This selection contains the best historical love movies that will transport you through space and time. There is a special charm in historical melodramas: feelings and real historical facts are woven into one ball of events, which allows everyone to take a walk through the past centuries and look behind the scenes of eternity.
Troy
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Action, story, drama, melodrama
- USA, Malta, UK production / 2004
- Budget: $175,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $497,409,852
- Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Diane Kruger, Brendan Gleeson, Sean Bean, Julie Christie, Peter O’Toole, Rose Byrne
A historical drama based on Homer’s poem The Iliad. The story takes the audience back to 1193 B.C., when the Trojan heir Paris kidnapped the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, Helen the Beautiful. King Agamemnon stands up for the honour of his deceived brother at the head of a huge army.
A mighty army led by the indestructible warrior Achilles besieged the city of Troy. Only cunning and courage were able to turn the tide of this prolonged battle to one side. But the price of victory was too high.
Eric Bana and Brad Pitt, who played Hector and Achilles, performed most of the stunts without understudies. For this purpose they trained before filming for more than half a year, learned to wield a sword and a spear, to ride a horse, and Pitt even quit smoking.
Initially, the director did not plan to introduce Helen into the plot, but when the studio insisted, he chose the little-known actress Diane Kruger for this role.
Les Misérables
- Rating IMDB – 7.6
- Genre: Musical, drama, melodrama, war, story
- UK, USA production / 2012
- Budget: $61,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $441,809,770
- Directed by Tom Hooper
- Cast: Colm Wilkinson, Aaron Thwait, Samantha Barks, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Amanda Sayfred, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman
Early 19th century. Jean Valjean, a gambler facing a heavy prison sentence, is forced to hide from the police. In particular, from Inspector Javert of Paris, who intends to catch the fugitive, no matter what it costs him.
Cozette remains the only person close to Jean, after the death of her mother Fantine, a garment factory worker, for whose fate Valjean considered himself responsible. For the sake of the girl’s well-being, Jean is ready to do anything.
The musical is based on the work of the same name by Victor Hugo.
In one scene Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway, cuts her hair – the actress does it for real.
A Royal Affair
- Rating IMDB – 7.5
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, stor
- Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany production / 2012
- Worldwide gross: $14,758,997
- Directed by Nikolaj Arcel
- Cast: Laura Brault, Harriet Walter, Bent Meiding, Siron Bjork Melville, Thomas V. Gabrielsson, David Densik, Trine Durholm, Mikkel Folsgaard, Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander
This historical melodrama is set in mid-18th century Denmark. The young Queen Caroline Mathilde hates her husband, King Christian VII, who suffers from mental illness, because he prefers the company of Copenhagen prostitutes to her company.
When the German doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee arrives at court, he proves to be the only one who can favorably influence the king. As time passes, however, the young doctor becomes increasingly close to his wife, which does not please Queen Mother Juliana Maria at all.
The filmmakers tried to convey to the viewer the historical events that took place in the 1770s in Denmark as faithfully as possible.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Padmaavat
- Rating IMDB – 7.0
- Genre: Melodrama, military, history, drama
- India production / 2018
- Budget: $31,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $22,991,060
- Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Cast: Deepika Padukon, Anupriya Goenka, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hidari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, Sharhan Singh, Manjit Singh, Padmavati Rao
Early 14th century. Alauddin Khilji is a powerful sultan who has conquered much of India. One day a religious preceptor, who once served at the court of Chittorgarh, appears on his trail and promises the conqueror even greater benefits if Padmavati – the wife of the ruler of the neighboring lands, Ratan Singh – is at his side.
Obsessed with the monk’s sweet talk, Alauddin leads his troops to the walls of Chittorgarh’s fortress and demands that the ruler give up his wife in exchange for the city’s integrity.
Emma.
