Best Historical Movies (Industrial Era)

So now turning the page to the next era often referred to as the Enlightenment or the Industrial Era. This time period generally covers 1700-1900 AD, in which the world oversaw a boom of scientific and industrial advancements. Thru the development of new machinery, economic trade became prosperous thanks to railroads, trains, oil facilities, and steel plants. However with every great discovery comes further conflict and that was certainly the case here. The Industrialization of the world gave way to new political ideals, most notably that of peasant and working class.

The 18th century saw a wave of revolutions specifically that of America and France. By the 1800s the United States had won their independence and quickly became an economic superpower. France on the other hand was out for global dominance, and Napoleon Bonaparte lead a military campaign the world had not seen since that of the Ottoman Empire. Russia also arose to greatness under the leadership of Peter and Catherine the Great, however by the end of the 19th century the dark cloud of communism had began to spread.

There are many great movies and television shows pertaining to this era. Off the top of my head I can think of several epics pertaining to the French Revolution (War and Peace, Master and Commander and Les Miserables) as well as several pertaining to the American Revolution and the American Civil War (Patriot, Gone with the Wind, Cold Mountain, and Gettysburg). There are also some historical events and characters which I feel have yet to have a worthy epic such as regarding Napoleon and George Washington. While there are many shows and films pertaining to these two iconic historical figures none are critically acclaimed. I think it is time Hollywood produces a grand scale 3-hour film on par with the classic 1950s epics.

Industrial Era

• 1744-1782 AD
• Ekaterina

• Released in 2014
• Historical Setting: Russian Empire
• Running Time: 40 episodes
• Creator: Anton Zlatopolsky
• Pertaining to the early reign of Catherine the Great
• I just finished watching this Russian production on Amazon regarding the early reign of Catherine the Great. While I must confess it did not always have my full attention I still found it to be very grandiose in scale. The show was very similar to Versailles mostly taking place in lavish grand scale courtrooms and palaces. I also found the portrayal of the young empress Catherine by the actress Marina Aleksandrova to be very enticing and alluring. The show no doubt had a visual quality to it and was loaded with historical insight regarding Catherine's many lovers. There was also some military conflict in this show pertaining to the Russo-Turkish Wars and various other conflicts.  
• 1755-1792 AD
• A Tale of Two Cities

• Released in 1980
• Historical Setting: French Kingdom
• Running Time: 162 minutes
• Director: Jim Goddard
• Pertaining to the French Revolution
• This historical topic is one of my favorites and surely is one of the most significant in human history however there aren't many top quality film productions regarding it. It was not until just recently that I got a proper dramatic portrayal of the event when watching this 1980 BBC television mini-series. The classic story by Charles Dickens creates a love triangle set in London and Paris during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. I especially found the storming of the Bastille and the sacrifice of Charles Darnay to be very well done. While this television production lacks a grand filming budget it still demonstrates a very good story and a proper setting of the French Revolution. 
• 1757 AD
• The Last of the Mohicans

• Released in 1992
• Historical Setting: Colonial America
• Running Time: 112 minutes
• Director: Michael Mann
• Pertaining to the French and Indian War
• I have seen this film maybe once or twice and personally found it to be rather dry. Perhaps my favorite thing about the film is it's iconic musical theme by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman. The film is no doubt the golden standard for the historical conflict that is the French and Indian War. The great Daniel Day Lewis plays the heroic Iroquois warrior "Hawkeye", who teams up with the British to defeat the French armies in America. The film won an Academy Award for best sound.  
• 1764-1796 AD
• Catherine the Great

