Middle Ages and Renaissance

List creator: hneline1 Created on: June 23, 2002 - 4:52 PM PDT Description: Best films about life in the middle ages and renaissance... as the camera sees it.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	The Lion in Winter (1968)
My favorite film about life in the middle ages. Includes politics, intense drama, love, intrigue, great characters, excellent acting, lots of British history.
	Elizabeth (1998)
Elizabeth I is an amazing figure in British history. Cate Blanchett gives a stunning performance as a strong-willed young woman who learns how to survive and excel at being a great leader of her people.
	Shakespeare in Love (1998)
I can be a sucker for romance. ;-) This is a sweet, romantic comedy about the young Shakespeare and how he might have been inspired to create his early plays. A funny and fresh depiction of how the power of performance influenced many levels of society.
	The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
Gritty look at peasant life in France during the middle ages. This is a more realistic depiction of how the majority of people lived than the films above.
	Hamlet (Criterion Collection) (1948)
This is a classic so it's on my list. More politics and intrigue and misty castles and battles. Laurence Olivier is the best Hamlet.
	Henry V (Criterion Collection) (1944)
Shakespeare knows how to make history entertaining and personal. Really. This is Laurence Olivier as Prince Hal, surviving political intrigue and fierce battles and questions of faith.
	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Collector's Edition) (1974)
	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Bonus Disc) (1974)
C'mon, can't we have fun too? ;-) This is a hilarious parody of King Arthur and his Quest as only Monty Python could do. No, it's not realistic. Yes, it pokes fun at how we view and romanticize this period of time. Watch out for the killer rabbits.
	Elizabeth R (Disc 1 of 4) (1971)
	Elizabeth R (Disc 2 of 4) (1971)
	Elizabeth R (Disc 3 of 4) (1971)
	Elizabeth R : Bonus Disc (Disc 4 of 4) (1971)
I remember being fascinated by this series on PBS as a child. Yes, it's very BBC. It's also an extremely well-done chronicle of court life and the challenges Elizabeth faced as a woman in a leadership role waaay back when.