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Comedy, Melodrama
- UK production / 2020
- Budget: $10,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $26,404,660
- Directed by Autumn de Wilde
- Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Tanya Reynolds, Josh O Connor, Johnny Flynn, Gemma Whelan, Mia Goth, Bill Nye, Callum Turner, Miranda Hart, Rupert Graves
Despite her wealth, social status, and beauty, the shrewd Emma Woodhouse has no intention of binding herself to one of the many suitors for her hand and heart. However, Emma’s categorical attitude towards marriage does not prevent her from acting as a matchmaker for her acquaintances.
Having a fine sense of people’s characters, the girl takes on the task of arranging the private life of her new companion, orphan Harriet Smith. Masterfully using her skills, Emma persuades Harriet to abandon her marriage to a poor farmer. But manipulating the girl’s mind may cost the main character her own happiness.
Jane Eyre
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama
- UK, USA production / 2011
- Worldwide gross: $34,710,627
- Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
- Cast: Elizabeth Hopley, Sally Hawkins, Craig Roberts, Amelia Clarkson, Tamzin Merchant, Holly Grainger, Su Elliot, Jamie Bell, Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska
Victorian England. After the death of her parents, ten-year-old Jane Eyre finds herself in the home of her aunt, Sarah Reed, a controlling and selfish woman. They struggle to get along, and in the course of another scandal, Mrs. Reed decides to give Jane Eyre to be brought up at the Lovud School for Girls.
After spending eight long and joyless years there, she finds a job at the home of a wealthy aristocrat, Mr. Rochester, to look after his pupil, nine-year-old French girl Adele Varans. The owner himself hardly visits the estate, but his unexpected return is the beginning of one of the most famous love stories.
A screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by the English writer Charlotte Brontë.
At the 2011 Academy Awards, the film won the award for Best Costume Design.
Tristan + Isolde
- Rating IMDB – 6.8
- Genre: Melodrama, Drama, Action
- USA, UK, Germany, Czech Republic production / 2005
- Worldwide gross: $27,927,311
- Directed by Kevin Reynolds
- Cast: Richard Dillane, Leo Gregory, JB Blank, Henry Cavill, David O’Hara, Sofia Miles, Thomas Sangster, James Franco, Jamie King, Rufus Sewell, Wolfgang Muller
Tristan, an early orphan, is brought to the court of his uncle, King Mark, who raises the boy as his own son. Growing up and a brave warrior, Tristan sets out to fight the army of the Irish king.
After the battle, the blond princess Isolde finds him, badly wounded, and love flares up between them. However, the future of the king’s daughter is already decided – the girl is to become the wife of a British lord.
The Other Boleyn Girl
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, story
- UK, USA production / 2008
- Budget: $35,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $77,713,866
- Directed by Justin Chadwick
- Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfie Allen, Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, Jade Ramsey, Mark Riley, Ana Torrent
The blind ambition of the family forces the two sisters (the strong-willed Anne and the dainty, sweet Mary Boleyn) to fight for the love and favor of the young King Henry VIII. Both girls become mistresses of the ruler, but only one of them is destined to ascend the throne for a short time.
The historical film is based on the work of the British writer Philippa Gregory, who in turn wrote the book based on actual events that took place. In spite of the more or less authentic facts, some scenes in the film have inaccuracies that have nothing to do with the real story.
A Little Chaos
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama
- UK production / 2014
- Worldwide gross: $10,084,623
- Directed by Alan Rickman
- Cast: Kate Winslet, Daniel Webb, Mattias Schonarts, Elinor Montgomery, Caroline Valdes, Hal Hebetson, Isabella Steinbart, Hope Hancock, Alan Rickman, Thomas Allam
The film is set in 17th-century France. The reigning King Louis XIV decides to move his residence from Paris to Versailles. He invites the best gardeners and landscape architects to create a park ensemble of the new palace.
The talented gardener Madame Sabine de Barra is appointed chief architect and begins a large-scale landscaping operation. The girl not only successfully copes with the task, but also captures the King’s attention.
W.E.
