El Cid (1961) starring Charleton Heston, a movie with direct heritage to the Romantics, it helped mold popular perceptions of the Middle Ages in the middle 20th century.

Medieval films imagine and portray the Middle Ages through the visual, audio and thematic forms of cinema. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. ... The artists rendering of a bare_headed Charlton Heston as Moses was bulked up to modern physique standards when the DVD was released Charlton Heston (born October 4, American film actor noted for heroic roles. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of...

Background

The 20th century is not the first to create images of life during medieval times. The Middle Ages ended six centuries ago and each century has imagined, portrayed and depicted the Middle Ages through painting, architecture, poetry, music and novel. In the 20th century, film has defined Medieval history perhaps more so than any other medium. While the conclusions of academic research and findings of archeology have advanced knowledge of the Middle Ages, nothing has had more widespread influence on more people than the images created by film. Just as most peoples perceptions of the American Wild West were drawn mostly from cinema, versus source material or academic research, so too most peoples perceptions of the Middle Ages were influenced by the powerful narratives and images of film. The Middle Ages in history is an overview of how previous periods have portrayed the Middle Ages. ... Great Basin region, typical American West The Western United States has played a significant role in history and fiction. ...

If film was the most influential medium, Hollywood was the most influential image maker. Hollywood films reached a global audience through big budget productions, and equally big distribution and advertising channels. Hollywood adapted works of the Romanticism movement to the screen, seamlessly forging a bridge between Romanticized historical novels, operas, paintings, and music of the 19th century onto film in the 20th. The ideals of the Romantics were fully realized on the screen in such influential works as Ivanhoe (1952) and El Cid (1961) which belong to the same late Romantic culture in their music, imagery and themes. For other uses, see Hollywood (disambiguation) Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that runs from about Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, where the time the action takes place in predates the time of the first publication -- distinguish and contrast the genre of alternate history. ... Ivanhoe book cover Ivanhoe is a novel by Sir Walter Scott. ... Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. ...

Strong cinematic images of the Middle Ages can be found in European films. Influential European films included the German Nibelungenlied (1924), Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957), while in France there were many Joan of Arc sequels. Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898–February 11, 1948) was a Russian director noted for his films Battleship Potemkin and Oktober, both based loosely on a true story and presented in a realistic fashion, causing an immeasurable influence on early documentary directors owing to his innovative... Alexander Nevsky is a film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and released in 1938, under the Stalinist regime. ... Ingmar Bergman (born July 14, 1918) is a Swedish film director. ... Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) is a 1957 film directed by Ingmar Bergman, most notable for the scene in which a medieval knight (played by Max von Sydow) plays chess with the personification of Death, with his life resting on the outcome of the game. ... Joan of Arc has many meanings. ...

The first Medieval film was also one of the earliest films ever made, Jeanne d'Arc released in 1899 [1] (http://imdb.com/title/tt0132251). The first Robin Hood film dates to 1907 and was called Robin Hood and his Merry Men. 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Historiography and Historiophoty

The historiography and historiophoty of medieval film is one of a new, evolving and dynamic field of study. The relationship between film and history has been a subject of interest since as long as films have been made, however, it was only in the last decade of the 20th century that medievalists paid attention to film as a serious means of learning about the Middle Ages. Until the publication of K.J. Harty's book The Reel Middle Ages (1999) there had been no comprehensive survey of medieval films, and John Aberth's book A Knight at the Movies (2003) can probably be called the first book dedicated solely to the subject of history and medieval history on film. As Arthur Lindly said in 1998 "One could note the absence of books by medievalists as well as books of any kind devoted to medieval film," however he prophetically observed "The situation may be beginning to change". Historiography is writing about rather than of history. ...

Select films

At over 900 films listed by Harty in 1999 it is beyond the scope of this article to create a complete list. Listed here are some of the best and most significant films in both quality and historical accuracy.

Sorted by date.

