504 Films & TV Shows Set In Europe During The Middle Ages
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William of Orange
🇳🇱 Netherlands The 16th CenturyThe first 'official' Dutch sound film was presented as a historic document on the history of the Netherlands, highlighting the importance of prince William of Orange's role during the Eighty Years war. His story is told in a series of short episodes, spanning his sudden rise to prince of Orange in 1844 to his murder by Balthasar Gerards in 1584.
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The Private Life of Henry VIII
England The 16th CenturyHE GAVE HIS WIVES A PAIN IN THE NECK, And did his necking with an axe. Henry, the Eighth Wonder of the World! And this picture...the wonder of all time! — Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn, his second wife, executed on charges of treason, King Henry weds maid Jane Seymour, but that marriage also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the king picks German-born Anne of Cleves as his bride, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and King Henry continues his string of spouses.
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A Connecticut Yankee
England The Middle AgesMore Laughs than the law allows! — Making a delivery to a mysterious mansion in a rainstorm, radio salesman Hank Martin is knocked out when a suit of armor topples on him. Upon awakening, Hank finds himself in the time of King Arthur. At Camelot Castle, Hank uses a cigarette lighter and his skill with a lasso to save himself from being executed as a demon. Hank so impresses Arthur that the king orders him to joust with one of his knights to save the life of Princess Alisande.
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The Vagabond King
🇫🇷 France The 15th CenturyParamount Pictures presents the 100% Technicolor All-Talking, All-Singing Musical Romance! — The story takes place in medieval France. Poet-rogue Francois Villon, sentenced to hang by King Louis XI for writing derogatory verses about him, is offered a temporary reprieve. His hanging will be postponed for 24 hours, and in that time he must defeat the invading Burgundians and win the love of the beautiful Katherine.
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Saint Joan the Maid
🇫🇷 France The 15th CenturyThis relatively straightforward dramatic biography was one of two films commissioned to honor Joan of Arc on the 500th anniversary of her death, but it was soon undeservedly relegated to obscurity in favor of Carl Dreyer's triumphant 'La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc'. The comparison is unfair: Dreyer was an artist, but director Marco de Gastyne certainly proved himself a distinguished craftsman, and his emphasis on the Maid of Orléans early life in Domrémy serves as a picturesque, matching bookend to Dreyer's impassioned courtroom drama.
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The Viking
England The 11th CenturyIn this historical adventure based on traditional legend concerning Leif Ericsson and the first Viking settlers to reach North America by sea, Norse half-brothers vie for a throne and for the same woman.
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The Lady of the Lake
Scotland The 16th CenturyIn 15th century Scotland, a woman of an outlaw clan tries to rescue both her father and her lover when they're captured by the king's men.
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Two Lovers
🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇧🇪 Belgium The 16th CenturyEvery Emotion Thrillingly Yours in This Their Final Picture Together! — Set during the 16th-century Spanish occupation of Flanders, the story concentrates on the fiercely patriotic Mark Van Ryke (Colman). Donning the guise of "Leatherface," a swashbuckling masked avenger, Van Ryke performs his derring-do on behalf of the Prince of Orange (Nigel de Brulier). Naturally, Van Ruke considers beautiful Spanish aristocrat Donna Leonora de Vargas (Vilma Banky) to be a bitter enemy, and the feeling is mutual. To no one's surprise, however, Van Ryke and Donna Leonara eventually fall in love (hence the title). The pulse-pounding climax finds Van Ryke riding hell-for-leather through a rainstorm to warn the Flemish troops about the Spaniards' plans to burn the city of Ghent to the ground. Two Lovers was based on Madame Orczy's novel Leatherface, and adapted for the screen by Alice Duer Miller.
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The Beloved Rogue
🇫🇷 France The 15th CenturyFrançois Villon, in his lifetime the most renowned poet in France, is also a prankster, an occasional criminal, and an ardent patriot.
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Don Juan
🇮🇹 Italy The 16th CenturyA Super Spectacle Depicting the Romantic Adventures of THE LORD OF ALL LOVERS! — If there was one thing that Don Juan de Marana learned from his father Don Jose, it was that women gave you three things - life, disillusionment and death. In his father's case it was his wife, Donna Isobel, and Donna Elvira who supplied the latter. Don Juan settled in Rome after attending the University of Pisa. Rome was run by the tyrannical Borgia family consisting of Caesar, Lucrezia and the Count Donati. Juan has his way with and was pursued by many women, but it is the one that he could not have that haunts him. It will be for her that he suffers the wrath of Borgia for ignoring Lucrezia and then killing Count Donati in a duel. For Adriana, they will both be condemned to death in the prison on the river Tigre.
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The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
Scotland England The 16th CenturyThe Dauphin's widow weds a lord and is executed for plotting against the queen.
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Taras Bulba
🇺🇦 Ukraine The 16th Century -
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
🇫🇷 France The 15th CenturyIn 15th century France, a gypsy girl is framed for murder by the infatuated Chief Justice, and only the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral can save her.
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Wilhelm Tell
🇨🇭 Switzerland The 14th CenturyWilliam Tell (German: Wilhelm Tell) is a 1923 German silent adventure film directed by Rudolf Dworsky and Rudolf Walther-Fein and starring Hans Marr, Conrad Veidt and Erich Kaiser-Titz. The film portrays the story of the legendary Swiss national hero William Tell.
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Ashes of Vengeance
🇫🇷 France The 16th CenturyThis historical piece, set in the Huguenot days of France, is Norma Talmadge's 37th feature film and the longest to date at two hours. The plot involves a man forced into servitude who falls in love with the sister of his persecutor. It was Ms. Talmadge's fourth involvement with director, Frank Lloyd and the cast included future star, Wallace Beery.
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When Knighthood Was in Flower
England The 16th CenturyMary Tudor falls in love with a new arrival to court, Charles Brandon. She convinces her brother King Henry VIII to make him his Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, Henry is determined to marry her off to the aging King Louis XII of France as part of a peace agreement.
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Othello
🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇮🇹 Italy The 16th CenturyEven without the benefit of sound, the 1922 German adaptation of Othello seems more operatic than Shakespearean. This may be due to the casting of Emil Jannings, to whom restraint and subtlety were strangers. Werner Krauss, of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame, is on hand as the duplicitous Iago. Appearing as the unfortunate Desdemona is Lea Von Lenkeffy, better known as Lya de Putti. Produced on an elaborate scale, Othello may not be true to the letter of Shakespeare, but is undeniably a smorgasbord of visual delights.
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Lucrezia Borgia
🇮🇹 Italy The 16th CenturyRodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, has three adult children: Juan, who is virtuous and has a sweetheart who is a woman of the people, Lucrezia, who is virtuous and wants to marry Alfonso, and Cesare, who is wicked and lusts after Lucrezia, Juan's girlfriend, and probably others. Cesare has vowed to kill any suitor for Lucrezia's love, and he has three thugs to carry out his wishes. Bodies fall into the Tiber, into the Colosseum (with lions prowling), and onto the Vatican floors.
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Meriota, die Tänzerin
🇮🇹 Italy The 16th Century - load more