9 Great Historically Accurate Medieval Movies
Published on April 14, 2008 - 101 Comments
I am particularly fond of Medieval movies so I was very keen to do this list. As I progressed through my research I was shocked to realize how few of them are accurate historically. For that reason this is a list of 9 movies when I would have preferred to do 10. For the purposes of this list, the Medieval period is considered to have run from the 6th century to the 16th century. The films selected here are not always 100% accurate but are the best of all movies of this genre for being as accurate as possible; do not expect to see the Knight’s Tale here.
King Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh) is insulted by the King of France. As a result, he leads his army into battle against France. Along the way, the young king must struggle with the sinking morale of his troops and his own inner doubts. The war culminates at the bloody Battle of Agincourt. This film is based on the Shakespeare play of the same name and it contains brilliant battle scenes.
1327: after a mysterious death in a Benedictine Abbey, the monks are convinced that the apocalypse is coming. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan’s Order’s belief that the Church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville, a respected Franciscan monk, is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. This film depicts the turmoil that the Franciscan religious order was going through at the time and - like all work by Umberto Eco - is extremely well researched.
This is a historical epic concerning the birth of the Islamic religion and the story of Mohammed, who, in accordance with the tenants of Islam, is never seen or heard (any physical depiction of Mohammed is considered a sin within Islam). In Mecca in the 7th century, Mohammed is visited by a vision of the Angel Gabriel, who urges him to lead the people of Mecca to cast aside the 300 idols of Kaaba and instead worship the one true God.
This is an epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz (”El Cid” to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honor, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain. While aspects of this film may be slightly off (such as calling for Victory for Spain, which - as a political entity - was of little relevance at the time), it is nearly unique in its accurate portrayal of the time of the Crusades.
Andreiv Rublev charts the life of the great icon painter through a turbulent period of 15th Century Russian history, a period marked by endless fighting between rival Princes and by Tatar invasions. Tarkovsky is well known for his beautiful cinematography and that is definitely visible in this film.
The story takes place in 16th century England. But men like Sir Thomas More, who love life yet have the moral fiber to lay down their lives for their principles, are found in every century. Concentrating on the last seven years of English chancellor’s life, the struggle between More and his King, Henry VIII, hinges on Henry’s determination to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, and good Catholic More’s inability to go along with such heresy. While there is a slight bit of confusion over relationships in the movie, it is an extremely accurate portrayal of the time and situation the Saint Thomas More found himself in. You would be far better watching this than any of the “Elizabeth” movies of late which lack the accuracy and integrity of Zinnemann’s work.
In this movie, Martin Guerre returns to his hometown in the middle of France after being away at war since he was a child. Nobody recognizes him, and the people who knew him suspect he is not Martin, even though he knows intimate details about his family and friends. This film is based on true events and was remade more recently as Sommersby featuring Jodie Foster and Richard Gere.
In 1183 Henry II summonses his sons Richard, John, and Geoffrey to join him and his prison-bound wife Eleanor at Chinon for a family Christmas, along with King Philip II of France and his sister Alais, Henry’s mistress. Philip is insisting Alais now marries John as agreed years before else he wants her dowry, the lands of the Vexen, back. As Eleanor has already given the province of Aquitaine to Richard, the outcome of this may decide the very future of England. Starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole, this is a film you must see.
You can’t get much more accurate than acting out the authentic court transcript of the trial of Saint Joan of Arc. This is a very old silent film, but it is ranked as number 1 for its attachment to the true story without the deviations or ulterior motives that many other portrays of St Joan have, and the fact that the lead actress (Maria Falconetti) gives what many consider to be the greatest acting performance ever recorded on film. If you haven’t seen this one, you should.
Synopses Courtesy of IMDB
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1. Exiledchanter - April 14th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I’ve never seen any of these. But I will definately look into them.
2. jfrater - April 14th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Exiledchanter: I recommend you start with the Name of the Rose - it is a riveting thriller.
3. Exiledchanter - April 14th, 2008 at 7:58 am
I’m currently reading “A World Without End” By Follett. Name of the Rose should suppliment it quite nicely.
4. islanderbst - April 14th, 2008 at 7:58 am
#8 was about as freaky a movie as you’ll see.
and I’ve been wanting to see Henry V for so long, just have never gotten to it, until yesterday when I added to it netflix. (and today its on a list, what are the odds?!) Heard so many brilliant things about it.