The Passion of Joan of Arc was a silent film released in France in 1928 based on the trial records of Joan of Arc, which had just come to light that year. ... Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne dArc) (January 6, 1412 - May 30, 1431), known as the Maid of Orléans (French: la pucelle dOrléans), is a national heroine of France and saint of the Catholic Church. ... The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 film based upon the Robin Hood legend. ... John of England depicted in Cassells History of England (1902) John (French: Jean) (December 24, 1166/67–October 18/19, 1216) reigned as King of England from 1199 to 1216. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... -1... Richard I of England, as a bronze, brandishes his sword outside the Palace of Westminster Richard I (September 8, 1157 - April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... Alexander Nevsky is a film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and released in 1938, under the Stalinist regime. ... Teutonic Knights Castle in Malbork (Marienburg) The Teutonic Order (German: Deutscher Orden, Latin: Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum) was a crusading order of knights under Roman Catholic religious vows which was formed at the end of the 12th century in Palestine to give medical aid to pilgrims to the holy... The Northern Crusades, or Baltic Crusades, were undertaken by Western Europeans against the still heathen people of North Eastern Europe around the Baltic Sea. ... Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) is a 1957 film directed by Ingmar Bergman, most notable for the scene in which a medieval knight (played by Max von Sydow) plays chess with the personification of Death, with his life resting on the outcome of the game. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ... This article concerns the epidemic of the mid-14th century. ... Jungfrukällan (The Virgin Spring) is a 1960 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. ... Ingmar Bergman (born July 14, 1918) is a Swedish film director. ... El Cid is a 1961 movie which was a highly romanticized story of the life of the Spanish knight El Cid. ... Becket or the Honor of God is a Tony Award-winning play written in French by Jean Anouilh. ... Jean Anouilh(June 23, 1910- October 3, 1987) was a major French dramatist of the 20th century. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion, outranking the other English archbishop, the Archbishop of York. ... Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 25, 1133–July 6, 1189), ruled as Duke of Anjou and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland, and western France. ... The War Lord is a 1965 film starring Charlton Heston. ... Leslie Stevens (born ) is the creator of The Outer Limits television series and director of cult-classic film Incubus, starring William Shatner. ... Charlton Heston (born October 4, 1924), born John Charles Carter, is an American film actor noted for heroic roles. ... A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt, first performed on November 22, 1961. ... Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478–6 July 1535), posthumously known also as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, author, and politician. ... Andrei Rublev (Andrey Rublev, Andrey Roublyov, Russian: Андре́й Рублёв) (1360? – 1430?) is considered to be the greatest Russian icon painter, or iconographer. ... The Lion in Winter is a 1966 Broadway play by James Goldman. ... Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 25, 1133–July 6, 1189), ruled as Duke of Anjou and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland, and western France. ... Eleanors tomb Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. ... The Revolt of 1173-1174 was a rebellion against Henry II of England by three of his sons, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and rebel supporters. ... Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Name of the Rose, a 1980 novel by Umberto Eco, is a murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327 during the papacy of Pope John XXII. The book was also made into a film in 1986, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and starring Sean Connery... Photo of Umberto Eco by Robert Birnbaum Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian novelist and philosopher, best known for his novels and essays. ...

See also

• Middle Ages in history

The Middle Ages in history is an overview of how previous periods have portrayed the Middle Ages. ...

References

• Books
  • John Aberth, A Knight at the Movies: Medieval History on Film, 2003, ISBN 0415938864.
• Filmographies and Bibliographies
  • K.J. Harty, The Reel Middle Ages: American, Western and Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian films about Medieval Europe, 1999, ISBN 0786405414. The first comprehensive survey of films of the European Middle Ages. Over 900 films.
  • Paul Halsall, Medieval History in the Movies (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medfilms.html) Online list of over 200 movies depicting Medieval history. From the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
  • Paul Halsall, Medieval Movies Bibliography (http://www.unf.edu/classes/medieval/film/medievalmoviesbibliography.htm) as part of class below.
  • David J. Williams, "Medieval Movies: A Filmography", Film & History (http://www.h-net.org/~filmhis/) 29:1-2 (1999):20-32.
  • Annotated Catalog of Medieval and Renaissance Films & Bibliography (http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/cmrs/cinema/Search.htm) from the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
• University classes
  • HIST 3932: Myth, Epic, and Romance: Medieval History in Film (http://www.unf.edu/classes/medieval/film/) History class at University of North Florida by Paul Halsall. Last retrieved Jan. 2005
  • HIST 4950: The Medieval World in Film (http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/film/film.shtml) History class at Georgia College & State University by Dr. Deborah Vess. Last retrieved Jan. 2005
  • HIST 3931: The Middle Ages in Film (http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ncaputo/film-syllabus.htm) History class at University of Florida by Dr. Nina Caputo. Last retrieved Jan. 2005
• Articles
  • Arthur Lindley, "The ahistoricism of medieval film" (http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fir598/ALfr3a.htm), from Screening The Past (http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/) Journal.
  • Paul Halsall, "Thinking about Historical Film" (http://www.unf.edu/classes/medieval/film/thinkingabouthistoricalfilm.htm), University of North Florida.
  • David J. Williams, "Looking at the Middle Ages in the Cinema: An Overview." Film & History (http://www.h-net.org/~filmhis/) 29:1-2 (1999): 8-19.
  • Martha Driver, "Writing About Medieval Movies: Authenticity and History.", Film & History (http://www.h-net.org/~filmhis/) 29:1-2 (1999):5-7.