Historical Drama movies

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Realistic Intimate Claustrophobic Fast-paced Stylish

A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.

Themes

Academic pressure, Youth rebellion, Identity and sexuality, Confession and deposition, Creative movement influence, Anti establishment tension

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Realistic Tense Dynamic Claustrophobic Clinical

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Themes

Poverty and desperation, Ransom negotiations under threat, Risk management in isolation, Authority and obedience under duress, Crew solidarity under pressure, Violence under encroaching danger

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Realistic Intimate Bleak Restrained Deliberate

During the last two years of her life, Princess Diana campaigns against the use of land mines and has a secret love affair with a Pakistani heart surgeon.

Themes

Romance under scrutiny, Privacy vs celebrity, Intercultural relationship tension, Public life pressure, Humanitarian work vs fame, Media gaze shaping choices

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Realistic Bleak Deliberate Intense Measured

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

Themes

Desegregation pressure in society, Family loyalties in upheaval, Racial inequality under service, Nonviolent activism and impact, Institutional change through restraint, Silent endurance amid upheaval

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Tense Dynamic Dry Deliberate Clinical

The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.

Themes

Ambition under pressure, Collaboration vs control, Innovation under scrutiny, Garage beginnings, Personal life vs professional demands, Leadership through disruption

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Realistic Bleak Dry Restrained Deliberate

In the 16th century in the Cévennes, a horse dealer by the name of Michael Kohlhaas leads a happy and prosperous family life. When a lord treats him unjustly, this pious, upstanding man raises an army and puts the country to fire and sword in order to have his rights restored.

Themes

Class inequality, Pursuit of justice vs authority, Revolt as social response, Justice delayed, Breach of amnesty

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Realistic Bleak Restrained Deliberate Stylish

A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

Themes

Illness as catalyst, Romance under hardship, Artistry vs warfare, Industrial ascent and failure, War-driven technology, Dream as legacy

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Realistic Tense Intimate Atmospheric Restrained

Dido Elizabeth Bell, the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy admiral, plays an important role in the campaign to abolish slavery in England.

Themes

Class inequality, Illegitimacy and inheritance, Interracial relationship, Abolitionist pressure, Social expectations and autonomy, Legal reform and justice

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Realistic Claustrophobic Procedural Clinical Relentless

A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

Themes

Executive decision pressure, Interrogation ethics debates, High-stakes intelligence work, Institutional secrecy accountability, Pursuit and collateral costs, Risk assessment under uncertainty

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Tense Bleak Fast-paced Stylish Intense

An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France. Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the student revolutions in France.

Themes

Class inequality, Mercy and justice, Revolutionary upheaval, Loyalty and sacrifice, Love across boundaries, Philanthropy and social responsibility

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