5. jfrater - April 14th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Exiledchanter: no need to write “levi” at the end of your posts
Speaking of Follett - I love his writing - you will definitely like Name of the Rose if you like his stuff.
islanderbst:It is definitely that - I actually just went a bought a copy before I posted the list off because I don’t own it on DVD and haven’t watched it for a while.
6. miller - April 14th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Oh you mean they didn’t play “we will rock you” before the joust in the Medieval period. Thought the knights tale was spot on.
7. Randall - April 14th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Fantastic list, and I love every one of these movies (except The Message, never saw that)… The Passion of Joan of Arc *everyone* should see… it should be some kind of school requirement.
A Man for All Seasons helps a viewer realize what a barbaric bastard Henry VIII was…
8. Exiledchanter - April 14th, 2008 at 8:09 am
JF: Then I won’t put Levi at the end. I’ll endeavor to be more creative with one word signitures.
Sparticus
9. islanderbst - April 14th, 2008 at 8:12 am
re: #8, I should have said freaky but really good overlooked film. Glad to see you chose it.
and let’s hope no one wants Timeline included, twas so boring besides inaccurate!
10. Asher - April 14th, 2008 at 8:14 am
The prohibition of depicting images of Mohammad began around the 16th or 17th century. There are many medieval manuscripts and murals containing his portrayal.
11. jesse - April 14th, 2008 at 8:16 am
jfrater, awesome awesome list, you should do one like this but not just with medieval movies but all movies, like, Zodiac is really accurate, i cant think of any others right now, gotta run to class!!!!!!
12. DanOhh - April 14th, 2008 at 8:21 am
“He must be the King.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because he doesn’t have shit all over ‘em.”
Yes these movies are accurate BUT a lot of them are too clean in their look. Dental care and laundry mats were a little hard to find.
13. dangorironhide - April 14th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hey J, no Braveheart?? That film is like a history lesson in two hours, they must have spent months researching their facts to get it so accurate.
Haha… Reading over that again made me laugh so much!
14. imk - April 14th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Great list.
Have you seen “The Passion of Beatrice”? I saw it many years ago when it came out and it’s stark realism really blew me away.
The audience, as they left the theater, were dead quiet. I think we were all a bit shell shocked.
15. Kacie - April 14th, 2008 at 8:32 am
i love the Name of the Rose
it’s one of my favorite movies. i was so excited to see it on here
16. Praenomenal - April 14th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Sword and the Rose. Rutger Haur. An amazing look at Lanskenect soldiers at the end of the 15th century. Seriously Must Watch film.
17. DiscHuker - April 14th, 2008 at 8:56 am
randall will have to approve of this list. the most recent movie is from 1989. only old, somewhat obscure, movies.
18. Jen - April 14th, 2008 at 8:56 am
We watched three of these in my high school Medieval History class. Yay!
19. warrrreagl - April 14th, 2008 at 8:59 am
And not a single film with Peter O’Toole shouting at me….
20. mregan - April 14th, 2008 at 9:01 am
The look and feel of The Lion in Winter are great, but James Goldman purposely put anachronisms in the play (wrapped christmas presents etc).
21. Blogball - April 14th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Wow, I think you mentioned The Passion of Joan of Arc in a few other lists including The Best of the Best in Movies.
I will have to check this movie out. Nice list by the way.
22. PT - April 14th, 2008 at 9:39 am
dangorironhide for one horrible moment I thought you meant it!
23. blakdog - April 14th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Some others mentioned this one:
Flesh and Blood, AKA The Rose and The Sword. 1985.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089153/
Of all medieval films, this is the one that delivers closer than anything else I’ve ever seen.
(I’m reading “World Without End” too. It’s great).
24. Yogi Barrister - April 14th, 2008 at 11:30 am
For Your Consideration: THE NAVIGATOR: A Medieval Odyssey
Plot
During the Black Death of 14th century England, people in a remote village listen with fear to tales of the gruesome plague that has engulfed the world. In an attempt to stave off infection, they rely upon a boy’s vision and dig a tunnel to 20th century New Zealand in an effort to place a holy cross on the steeple of “the biggest Church in all of Christendom” as an offering for God’s protection.
25. kazorek - April 14th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I thought we didn’t even have an accurate history of medieval times.
26. SoCalJeff - April 14th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I’m surprised Dukes of Hazzard didn’t make the list. Jessica Simpson’s portrayal of Daisy Duke was both historical accurate and sexy!
