The top 25 historical movies can now be revealed after a shortlist was created … by some of UK’s top historians.
From Mel Gibson’s ‘Braveheart’ to Tom Hanks’s tale of WWII gallantry ‘Saving Private Ryan’, 22 of the UK’s leading history experts their 100-strong shortlist.
Then HistoryExtra.com readers voted for their top five from the list in a survey from 4th November to 8th December 2024 top create a top 25 – with the winner a film that scooped seven Oscars in 1994.
The enthralling 1993 movie ‘Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Ralph Fiennes in his chilling role as Nazi death camp guard Amon Goeth, topped the list after over 3,800 votes were cast.
Nominated by historians Roger Moorhouse and Nathen Amin, the film based on true events chronicles how German industrialist Oskar Schindler saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jewish workers during the Second World War.
Roger Moorhouse says: “Today, as the Holocaust recedes beyond living memory, Schindler’s List takes on a vital significance not just as a cinematic masterpiece, but as a history lesson.
“It immerses viewers in the brutal reality, from the dehumanising conditions of the ghettos and concentration camps to the small acts of defiance and hope that sustained the survivors.
“By focusing on individual stories, the film adds much-needed humanity to one of history’s darkest chapters.”
Second in the poll is Gladiator (2000), directed by Ridley Scott, and nominated by historians Nathen Amin, James Holland and Luke Pepera – the tale of the slave who became a gladiator and defied an emperor won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
While third is Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean and nominated by historian Alex von Tunzelmann.
One of the most visually stunning films ever made: its desert landscapes, filmed in Jordan, Morocco, California and Spain, are sumptuous, and the film is praised for capturing Lawrence’s character and charisma, and the historical context he was rooted in.
Kev Lochun, Deputy Digital Editor, HistoryExtra.com says: “HistoryExtra.com challenged 22 historians to choose the historical movies that have most inspired, entertained and enthralled them, and explain why.
“Our final list, ranked by the HistoryExtra.com readers, spans the centuries and shines a light on what cinema can do to bring to life characters and stories that are timeless.
“Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List was a clear winner in this poll, and is widely regarded as not only one of the greatest historical films ever made, but one of the greatest films full stop.
“As well as some surprising inclusions, equally surprising are the movies that did not make the cut, and how many popular historical movies of recent memory were not nominated by our panel of historians at all.
“Some of them are the biggest releases of recent years that are covered on HistoryExtra, from American true crime tale Killers of the Flower Moon and slickly shot WW1 drama 1917 to the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.”