100 All-Time Best Movies for History Buffs

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Created by MariusMariusMarius.

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History isn’t marked by years, but events. Being a history buff means looking at the way major ideas or happenings played out and how they had an effect on everything from politics to the economy.
War, invention, discovery, love: the history of the world has been shaped by the way we deal with these things. The movies on this list are great ways to take a closer look at the moments that changed history.

NOTE: The list is constructed out of seven minor lists, as noted below:
#01 - 13: Ancient History
#14 - 29: Medieval Times
#30 - 46: Exploration & Colonization
#47 - 53: The American Revolution
#54 - 68: The American Civil War
#69 - 81: World War II
#82 - 100: The 20th Century

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  1. 1 -

    Quo Vadis

    1951, in 1 top list Check
  2. 3 -

    I, Claudius

    1976, in 2 top lists Check
  3. 8 -

    Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

    1916, in 24 top lists Check
  4. 10 -

    The Fall of the Roman Empire

    1964, in 1 top list Check
  5. 13 -

    Cleopatra

    1963, in 5 top lists Check
  6. 15 -

    The Lion in Winter

    1968, in 4 top lists Check
  7. 18 -

    Richard III

    1955, in 6 top lists Check
  8. 19 -

    A Man for All Seasons

    1966, in 14 top lists Check
  9. 20 -

    Elizabeth

    1998, in 5 top lists Check
  10. 24 -

    Braveheart

    1995, in 19 top lists Check
  11. 26 -

    La passion de Jeanne d'Arc

    1928 — a.k.a. The Passion of Joan of Arc, in 27 top lists Check
  12. 27 -

    Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

    1972 — a.k.a. Aguirre, the Wrath of God, in 18 top lists Check
  13. 29 -

    The Agony and the Ecstasy

    1965, in 0 top lists Check
  14. 31 -

    The New World

    2005, in 10 top lists Check
  15. 32 -

    The Mission

    1986, in 6 top lists Check
  16. 34 -

    Zulu

    1964, in 8 top lists Check
  17. 38 -

    A Passage to India

    1984, in 5 top lists Check
  18. 39 -

    Gandhi

    1982, in 15 top lists Check
  19. 40 -

    The Last King of Scotland

    2006, in 1 top list Check
  20. 41 -

    Mutiny on the Bounty

    1935, in 6 top lists Check
  21. 42 -

    Empire of the Sun

    1987, in 9 top lists Check
  22. 43 -

    Barry Lyndon

    1975, in 24 top lists Check
  23. 44 -

    Amazing Grace

    2006, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 47 -

    1776

    1972, in 0 top lists Check
  25. 48 -

    Revolution

    1985, in 1 top list Check
  26. 49 -

    The Crossing

    2000, in 0 top lists Check
  27. 51 -

    John Adams

    2008, in 0 top lists Check
  28. 52 -

    The Howards of Virginia

    1940 — a.k.a. The Tree of Liberty, in 0 top lists Check
  29. 54 -

    Glory

    1989, in 5 top lists Check
  30. 55 -

    Gettysburg

    1993, in 0 top lists Check
  31. 56 -

    Andersonville

    1996, in 0 top lists Check
  32. 57 -

    Gone with the Wind

    1939, in 31 top lists Check
  33. 63 -

    Gods and Generals

    2003, in 0 top lists Check
  34. 65 -

    The Civil War

    1990, in 3 top lists Check
  35. 71 -

    Schindler's List

    1993, in 35 top lists Check
  36. 72 -

    The Longest Day

    1962, in 6 top lists Check
  37. 83 -

    All the President's Men

    1976, in 21 top lists Check
  38. 85 -

    Inherit the Wind

    1960, in 4 top lists Check
  39. 87 -

    Malcolm X

    1992, in 7 top lists Check
  40. 88 -

    Apollo 13

    1995, in 6 top lists Check
  41. 91 -

    Black Hawk Down

    2001, in 5 top lists Check
  42. 92 -

    We Were Soldiers

    2002, in 0 top lists Check
  43. 93 -

    Milk

    2008, in 3 top lists Check
  44. 94 -

    The Right Stuff

    1983, in 13 top lists Check
  45. 95 -

    Woodstock

    1970, in 13 top lists Check
  46. 96 -

    Reds

    1981, in 9 top lists Check
  47. 97 -

    The Last Emperor

    1987, in 15 top lists Check
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Last updated on Jan 7, 2012; source