27. Csimmons - April 14th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I’m getting tired if this, I come home from a test about medieval times and see a list about medieval movies, great list though
28. Csimmons - April 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
socalljeff: Isn’t everything by Jessica Simpson sexy?
29. tweety - April 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
What about Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
30. Rick - April 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I can’t believe that A Knight’s Tale isn’t on here. This list is bogus.
31. Bass - April 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
ITS JUST A FLESH WOUND!
32. Just a Guy - April 14th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Andrei Rublyov is a masterful film, no doubt. But historically accurate? Little to nothing is known/confirmed about the man’s life, most of the encounters he has in the film are entirely fictional. Soviet film is my field though, so I can’t comment on the other films. See the film, by all means, but don’t take it as gospel about the medieval period in Russia.
33. Phil - April 14th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
‘Medieval Movies’? I didn’t know they made movies back then.
34. N’Mom - April 14th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Good list, but Sergei Eisenstein’s “Alexander Nevsky” and Charlton Heston’s “The Warlord” would be good additions as well.
35. Matt S - April 14th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
In its own way Monty Python and the Holy Grail was actually quite accurate.
36. Csimmons - April 14th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hello, History of the world part I, duh.
37. Winslow Theramin - April 14th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
From “The Civilization of the Middle Ages” by Norman Cantor, pp. 566-568:
“Here are the ten best films ever made with a medieval context, ranked approximately in order of merit. The story lines of three of them occur outside the conventional medieval era, but nevertheless describe scenes and events that are still medieval. One takes place in Japan, but in a social context that directly parallels the European situations.”
1. The Seventh Seal
2. Ran
3. Henry V
4. The Name of the Rose
5. Alexander Nevsky
6. The Return of Martin Guerre
7. The Navigator
8. Black Robe
9. The Gospels According to St. Matthew
10. The Devils
38. jfrater - April 14th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Just a Guy: it is more about the historical accuracy of the setting - so even though little is known, much is known of the time period.
39. Josh - April 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
What about “The Crucible”. From what I understand it is fairly accurate to the period and shows one of the worst moments in history.
40. thwarter - April 14th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
These films are not “historically accurate” at all.
Should be “great medieval” movies.
41. jay - April 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
posters #25 and #40 are smart. almost all of these films will give you more history about the times and places in which they were made than the Middle Ages.
And, in that vein, any list w/o The Seventh Seal on it can’t win. Also on my list of recommendations: The Sorceress. And Zefirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon not too bad either. For a more trippy look, check out The Anchoress.
42. Frankie Stone - April 14th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Of the ones I’ve seen, (Henry V, El Cid, Lion, All Seasons), The Name of the Rose has the best sex scene.
43. goof_ball - April 14th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I’ve never seen any of these, or at least I don’t think so.
44. littlegraysheep - April 14th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Braveheart is the greatest movie ever….but it ain’t historicaly accurate
45. Diogenes - April 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
looks like some good movies here. I’ve only seen about half thanks.
Winslow Theramin : yeh, I was thinking of Black Robe and The Devils . Both great movies.
I would like to see The Message and maybe The Return of Martin Guerre.
Has anybody seen Stuart Gordon’s version of The Pit and the Pendulum? It’s been a while of a time, but I recall thinking it’s depiction of the inquisition was gritty enough to what would imagine it to really be….but, I’m no historian and I knew less when I saw it .
I just thought I would mention it, so if anybody knows.
46. Mom424 - April 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Great List Mr. Frater - The movies I’ve seen that appear on the list are all great. Classics even.
Definitely going to have to see The Passion of Joan of Arc. I saw a movie produced in the 50’s with Ingrid Bergman as Joan. It was terrific too.
I like Ken Follet also. Have read his short stories and most of his novels. Going to go get the Pillars of the Earth sequel - Thanks for the remind Exiledchanter.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view, these movies can only be so accurate. Rotten teeth and wavy stink lines won’t sell at the theatre.
For all you folks who loved The Name of the Rose, go read the book. Excellent.
Dangorironhide; I thought you were serious too. Damn near spit my coffee in my keyboard.
47. Randall - April 14th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
How about “Ivan the Terrible, Part 1″? Sergie Eisenstein… absolutely brilliant movie. As to its accuracy, I can’t attest… but certainly a thrill and a delight to watch, all the same.
