# Historical People/Events Which Would Make Good Movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802 "2003-05-17T00:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/21 "2003-05-17T04:10:21Z")
**arisu’s** picks from the vaults of Classical History: Nicias and The Sicilian Expedition. Boudicca’s Rebellion Cicero Pericles and Aspasia most of all… The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. (Perhaps an adaptation of Steven Pressfield’s _Gates of Fire_. There is an epic movie just waiting there.) ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/22 "2003-05-17T04:44:56Z")
Has there been a movie about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the Americas? I can’t think of one off-hand. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/23 "2003-05-17T04:56:45Z")
[1492: Conquest of Paradise](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0103594) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/24 "2003-05-17T04:57:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*Has there been a movie about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the Americas? I can’t think of one off-hand. \*\* There were a few older ones, and then there were two (not very good movies, in my opinion) that came out in 1992, for the 500 year aniversery…“The Discovery”, which was kind of pro-Columbus (and has Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand), and “1492: Conquest of Paradise”, which was anti (and which casts Gerard Depardieu as Columbus, which would be a good choice, because I like him as an actor, but his English isn’t that great, and it’s a major speaking role). ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/25 "2003-05-17T05:54:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by arisu \* > **arisu’s picks from the vaults of Classical History: > … > The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae…** Check out the 1962 movie [The 300 Spartans](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0055719) with Richard Egan as Leonidas and Ralph Richardson as Themistocles. A review is [here](http://www.epinions.com/content_92333117060), and apparently the DVD is due out in June 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/26 "2003-05-17T06:05:24Z")
Edward VIII. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/27 "2003-05-17T06:58:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*The _Lusitania_. There’s been ONE movie about it-a silent movie made during the closing days of WWI, that was more propaganda than anything else. > > C’mon, _Titanic_’s had HOW many movies about her? Let’s give the _Lusy_ her due! \*\* How about a movie of both ? I don’t remember the guy’s name, but there was a reporter that traveled on _ **both** _ the _Titanic_ and the _Lusitania_ on the voyage where they sank. Obviously he survived both of them, only to die in the late 50s by falling into a stream of about six inches of water and drowning. Talk about irony ! ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/28 "2003-05-17T14:51:10Z")
John Kellog and his personal crusade. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/29 "2003-05-17T16:37:34Z")
The rise and fall of the commune of Paris. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/30 "2003-05-17T16:52:07Z")
A film about the Mongols and their conquests would be quite fascinating. Has there been a film about the trial of Socrates? Another interesting possibility is story of Japense soliders fighting for the US in WW2 (IIRC one of the most decorated units in the war) while their families were being interned at home. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/31 "2003-05-17T17:15:45Z")
The Mongol one has already been done. Starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan in the most stunning miscast in movie history. [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0049092](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0049092) ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/32 "2003-05-17T17:33:27Z")
“Starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan in the most stunning miscast in movie history.” Wow. Hollywood makes the strangest movies sometimes. BTW that should be “Japanese-American soldiers fighting for the US”. I am surprised no one has picked up the story given the increased interest in WW2 in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/33 "2003-05-17T18:06:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anal Scurvy \* > \*\*John Kellog and his personal crusade. \*\* Well, it’s kinda been done: [http://us.imdb.com/Details?0111001](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0111001) My own pick would be the the story of the Hood and the Bismarck. The only movie ever made was a “character drama” that featured some stock warship footage and close-ups of XOs (I presume) respectively shouting “Shoot!” and “_Feuer!_”. James Cameron actually did a pretty good job with this story a few months ago on a documentary about the Bismarck. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/34 "2003-05-17T18:07:30Z")
The name of that movie, btw, was “Sink the Bismarck!” from the late 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/35 "2003-05-17T18:29:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anal Scurvy \* > \*\*John Kellog and his personal crusade. \*\* Of course, it will have to be a cereal. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/36 "2003-05-17T21:28:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bean\_shadow \* > **There was one. It was called I, Claudius. 😃** Yeah, but _I, Caludius_ only covered, what, four of the twelve Caesars? “the Year of the Four Emperors” would make a great miniseries, covering the fall of Nero to the rise of the Flavians. Gore Vidal’s _Julian_ was the first thing I thought of, followed by Marguerite Yourcenour’s _Memoirs of Hadrian_ and Robert Graves’ _Count Belisarius_ (yep, I’m a Rome buff). ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/37 "2003-05-17T21:38:30Z")
The Second Punic War would be good. But it was a 16+ year war spanning two continents with several major players, so it would be hard to do–especially with Hollywood’s chronic inability to do any actual historical research. The European discovery of porcelain would also be quite good on film. ---
**Author:** ![koawala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@koawala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koawala)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/38 "2003-05-17T21:59:11Z")
Matahari? Strong woman screwed and screwed over by powerful man. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/39 "2003-05-17T21:59:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > The European discovery of porcelain would also be quite good on film. Oh, yeah, a spell-binder. “Got it yet?” “No.” “Got it yet?” “No.” “Got it yet?” “No.” “Got it yet?” “Yes. Now let’s have some tea.” ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802/40 "2003-05-17T23:18:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I didn’t really like [**The Private Life of Henry VIII**]. It wasn’t too bad, but it could be done better, especially with modern direction and better costumes. Well, you won’t have to wait much longer. A [new version](http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_764664.html?menu=) is on the way. > [@](#): > > Another interesting possibility is story of [Japanese-American] soliders fighting for the US in WW2 (IIRC one of the most decorated units in the war) while their families were being interned at home. Interestingly enough, [Hollywood did this story](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0043590) over 50 years ago (but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done again now). > [@](#): > > For actual historical value, I’d nominate Slavomir Rawicz. He was a Polish officer taken prisoner by the Russians in 1939… tortured… sent to a prison camp in Siberia… escaped with some companions and walked all the way to India (through Siberia, the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas). More info here. Don’t ask me why but Rawicz’s story was the first one that came into my mind when I saw this thread. Ever since I first read _The Long Walk_, I thought it, with the right director, would make a great movie. I’m really kind of surprised no one has yet taken a serious stab at adapting the book for the screen. Although, since David Lean and Stanley Kubrick are dead, I can’t think of anybody off the top of my head who could successfully make a “thinking person’s” epic out of the story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-people-events-which-would-make-good-movies/175802.md?page=3)