Period Pieces to Review
by therosenpants | created - 26 Apr 2014 | updated - 31 Mar 2015 | PublicI'm planning on starting up a webshow centered around reviewing Period Pieces, whether they be movies, tv shows, or even the occasional book/play that I happen to come across. Here is just a list of the movies/shows I'd like to review. My cutoff date for it to be a Period piece I think is going to be 1963, not when it was made but when it was set. I think it's a good year, as a lot of change was happening, with events that shaped the modern world, which is the era I am NOT reviewing. The films will be reviewed for historical accuracy and for their style of film making, as I'm a history major with a film minor (the best of both worlds, as it were), but I'm actually not a stickler for accuracy. I'm just going to tell the facts as they are, and then give my own opinion about the interpretation of them, whether they were effective or not, etc. There are going to be a lot of films I haven't seen, but I'd like to tackle because I'm interested in them. If it isn't based on real events, I will asses the accuracy of its setting, including costuming, dialogue, and location. Enjoy the list!
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Marie Antoinette (2006)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History
The retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 14 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen, and ultimately the fall of Versailles.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, Steve Coogan
Votes: 121,823 | Gross: $15.96M
One of my favorite films for purely aesthetic reasons, I think I want to tackle this one first.
2. A Royal Affair (2012)
R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Trine Dyrholm
Votes: 50,716 | Gross: $1.55M
I haven't seen this film yet. I hear it's really great, and was even nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. I do love Mads Mikkelson!
3. Caravaggio (1986)
93 min | Biography, Drama, History
A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.
Director: Derek Jarman | Stars: Noam Almaz, Dexter Fletcher, Nigel Terry, Sean Bean
Votes: 7,021 | Gross: $0.00M
I've seen this film and I know a good deal about the artist in question.... and yeah. We'll save my comments for the review.
4. Maurice (1987)
R | 140 min | Drama, Romance
Two English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up Maurice and marries. While staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice discovers romance in the arms of the gamekeeper Alec.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Hugh Grant, Denholm Elliott
Votes: 23,556 | Gross: $3.13M
One of my favorite movies, but I think there's a lot to talk about this. Gay Edwardians, for one thing, is a subject not often discussed. I'll definitely talk about the history of the novel (which I've read), and its implications.
5. Les Misérables (1998)
PG-13 | 134 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Valjean, a former criminal, has atoned for his past and now finds himself in the midst of the French Revolution, avoiding a law-obsessed policeman hell-bent on capturing him.
Director: Bille August | Stars: Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Christopher Adamson
Votes: 43,173 | Gross: $14.10M
I haven't seen this one ALL the way through, but I'll probably talk about the adaptations in general of the novel, focusing probably on this one, the 30's version, and of course the recent Tom Hooper film.
6. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
PG-13 | 143 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured and murderous musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson
Votes: 130,635 | Gross: $51.27M
It isn't my list unless Phantom is on here... *sigh* If we're going for historical accuracy here, this is going to be a helluva review. Hopefully I can squeeze in some history from the other versions as well. The Phantom Reviewer has tackled this as a phan, and so I'm going to tackle this as a film lover and historian. WISH ME LUCK.
7. Far and Away (1992)
PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A young Irish couple flee to the States, but subsequently struggle to obtain land and prosper freely.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Gibson, Robert Prosky
Votes: 68,298 | Gross: $58.88M
I watched this as a child, and I have fondish memories of it? I'd like to look at it again, as I'm very fond of Irish culture. Not sure if it rapes it here or celebrates it, so I'll find out!
8. Bel Ami (2012)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, History
A chronicle of a young man's rise to power in Paris via his manipulation of the city's wealthiest and most influential women.
Directors: Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod | Stars: Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci
Votes: 19,273 | Gross: $0.12M
RPattz in period dress with Cristina Ricci and Uma Thurman? Sign me up!
9. Vanity Fair (2004)
PG-13 | 141 min | Drama
Growing up poor in London, Becky Sharp defies her poverty-stricken background and ascends the social ladder alongside her best friend, Amelia Sedley.
Director: Mira Nair | Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Votes: 23,500 | Gross: $16.14M
Speaking of Robert Pattinson... *sigh* I don't like this movie much. We'll find out why eventually.
10. The Serpent's Kiss (1997)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In England, during the 17th-century, a Dutch garden architect (Ewan McGregor, "Moulin Rouge!") is drawn into a web of passion and treachery after being hired by a wealthy merchant.
Director: Philippe Rousselot | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Greta Scacchi, Pete Postlethwaite, Richard E. Grant
Votes: 1,828
A very trite, confusing, and mediocre film from my favorite actor. God help me.
11. Kill Your Darlings (2013)
R | 104 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs.
Director: John Krokidas | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Ben Foster
Votes: 41,222 | Gross: $1.03M
Don't know much about the Beat poets, but I love gay cinema and history... Also Daniel Radcliffe. Good time to brush up on Allen Ginsburg!