48. Tonio - April 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
You do realize the difference between a “tenet” and a “tenant”.
49. alexlwe - April 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I always though Ivanhoe was a good movie. My history teacher showed it to us, so i’m guessing its somewhat accurate.
50. Kreachure - April 14th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Let me explain why ‘MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL’ should be on this list.
(Ahem… SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!111ONE)
At the end of the movie, the police stop the filming of the movie, thus revealing that what had been happening was not in the middle ages but in modern times. So, the film is historically accurate by demonstrating the time it was truly made, unlike the rest of the movies here, which pretend to be showing the middle ages instead of admitting that what they are showing occurs in modern times. That’s historical FRAUD, not accuracy. Shame on them.
So, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is ‘HISTORICALLY ACCURATE’ because it honestly presents the moment in history that it filmed. And it’s a ‘GREAT’ movie. And it’s about ‘MEDIEVAL’ times. And it’s a ‘MOVIE’.
Ergo, it should be on the list.
51. CFAustin - April 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
How can “The Message” be accurate when it won’t even show the man who started the war loving religion of Islam??
52. Paulygonic - April 14th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Kingdom of heaven retained a high level of historical accuracy; except for the whole overtly peaceful Muslim-Christian relations. Too bad it was an appalling movie most the time.
53. Lauren - April 14th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Josh — So, the Crucible eh? Which century did that occur in again? =)
54. imk - April 14th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Add me to the list of those who recommend The Devils (or Ken Russel’s The Devils of Louton).
It makes absolutely no sense to me that you can get almost every Ken Russell film but that one. He has done some real stinkers.
55. angela - April 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Yes, The Seventh Seal and (the very different) The Navigator. Also, not to miss: Anchoress.
But people in the middle ages had crooked but healthy teeth–before the sugar trade developed!
56. Camille - April 14th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Henry V blew me away the first time I saw it. I had to go see it again about a week later since it was stuck in my brain to the point that I couldn’t concentrate on anything else (not good since I had a term paper due that week). Then I went to see it again about two weeks after that. I was quit annoyed when it finally came out on video and was aimed at the rental market and priced at $99.
The friend I took with me the first time I saw it hated it largely because of the attention to detail. All the actors had their teeth blackened to look like people with little or no dental care and that grossed her out.
57. sityr - April 14th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
It’s a nice list, but historically accurate is such a tough term. Everyone jokes about Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but their Jabberwocky was even better. The best jousting footage ever (Knight’s Tale a close second).
And if we’re not going to be eurocentric, how can you not include Seven Samurai? Beats every one of these movies hands down (but I’ve never seen Passion of JA, so I’ll reserve judgement on that film until I do).
58. Jack - April 14th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Lion in Winter is an AWESOME movie, positively brilliant and historically accurate as far as I know, except for one thing: Christmas Trees. They appear in the film, but did not exist at the time. They were invented by the Germans and did not arrive in England til Queen Vicky’s German beau brought over.
59. tourmaline - April 14th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
When I was a teenager, I loved to read historical biographies. When I saw “Anne of the Thousand Days”, I felt that, although some details were jazzed up a bit in order to entertain, it was true to the recorded events. The “Anne” in the title is Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and the first to lose her head.
60. jfrater - April 15th, 2008 at 12:05 am
sityr: ah! I forgot about seven Samurai - that would have been my tenth addition if I had remembered about it - it features on some of our lists.
61. RenaissanceMan - April 15th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Henry the V with Kenneth Branagh is one of my favorite movies. The music especially is wonderful and the speach given on St. Crispin’s Day has got to be one of the best acting performances ever. Made me want to fight if I had been there!
62. facekickin - April 15th, 2008 at 12:36 am
not the best list. but I will give it the benefit of the doubt. weak list considering IMDB roolz. I am drunk. LISTVERSE is the bestt!!!!!!!!
63. Kerrick - April 15th, 2008 at 12:39 am
But… Braveheart was such a great movie!
64. Devon - April 15th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Regarding the Message, yes it was a fairly accurate picture of the beginnings of Islam but only in a sanitized sense. What the movie failed to show was all of Muhammed’s nasty teachings and brutalities…ie. His marriage to a 6 year old girl and laying her when she was 9, his teaching of beating of wives, his murderous doctrine of jihad (not just an internal struggle as liberals would love you to believe), hist teaching of death to those that leave islam, his murder of 900 innocent Jewish civilians….and on and on it goes…
It isn’t an accident that Islam was spread with a sword and maintains it brutal hold on its people with such feriousious teachings!