• Released in 2019
• Historical Setting: Russian Empire
• Running Time: 4 episode mini-series
• Creator: Nigel Williams
• Pertaining to the later reign of Catherine the Great
• While the Russian TV show Ekaternia pertains to the early life of Catherine the Great this HBO production pertains to her later life. The title character is portrayed by the acclaimed actress Helen Mirren who often excels at portraying historical queens. While I have not yet seen this critically acclaimed show it is high up on my watch list and covers a very intriguing historical era. Catherine was well celebrated for her many reforms and promoting of the Enlightenment which took center stage during her reign. Considering the show is produced by HBO and stars Helen Mirren, I have no doubt that it is of top quality. 
• 1770-1826 AD
• John Adams

• Released in 2008
• Historical Setting: Colonial America, United States of America
• Running Time: 7 episode mini-series
• Director: Tom Hooper
• Pertains to the founding fathers and the American Revolution
• This is one of my favorite works of film pertaining to the founding fathers and the American Revolution. The show portrays a unique perspective not from the famous George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Benjamin Franklin yet from the less popular leader John Adams. He would later become the nation's 2nd president from 1797 to 1801 however he is most celebrated for the work he did behind the scenes. He was the key instrumental figure overseeing the revolution's legal, logistical, and diplomatic matters. This TV show does an incredible job at portraying the historical setting with it's costumes. It does not have too much military conflict however the story by David McCullough is very insightful stuff. Also the acting is subliminal with incredible performances from the title character portrayed by Paul Giamitti and a supporting cast of Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, Stephen Dillane, and David Morse. 
• 1774-1792 AD
• Marie Antoinette

• Released in 2006
• Historical Setting: French Kingdom
• Running Time: 123 minutes
• Director: Sophia Coppola
• Pertaining to the extravagant life of queen Marie Antoinette that led to the French Revolution
• This film is not so much a historical epic however gives a very luxurious and artistic portrayal of the life of Marie Antoinette. She is often regarded as one of the most famous queens in history and the epitome of elitism in the French monarchy. Her lavish lifestyle was considered the final spark in a long building fervor against the monarchy. The film is presented with a sarcastic, youthful, hip quality and stars the bubbly actress Kirsten Dunst. However the movie also provides subtle drama, with grand scale settings of the palace of Versailles and elaborate costumes of the day. The film also takes a sudden turn to darkness at the end where the people have stormed the palace. I consider this film (alongside Farewell My Queen) as the best regarding the fall of the French monarchy. 
• 1776-1781 AD
• The Patriot

• Released in 2000
• Historical Setting: Colonial America
• Running Time: 164 minutes
• Director: Roland Emmerich
• Pertaining to the American War of Independence
• This is my favorite film pertaining to the American Revolutionary War and is a proper modern epic in the likes of Braveheart or Gladiator. The story is a fictional account in the backdrop of the war, revolving around a continental soldier from South Carolina. This is yet another epic performance from Mel Gibson whose character is a widower who loses two sons early in the film. He must then overcome his grief to join the Continental Army and take part in this historical war against the British. The film demonstrates large scale battles such as the Battle of Camden, the Battle of Cowpens, and the Siege of Yorktown. It also demonstrates the guerrilla warfare the Continental army took part in to help even the odds. This film demonstrates every component of an epic; from the story, the setting, the acting, the costumes, and a powerful musical score. It was nominated for three Academy Awards in the categories of cinematography, sound, and music. 
• 1779-1815 AD
• Napoleon
• Released in 2002
  
• Historical Setting: French Empire
• Running Time: 4 episode mini-series
• Director: Yves Simoneau
• Pertaining to the rise of Napoleon and his military campaign across Europe
• I saw this French production a couple years ago and can say for the most part it was rather enlightening. Considering the epic historical figure that Napoleon was there really aren't any top quality film productions regarding his story. This one however takes the pie as the best presentation of his historical affair. The production demonstrates Napoleon's love interests as well as grand scale visuals of his military campaigns. This includes the Battle of Eylau, Austerlitz, Waterloo, and his retreat from Russia. The mini-series isn't quite up to the standards of say Oliver Stone's 2004 film about another military conqueror in, Alexander. However this mini-series is arguably the best film currently available regarding all things Napoleon. 
• 1803-1805 AD
• Master and Commander: Far Side of the World

