History backdrop

History movies

Period pieces that transport you back in time, recreating the events and figures that shaped our past.

Subgenres include: Historical Event, Biographical History, Political History.

Heaven & Earth

611. Heaven & Earth

History War Drama Historical Drama
6.8

19932h 20min

France, United States

Director: Oliver Stone

In a small Vietnamese village torn apart by war, a young woman faces unimaginable horrors before deciding to escape to the city. There, she encounters a compassionate Marine who offers her hope and a chance at a new life, igniting the possibility of a future together.

Themes

Survival under occupation, Trauma from assault, War violence and displacement, Migration and belonging, Interracial relationship pressures, Family resilience under turmoil

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Schindler's List

612. Schindler's List

Drama History War Historical Event World War II
9.0

19933h 15min

United States

Director: Steven Spielberg

The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.

Themes

Survival over profit, Labor instrumentalization, War profiteering ethics, Memory and postwar recognition, Moral calculus under threat, Power through bribery

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Geronimo: An American Legend

613. Geronimo: An American Legend

Western History Action Drama
6.5

19931h 55min

United States

Director: Walter Hill

The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.


Little Buddha

614. Little Buddha

Drama History
6.1

19932h 3min

France, Italy

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

After the death of Lama Dorje, Tibetan Buddhist monks find three children — one American and two Nepalese — who may be the rebirth of their great teacher.


Gettysburg

615. Gettysburg

Drama History War
7.6

19934h 14min

United States

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell

In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee leads the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with the goal of marching through to Washington, D.C. The Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George G. Meade, forms a defensive position to confront the rebel forces in what will prove to be the decisive battle of the American Civil War.


Rudy

616. Rudy

Drama History
7.5

19931h 54min

United States

Director: David Anspaugh

Rudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players. But he had the drive and the spirit of 5 people and has set his sights upon joining the team.


The Baby of Mâcon

617. The Baby of Mâcon

Drama History
6.9

19932h 2min

France, Germany

Director: Peter Greenaway

In 17th-century Tuscany, a church play is performed for the benefit of young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.


King of the Hill

618. King of the Hill

Drama History
7.3

19931h 43min

United States

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Based on the Depression-era bildungsroman memoir of writer A. E. Hotchner, the film follows the story of a boy struggling to survive on his own in a hotel in St. Louis after his mother is committed to a sanatorium with tuberculosis. His father, a German immigrant and traveling salesman working for the Hamilton Watch Company, is off on long trips from which the boy cannot be certain he will return.


What's Love Got to Do with It

619. What's Love Got to Do with It

Drama Music History
7.4

19931h 58min

United States

Director: Brian Gibson

Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.


Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

620. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Drama History Action
7.0

19931h 59min

Hong Kong SAR China, United States

Director: Rob Cohen

This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.