12. The Raven (I) (2012)
R | 110 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.
Director: James McTeigue | Stars: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson
Votes: 88,280 | Gross: $16.01M
Speaking of poets... Ergh... I'm going to have to watch this eventually, aren't I?
13. Tess (1979)
PG | 186 min | Drama, Romance
A strong-willed young peasant girl attracts the affection of two men.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin
Votes: 18,254
An alright, but beautifully shot film based on... My least favorite book of all time. I have never hated a book SO much that I threw it against the wall... until this one.
14. Mozart's Sister (2010)
Not Rated | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A reimagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang, and a musical prodigy in her own right.
Director: René Féret | Stars: Marie Féret, Marc Barbé, Delphine Chuillot, David Moreau
Votes: 1,614 | Gross: $0.71M
I'm not going to review Amadeus, because what's the point? But I probably will discuss it in relation to this film.
15. The Help (2011)
PG-13 | 146 min | Drama
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 492,579 | Gross: $169.71M
I have read the book! So I'm going to review it.
16. Titanic (1997)
PG-13 | 194 min | Drama, Romance
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
Votes: 1,279,437 | Gross: $659.33M
Yeah, how to review this movie? Well I'm going to talk about the historical accuracy of class depicted here, and of course the actual event. I'll probably compare it to other versions (just not the animated ones).
17. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, History
The world's greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare, is young, out of ideas and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 234,267 | Gross: $100.32M
Historical accuracy? What historical accuracy?!?!
Despite this, one of my favorite movies. It IS accurate somewhat on a visual level, but events? Does it matter when it comes to Shakespeare?
18. The King's Speech (2010)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 707,738 | Gross: $138.80M
Liked it, but not sure about accuracy. Will have to check on that.
19. Christopher and His Kind (2011 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 90 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
How real-life British-American author Christopher Isherwood and his German boyfriend Heinz met and fell in love during the 1930s and the rise of Nazism.
Director: Geoffrey Sax | Stars: Matt Smith, Imogen Poots, Lindsay Duncan, Perry Millward
Votes: 4,633
More gay cinema! Yaaaay! Can you tell I like it? A lot? Don't worry, I haven't seen a lot of lesbian/other sexuality based movies but I'm working to change that. I'll probably start with Fingersmith or Tipping the Velvet (obvious I know), but I'll get there!
Also I love this film. It made me want to read Isherwood.
20. War and Peace (1956)
PG | 208 min | Drama, Romance, War
Napoleon's tumultuous relations with Russia, including his disastrous 1812 invasion, serve as the backdrop for the tangled personal lives of two aristocratic families.
Director: King Vidor | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman
Votes: 10,860 | Gross: $12.50M
I LOOOOVE the book to pieces, but I haven't seen the movie yet. (Go look up Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. DO IT.)
21. Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama
A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Votes: 90,888 | Gross: $63.86M
Historical Accuracy (and Julia Roberts) aside, I love this film. I definitely want to talk about the 1950's aesthetic, and why we romanticize the period so much.
22. The Pianist (2002)
R | 150 min | Biography, Drama, Music
During WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox
Votes: 911,542 | Gross: $32.57M
I actually was not terribly impressed by this movie, or at the very least Brody's performance. I'll have to rewatch it, research it and get back to you.
23. Somewhere in Time (1980)
PG | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, Teresa Wright
Votes: 32,508 | Gross: $9.71M
Siiiince the majority of the film is set in the 1910's, it counts right?
24. Downton Abbey (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle
Votes: 224,759
Oooh Downton Abbey. How ridiculously melodramatic you are. And you you keep me on the edge of my seat! Pretty incredible for a drama about the Edwardian upper class, mind you.
25. Land Girls (2009–2011)
TV-14 | 225 min | Drama
Follow the lives, loves and highs and lows of four members of the Women's Land Army who are working at the Hoxley Estate during World War II.
Stars: Becci Gemmell, Susan Cookson, Mark Benton, Mykola Allen
Votes: 3,571
I know of this because of the illustrious Summer Strallen, but I have not seen it. I imagine I am going to compare it to...
26. Bomb Girls (2012–2014)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, War
A drama about World War II women at work in a munitions factory.
Stars: Meg Tilly, Jodi Balfour, Charlotte Hegele, Antonio Cupo
Votes: 4,575
... this show, which I also have not seen. Both are on Netflix, so I'm sure I'll soon tire of WWII women after a little while but hey, it'll make a good comparison!
27. FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
PG | 99 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
In 1917, two children take a photograph, which is soon believed by some to be the first scientific evidence of the existence of fairies.
Director: Charles Sturridge | Stars: Paul McGann, Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Harvey Keitel
Votes: 6,346 | Gross: $14.04M
As... hokey, as this premise seems, it's based on fact, and I've actually read a book that discusses the event (as well as the personalities that brought light to it, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini). Never seen it, but it should be an interesting watch.
Tell Your Friends