- Rating IMDB – 6.3
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Story
- UK production / 2011
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $2,042,203
- Directed by Madonna
- Cast: Lawrence Fox, Richard Coyle, James D’Arcy, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, Annabelle Wallis, Cathy McGrath, Natalie Dormer, Abbie Cornish, Jeffrey Palmer, Haluk Bilginer, Judy Parfitt
The meeting between Edward VIII, heir to the British throne, and Wallis Simpson, a married American woman, was fateful for both. When their affair became public, it became clear that the two were willing to go to great lengths for love. Wallis did not hesitate to dissolve the marriage, and Edward gave up the throne.
The actors James and Lawrence Fox, who played the father and son George V and George VII, are like that in real life.
Simpson owned no small amount of jewelry, and Cartier was brought in to recreate it.
Becoming Jane
- Rating IMDB – 7.0
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Biography
- UK, Ireland production / 2006
- Budget: $16,500,000
- Worldwide gross: $37,311,672
- Directed by Julian Jarrold
- Cast: Maggie Smith, James Cromwell, Tony Brown, Tom Maguire, Tara Lynn O’Neill, Sophie Wawasser, Russell Smith, Guy Carleton, Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Michael James Ford, Eleanor Methven, Jessica Ashworth, Anna Maxwell Martin, Ian Richardson, Lawrence Fox, Lucy Cohu, James McAvoy, Leo Bill, Anne Hathaway, Julie Walters, Helen McCrory, Jo Anderson
England, late 18th century. Jane Austen’s parents, wishing to make a good match for their daughter, match her to the nephew of a local rich lady, Mr. Weasley. Despite her indifference to the groom, Austen dares not defy her parents – girls of that era had no other choice.
But everything changes when Jane meets the charming young Irishman Tom Leffroy. His wit and impertinence so impress her that she forgets all the rest. Will Austen be able to disobey her parents, turn away the undesirable groom and go against society for love?
Anna Karenina
- Rating IMDB – 6.6
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama
- UK production / 2012
- Worldwide gross: $69,987,859
- Directed by Joe Wright
- Cast: Ruth Wilson, Holly Grainger, Emily Watson, Michelle Dockery, Olivia Williams, Matthew McFadden, Kelly McDonald, Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Keira Knightley
Russian Empire, 1870s. Alexei Vronsky, a young Guards officer, meets his mother at the train station, who has come to visit her son from St. Petersburg. On the train he meets a noble lady of St. Petersburg – the wife of an important official, Anna Karenina.
Their meeting develops into a stormy romance, but their forbidden feelings, which become public knowledge, shock the high society. Passionate love in a world of prejudice cost the heroine her life.
The large-scale adaptation of the great novel was nominated for the 2012 Oscars in several categories, but received a statuette only in one – for “Best Costume Design.
Bajirao Mastani
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Melodrama, history, war, action
- India production / 2015
- Budget: ₹ 1,250,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $11,350,917
- Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, Deepika Padukon, Ranveer Singh, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi, Milind Soman, Raza Murad
The action of the historical film takes place in the early 18th century. In the center of the plot – a love story of the Hindu warlord Bajirao I and the Muslim heiress to the throne – Princess Mastani.
Their relationship will go through an incredible transformation – from open dislike of each other, to passionate mutual feelings. For the happiness of his beloved Bajirao is ready to do anything.
The story is based on a short story by the writer Nagnut S. Inamdar.
The Queen and the Cardinal
- Rating IMDB – 6.8
- Genre: Story
- France production / 2009
- Directed by Marc Riviere
- Cast: Philippe Torreton, Alessandra Martinez, Marc Kitty, Cyrille Decourt, Carla Buttarazzi, Marie Denarno, Josephine de Mo, Christophe Raymond, Audrey Fleuro, Nicolas Vaud
France, mid-17th century. After the death of her husband, Louis VIII, Anne of Austria becomes provisional ruler of the state under the young king. As first minister, the cunning and calculating Cardinal Mazarini achieves unprecedented power.
Feelings flare up between him and Anna, which eventually develop into an irresistible love passion. Their relationship is doomed, but despite all obstacles, they are ready to fight for their love and go to the end.
