Films based on historical battlesare an irreplaceable cinematic experience for their larger-than-life storytelling. The genre provides an imaginative take on the lives of soldiers during epic battles and gives a take on lives lived centuries ago.
Most of these films are visualized from paintings, architecture, and literature that are archived from the past, making space for history in the world of cinema. Another fascinating reason why these battle scenes remain so significant is that the scale of a battlefield and the lives lost are too sensational to believe in modern times. Films remain a creative and practical means to collectively process wars that affected humanity through a visual representation of what happened in real life.
Epic battle filmsalso remain the perfect vessel to demystify ancient rulers into human characters who are made of flesh and bones, rather than mortalizing them into statutes. With stunning visual effects and picturesque screenplay, these films combine history, drama and action-packed scenes to impress upon every history buff and cinephiles alike.
10Braveheart
Braveheartis an epic historical drama directed, produced, and starring Mel Brooks which encapsulates the life of the Scottish warrior, Sir William Wallace. Wallace, played by Brooks, led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edwards I of England in the late 13th century. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director and was applauded for the performance of its actors, action, and drama. However, it was criticized for its historical inaccuracies. The film followed Wallace’s leadership and bravery while defeating the English Army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
Most of the film was shot in Scotland, but the battle scenes were shot in Ireland. Several members of the Irish Army Reserve were also cast as extras in the battle scenes. Gibson used the same cast for both armies to save cost. There was a boost in tourism in Scotland after the release of the film, which was coined theBraveheart Effectas the country saw an increase in tourism revenue from 7 million to 15 million pounds.
Related:Here Are Some of the Best Cinematic Historical Drama
9The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans,directedby Michael Mann, is set against the backdrop of the French Indian War in 1757. The story revolves around the last members of a dying Native American tribe, called the Mohicans, who reside in harmony alongside British colonists. The sons of the family are set to rescue the kidnapped daughters of British colonel girls amidst the crossfire in the French-Indian War. The filmstarred Daniel Day-Lewisas Hawkeye, who played the adopted son of the Mohicans. The film was based on the booksThe Last of the Mohicansby James Fenimore Cooper andThe Last of the Mohicansby Philip Dunne.
Several films were made based on the book, and Mann’s film was mostly inspired by the film of the same name directed by George B. Seitz. The battle scene between the French and the Native Americans was shot on Chimney Rock Park and was notable for the historical accuracy of the weapons used. The tomahawks and knives were made by professional knife makers Daniel Winkler and Randall King. Gunsmith Wayne Watson made the rifle used by Hawkeye.
8The Patriot
The Patriot,directed by Roland Emmerich, is based on a fictional American colonialist named Benjamin Martin who finds his life entangled with the Revolutionary War fought between the United States and Great Britain between 1775 and 1783. Martin was played by Mel Gibson and was based on the lives of Andrew Pickens, Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan, and Thomas Sumter. The film follows the war that led to the first modern democratic government of the United States, and was heavy with the themes of American patriotism and anti-British sentiment.
Many of the battle scenes were shot in Charleston and were graphic in nature while depicting the atrocities faced by the American soldiers at the hands of the British troops. This stirred controversy among British film critics and historians, who found the dramatization of the war to be inappropriately fictionalized. The film was applauded for its authentic representation of costumes, set, and props and won the Best Hair Stylist Guild Award for Best Period Makeup and Best Period Hair Styling.
300stands apart as an epic historical movie loosely based on the Battle of Thermopylae in the Greco-Persian Wars for its blending of genres of historical fantasy. The film, directed by Zack Snyder, is based on the 1988 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Miller served as the executive producer and consultant to300.The film is based on King Leonidas,played by Gerard Butler, who leads an army of 300 Spartans against the Persian King Xerxes and his troop of 300,00 soldiers. Unlike other epic battle films,300was entirely shot inside a studio.
Only one scene involving a galloping horse was shot outdoors, while the rest was shot in front of a blue screen. Some of the weapons used by the soldiers were repurposed from the filmsTroyandAlexander.The animals were designed by concept artist Jordu Schell and extensive prosthetics were used for the corpses of the soldiers. The film is a shot-for-shot adaptation of the comic book and incorporated a superimposition chroma key to replicate the aesthetic of a comic book, making 300 one of the most experimental epic films.
