History in Film

Ivan IV, Grand Prince of Moscow declares himself the first Tsar of Russia. The powerful boyars challenge him, but the fierce Ivan always has the last word. www.tracknerds.com The post W029: Ivan the Terrible (1944) appeared first on .

Thomas More proves to be a constant thorn in the side of King Henry VIII as he plans to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. www.tracknerds.com The post W028: A Man for All Seasons (1966) appeared first on .

Charlton Heston stars as legendary artist Michelangelo who is tasked with painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Pope Julius II. www.tracknerds.com The post W027: The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) appeared first on .

I guess we can call this season 2 as I get started on the 2nd quarter of this project of working through world history one movie at time. We pick [ … ] The post W026: Richard III (1955) appeared first on .

Happy Halloween! Today we discuss the historical Dracula as seen in the 1979 Romanian film Vlad Tepes. www.tracknerds.com The post W025b: Vlad Tepes (1979) [BONUS EPISODE] appeared first on .

I’m going on hiatus until Election Day 2018. This is a quick recap of the ground we’ve covered so far. Thanks for listening! The post 1st Hiatus – recap appeared first on .

This film depicts the trial and execution of Joan of Arc. I get into the backstory and context that illustrate just what a travesty it was. The post W025: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) appeared first on .

A group of Korean diplomats put themselves in the middle of a feud between the Chinese and the Mongols. The post W024: The Warrior (2001) appeared first on .

A just-for-fun movie using a Medieval setting. A cameo by the historical figure the Black Prince makes it worth a brief discussion. The post W023b: A Knight’s Tale (2001) appeared first on .

In this Swedish classic by Ingmar Bergman we follow a knight returning home to find his country in the grips of the Black Death. The post W023: The Seventh Seal (1957) appeared first on .

Freedom! William Wallace leads Scotland against oppressive English rule in this popular, but historically dubious film. The post W022: Braveheart (1995) appeared first on .

We head to Russia for the first time and as Alexander Nevsky leads at the Battle on the Ice in this pre-WWII propaganda film. The post W021: Alexander Nevsky (1938) appeared first on .

Two ski-bound Norwegian warriors are charged with protecting the infant heir to the throne! The post W020: The Last King (2016) appeared first on .

A Mayan kingdom flees across the Gulf of Mexico to settle in what is now the United States. The post W019: Kings of the Sun (1963) appeared first on .

Audio version of my annual blog post about the best movies of the year. The post My favorite movies of 2017 appeared first on .

A young Mongolian man rises to become one of the most powerful warlords in history – Genghis Khan. Here’s the facebook page to the artist singing at the end of [ … ] The post W018: Mongol (2007) appeared first on .

More from the life of Henry II as he feuds with his family. Jump to 4:19 if you want to skip over my process and get right to the movie. The post W017b: The Lion in Winter (1968) [BONUS EPISODE] appeared first on .

King Henry II of England clashes with Thomas Becket, his best friend whom he appointed to Archbishop of Canterbury. The post W017: Becket (1964) appeared first on .

11th century – A young English man travels to Persia to learn the medical arts from one of history’s greatest scholars. The post W016: The Physician (2013) appeared first on .

In 11th century Japan, two noble children are kidnapped and sold into slavery. Sansho the Bailiff is a dark, slice-of-life tale of these two children hoping to reconnect with their [ … ] The post W015: Sansho the Bailiff (1954) appeared first on .

I very briefly discuss Monty Python’s comedy classic and why in the world it’s set in the year 932 CE. I also address a listener question about the age of [ … ] The post #14b Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) [BONUS EPISODE] appeared first on .

689 CE – Mysterious forces are conspiring to prevent China’s Empress Wu from formally taking the throne. Detective Dee is recruit to solve the case. The post W014: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) appeared first on .

In 610 CE, God speaks to Muhammad who will change the world with his new faith – Islam. The post W013: The Message (1976) appeared first on .

Today we look at the legendary tale of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur while exploring the history of the island of Great Britain. The post W012: Excalibur (1981) appeared first on .

China’s Han dynasty is about to fall. The three factions that will rule during the subsequent Three Kingdoms period clash at the Battle of Red Cliffs. The post W011: Red Cliff (2008) appeared first on .