History In Film

King Henry II of England clashes with Thomas Becket, his best friend whom he appointed to Archbishop of Canterbury. The post W017: Becket (1964) appeared first on .

11th century – A young English man travels to Persia to learn the medical arts from one of history’s greatest scholars. The post W016: The Physician (2013) appeared first on .

In 11th century Japan, two noble children are kidnapped and sold into slavery. Sansho the Bailiff is a dark, slice-of-life tale of these two children hoping to reconnect with their [ … ] The post W015: Sansho the Bailiff (1954) appeared first on .

I very briefly discuss Monty Python’s comedy classic and why in the world it’s set in the year 932 CE. I also address a listener question about the age of [ … ] The post #14b Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) [BONUS EPISODE] appeared first on .

689 CE – Mysterious forces are conspiring to prevent China’s Empress Wu from formally taking the throne. Detective Dee is recruit to solve the case. The post W014: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) appeared first on .

In 610 CE, God speaks to Muhammad who will change the world with his new faith – Islam. The post W013: The Message (1976) appeared first on .

Today we look at the legendary tale of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur while exploring the history of the island of Great Britain. The post W012: Excalibur (1981) appeared first on .

China’s Han dynasty is about to fall. The three factions that will rule during the subsequent Three Kingdoms period clash at the Battle of Red Cliffs. The post W011: Red Cliff (2008) appeared first on .

Marcus Aurelius is succeeded by his lesser son Commodus as cracks start to show on the visage of the Roman Empire. Both The Fall of the Roman Empire and Gladiator [ … ] The post W010: The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Gladiator (2000) appeared first on .

Did two episodes this week! This is just a brief look at Ben-Hur that ties in, through Jesus, to our episode on The Last Temptation of Christ. If you have [ … ] The post W009b: Ben-Hur (1959) [BONUS EPISODE] appeared first on .

Willem Defoe stars in Martin Scorsese’s controversial take on the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. The post W009: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) appeared first on .

A lot of historical ground is covered here as Rome goes from a republic to an empire, triggered by the assassination of Julius Caesar. Octavius stands ready to fill to [ … ] The post W008: Cleopatra (1963) appeared first on .

Not long before Rome fell from Republic to Empire, the slave Spartacus led a massive revolt and thwarted Roman armies for two years. The post W007: Spartacus (1960) appeared first on .

Jet Li’s nameless warrior relates to the Emperor of Qin how he defeated three assassins who have been plaguing the kingdom. China will soon be united for the first time. The post W006: Hero (2002) appeared first on .

Today we’re in ancient India with a Bollywood production. The Maurya Empire was founded by Chandragupta in the wake of Alexander the Great’s empire. Asoka opens with an elderly Chandragupta [ … ] The post W005: Asoka (2001) appeared first on .

Intolerance tells four parallel stories of people dealing with the intolerance of others. Today we’ll follow the storyline of the fall of Babylon in 539 BCE. The post W004: Intolerance (1916) pt. 1 appeared first on .

Mostly legend, Troy does still offer several topics for historical discussion. Brad Pitt stars as Achilles. The post W003: Troy (2004) appeared first on .

DreamWorks animation tackles the Biblical story of Moses, voiced by Val Kilmer. I use the opportunity to briefly discuss the history of Egypt as well. The post W002: Prince of Egypt (1998) appeared first on .

Today we look at our prehistoric ancestors as they attempt to master the element of fire. Ron Perlman co-stars. The post W001: Quest for Fire (1981) appeared first on .

Welcome to the History in Film podcast! My goal to tell the story of human history using movies as our launching point. For this intro episode I just explain the [ … ] The post W000: Introduction, The Tragedy of Man (2011) appeared first on .