Top 10 Greatest Films about Historical Figures

Oskar Schindler's Lifesaving Ledger (Schindler's List) is an epic historical drama film produced and released by the United States in 1993, directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Steven Zaillian. The film is based on the novel Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally, an Australian novelist.

Set in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, Oskar Schindler, a failed businessman, arrives in the city from Sudetenland with hopes of making a fortune. Here, under military protection, Schindler had his own factory and lived a lavish life. Witnessing the Jewish Holocaust, Schindler decides to protect the lives of over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories, thereby sparing them from being sent to Nazi concentration camps. 'The List Is Life,' Schindler's list is life itself.

The filming process primarily took place in Kraków, Poland, over 72 days. Spielberg filmed the movie in black and white and considered it a documentary. Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński aimed to give the film a timeless feel. John Williams composed the score for the film, and violinist Itzhak Perlman performed the film's theme.

INFORMATION:

Director: Steven Spielberg

Year of Release: 1993

Country: United States

Duration: 195 minutes

IMDb Rating: 9.0/10

Metacritic Score: 94

Tomatometer Score: 98%

Awards: 7 Oscars

Rush is a 2013 film directed by Ron Howard based on a screenplay by Peter Morgan, depicting the 1976 Formula 1 season and the rivalry between two drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Chris Hemsworth stars as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Lauda. The film premiered in London on September 2, 2013, screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and was theatrically released on September 13, 2013.

Rush tells the gripping and intense battle between two of Formula 1's greatest rivals, James Hunt and Niki Lauda - racing for McLaren and Ferrari respectively. It's not just about the thrilling races but also offers viewers numerous valuable life lessons about friendship, competition, love, and the joy of victory. It's a story not only for those who relentlessly pursue their passion and success against all odds but also about how 'smart people can learn from their enemies.'

INFORMATION:
Director: Ron Howard

Year of Release: 2013

Country: Germany, United States

Duration: 123 minutes

IMDb Rating: 8.1/10

Tomatometer Score: 88%

Awards: BAFTA Award for Outstanding Editing (2013)

Amadeus is a 1984 American historical drama film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer, adapted from Shaffer's stage play of the same name. The story is set in Vienna, Austria, in the latter half of the 18th century, and is a fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's music is prominently featured throughout the film.

The film portrays the rivalry between the Italian composer Antonio Salieri and Mozart under the reign of Emperor Joseph II. Amadeus recreates a part of the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian musical genius, and Antonio Salieri, also a talented composer of Mozart's time. What viewers immediately sense in the film is Mozart's music, the celestial notes of an early extinguished genius in the realm of music.

Amadeus received a total of 53 nominations and won 40 awards, including eight Oscars (including Best Picture), four BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and one Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award. As of 2017, it is the most recent film to win more than one nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked the film 53rd on its list of 100 greatest films.

INFORMATION:
Director: Milos Forman

Year of Release: 1984

Country: United States

Duration: 160 minutes

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

Metacritic Score: 88
Tomatometer Score: 89%

Awards: 8 Oscars and numerous other prestigious awards

The King's Speech is a historical drama film produced in the UK in 2010, directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. In the film, Colin Firth plays King George VI, who seeks help from Lionel Logue, a speech therapist portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, to cope with his stutter. They develop a friendship while working together, and following his brother's abdication, the new king relies on Lionel's assistance to deliver the first wartime radio broadcast regarding Britain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939.

The principal photography took place in the UK from November 2009 to January 2010. Premiering in the UK on January 7, 2011, the film was a major success both commercially and critically. With a budget of $15 million, it grossed over $400 million worldwide. The film received numerous nominations and awards, notably winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Colin Firth) and four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Hooper), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Firth), and Best Original Screenplay (Seidler).

INFORMATION:

Metacritic Score: 88
Tomatometer Score: 94%

Awards: 4 Oscars and numerous other awards

A Beautiful Mind - John Nash, Nobel Economics Laureate and Tragic Destiny portrays the life of John Nash – the American economist, mathematician who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. Despite illness and solitude, John Nash conquered himself to live a meaningful life. The story begins with the early years of a young prodigy named John Nash. However, he soon fell victim to paranoid schizophrenia and had to struggle with it in the painful burden and endurance of his wife Alicia and friends.

The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman. It was inspired by a highly acclaimed book of the same name by writer Sylvia Nasar, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. The film features seasoned actors like leading man Russell Crowe, along with Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Judd Hirsch, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, and Christopher Plummer. The extraordinary life of the most brilliant mathematician of the 20th century is vividly depicted in the film A Beautiful Mind, winning four Oscars in 2002 (including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress).