Good list otherwise!
65. Kahraman - April 15th, 2008 at 3:12 am
64. Devon - April 15th, 2008 at 2:13 am
easy explantation:
all of the stuff you wrote are blatant lies.
you fail miserably. this is a list with movies which are historically accurate.
you probably also believed the english did do prima nocte in braveheart?
66. ChristineM - April 15th, 2008 at 5:06 am
Good list and I even agree with the place order, but I’m surprised you didn’t include “Becket”
67. Daniel - April 15th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Finally, a silent movie makes #1 on a movie list!
68. robneiderman - April 15th, 2008 at 8:28 am
What a useful list! Of these, I’ve only seen Henry V, The Name of the Rose, and The Return of Martin Guerre. All good, though Guerre was a little dry. I was beginning to believe movies based on the medieval period had to be inaccurate. I love Braveheart and 13th Warrior despite their problems. Kingdom of Heaven’s numerous inaccuracies actually distracted me from the bad acting and good costumes. King Arthur was revoltingly bad in almost every way. I’ve already posted on listverse about Timeline. Single most infuriating disappointment in film treatment of books!
Maybe we need a least historically accurate medieval movies list!
69. tourmaline - April 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
@robneiderman: “Maybe we need a least historically accurate medieval movies list!”
I nominate “Men in Tights” to top THAT list!
70. pwnstar - April 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
you forgot monty python and the holy grail!
71. Tonny SS - April 15th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I hope you guys aren’t suggesting Braveheart as historically accurate.
William Wallace as the true father of the King Henry, his love affair with the princess that was actually quite underage in the real history, Scottish men wearing kilt at the time they actually started wearing one much later.
72. ouiareborg - April 15th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
It amazes me how so often you set yourself up as an authority. Such as “It’s much better than the Elizabeth movies.” Yes, A Man For All Seasons is a great movie. So is Elizabeth. Yes, there are changes made to it, but to simply dismiss it. Also, Henry V, is also great, and accurate to Shakespeare, a lot more than actual history.
73. el duderino - April 15th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
IMK, did you see La Passion Béatrice in on Comm Ave in Boston behind BU engineering building? because i swear I had the same experience, no one said a word - neither did I until I got home.
It is a very memorable film that doses away with any notions of the middle ages being chivalrous.
74. jfrater - April 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
ouiareborg: in the context of this list (where accuracy is the key) - the Elizabeth movies are both inferior to A Man for All Seasons. That is not setting myself up as an authority - it is stating a fact. You could say that I “simply dismissed” Men in Tights too - how is that any different? This is not about great filming or acting, it is about historical accuracy. Both Elizabeth films fall flat in that area.
75. Christina - April 16th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Missing - Stealing Heaven. Story of Abelard and Heloise.
76. Randall - April 16th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
ouiareborg:
What *is* an authority, then? How does one set oneself up as an authority? What are critics but people with opinions, who can write (some of them) and maybe some credentials?
Really, I’ve always hated that dismissive thing, which is accusatory at the same time: “you set yourself up as an authority.” It’s one thing if someone claims authority in matters which DO and should require some kind of official standing… but in terms of taste—don’t toss that accusation around. It’s silly.
Jamie is intelligent, has done things with his life, accomplished things, and is well-educated. To me his opinions are worth something, and particularly so on certain subjects. If you don’t like his opinions, fine… but don’t try to belittle someone by tossing out that “you set yourself up as an authority” line… as if to say, “your ideas are no better than mine, so how dare you express them, since they disagree with mine.”
77. reza ranjbar - April 17th, 2008 at 12:58 am
yes, i think your word about those 9 movies is correct.
78. reza ranjbar - April 17th, 2008 at 12:59 am
yes, you are right.
79. jun - April 17th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Kingdom Of Heaven
80. Piloti - April 17th, 2008 at 8:09 am
You really REALLY have to be joking.
Name of the Rose is 100% fiction. Entertaining and a great film, but, fiction.
The Message. Quote “…Mohammed is visited by a vision of the Angel Gabriel …” One of these is not a historical figure. The other is of very dubious origin.
El Cid : “….it is nearly unique in its accurate portrayal of the time of the Crusades….” Oh, give me a break. Hollywood schmoos like never before.Wonderful entertainment and only marginally more accurate than…….