• Released in 2003
• Historical Setting: British Empire, French Empire
• Running Time: 138 minutes
• Director: Peter Weir
• Pertaining to the navy affairs during the Napoleonic Wars
• This is yet another signature Russell Crowe epic and perhaps one of the most impressive films pertaining to navy battles. The story pertains to a fictional account of a British admiral who hunts a French ship across the world during the Napoleonic Wars. The film gives a unique perspective into navy life during the 1800s, somewhat similar to the setting of the famous Moby Dick films (Both the 1956 and 1998 versions). Russell Crowe gives a passionate performance yet again as Captain Jack Aubrey who served under the famous Horatio Nelson. He is a proud Englishmen willing to defy all odds to acheive victory for himself yet also for the crown. The film is an epic spectacle, with great acting, costumes, visual effects, sound mixing, artistry, and musical composition. For this reason it was nominated for an impressive 10 Academy Awards. 
• 1803-1815 AD
• War and Peace

• Released in 1956
• Historical Setting: Russian Empire
• Running Time: 208 minutes
• Director: King Vidor
• Pertaining to the Napoleonic Invasion of Russia
• This is a grand-scale epic in every manner of the category and one of my favorite historical films. It is in my opinion the best epic account regarding the Napoleonic Wars even tho it does so from a Russian perspective. The film derives it's story from Leo Tolstoy's classic novel which revolves around a love affair in the backdrop of this historical period. The stars include two of the biggest names in Hollywood cinema, Henry Fonda and the stunning Audrey Hepburn in her prime. This is my favorite Hepburn film who gives a riveting performance as the young lively countess Natasha Rostova. The film demonstrates some top quality acting and dialogue as well as some massive spectacles pertaining to Napoleon's invasion and eventual retreat from Russia. 
• 1807-1830 AD
• Bolivar

• Released in 2019
• Historical Setting: Colonial South America
• Running Time: 63 episodes
• Creator: Juana Uribe
• Pertaining to the rise of Simon Bolivar and the Spanish American Wars of Independence
• Now let me say for starters this is not a critically acclaimed production and I found it to be very sappy. However this massive Colombian production of 63 episodes (averaging 50 minutes a piece) is by far the most in-depth drama pertaining to the historic figure of Simon Bolivar. There are other films such as El Libertador (2013) which attempt to scratch at the surface however none give the full biography like this show does. To be fair the show had some decent settings and costumes and it did capture my interest on the historical topic of Simon Bolivar. However I did not enjoy it's soap-opera format and wish to someday see this story given a proper dramatic epic format. 
• 1815 AD
• Waterloo

• Released in 1970
• Historical Setting: French Empire
• Running Time: 134 minutes
• Director: Sergei Bondarchuk
• Pertaining to the Battle of Waterloo during the Napoleonic Wars
• I have yet to see this film and really do not too much about it, only that it is considered an epic and presents some of the largest spectacles pertaining to the Napoleonic Wars. This film was produced by Russian and Italy film-makers and focuses on the historic battle of Waterloo, which brought an end to Napoleon's supremacy. The film had a very costly budget and starred notable names such as Orson Welles, Christopher Plummer, Rod Steiger, and Jack Hawkins. The film performed poorly at the box office and did not garnish any Academy Award praise however did receive some accolade from the British Academy of Film. 
• 1815-1832 AD
• Les Miserables
• Released in 2012
  