INFORMATION:

Metacritic Score: 74

Tomatometer Score: 72%

Awards: 4 Oscars and numerous other awards

The film Ray depicts an American phenomenon, a dream named Ray Charles Robinson during the tumultuous years of the 60s and 70s. Blinded at the age of seven due to glaucoma, Ray Charles had to endure a difficult childhood. Losing his father and brother at an early age, Ray had to live alone with his mother. From a young age, he had to take on various jobs to make a living, such as typing and working as an assistant in an auto repair shop.

However, with extraordinary determination and a passion for music, Ray continued to self-learn piano, saxophone, and made a mark in the American recording industry with two hit records, “Georgia” and “Born To Lose”, continuously topping the charts throughout the 70s. With his unique musical sensibility, Ray broke through the old musical barriers and paved the way for the energetic Rock’n Roll music of the subsequent years with many famous recordings. On the path to conquering the peak of glory, Ray Charles tirelessly pursued his dream, even facing addiction and drug problems. The price of fame also pushed him into complicated relationships, always struggling.

INFORMATION:

Director: Taylor Hackford

Year of Release: 2004

Country: USA

Duration: 152 minutes

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Tomatometer Score: 79%

Awards: 2 Oscars, 37 awards, and 37 other nominations.

Walk the Line is a romantic musical drama and biographical film from the United States released in 2005, directed by James Mangold. The screenplay was written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, based on two autobiographies of the country-rock singer-songwriter Johnny Cash: Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975) and Cash: The Autobiography (1997). Walk the Line premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 2005, and was widely released on November 18.

By tracing the life of country-rock singer Johnny Cash, Walk the Line recounts the birth of a new style of artist, a man who overcame all his anger, the ravages of addiction, and the temptations of stardom to become an icon. It is also the love story of Cash, from the depths of his darkest period, with June Carter. That love fueled the artistry throughout Jonny Cash's life. This story is a wonderful blend of Cash's music and his own minimalist style: death, love, betrayal, sin, hope, and faith.

INFORMATION:
Director: James Mangold

Year of Release: 2005

Country: USA, Germany

Duration: 136 minutes

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

Metacritic Score: 72

Tomatometer Score: 82%

Awards: 5 Oscar nominations

La Vie en Rose - The Life of French Songbird Edith Piaf is a musical film from 2007 that tells the life story of French singer Édith Piaf. Directed and co-written by Olivier Dahan, Marion Cotillard stars as Piaf. The title La Vie en Rose of the United Kingdom and the United States originates from Piaf's signature song. The film is a joint international production between France, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.

The film explores Edith Piaf's life from childhood to stardom, from family to friends, from love to heartaches, from smiles to tears. Through a fate more astonishing than a novel, viewers discover the soul of an artist and the heart of a woman. Graceful and intense, fragile yet unbreakable, Edith Piaf dedicates herself to art until sacrifice, becoming an immortal singer in the hearts of fans. The film deserves to be the most compelling story about the talented songstress.

INFORMATION:

Director: Olivier Dahan

Year of Release: 2007

Country: France, USA, Czech Republic

Duration: 140 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10

Metacritic Score: 66

Awards: 2 Oscars and numerous other awards

The Social Network is a 2010 American psychological film that depicts the formation of the social networking site Facebook. Written by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin based on Ben Mezrich's book, 'The Accidental Billionaires,' and directed by David Fincher, the film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, along with Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake.

It's the story of the rapid rise and development of the largest social network today: Facebook. The movie unveils the mysteries of Mark Zuckerberg's personal and emotional life, the founder of Facebook. Despite criticism for its accuracy regarding Mark Zuckerberg's personal life and the founding of Facebook, the film received high praise overall: directing, acting, editing, and especially the screenplay. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.

INFORMATION:
Director: David Fincher

Year of Release: 2010

Country: USA

Duration: 120 minutes

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

Metacritic Score: 95
Tomatometer Score: 96%

Awards: Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score at the 83rd Academy Awards, among many others

The Aviator is an American biographical film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, and Kate Beckinsale. It also features renowned supporting actors such as Ian Holm, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Gwen Stefani, Kelli Garner, Willem Dafoe, Alan Alda, and Edward Herrmann.

Based on the non-fiction book by Charles Higham, 'Howard Hughes: The Secret Life,' the film portrays the life of Howard Hughes, the pioneering aviator and director of the film 'Hell's Angels' (1930). It depicts Hughes' life between the late 1920s and the late 1940s, during which he became a successful film producer and an aviation tycoon while also grappling with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Aviator was released in the United States on December 25, 2004, grossing $214 million worldwide.

INFORMATION:
Director: Martin Scorsese

Year of Release: 2004

Country: USA, Germany

Duration: 170 minutes

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Metacritic Score: 77

Tomatometer Score: 86%

Awards: Nominated for 11 Oscars and numerous other awards