Troyis an epic historical war directed by Wolfgang Peterson which is loosely based on Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan horse saga, and Quintus Smyrnaeus’sPosthomerica. Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, leads his tribe to invade the ancient city of Troy, which is defended by Hector’s Trojan Army, who is played by Eric Bana. The film is predominantly known for the grand battle scenes that are extended to its horizon. In a scene, Hector and Troy engage in an epic duel.
Pitt and Bana did not use stunt doubles for the scene but made an agreement to pay for every accidental hit. The Trojan horse prop portrayed in the film was gifted to the Turkish government and was kept on the boardwalk of the seaside city of Canakkale which is said to be the site of the actual Troy ruins. In the DVD extras, there are several trivia on the battle scenes ofTroy,for e.g., 300 Bulgarian men were brought to Mexico for their training for the battle scene between the Greeks and Trojans for an accurate portrayal of European soldiers.
5Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabiais a British epic historical drama based on the life of the British army and archaeologist T.E Lawrence. The film follows Lawrence’s involvement in the Arab Revolt and the Sinai Palestine Campaign during World War I. He penned down his experience in his bookSeven Pillars of Wisdom,which inspired the film directed by David Lean.
The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won the award for Best Picture and Best Director. O’Toole was injured several times during the shooting of the film, and almost died when his panicky camel lost control and threw O’Toole from its back. This was a bizarre coincidence, as the real-life T.E. Lawrence too risked his life falling from a camel during the Battle of Aqaba.The film is regarded as one of the most important filmsin film history for the dramatic cinematography of its battle scenes, Peter O’Toole’s performance as Lawrence, and the depiction of emotional turmoil during the war.
4The Last Samurai
The Last Samuraiis an epic period drama directed by Edward Zwickstarring Tom Cruiseas Nathan Algren who is an American captain of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The film was a fictional representation of the Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori in the wake of the western influences of Japan by foreign powers. Cruise’s character was a composite character based on Jules Brunet, Ernest Mason Satow, Algernon Mitford, and Federick Townsend who were involved in the Japanese rebellion.
Algren set out to destroy the Samurai culture, but later embraces it after he is captured in the battle. Cruise spent two years training in swordplay and learning Japanese for the role. Around 500 Japanese extras were trained for the climatic battle scene in New Zealand. Fans watch the film on 26 May every year, as the final battle takes place on the same day.
3Spartacus
Spartacusis an epic historical drama depicting the life of the gladiator turned slave Spartacus. The titular character undergoes training as a gladiator and fights against the Roman Republic and the powers of Crassus. The film was based on a novel of the same name, written by Howard Fast. The film was directedby Stanley Kubrickand won several Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume. The film was notable for its cinematography of battle scenes, which were films outside Madrid. Around 8000 soldiers from the Spanish infantry were trained to fight in the Roman Army. Although the film was considered a critical and commercial success, Kubrick wanted to change the film and was upset on how the creative control was handled in the making of the film.
Related:Here Are Some of the Best Cinematic Historical Dramas
2Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heavenis set in the aftermath of the Second Crusade and is directed by Ridley Scott. The Second Crusade started as the response to the fall of the County of Edessa in Ancient Greece to the forces of Zengi in 1144. In the film, a French blacksmith, played by Orlando Bloom, travels to Jerusalem and defends its people against Saladin, who is fighting to reclaim the city. The shooting took place in Morocco and Spain. Although the plot is heavily fictionalized and dramatized, the film was applauded for its cinematography and music. 143 extras, 60 military personnel and 60 camels were used for filming the scene of the Templar’s attack in the desert. The film received mixed reviews, but Scott’s release of thedirector’s cutreceived critical acclaim.
1Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryanis set in World War II, where a group of soldiers is on a search mission to retrieve Private James Ryan and extradite him from his services after the loss of his three brothers from the war. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is notable for its realistic scenes depicting the war, which are often graphic and documentary-like. The cinematography is directly inspired by war photography and the most notable scene of the film is that of thesoldiers arriving at Omaha beach, which has been considered one of the most gruesome portrayals of the World War in film history.
The scene was inspired by various literature and photographs captured by Robert Capa and the cinematographer wanted to capture the experience through the lens of a war photographer. The scene cost $12 million to shoot and was acted out by 1000 extra including some members of the Irish Army Reserve. The scene was choreographed by stunt coordinator Simon Crane, and thousands of gallons of fake blood were used to add the effect of blood fusing with the sea.