The Young Victoria
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, story
- UK, USA production / 2008
- Budget: $35,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $27,409,889
- Directed by Jean-Marc Valli
- Cast: Rupert Friend, Michaela Brooks, Princess Beatrice, Jesper Christensen, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Robert Cambrinus, Emily Blunt, Jim Broadbent, Mark Strong
Victoria lost her father, the Duke of Kent, when she was not even a year old. Ten years later, the girl realized that she was destined to ascend the throne and become Queen of the British Empire. The young and inexperienced heiress to the throne succeeds in winning the respect and love of her people.
Her uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium, for his own political purposes, persuades his youngest nephew, Prince Albert, to charm Victoria. Although the young queen was well aware of her uncle’s motives, real mutual feelings do arise between her and Albert.
The Duchess
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, story
- UK, Italy, France, USA production / 2008
- Budget: £ 13,500,000
- Worldwide gross: $43,306,325
- Directed by Sol Dibb
- Cast: John Shrapnel, Charlotte Rampling, Keira Knightley, Helister Petrie, Hayley Atwell, Aidan McArdle, Dominic Cooper, Ralph Fiennes, Simon McBurney, Patrick Godfrey
Georgiana’s beauty and charisma opened the door to high society for the young girl. After getting married to the cynical and indifferent Duke of Devonshire, she was able to preserve her inner world, become a trendsetter and gain political power by gambling. A luxurious mansion, high society, but what about love?
The plot of this historical melodrama is based on the work of writer and historian Amanda Foreman.
Gong suo chen xiang
- Rating IMDB – 5.9
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Story
- China production / 2013
- Budget: $8,000,000
- Directed by Anzi Pan
- Cast: Vivian Wu, Winston Chao, Dickie Chung, Yi Lu, Eva Huang, Beyer Bao, Liu Zhao, Zixiao Zhu, Chen Xiao, Zhou Dongyu
The Kangxi era, 17th century. A young girl named Chen Xiang joins the palace as an ordinary servant girl. Over time she meets all the inhabitants of the house and develops a friendship with a maid of the same age, Liu Li, who flirts with princes in order to gain a better position in the house.
However, their friendship does not last long – Liu Li betrays Chen Xiang, who in turn unexpectedly falls in love with the 13th Prince. Meanwhile, the prince plots to assassinate the emperor.
Curiosa
- Rating IMDB – 5.4
- Genre: Melodrama, story
- France production / 2019
- Worldwide gross: $114,949
- Directed by Lou Genet
- Cast: Noémie Merlan, Niels Schneider, Benjamin Lavergne, Camélia Giordan, Amira Casar, Scali Delpeyre, Emilien Diar-Detouf, Mathilde Varnier, Melody Richard, Damien Bonnard
Paris, late 19th century. Pierre Louis is a fashionable poet, an erotomaniac and a passionate traveler. He, like his friend, the poet Henri de Rainier, is madly in love with the young beauty Marie. To pay off her father’s debts, Marie marries Henri, despite being in love with Pierre.
However, marriage will not be a hindrance for the girl, who has decided to discover true love in the arms of a lover who photographs naked women’s bodies.
The plot is based on real diaries and erotic photographs of bohemians of the time.
Ophelia
- Rating IMDB – 6.6
- Genre: Melodrama, history
- UK, USA production / 2018
- Worldwide gross: $338,940
- Directed by Claire McCarthy
- Cast: Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, Tom Felton, Clive Owen, George McKay, Daisy Head, Sebastian de Sousa, Dominic Mafam, Devon Terrell, Anna Rust
A new take on Shakespearean tragedy with an unexpected plot twist. After the mysterious death of the King of Denmark, his brother, the overbearing and cruel Claudius, takes over as ruler. Dark times come to the kingdom.
The beautiful Ophelia, of ignorant origin and brought up without a mother, begins living at court at a young age and becomes Queen Gertrude’s lady-in-waiting. It is she who tries to protect the rightful heir and her beloved Prince Hamlet from the intrigues of Claudius.