• Historical Setting: French Kingdom
• Running Time: 158 minutes
• Director: Tom Hooper
• Pertains to the Bourbon Restoration and the June Rebellion
• This is one of my all time favorite films, and is not only a historical epic but also a musical epic. I was familiar with the story of Les Miserables after watching the 1998 adaptation starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. That movie no doubt deserves some recognition however this film by Tom Hooper outdid the 1998 version in every way. This one is very grand in scale and presents a unique spectacle of emotional acting thru song. The entire film is a musical and presents the historical setting of the Bourbon restoration and the civil unrest that followed. The ensemble cast all provide their own singing with music from the very popular 1980 Broadway musical by Claude-Michel Schonberg. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe all give powerful performances with heartfelt songs. The portrayal of the June Rebellion is also very surreal and done so in a very poetic and heroic fashion. This film went on to garnish 8 Academy Award nominations and has everything a good epic film should have plus more. 
• 1823 AD
• The Revenant

• Released in 2015
• Historical Setting: American Frontier of the west
• Running Time: 156 minutes
• Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu
• Pertaining to frontiersmen of the Old West, and the account of Hugh Glass
• This film portrays the incredible story of frontiersmen Hugh Glass, and his experiences in the Dakota territory. His greatest claim to fame was being mulled by a bear and surviving which is the main arch of this film. However aside from this adventure story portrayed passionate by the great Leonardo DiCaprio, I want to focus on the historical setting. This is a fascinating setting we don't see too often in film regarding the fur trade of the Old West. In the likes of Malick's 2005 film, The New World, this film demonstrates a similar struggle between American frontiersmen and the local Natives of the west. It does so with a grand spectacle of the beautiful outdoors, and various exhilarating battles with the Arikara tribes, specifically the opening raid of the movie. This opening battle sequence is masterfully filmed and part of the reason this epic was nominated for 12 Oscars including wins for Lenardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Inarritu.  
• 1846-1863 AD
• Gangs of New York

• Released in 2002
• Historical Setting: New York City
• Running Time: 167 minutes
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Pertaining to Irish Immigrants, the Civil War, and the history of New York City
• This is one of my favorite movies and covers a unique aspect of the Civil War setting during the Civil War. The story is a fictional tale of an Irish Immigrant who leads a gang war against the Protestant natives of the city. The epic film by Martin Scorsese is loaded with historical references such as the corrupt politician William Tweed and his Tammany Hall, PT Barnum's Museum of curiosities, and the New York City draft riots. The film is grand in every way from it's setting, it's musical soundtrack, and especially it's ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day Lewis, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, John C. Riely, and Jim Broadbent. The film was nominated for an impressive 10 academy awards and shockingly did not win a single one. 
• 1861-1864 AD
• Cold Mountain

• Released in 2003
• Historical Setting: North Carolina in the Confederate States of America
• Running Time: 154 minutes
• Director: Anthony Minghella
• Pertains to the American Civil War and the Confederate Army
• This is another one of my favorite movies especially pertaining to the American Civil War. It is a fictional love story set in North Carolina, a southern Confederate state, at the onset of Civil War. The film opens with an epic battle scene portraying the Battle of the Crater, of which the Union Army trapped themselves and were defeated by the Confederate Army. The film provides a grand scale southern setting of the rural countryside, with incredible filming, costumes, and a musical soundtrack. The acting is also top quality with outstanding performances from Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Jude Law, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Natalie Portman. The film was nominated for 7 academy awards and has one of my all time favorite movie soundtracks. 
• 1861-1877 AD
• Gone with the Wind

• Released in 1939
• Historical Setting: Georgia in the Confederate States of America
• Running Time: 221 minutes
• Director: Victor Fleming
• Pertains to the American Civil War, the Confederate Army, and the Reconstruction Era
• This is arguably one of the most famous American epics of all time and perhaps the epitome of grand scale Hollywood films. I have seen it only once and was very impressed by the scale of the 1939 film. The story revolves around the famous Scarlett O'Hara who witnesses her cotton plantation go from wealthy to poverty. The iconic turning point is portrayed after the Battle of Gettysburg in which Scarlett witnesses the thousands of injuries soldiers and cries out that she will never go hungry again. Years later after the war and during the Reconstruction Era she must cope with the new laws pertaining to the banning of slavery. The film is one of the most iconic of all time, and I hope to add it to my collection soon. It was nominated for 13 academy awards, and won 8 in the categories of directing, acting for Vivian Leigh and Hattie McDaniel (who became the first African American to win an Oscar), and it also won the Oscar for best picture. 
• 1863 AD
• Gettysburg