A Man for All Seasons.
As for The Passion of Joan of Arc, wonderful. Amazing and historically as accurate as a one armed blind man trying to hit a bulls eye with a cross bow in a strong gale on a foggy autumn morning.
P.
81. billdakelski - April 17th, 2008 at 8:54 am
The list is really incomplete there are tons of fairly accurate movies how about:
Becket
Masada
Lawrence of Arabia
Thirteen Days
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Camille Claudel
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Amadeus
Gandhi
Schindler’s List
Pollock
Gettysburg
82. jfrater - April 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am
billdakelski: Did you miss the title of the list? Half of the films you mentioned are not based in the middle ages. In fact, did you read the list at all? The Passion of Joan of Arc is number one on it.
83. Joey11y - April 18th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Winslow Theramin: I just saw Ran today. Such a gorgeous movie. I thought they did a great job portraying its time period, and it was a good interpretation of King Lear.
84. Doc Moonlight - April 18th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
One crucial omission is Alexsander Ford’s KNIGHTS also know as KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS and KNIGHTS OF THE TEUTONIC ORDER made in Poland in the late 50’s. It’s a magnificent (and magnificently accurate) historical epic with some of the most amazing battle scenes ever filmed. It’s available from Amazon. The picture is a little soft and the aspect ratio has been reformated from cinemascope to 1:85-not the best presentation, but it’ll do until a proper restored version is available.
85. hamed - April 19th, 2008 at 12:20 am
thanks
86. kent - April 21st, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I miss seeing Robin and Marion on the list. Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn star as the legendary pair about 20 years after their legendary time in Nottingham. Robert Shaw plays the sheriff. The film’s climax is a prolonged duel between Shaw and Connery that defines medieval personal combat. That and Audrey Hepburn is as hauntingly beautiful as ever.
87. boliyou - April 27th, 2008 at 6:56 am
It’s interesting that so many people mention Holy Grail. My high school European History teacher told us that it was the most historically accurate (in terms of how people lived, and the level of dirt) of any movie set in the time period.
88. QDV - April 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Don’t know about “El Cid”’s accuracy in its depiction of the Reconquista, but for starters, the historical Cid, Ruy Diaz de Vivar, wasn’t placed atop his horse after his death, to face the Moors one last time. I’m also surprised that this film doesn’t drive the Spaniards insane, given the mispronounciation of names (”Donna” instead of “doña” to mean “Lady”, and Sophia Loren gets the French version of “Ximena,” which was pronounced “she-MAY-na”) and its reliance upon the plays of Guillén de Castro and Pierre Corneille. Then again, I admit that the incident at Corpes and the Cid’s wrestling the lion, from the original Cid poem, weren’t necessarily going to make for good cinema.
89. Cristal - April 29th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Great list! I own all but 2 (The Message and Andrei Rublev) A Man for all Seasons is one of my all time faves and Lion in Winter still makes me weep.
90. historicalcook - May 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
A couple of very accurate and enjoyable historical movies that weren’t mentioned:
The Advocate (The Hour of the Pig) A young lawyer leaves the craziness of Paris to relax in the country only to find it equally weird.(1994)
Lady Jane (1986) about the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey.
Although this is Tudor and not Medieval.
91. trude - May 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 am
you missed “the Warlord” with charlton Heston srt in england after the Norman Invasion
The Last Valley - Michael Caine and Omar Shariff-hundred years war time frame
92. duxbellorum - May 19th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
What about Black Arrow? Or Ladyhawke or Ivanhoe?
93. kent - May 20th, 2008 at 9:53 am
91 - The Last Valley is set in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) - still, it is a great movie with meticulously accurate costumes, weapons and props. 87 is right on, though - you have to watch for the prevalence of filth, the lack of hygeine and basic health care/dentistry. Oh - and though Name of the Rose is one of my personal favorites, the young lady had a very nice and anachronistic full-body tan.
“A Knight’s Tale?” Are ya’ll joking? Please say yes - the social structures, their formal etiquette and rigid stratification of that time according to the historical record have to account for something. I never got to the jousting scene as the film was basically unwatchable.
Sorry Heath fans.
94. Tullius Aggripa - May 26th, 2008 at 5:15 am
You do not mention the O’Toole + Burton film “Beckett” - any reason for this omission?