the Viking Age under Ragnar Lothbrok and their invasions of England and France
• Although this is not an epic film, it is a highly acclaimed television series that gives the best historical account of the Viking Age. I intend for this to be a post about movie epics and will only include a handful of TV series that I consider essential historical dramas. This production is on par with Game of Thrones which I have often regarded as top notch film quality. It has vast settings of the old Norse Age, with many large scale epic raids and battles of the northern viking tribes. I must confess I have not finished the series yet really enjoyed the first few seasons and intend to watch it from start to finish some day. 
• 1040-1099 AD
• El Cid
• Released in 1961
  
• Historical Setting: Medieval Spain
• Running Time: 184 minutes
• Director: Anthony Mann
• Pertaining to the warlord El Cid and his military service in Africa and Spain
• I have not seen this epic film, yet it is most definitely on my watch list. It pertains to a historical topic I know very little about concerning the medieval days of Spain and the heroic warlord Don Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. This Castilian knight is a national hero who conquered Valencia and is often credited with the early unification of Spain. The film stars the king of epic movies, the great Charlton Heston himself alongside the beautiful Sophia Loren. It has vast battles scenes, a romantic musical score, and was nominated for three academy awards. 
• 1155-1170 AD
• Becket

• Released in 1964
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of England
• Running Time: 148 minutes
• Director: Peter Glenville
• Pertaining to King Henry II and his bishop Thomas Becket
• This is another one I have not yet seen however have have heard of it's high acclaim. The film stars two iconic epic stars Peter O'Toole as the King Henry II and Richard Burton as the bishop Becket. This film pertains more to courtroom drama rather than military conflict, however still has grand scale elements of a historical epic. The film was nominated for an astounding 12 Academy Awards in notable categories such as best picture, acting, costume design, cinematography, and musical score.  
• 1183 AD
• The Lion in the Winter 

• Released in 1968
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of England
• Running Time: 134 minutes
• Director: Anthony Harvey
• Pertaining to King Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine 
• This is yet another historical classic film I have not seen yet am quite familiar with. The movie is often considered a sequel to Becket since Peter O'Toole returns to his role as King Henry II (of which he was nominated a 2nd time for playing the same role). However it was the iconic Katherine Hepburn who stole the show with her Oscar winning portrayal of Elanor of Aquitaine. Just like the film Becket this movie pertains more to royal court drama over military conflict. However I consider it an epic because it was a major critical and commercial success that was nominated for 7 Academy Awards. 
• 1183-1190 AD
• Kingdom of Heaven

• Released in 2005
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of Jerusalem
• Running Time: 194 minutes
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Pertaining to the rise of Saladin and the Siege of Jerusalem
• This film for me is the quintessential epic regarding the Crusades. It pertains to the years leading up to the Third Crusade, in 1187 when the Muslims re-conquered the Holy Land of Jerusalem. The Muslim armies are led by the founder of the Ayyubid Sultanate, Saladin. The Christian defense of the city is led by Bailan of Ibelin and the Templar Knights. This film directed by Ridley Scott had all the components of an epic movie with an all star cast led by Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Eva Green, and Jeremy Irons. The costumes, the setting, and sheer size of the Siege of Jerusalem were very awe-inspiring. And yet for some reason, just like with the film Alexander, this film did not receive the critical acclaim it deserved. 
• 1192 AD
• Ivanhoe

• Released in 1952
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of England
• Running Time: 107 minutes
• Director: Richard Thorpe
• Pertaining to the reign of King Richard the Lionhearted, the Crusades, Prince John, and the outlaw Robin Hood
• This is an epic historical film I have not seen and know very little about. It is based off a famous novel released in 1820 by Sir Walter Scott. The setting is in the medieval kingdom of England where King Richard the Lionhearted has been kidnapped after returning from the Third Crusade. His wicked brother Prince John rules in his absence and the heroic Ivanhoe sets off in search for the king. Ivanhoe has a love affair with the noblewoman Rebecca played by the stunning Elizabeth Taylor. He also teams up with Robin Hood to save King Richard and his lover Rebecca. The story is very familiar to me, and surely influenced the famous Disney 1973 adaptation of Robin Hood. The film was nominated for three academy awards in music, cinematography, and best picture.  
• 1192-1227 AD
• Mongol

• Released in 2007
• Historical Setting: The Mongol Empire
• Running Time: 125 minutes
• Director: Sergei Bodrov
• Pertains to the rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire
• This is a Russian made epic pertaining to the famous conqueror Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongol Empire. There are various shows and movies regarding the Mongol Empire, and the Italian explorer Marco Polo however this film takes the award for it's epic production. The story demonstrates the young Temujin as a slave who is later able to unite the slave tribes and became the famed conqueror known as Genghis Khan. After his death in 1227, his Mongol Empire continued to expand and became the largest territorial empire in history. However while the empire thrived in military conquest it lacked economic infrastructure and quickly collapsed by 1368. 
• 1199-1201 AD
• Robin Hood

• Released in 2010
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of England
• Running Time: 140 minutes
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Pertaining to the outlaw Robin Hood and the reigns of Richard the Lionhearted and his brother King John
• This is yet another great historical epic from the director/actor partnership of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. It demonstrates a very different account of the Robin Hood story that was portrayed in Ivanhoe and the Walt Disney animated film. This one could be considered more of a prequel to the classic story of Robin Hood dwelling in the forest. In this film Robin Hood leads the English army against a French invasion much to the dismay of King John. Seeing Robin Hood as a threat to his power King John declares Robin Hood an outlaw, who must then go into hiding in the forest. Overall I had mixed feelings about this film, thinking the story quite weak yet the setting and costumes were impressive. 
• 1296-1305 AD
• Braveheart

• Released in 1995
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of England, Medieval Scotland
• Running Time: 178 minutes
• Director: Mel Gibson
• Pertaining to the Scottish War of Independence and the legendary William Wallace
• This is one of my all time favorite films and 2nd favorite historical epic after Gladiator. I remember watching this as a young kid and feeling inspired by the heroic story of William Wallace and his campaign against the wicked King Edward of Longshanks. This film is a quintessential historical epic with all the components. It has grand scale battles in open fields unlike anything movies had seen before. Everything about the film is grandiose from it's story, the setting, the acting, the costumes, and especially the powerful music. The film has an emotional tone to it and is one of Mel Gibson's finest works alongside the Passion of the Christ.