Mary Shelley
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, history
- UK, Luxembourg, USA, Ireland, Australia production / 2017
- Worldwide gross: $2,096,600
- Directed by Haifa Al-Mansour
- Cast: Elle Fanning, Ben Hardy, Macy Williams, Bel Pauli, Douglas Booth, Joanne Froggatt, Tom Sturridge, Stephen Dillane, Hugh O’Conor, Ciara Charteris
Mary Godwin is a 16-year-old girl raised by a strict father in a typically English dystopian landscape. Her mother, Mary Walstonecraft, a feminist writer, died in childbirth. One day Mary finds herself in Scotland, where she meets the eccentric poet Percy B. Shelley, who leads a dissolute lifestyle.
An affair develops between the characters, despite the fact that Percy is married. Several years of forbidden relations wear Mary out so much that soon one of the greatest monsters of world literature, Frankenstein, is born from under her pen.
Director Haifa Al-Mansour became the first Saudi woman to direct a film in Hollywood.
Victoria & Abdul
- Rating IMDB – 6.8
- Genre: Drama, biography, history
- UK, USA production / 2017
- Worldwide gross: $66,558,465
- Directed by Stephen Frears
- Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard, Adil Akhtar, Michael Gambon, Paul Higgins, Olivia Williams, Fenella Woolgar, Julian Wedham
Late 19th century. Queen Victoria, who took the throne at the age of 18, has ruled the country for 62 years – longer than any of her predecessors. One day, a young, handsome Abdul Karim enters the palace as a mere servant. Unexpectedly for the whole kingdom, a strong friendship develops between Victoria and her subject.
In time Abdul becomes one of the most influential men at court. He was envied, intrigues were woven against him, and his relationship with the queen was discussed not only in Britain but all over the world.
The screenplay is based on the work of the same name by the Indian writer Shrabani Basu.
Love & Friendship
- Rating IMDB – 6.4
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, comedy
- Ireland, France, Netherlands production / 2016
- Budget: $3,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $21,401,949
- Directed by Whit Stillman
- Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Zavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Justin Edwards, Tom Bennett, Morfydd Clark, Gemma Redgrave
Lady Susan Vernon, a charming young widow, moves to her late husband’s estate to wait out the rumors of her amorous adventures while they die down in high society.
In order not to waste time, she decides to improve her financial situation and find a wealthy husband for herself and her young daughter. In the struggle for a profitable marriage, calculating Susan will have to use all her talents, including her mocking wit and ability to weave incredible intrigues.
The film is based on the novel “Lady Susan” by Jane Austen, which could not reach its readers until 1871, more than half a century after the writer’s death.
Tulip Fever
- Rating IMDB – 6.2
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, story
- UK, USA production / 2016
- Budget: $25 000 000
- Worldwide gross: $9,204,549
- Directed by Justin Chadwick
- Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Christoph Waltz, Zach Galifianakis, Tom Hollander, Jack O’Connell, Kevin McKidd
Netherlands, 17th century. The tulip fever that has enveloped the country pushes people into madness. For the sake of beautiful flowers, which are worth their weight in gold, people are willing to do anything: lies, forgery, and even murder.
A young artist, Jan, comes to the house of Cornelius, a rich old merchant, to paint a portrait of his young wife Sophia, whom he has taken from the monastery to conceive an heir. An irrepressible passion flares up between Jan and Sofia. Forbidden love pushes the characters into deception.
The basis of the historical film about love was the novel of the same name by the English writer Deborah Moggak.
The Scandalous Lady W
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, history
- UK production / 2015
- Directed by Cherie Foxon
- Cast: Richard McCabe, Elizabeth Ryder, Jessica Gunning, Peter Sullivan, Chris Oliverom, Craig Parkinson, David Calder, Sean Evans, Aneirin Barnard, Natalie Dormer
The marriage of young Lady Seymour Dorothy Fleming to Sir Richard Worsley should have been the beginning of her long and happy married life. Instead, however, their marriage became the cause of endless gossip and gossip in high society.