• Released in 1993
• Historical Setting: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during American Civil War
• Running Time: 254 minutes
• Director: Ronald F. Maxwell
• Pertaining to the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War
• This is the essential movie epic pertaining to the large scale spectacle of the American Civil War. While the film is somewhat lackluster on dramatic and artistic quality it still provides some of the best grand scale military depictions of the war. It focuses on the Battle of Gettysburg which was the bloodiest American battle to date and often regarded as the turning point of the war. With notable portrayals from Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger, and Sam Elliot this is the ideal epic film for any Civil War and history junkie such as myself. 
• 1864-1870 AD
• Dances with Wolves

• Released in 1990
• Historical Setting: American Frontier of the west
• Running Time: 181 minutes
• Director: Kevin Costner
• This is another one of my favorite films not only pertaining to history but just an all around good story. The film is somewhat similar to The Revanant pertaining to the American frontier and the Native Americans of the area. This is in my opinion Kevin Costner's magnum opus with not only a great portrayal of the confederate soldier turned Native American sympathizer  (Lt. Dunbar)  yet also a great directed film. This epic gives homage to the American frontier of the Old West set in a fort in Colorado. It depicts a Civil War battle at it's opening and then several engagements pertaining to his Sioux neighbors. The scenes of him hunting buffalo with the Sioux natives are top quality epic stuff. The film was highly acclaimed and received 12 nominations and 7 Oscar wins in the categories of directing, cinematography, music, and best picture. 
• 1865-1867 AD
• Hell on Wheels

• Released in 2011
• Historical Setting: American Frontier of the west
• Running Time: 57 episodes
• Creator: Joe Gayton
• Pertaining to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad
• This top quality TV series falls in a similar setting as The Revenant and Dances with Wolves pertaining to the American Frontier. The Civil War has ended yet the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad continues westward. This show depicts the mobile life of the rail-workers accompanied by a traveling industry of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels. I really enjoyed the historical setting and the characters and consider it among the best TV series pertaining to the Civil War/American Frontier. 
• 1876 AD
• The Last Samurai

• Released in 2003
• Historical Setting: Empire of Japan
• Running Time: 154 minutes
• Director: Edward Zwick
• Pertaining to the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of the Empire of Japan
• This epic film gives a unique perspective into eastern Asian history with the rise of the Empire of Japan. The film demonstrates Japan's growing economy, it's dealings with industrial America, and the end of the age of samurai. Tom Cruise has an admirable performance in this dramatic film, which is a break from his usual action films. He portrays an American soldier he aids the samurai rebel army against the imperial forces of Japan. This conflict pertains to the historical rebellion in 1877 known as the Satsuma Rebellion. The samurai army were no match for the modern weaponry of the Imperial armies and were crushed in battle. This film demonstrates large scale battles and was nominated for 4 Academy Awards. 
• 1879 AD
• Zulu

• Released in 1964
• Historical Setting: Kingdom of Zulu
• Running Time: 139 minutes
• Director: Cy Endfield
• Pertaining to the Anglo-Zulu War 
• I have yet to see this film however have often heard it regarded as an epic British historical film. It provides a unique historical setting into that of Southern Africa. The premise deals with the controversial event pertaining to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 of which the English invaded the land. The Kingdom of Zululand was established in 1816 and controlled much of the region of South Africa for nearly 100 years. They were able to defeat the initial British invasion at the Battle of Isandlwana however eventually succumbed to their superior weaponry at the Battle of Ulundi. This film portrays the Battle of Rorke's Drift of which the heavily outnumber British were able to defend their fort. It stars notable performances from Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, and the debut of Michael Caine.