Revolutionary War Films?

[vintage68]

So I just watched Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" for the third time and really enjoyed it. Does anyone know of other films taking place in this era? Doesn't have to be exact, just roughly that time frame.

Also really enjoyed Last of the Mohicans.

Thanks!

 

[Chasseur]

About 20 years ago I was nuts about the 18th Century, so I collected and watched just about every movie I could find in the period, so here are my recomendations. I have to say there are mostly dramas about the period not action films, but I'll put in all the action ones I can think of. Also, I have to admit there are many Golden Age films set in this period, but I'm not familar with most of them. I focused on modern films about the period when I watched these movies. I'm sure people on the forums can give more suggestions than I.

American Revolutionary War:
Hmm, its funny the Revolutionary/War of Independence has not really received a great deal of attention from modern US movie makers...

There is a interesting/bizarre 1980s flick with Al Pacino of all people, called, "Revolution". Its not a great film, some people really hate it, but Donald Sutherland does an excellent job playing a British NCO and there is a good battle scene.

There were a series of "made for TV movies" about George Washington, staring Barry Bostwick back in the 1980s, though its cheesy and the production values scream "1980s TV docudrama".

"Jefferson in Paris" is nicely done drama with lush production values and international cast by Ivory and Merchant in their 1990s hey-day. Its about Jefferson's time as US ambassador in Paris right before the French Revolution.

Also, the "Madness of King George" (its American title) is another well done British piece about George III.

18th/Early 19th Century Actions Films:

For a good action flick set in a romanticised Scotland in the time period "Rob Roy" is a good one. Its got one of the best swordfights in cinematic history at the end and it has all the exotic Scottish weapons: basket hilt claymores, metal handled pistols, etc. Also, Tim Roth is a wonderful villian.

Also, while its in Europe and little later than our Revolution, there are all the action films about the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, "Master and Commander," and the "Duellists" come to mind. I'm sure you are familar with the first one, but the second is a great old 1970s flick by Ridley Scott based on a Joseph Conard story about two Napoleonic Hussar officers who fight a series of duels over 15 years. Great sort of brooding, manly film about definitions of honor. Actually more a drama than an action flim, but great swordfighting. Also, I think one of the only films that details Huassars (a Hungarian inspired light cavalry unit that was a la mode in the 18th and early 19th centuries)

I would also especially recommend all the BBC series that have come out in the past several years on Horatio Hornblower, the Scarlett Pimpernell (with the great Richard Grant!), Sharpes' Rifles (with the great Sean Bean!), etc. These are all worth watching for historical actions films.

There was a bad "ride on the coattails of Last of the Mohicans" French and Indian War direct to DVD release "Broken Chain" (with most of the same cast as Mohicans), its bad, but if you wanted more action with flintlocks and tomahawks I guess its watchable. Speaking of bad follows on to Mohicans there was a terrible Fox TV series called "Hawkeye" with Lee Horsely and Lynda Carter! Man its was baaaaddd"

General 18th Century Films:
Mel Gibson and Tony Hopkins did a pretty good adaptation of the Mutiny on the Bounty story, called, "Bounty" back in the 1980s.

Not in the 13 Colonies, but my two favorite 18th Century films are "The Mission" and "Dangerous Liasons". Both rather depressing drama films.


Also, one of the best films for details about 18th Century life is "Barry Lyndon" by Stanely Kubrick with Ryan O'Neal. Most people find the film painfully slow, but its lavishly made, with excellent costumes, and sets. It goes through all sorts of interesting aspects of period, highwaymen, getting dragooned into the army, brutal military life, the emphasis on the upper classes on gambling, the quest by wealthy middle class people in the UK to "social climb" (well at least over generations ) Kubrick really brings the 18th Century alive by fliming interior night scenes by candlelight.

Some excellent French dramatic films set in the period. Though its earlier (1630s-50s), the classic "Cyrano de Bergerac" is very worth watching.

Ridicule (about court life before the Revolution), Danton (about the political competition between the Jacabins during the Terror), The Night of the Varrennes (about the flight of Louis XVI during the Revolution, fun to see a young Harvey Kietel as Tom Pain and Marcello Mastrioianni as an old Cassanova).

 

[vintage68]

Thank you for such a thoughtful reply!:eusa_clap I too find it odd that more attention is paid to American Civil War films than to Revolutionary War pictures....

 

[Chasseur]

You're welcome, I was really into this stuff awhile back so its fun to revist. Also, I just added pictures!

 

[ColeV48]

Marie Antoinette, John Adams, The Duchess, Vanity Fair (2005), The Lady and the Duke, Beau Brummel, Restoration, and The Libertine (Chausser certainly gave a wonderful list! Jefferson in Paris is still one of my favorites!).

For 30s/40s renditions: Queen Christina, DuBarry Was a Lady, and That Hamilton Woman.

There's a tv movie coming out about Dolly Madison's life and rumor has it that they'll be turning 1776 (the book) into a movie soon as well.

 

[conrad5157]

I've never seen it but The Crossing looks good.

 

[Story]

There's a 1976 German TV film "Der Winter, der ein Sommer war"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSsTsqDLPgU

and there's "Le pacte des loups"
for post French & Indian War flavor
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/usercomments

 

[Chet]

Thanks for sharing all this information. I'll be sure to add some to my Netflix queue. I agree, it would be nice if modern film makers would create more films about this era. So many incredible people, so many inspiring stories.