Tired of her husband’s perverted sexual tastes, Seymour runs away from him with her lover, Captain Bissett. The scandalous Seymour becomes known throughout England for her record number of adulteries with her husband and her high-profile divorce proceedings.
The film is based on the work of historian Hallie Rubenhold, who drew on real historical facts to create the book.
Beloved Sisters
- Rating IMDB – 6.2
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, story
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland production / 2014
- Worldwide gross: $2,207,030
- Directed by Dominik Graf
- Cast: Hannah Herzprung, Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius, Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Maya Maranov, Michael Wittenborn, Andreas Pichmann, Ann Schäfer, Peter Schneider
Rudolstadt, summer of 1788. As young sisters Caroline and Charlotte Lengefeld, who once belonged to an aristocratic family, swore that they would walk through life together and share whatever fate presented to them.
One day Charlotte makes the acquaintance of the young poet Friedrich Schiller, whom she immediately introduces to her sister Caroline, who is going through a marriage of bad times. The heroes spend unforgettable days together, but soon the fragile love triangle begins to crumble.
Pope Joan
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, story
- Germany, UK, Italy, Spain production /2009
- Budget: €22,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $26,375,075
- Directed by Sönke Wortmann
- Cast: Johanna Vokalek, Lottie Flack, Anatole Taubman, Oliver Cotton, Iain Glen, John Goodman, David Wenham, Edward Burbridge
814 A.D. The daughter of a simple country clergyman, Johanna had a great desire for knowledge from childhood and showed great mental ability. Through incredible effort, she is educated and sent to the Vatican.
Disguised as a man, Joanna becomes the personal physician and advisor to Pope Sergius. Although these facts have been kept secret by the Catholic Church for a thousand years, historians claim that after the death of the Pope, Joanna took his place for two years.
Angélique
- Rating IMDB – 6.2
- Genre: Melodrama, Adventure
- France production / 2013
- Budget: €15,750,000
- Worldwide gross: $996,304
- Directed by Ariel Zeitoun
- Cast: Florence Coste, Rainer Frieb, Juliane Weigend, Miguel Herz-Kestranek, Matthew Bouchena, David Cross, Simon Abkarian, Tomer Cisle, Gérard Lanvin, Nora Arneseder
France, 17th century. Baron Sancet de Monteloup marries his daughter Angelique to the Comte de Peyrac, a man of considerable wealth and reputed to be a “sorcerer. Having heard tales about her husband-to-be, Angelica is greatly upset by her situation, but in time real feelings flare up between them.
But the destiny proves to be mercilessly cruel to the spouses and very soon the lovers separate. Despite the danger that awaits Angelica at every step, she is ready to fight for her love till her last breath.
La princesse de Montpensier
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, story
- France, Germany production / 2010
- Worldwide gross: $6,766,938
- Directed by Bertrand Tavernier
- Cast: Gregoire Leprens-Renguet, Samuel Theis, Eric Rulla, Judith Schemla, Rafael Personas, Anatole de Bodina, Michel Vuillermoz, Lambert Wilson, Melanie Thierry, Gaspard Ullier
This historical melodrama covers events that took place in mid-16th-century France. To elevate his family, the Marquis de Maizeur, father of one of the kingdom’s most enviable brides, decides to marry his daughter Marie to the Prince of Montpasier, who, after spending the night with his young wife, immediately goes off to war.
However, the girl herself has feelings for the young Duke de Guise, who she believes also loves her. Left alone in a huge castle, Marie becomes the subject of a dangerous and violent rivalry between several men.
The film is based on the short story of the same name by Madame de La Fayette.
