The best movies about medieval war

For the first time the term "Middle Ages" was used by Italian humanists of the 15th century. This is how they called the period of time that separates their era from classical antiquity. Its beginning and end are the time of strengthening and becoming the states of Europe, between which countless battles were fought. They are dedicated to films about the medieval war, presented in this publication.

The best of the best

Before proceeding to the examination of pictures illuminating in one way or another the battles that occurred in that era, special attention should be given to the best projects. So, the top films about the medieval war are as follows:

1. "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928).
2. "The process of Joan of Arc" (1962).
3. Excalibur (1981).
4. "And on the trees grow trees" (1985).
5. "The Kingdom of Heaven" (2005).
6. The Vikings (1958).
7. The Crusaders (1960).
8. "Tristan and Isolde" (2005).
9. "Primary Russia" (1985).
10. "The Raven's Flight" (1983).

The presented top 10 films about the medieval war are made on the basis of the rating of IMDb paintings.

The narrative of Arthur

A list of films about medieval warfare would be most logical to start about the film work that tells about this famous ruler. Filming the film "King Arthur" (IMDb: 6.30), director Antoine Fukua relates the action to the second half of the fifth century, considering this segment of human history as a "gloomy Middle Ages". Screenwriter David Frantsoni, known to the viewer on the works of "Gladiator" and "Hannibal", apparently, was obsessed with the times of the heyday of Ancient Rome. Therefore, he tried to transfer the legends about Arthur and his knights into a realistic, hard context of the period of the collapse of the great Roman Empire.

At the same time, the historical melodrama "The First Knight" (IMDb: 5.90) turned out to be a typical American film with Richard Gere and Sean Connery in the lead roles. She says that you should not take wives from your kings and kneel even before the most insidious and powerful rival. Despite a significant budget ($ 75 million), the tape fell through at the United States.

The form prevails over the content

Creating films about medieval war, the authors sometimes do not adhere to historical facts. Thus, in the film by Kevin Reynolds "Tristan and Isolde" (IMDb: 6.90), based on the medieval legend of the same name, the historical roles of the Irish and the British were exchanged, ironically, by one of the leading reviewers. The initiators of the aggressive actions turned out to be adherents of defensive actions.

And in the aesthetic historical adventure film "Excalibur" (IMDb: 7.40), according to the critics, the form clearly prevails over the content. Director John Burman suppresses the viewer with his author's vision, full of mythical power. He clearly aesthetic, recreating the world long ago. This picture stands out from all the filmography of the director-Englishman. She is the most stylistically generous and ambitious.

Movies about Byzantium

Enumerating films about medieval warfare, one should not ignore the Byzantine period. Pictures covering this subject have found their niche in the cinema. For example, the peple "Battle for Rome" (IMDb: 6.30), directed by Robert Siodmak, E. Marton and S. Nicolaescu. The last two for unexplained reasons are not indicated in the credits. Military-historical film drama clearly demonstrates the events of the Byzantine-Gothic wars. The film is based on the same name by Felix Dan.

The publicistic picture of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), the governor of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, called the "Death of the Empire. Byzantine lesson "can also be considered a category in which films about medieval warfare are considered.

Domestic masterpieces

The large-scale historical and adventure film directed by Gennady Vasiliev "Russ Primary" (IMDb: 6.80) is based on the works of the local writer Valentin Ivanov. The plot is based on the life of some of the ancestors of the Eastern Slavs - Antes in the VI century and their struggle against Byzantium and Khazars.

Another Russian feature film is called "The Knight's Novel" (IMDb: 6.70). Released in 2000, the picture was removed based on the novel by V. Scott "Count Robert of Paris". The narrative unfolds at the end of the XI century, during the first crusade. These two projects are the best domestic films about medieval war.

Adventure of the Vikings

Most films about early medieval Scandinavian seafarers are created in an adventure genre or in the genre of action. The historical thriller "Vikings" (IMDb: 7.10) was created by the director Richard Fleischer. He is a film adaptation of Edison Marshall's novel The Viking. The writer during the creation of the work took into account the ancient sagas about the ruler of the Danish Vikings Ragnar Lodbroke, his offspring and their conquests. A kind of sequel to this tape can be considered the movie "Viking ships", shot by Jack Cardiff.