 

[Chasseur]

Story's mention of "Pacte des Loups" reminds me of a strange sub-genre that had several films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the 18th Century action/horror/gothic flick! (again 18th Century here is pretty loose extending to the Napolenic Wars)

The one of these I saw that I enjoyed most was Tim Burton's "Sleepy Holllow" a fun and silly film with some great atmosphere and visuals.

"Pacte des Loups" I found a great dissapointment. The first half is a great stylised historical action/horror film, great costumes, weapons, setting, etc. The second half devolves into bad GCI monsters, way too many French and Indian warriors who all seem to know kung fu, bad Japanese weapons again showing up in 18th France and a really bad bone/chain extending sword weapon right out of He-man... *yucky* I mean 18th Century France had great weapons why put in Japanese and kung fu stuff? I guess same reason Scorsese had to put ninja weapons in "Gangs of New York"... Even Monica Bellucci's pressence couldn't save it...

The Brits also attempted this with the bizarre "Plunket and Mackleen" again, I just couldn't get into this flick... Not that funny, not that much action, so not sure what's the draw here... unless you are a die hard Liv Tyler fan...

Brother's Grimm
Oh was this a disaster... Interesting concept badly executed... Again poor Monica stuck in a disaster...

 

[Guttersnipe]

I've never seen it but The Crossing looks good.

The Crossing is quite good in my opinion; I definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it.

 

[AmateisGal]

Drums Along the Mohawk with Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert. Wonderful film!

 

[Puzzicato]

"Pacte des Loups" I found a great dissapointment. The first half is a great stylised historical action/horror film, great costumes, weapons, setting, etc. The second half devolves into bad GCI monsters, way too many French and Indian warriors who all seem to know kung fu, bad Japanese weapons again showing up in 18th France and a really bad bone/chain extending sword weapon right out of He-man... *yucky* I mean 18th Century France had great weapons why put in Japanese and kung fu stuff? I guess same reason Scorsese had to put ninja weapons in "Gangs of New York"... Even Monica Bellucci's pressence couldn't save it...

What he said. A former housemate of mine rented it many moons ago telling me it was a werewolf film. I was conned.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Here's something interesting: a Fordham University History professor's listings of recommended films with "modern" (i.e., Renaissance and later) historical settings, divided by subject rather than just chronology. (His pages on ancient- and medieval-set films are also worth a look.)

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbookmovies.html

Hoo boy, he hates The Patriot as much as I do!

 

[Naphtali]

I've never seen it but The Crossing looks good.

"The Crossing," overlooking some egregious errors and inaccuracies, is worth watching.

Also enjoyable are:
"The Devil's Disciple" (Lancaster, Olivier, and Douglas)

"Drums Along the Mohawk" (Fonda, Colbert)

"Northwest Passage (Book I)" (Tracy, Young, Brennan) - French & Indian War

Hope this helps.

 

[dhermann1]

"Drums Along the Mohawk", mentioned above is great. It's about the Battle of Oriskany, the bloodiest day in the American Revolution. It's based on the novel by Kenneth Roberts. Roberts also wrote "Northwest Passage", about the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). Pretty hokey flick, but still fun. For those interested, Kenneth Roberts is one of the best writers on the subject. His book "Oliver Wiswell" shows the Revolution from the Loyalist side.
"The Scarlet Coat" 1955, starring Michael Wilding and Cornel Wilde, is an excellent flick about the capture and hanging of British spy Major John Andre. It was filmed in the same areas where the story originally took place, and it loioks it.
Going back again the the French and Indian War, the most recent version of "The Last of the Mohicans" is great. It stars Daniel Day Lewis and was filmed in the Great Smokey Mountains. There's a lot of accurate history in that movie.
Going back to the early 1600's in Canada, the film "Black Robe" is a truly harrowing look at the first interactions between the whites and the native Americans.
"Johnny Tremaine", 1957, is a good Disney take on a young boy who goes off to war.
And there's a great cartoon, "Ben and Me", 1953. IMDB calls it a "neglected Disney treasure". It seems it was actually a little church mouse that gave Ben Franklin all those clever ideas he became famous for. I loved it when I was a little kid.
And how can we forget the musical "1776"?!

 

[Chas]

"Northwest Passage" was showcased as part of TCM's "Images On Film" series concerning Hollywood's potrayal of Native peoples. It suffices to say that the film demonizes aboriginal Americans.

Can't say that I'm a fan of Mel- historical accuracy has never been a hallmark of his; the British behaving like the SS in "The Patriot" was laughably bad. In fact, I loathe Mel.

"The Last Of The Mohicans" was a pretty decent film, beautifully shot.

 

[dhermann1]

Northwest Passage was pretty ludicrous in many ways. But ya gotta love dear old Spencer Tracy.

 

[Chas]

Yeah, Spencer was a good 'un. Personally, my favorite film with him in it is "Judgement At Nuremburg" (but that was a great cast). I don't personally think of Northwest Passage as ludicrous so much as it was toxic.

If I was of native extraction I would pretty much regard that film the way a Jewish person might regard Jud Suss

 

[SkullCowboy]

Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951) with Gregory Peck was always a favorite of mine.

 

[dhermann1]

Not to mention the entire BBC Horatio Hornblower TV series.
Moving ahead a few years, there are 2 versions of The Buccaneer, about Jean Lafitte and Andy Jackson and the battle of New Orleans.