Best Hollywood Movies: Ancient Themes

[_Hector_]

What hollywood movie do you consider the top five all time dealing with ancient times.

Not necessary in order of rank

1. Cleopatra (1960) Liz Taylor, Richard Burton Rex Harrisson
2. The Egyptian (1954) Victor Mature, Edmund Purdom, Peter Ustinov, Gene Tierney, Jean Simmons
3. Land of the Pharaohs (1955) Jack Hawkins,Joan Collins
4. The 300 Spartans (1962) Richard Egan, Ralph Richarson, Diane Baker
5. (Tie) Spartacus (1960} Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov
Gladiator (2000) Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed.

Honorable mention:
Ben Hur, Ten Commandments, The Trojan Horse, Helen of troy, Pompeii,

[Hajduk]

Hi Hector,

I agree with most of your choices for the top 5. I've seen & enjoyed every film you mention in your post. I love watching the ancient battles (I don't know if the cinematic depictions are historically or technically accurate )

Another enjoyable ancient entertainment (not a movie) is the BBC TV series I, Claudius. The politics, personalities, and intrigue are fascinating. (I understand that it is highly fictionalized, based on Robert Graves's novel not direct history.)

I'm looking forward to creating my own sword and sandals spectaculars in RTW

--Hajduk

[Hajduk]

While we're on the theme of movies, what historical movies complement Total War series?

Serendipitously, James Clave11's Shogun series aired on cable at the same time I began playing STW.

Can anyone recommend historically accurate movies that would complement STW and MTW?

--Hajduk

[Cebei]

MISTS OF AVALON

I know sumwun's gone kick me for that.

That movie is waay too good.

[Suppiluliumas]

I thought The fall of the Roman Empire (1964) was a solid movie. Gladiator was based on the same period, albeit much more losely.

[scudknight]

sigh. only one I've seen is Gladiator.

guess I need to do some movie watching to prepare for the months ahead. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

As far as MTW, I would recommend Henry V, I wouldve rather had william shatner play the lead than brannaugh but I guess he did fine. The Joan of Arc 3 hour deal was awesome. There's 5 hours of your life well spent.
Oh yeah watch A Knight's Tale for some good jousting. Just hit mute otherwise.

[BigDave]

hajduk, i'd recommend taking a look at kurosawa's Kagemusha. although i suspect the main plot involving a body-double to a dead daimyo is fiction-based (i could be wrong there though&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif, the events in the film feature the fall of the takeda clan through charging all their elite cavalry repeatedly at hordes of musketeers....

another of his films, Ran is where a lot of the introduction film for shogun TW was taken from and shows a very impressive battle scene.

[Hajduk]

Quote[/b] (BigDave @ Nov. 17 2003,11:56)]hajduk, i'd recommend taking a look at kurosawa's Kagemusha. although i suspect the main plot involving a body-double to a dead daimyo is fiction-based

Thanks BigDave

I'll have to check out a video shop & see if they have Kurosawa films. I wish they showed classic Japanese films on cable TV.

Back in the 1960s & early 70s, American TV would show Japanese films (dubbed--but I prefer English subtitles for foreign language films. I prefer hearing the original dialogue. When I play STW, I use spoken Japanese option with English subtitles). I remember seeing a few Samurai epics back then, but don't remember titles. (of course, the Godzilla flicks were much more common)

[Hajduk]

Now a Viking Invasion theme...

Viking theme movies I've seen:

Prince Valiant 1954 (Robert Wagner with silly wig as Prince Valiant) Based on the comic strip. Fun to watch, but not a great film.

The Vikings 1958 (Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine) I saw this in late 1960s. Don't remember much about it. I think that Steve McNallen, founder of Asatru in America, credited the movie with sparking his interest in the Old Religion.

The Thirteenth Warrior 1999 (Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fadlan) I enjoyed this film. The opening funeral is a based on actual historical account. The main story is fictional based on novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton (a book I haven't read)

The Viking Queen 1967 (Don Murray) Actually, this movie has nothing to do with Vikings It's a fictionalized & romanticized retelling of Boudicca's revolt.

The Long Ships 1964 (Richard Widmar, Sidney Poitier) My favorite. Moors vs. Vikings.

Lee Six Million Dollar Man Majors starred in a forgettable Viking movie in the 1970s or early 80s. (So forgettable I forgot its title) I think it was his first and last starring role on the silver screen.

Any more Viking films?