Movies About Ancient History

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

Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe. The film tells the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is betrayed when the Emperor's ambitious son, Commodus, murders his father and seizes the throne. Maximus is sold into slavery and trained as a gladiator, eventually winning his freedom and returning to Rome to avenge the murder of his family. The film follows Maximus' journey to success against all odds, culminating in a final battle between him and Commodus in the Colosseum. Gladiator is an emotionally charged and thrilling ride of revenge, loyalty, and courage.

From Terry Jones, starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Rated R

Life of Brian is a 1979 British comedy film directed by Terry Jones, and written by Jones, Michael Palin, and John Cleese. Set in Judea at the time of the Roman Empire, the film tells the story of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man who is born Jesus Christ's neighbor, and who is mistaken for the Messiah. As Brian attempts to navigate the dangerous and chaotic world of 1st Century Judea, he finds himself caught up in a series of misadventures while trying to avoid the attention of the Roman authorities. Along the way, Brian comes across a variety of memorable characters, including the leader of the anti-Roman People's Front, an outrageous ex-leper, and a scheming Judean bureaucrat. With an unexpected mix of irreverent humor, political satire, and religious parody, Life of Brian is a classic of British comedy.

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

Hero is a 2002 Chinese martial arts film directed by Yimou Zhang. The story follows a nameless protagonist, played by Jet Li, who is tasked with assassinating the king of Qin, who intends to conquer all six kingdoms of ancient China. The protagonist must use his impressive martial arts skills to defeat three powerful warriors: Broken Sword, Flying Snow, and Sky, who each represent a different kingdom. Through a series of flashbacks, the audience learns how the protagonist's epic journey has unfolded, culminating in an intense finale that tests his courage and skill. Along the way, the protagonist discovers the true meaning of heroism, loyalty, and honor.

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

Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo was based on the novel of the same title by Howard Fast. The film stars Kirk Douglas in the title role, Laurence Olivier as Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus, Charles Laughton as Roman senator and magistrate Gaius Julius Caesar, Peter Ustinov as slave trader Lentulus Batiatus and Jean Simmons as Varinia. The film is set in the 1st century BC during the height of the Roman Republic, during the slave uprising led by Spartacus. Spartacus is a Thracian slave who is sold to Lentulus Batiatus, owner of a gladiator school. Spartacus is trained as a gladiator and leads a revolt against the Roman Republic after being promised his freedom. The film follows his journey as he and his followers battle their way to freedom and confront powerful figures such as Julius Caesar, Marcus Crassus and Pompey.

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

300 is an action/fantasy film directed by Zack Snyder and loosely based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller. The film follows the heroic King Leonidas of Sparta and his brave 300 Spartans as they battle the massive Persian army led by their ruthless and power-hungry leader, Xerxes. Despite being hugely outnumbered, Leonidas and his men fight valiantly to defend their homeland and its freedom against the invading forces. Along the way, however, they confront an even greater enemy - the Gods themselves. With spectacular visual effects and an epic score, 300 is an action-packed story of courage, honor, and sacrifice.

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

The Last Temptation of Christ is a 1988 drama directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. The film tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth (portrayed by Willem Dafoe) and his struggle between fulfilling the will of his Father in Heaven and his own human desires and temptations. After Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, he is tempted by Satan to turn away from his divine mission and live a normal, earthly life with Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey). However, Jesus is ultimately faithful to his mission and his Father, as seen when he is tortured, crucified, and resurrected. The film is both a religious and a humanistic exploration of the life of Jesus and his struggle between mortality and divinity.

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

From Don Chaffey, starring Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith
Rated G

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 John Boorman, starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi
Rated PG

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

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

From Desmond Davis, starring Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith
Rated PG

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

From Kaige Chen, starring You Ge, Xueqi Wang, Xiaoming Huang, Bingbing Fan
Rated R

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

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

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

From Michael O. Sajbel, starring Tiffany Dupont, Luke Goss, John Noble, Omar Sharif
Rated PG

From Oliver Stone, starring Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson, Angelina Jolie
Rated R

From Paul W.S. Anderson, starring Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Rated PG-13

From Michael Chapman, starring Daryl Hannah, Pamela Reed, James Remar, Thomas G. Waites
Rated R