Movies About Ancient Civilizations

From Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Rated R

"Gladiator" is an epic historical drama directed by Ridley Scott set in 180AD. The story follows Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridius, as he is betrayed by the ambitious Commodus, the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and is taken into slavery. He rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor. The film explores the intense, violent and dramatic world of the Roman Empire and its people, as they battle to stay alive in a corrupt and dangerous world. Maximus must fight to regain his freedom and defeat the powerful forces against him. With action, adventure, and powerful performances, Gladiator is an unforgettable drama of courage, honor and revenge.

From William Wyler, starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Rated G

Ben-Hur is an epic American film from 1959 directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince in ancient Jerusalem who is betrayed and falsely accused of treason by his Roman best friend Messala (Stephen Boyd). Judah is sentenced to the Roman galley ships and must battle his past and his enemies to reclaim his freedom and his honor. Along the way, Judah encounters Jesus Christ, comes face to face with his former best friend, and ultimately participates in a climactic chariot race. Through his journey, Judah learns to forgive, finds redemption, and discovers a greater purpose in life.

From Yimou Zhang, starring Jet Li, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Rated PG-13

Hero is a 2002 martial arts film directed by Yimou Zhang. The plot follows the story of a nameless warrior who is summoned by the King of Qin to tell him how he managed to defeat three of the king's most formidable enemies. The warrior recounts three separate stories in which he used his wits and martial arts prowess to defeat each of the enemies. Along the way, he discovers the true meaning of heroism while engaging in an epic battle of justice and honor. At the end of the film, the King of Qin is so impressed with the warrior's stories that he grants him the title of "Hero".

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Rated PG-13

Spartacus is an epic historical drama from director Stanley Kubrick, set during the Third Servile War in ancient Rome. The story follows the titular slave Spartacus, who leads a rebellion of slaves against their Roman oppressors. With the help of his allies, Crixus, Agron, and Varinia, Spartacus is able to build a formidable army and challenge the powerful Roman Empire. However, as the conflict rages on, they must face the ultimate test of their strength and courage in a fight for freedom. The film is a powerful look at the struggle between freedom and tyranny, and the sacrifices people make for the sake of their beliefs.

From Zack Snyder, starring Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Rated R

300 is an epic war film based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. It tells the story of the valiant King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, who fight for freedom against the invading Persian god-king Xerxes, and his massive army of more than one million men. In the battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and his brave, outnumbered Spartans battle to the death, inspiring all of Greece to unite against the Persian threat. Featuring incredible visuals, an all-star cast, and an explosive soundtrack, 300 is an action-packed, gripping tale of courage and heroism.

From Martin Scorsese, starring Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Paul Greco
Rated R

The Last Temptation of Christ is an epic film directed by Martin Scorsese which follows the life of Jesus of Nazareth from his ministry to his death on the cross. The film focuses on Jesus' internal struggles and his spiritual journey, including his doubts and temptations, as he attempts to reconcile his human nature with his divine destiny. After being betrayed by Judas, Jesus is condemned to death and suffers a series of visions which offer him a chance to abandon his mission and live out a normal life. In the end, Jesus must choose between following his divine path or living an ordinary human life.

From Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, Rae Dawn Chong
Rated R

From Wolfgang Petersen, starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Julian Glover
Rated R

From John Woo, starring Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Rated R

From Kaige Chen, starring Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Zhou Sun, Xiaohe Lü
Rated R

From Mel Gibson, starring Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov
Rated R

From Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells, starring Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock
Rated PG

From Alejandro Amenábar, starring Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom
Rated R

From Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown
Rated G

From John Milius, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman
Rated R

From Catherine Hardwicke, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass
Rated PG

From Kevin Reynolds, starring Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis
Rated PG-13

From Neil Marshall, starring Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Andreas Wisniewski
Rated R

From Don Coscarelli, starring Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, Rip Torn, John Amos
Rated PG

From Noam Murro, starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Rated R

From Kevin Macdonald, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, István Göz
Rated PG-13

From Wuershan, starring Xun Zhou, Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Tingjia Chen
Rated Not Rated

From Brett Ratner, starring Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes
Rated PG-13

From Tarsem Singh, starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff
Rated R

From Ridley Scott, starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver
Rated PG-13