The legendary adventure film "And the Trees Are Growing on the Stones" (IMDb: 7.30) is based on the story of Yu. Vronsky's "Extraordinary Adventures of Kuksha from the House". The project is a product of the joint production of the Norwegian film company Norsk Film A / S and the film studio. Gorky. The film was directed by Stanislav Rostotsky and Knut Andersen.

At the same time, the historical picture of the Icelandic director Hrabne Güdnlügssson's "Flight of the Raven" (IMDb: 6.80) tells of an insidious plot that led to clashes between the two Viking communities and their merciless extermination.

Interpretations and Remakes

The joint project of the USA and Ireland, the historical adventure picture "The Viking Saga" (IMDb: 4.10), will be shot by Michael Chapman. It is a low-budgetary interpretation of the legend of Ryurik, Oleg and their conquest of the territories of the Eastern Slavs.

Modern films about medieval warfare are often remakes of paintings of an earlier year of release. For example, the adventure thriller directed by Marcus Nispel "Pathfinder" (IMDb: 5.40) is a remake of the film "Explorer" (1987). The narrative begins 600 years before Columbus arrives in North America. During the Viking raid, the little boy does not have time to return to the ship. He remains alone in the land of Aboriginal Indians. The tribe accepts and educates the child. After 15 years, the adult warrior will again have to meet with his congeners on the battlefield.

The project of the Icelandic director Hrabne Güdnlieigsson "Shadow of the Crow" (IMDb: 6.40) is not a direct continuation of the painting "The Flight of the Crow." However, it is part of a series of works filmed by Hrafnoy about the Icelandic Vikings.

About Joan of Arc

Surprisingly, the best films about medieval war, according to their rating, tell the story of the events of the Hundred Years War in France in the 15th century and the persona of a 19-year-old from Domremi. Three pictures of this subject have the same name:

• Historical short film by Georges Méliès with the IMDb rating: 6.70 is the first adaptation of the story of Jeanne. The premiere display of the silent picture took place in the distant 1900.
• The American historical project (1948) directed by Victor Fleming on the scenario of Maxwell Anderson, which has the IMDb rating: 6.50.
• Everyone knows the historical drama from the stage director Luc Besson (IMDb: 6.40) with Milla Jovovich in the title role.

Higher appreciation of film critics received the pictures "Jeanne d'Arc Process" (IMDb: 7.60) - a historical and biographical black and white drama by Robert Bresson. And also "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (IMDb: 8.40) - the French mute psychological tape by Carl Theodore Dreyer. These two projects are deservedly considered to be one of the universally recognized peaks of the world film industry.

On the Crusades

After the historical and epic project "Kingdom of Heaven" (IMDb: 7.20), directed by Ridley Scott, was rolled out, Hollywood swept the fashion for high-budget and large-scale historical episodes of film-blockbusters. At the same time, the cinema community also recalled other works that covered Christians' crusades to Jerusalem. Among the most popular in this topic are feature films about the adventures of Arn - "United Kingdom" (IMDb: 6.60) and "Knight Templar" (IMDb: 6.60), based on the novels of Jan Guillau on the Templar Arne Magnusson.

They are not inferior to the Polish screen version of Henrik Sienkiewicz's The Crusaders (IMDb: 7.10) and the tape of the Italian director Carlo Bragaglia, "Liberated Jerusalem." A rather high rating is the picture of the director Youssef Shahin "The Winner of Salladin" (IMDb: 8.10) about the conquest of Muslim lands by the soldiers of Jerusalem and practically the entire Middle East, the preparation of the Third Crusade.

Reliability of historical events

Medieval wars of various sizes can be seen in feature films about Robin Hood, Genghis Khan and knights of all stripes. But if the audience is important reliability, it is better not to be sprayed on the feature film, but to watch documentaries about medieval war. For example, "Times and Warriors" channel Discovery, "Conquest 1453", "Ottoman Empire against Christians. The Battle for the Mediterranean "," The Templars. From history to legend "," Teutonic knights "," Great warriors "," Smolensk - the western shield of Russia "," 1631 - Robbery of Magdeburg "," Greatest battles in the history of Britain "," Battle fortresses "," Crusades " "1529 - The Siege of Vienna".