Henri 4
- Rating IMDB – 5.9
- Genre: Drama, History
- Germany, France, Austria, Spain production / 2010
- Budget: €20,000,000
- Directed by Joe Beyer
- Cast: Joachim Krull, Ulrich Neuten, Sven Pippig, Hannelore Hoger, Sandra Hüller, Chloe Stefani, Roger Casamajor, Julien Beisselier, Armel Deutsch, Andreas Schmidt
After his mother’s death, her son Henry becomes king of Navarre. In the hope of reconciling the Catholic and Protestant parties, mired in a bloody war for land and power, Henry marries Marguerite Valois, better known as “Queen Margot.
But his plan turns out to be even more terrifying: the Protestants are brutally massacred during the wedding celebrations. The new king manages to keep himself alive by embracing Catholicism, but he has to be a prisoner of the French court for four whole years. In the winter of 1576 he escapes and returns to the Protestant faith.
Cold Mountain
- Rating IMDB – 7.2
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, adventure, war, story
- USA, Italy, Romania, UK production / 2003
- Budget: $79,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $173,013,509
- Directed by Anthony Minghella
- Cast: Gina Malone, Ray Winstone, Jack White, Eileen Atkins, Ethan Sapley, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Hunnam, Lucas Black, Nicole Kidman, Giovanni Ribisi, Taryn Manning, Melora Walters, Brendan Gleeson, Kathy Baker, Jude Law, Ben Allison, James Gammon, Renée Zellweger, Natalie Portman
The U.S. Civil War. Having been wounded, Inman decides to escape from the hospital and travel to his native North Carolina to see his beloved Ada. The American Confederate, who has fled the front lines, is wanted as a deserter.
Meanwhile, the minister’s daughter Ada tries to survive alone on the war-torn Cold Mountain. Unexpectedly, a tramp named Ruby comes to her aid, teaching the young society lady the basics of housekeeping…
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Fraser.
Nicole Kidman, who plays Ada, performs all the piano parts herself.
Great Expectations
- Rating IMDB – 6.4
- Genre: Drama, melodrama
- UK, USA production / 2012
- Worldwide gross: $6,202,879
- Directed by Mike Newell
- Cast: Sophie Rundle, David Walliams, Sally Hawkins, Ewan Bremner, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Fleming, Helena Bonham Carter, Rafe Fiennes, Holliday Grainger, Jeremy Irvine
Young orphan Philip Pirrip is forced to live in the home of his stern sister and her husband. The only things that brighten his gray life are blacksmithing and love for the neighbor girl Estella.
One day at the cemetery, on Christmas Eve, fate confronts the hero with a convict who escaped from custody. It is this encounter that leads Pip into a series of dizzying events and abruptly changes his life.
In an interview Helena Bonham Carter said that during the shooting she walked around in only one shoe, to completely fit her character Mrs. Havisham from the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.
Marie Antoinette
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, story
- USA, France, Japan production / 2005
- Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $60,917,189
- Directed by Sofia Coppola
- Cast: Judy Davis, Rose Byrne, Molly Shannon, Danny Huston, Rip Torn, Asia Argento, Shirley Henderson, Jason Schwartzman, Marianne Faithfull, Kirsten Dunst
A modern interpretation of the brilliant and tragic fate of the illustrious French queen. In order to conclude an alliance between the two powers, the emperor of Austria gives his 15-year-old daughter Marie Antoinette in marriage to the heir to the French throne, Louis XVI.
At the age of 19, she becomes a full-fledged ruler and gradually begins to get used to her new life, filled with endless entertainment and the luxury of Versailles. However, at the age of 37, Marie Antoinette must die on the guillotine to the hooting and hooting of the Parisian mob.
Bright Star
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography
- UK, Australia, France production / 2009
- Budget: $8,500,000
- Worldwide gross: $14,310,133
- Directed by Jane Campion
- Cast: Abbie Cornish, Amanda Hale, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Gerard Monaco, Thomas Brody Sangster, Edie Martin, Samuel Rookin, Carrie Fox, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider
1818. The young 22-year-old poet John Keats, living in the suburbs of London, meets the charming girl Fanny Brown. The feelings between them immediately erupt, which grow into a strong and deep love.
But the time allotted for the lovers’ happiness is rapidly and ruthlessly running out: John Keats is mortally ill with consumption, and he has only three years to live.
The historical drama about love was based on real facts taken from the life of the classic English poet John Keats.
Anna and the King
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Story
- USA production / 1999
- Budget: $92,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $113,996,937
- Directed by Andy Tennant
- Cast: Randall Duck Kim, Syed Alvi, Tom Felton, Bai Ling, Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Jeffrey Palmer, Ann Furbank, Dinna Yusoff, Mano Maniam, Kate Chin, Melissa Campbell, Kay Siu Lim
Schoolteacher Anna moves from England to the exotic country of Siam to teach English language and culture to the children of the local ruler Mongkut.
Conflicts erupt from time to time between the courageous and freedom-loving Anna, who does not recognize blind obedience, and the sensible, far-sighted Mongkut, an opponent of Western morality.
But when the king learns of an attempt on his life, Anne and Mongkut have no choice but to become allies and confront their enemies together.
The Lady
- Rating IMDB – 7.1
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, biography, story
- France, UK, Thailand production / 2011
- Worldwide gross: $7,832,142
- Directed by Luc Besson
- Cast: Anthony Hickling, Sahayak Boonsanakit, Guy Burwell, Flint Bangkok, Benedict Wong, Susan Wooldridge, Jonathan Woodhouse, Jonathan Radgett, David Thewlis, Michelle Yeoh
This biographical drama tells the life story of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who, despite all the difficulties and obstacles, was able to influence the course of history and bring democracy to Burma.
A real heroine, a fighter for justice, the daughter of a political activist murdered by a death squad, has to fight not only for people’s rights, but also for her own love for her husband, Michael Aeris. Neither the long separation nor the distance will be able to destroy the feelings born between Michael and Aung San during the political complications in the country.
Belle
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Biography
- UK production / 2013
- Budget: £ 6,500,000
- Worldwide gross: $16,607,575
- Directed by Amma Asante
- Cast: Cara Jenkins, Alan McKenna, Natasha Williams, Lauren Julien-Box, Emily Watson, Matthew Goode, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Wilkinson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
The English admiral John Lindsey brings an illegitimate mixed-race daughter named Belle to his family estate and leaves the girl in the care of her uncle. She receives a good education and her father’s considerable fortune, but because of the prejudices of the time, high society is not ready to accept a girl of color in its midst.
One day, fate brings Belle together with the vicar’s young son, John Davignet, with whom she develops a warm, trusting relationship.
The British drama is based on real historical events.
Mary Queen of Scots
- Rating IMDB – 6.3
- Genre: Drama, biography, history
- UK, USA production / 2018
- Worldwide gross: $46,712,809
- Directed by Josie Rourke
- Cast: Margot Robbie, Gemma Chan, Guy Pearce, Joe Alvin, David Tennant, Sirsha Ronan, Ian Hart, Jack Louden, Brendan Coyle, Martin Compton
Mary Stuart, 18, widowed after a year of marriage, returns to her homeland of Scotland. There she is to assume power, but the elevated Protestants are hostile to the future Catholic queen.
The imperious Elizabeth I, who occupies the throne of England, sends a delegation to Mary, which includes Count Robert Daly. According to numerous advisers – he is ideally suited to the role of Mary’s new consort.
At the 2019 Oscars, the film won in two categories – Best Costumes and Best Makeup and Hairstyles.
According to the director herself, she was inspired by Friedrich Schiller’s play “Maria Stewart”.
Other historical love movies
- Le retour du héros (2018)
- The Girl King (2015)
- Wang chao de nu ren: Yang Gui Fei (2015)
- Sunsu-ui sidae (2015)
- Mary Queen of Scots (2013)
- Bel Ami (2012)
- The Invisible Woman (2012)
- Les adieux à la reine (2012)
- Coco avant Chanel (2008)
- Angel (2007)
- The Four Feathers (2002)
- The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
