The 50 Greatest Historical Movies - Ranked!

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  • Опубліковано 10 тра 2024
  • In time for an historical Oscars, Dan Snow unveils History Hit's top 50 greatest historical movies of the last 50 years (with one plucky exception that’s somehow avoided all detection and tunnelled its way onto our list). From the CGI battle scenes of Ridley Scott's Napoleon to the realism of Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, film is the closest medium we have to portray history. Let us know in the comments where you agree or disagree.
    Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.
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    00:00:00 Intro
    01:57 No. 50
    03:00 No. 49
    04:08 No. 48
    04:30 No. 47
    04:59 No. 46
    05:28 No. 45
    07:11 No. 44
    07:51 No. 43
    08:25 No. 42
    09:36 No. 41
    10:23 No. 40
    10:52 No. 39
    11:13 No. 38
    11:33 No. 37
    12:00 No. 36
    12:30 No. 35
    13:43 No. 34
    15:03 No. 33
    15:25 No. 32
    15:41 No. 31
    16:14 No. 30
    16:51 No. 29
    18:35 No. 28
    20:22 No. 27
    20:51 No. 26
    21:21 No. 25
    22:16 No. 24
    23:24 No. 23
    23:55 No. 22
    24:57 No. 21
    25:32 No. 20
    27:02 No. 19
    27:26 No. 18
    28:28 No. 17
    29:02 No. 16
    29:51 No. 15
    30:18 No. 14
    30:49 No. 13
    31:15 No. 12
    31:54 No. 11
    33:26 No. 10
    35:23 No. 9
    36:55 No. 8
    39:04 No. 7
    40:30 No. 6
    42:47 No. 5
    44:31 No. 4
    46:00 No. 3
    47:33 No. 2
    49:19 No. 1
    #oscars #historyhit

КОМЕНТАРІ • 696

  • @HistoryHit
    @HistoryHit  2 місяці тому +12

    Huge thanks for all your feedback on our Top 50 Historical Films list 🎥 We limited our selection to films released in the last 50 years - although one crafty exception from 1963 did tunnel through 👀 - thus no Lawrence of Arabia or Gone With the Wind. Oscar nominations and wins were a big factor in our selection.
    Did your favourite make the cut? Let us know 👇

    • @MS-io6kl
      @MS-io6kl Місяць тому +3

      Well, movies I miss on this list given that you picked "Napoleon", "Gladiator", "Milk" and some others, are "Spartacus" 1960, "Ben-Hur" 1959, "Downfall", "Das Boot", Akira Kurosawa's "Ran", "Waterloo" 1970, "Gone with the Wind" and maybe even the greatest Western of all time (in my opinion) "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". But for about 40 of your picks, I agree, especially with the number one spot.

    • @esciteach7997
      @esciteach7997 Місяць тому +1

      agree with Schindler's List. Not only for Movies about History but every movie ever made.

    • @katv1195
      @katv1195 Місяць тому +3

      "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Gallipoli", "Memphis Belle", "Glory", "A Bridge Too Far", "Flag of Our Fathers", "Rabbit Proof Fence", "Mandela", "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence", "Empire of the Sun" and "The Piano" are all better than "Napoleon" and in the 50 year window. And many of them were Oscar winners.

    • @alwaysdisputin9930
      @alwaysdisputin9930 Місяць тому

      @HistoryHit - TY but why say BS SPOILERS that have nothing to do with ranking the movies e.g 47:14 _"The weird climax to the movie is Marlon Brando's portrayal of an American officer gone rogue running his own army deep in the jungle in a hut of darkness."_

    • @jag985
      @jag985 Місяць тому +3

      Like so many lists these days, your list is guilty of "recent prejudice." It's a disservice to history movie lovers. "1917" but not "Paths of Glory." Really? Any list that doesn't include "Lawrence of Arabia" as greatest historical movie, war movie, or greatest movie ever made is not an legitimate list. I can count at least twenty movies listed by posters below that were better than those listed, I say, with all due respect and affection.

  • @elanafelberg1733
    @elanafelberg1733 2 місяці тому +265

    Napoleon did not deserve to be on this list and yes I said it. I think people deserved a better movie about Napoleon Bonaparte.

    • @powerfrenzy
      @powerfrenzy 2 місяці тому +43

      Yeah, idk about including Ridley Scott's wet fart called Napoleon, but leaving out Waterloo (1970)...

    • @karlsenula9495
      @karlsenula9495 2 місяці тому

      How about the Brando version?

    • @Ted52
      @Ted52 2 місяці тому +2

      @@powerfrenzy My brother, 1970 is more than 50 years ago.

    • @Lvlyj10
      @Lvlyj10 2 місяці тому +8

      Isn’t The Great Escape also older though?

    • @Ted52
      @Ted52 2 місяці тому +2

      @@Lvlyj10 Thats a very good point. They fucked up.

  • @eganburg
    @eganburg 2 місяці тому +166

    Black Hawk Down, Das Boot, and Downfall deserve to be on this list

    • @charvakpatel962
      @charvakpatel962 2 місяці тому +7

      Downfall was a good one.

    • @UKMacMan
      @UKMacMan 2 місяці тому +5

      100% agree.. I mean starting with Appollo13 at 50, you think, hell this list is gunna be epic if that only made it to 50........ but some of those movies after are not great..... and the three you listed should have been nailed on in the lists top 20

    • @renata8979
      @renata8979 2 місяці тому +4

      Just wanted to post a comment that Ridley Scott keeps on grudging about how he doesn't care about historical accuracy and where the historians can shove it, but when it came to Black Hawk Down it is fairly accurate. It is almost like it is done by someone else, it lacks all of the classic markers of "a Ridley Scott historical movie", which I very sincerely dislike.

    • @martincote435
      @martincote435 2 місяці тому +6

      i like stalingrad to

    • @UKMacMan
      @UKMacMan 2 місяці тому +1

      @@martincote435 Ohf... how could we forget such a great movie... excellent suggestion

  • @myyou2b
    @myyou2b 2 місяці тому +293

    Great list, but SHAME ON YOU! for leaving out Downfall.

    • @aegontargaryen9322
      @aegontargaryen9322 2 місяці тому +20

      I would have had that definitely in the top 5

    • @richardscanlan3419
      @richardscanlan3419 2 місяці тому +5

      Although Schindler's List would have to be the best movie about the Holocaust ever made.Deserves its place at 1.

    • @agnieszkapisarek4506
      @agnieszkapisarek4506 2 місяці тому +27

      Agreed! And "Das Boot", "Come and See", "The Thin Red Line", "The Last Emperor" and the very new "The Zone of Interest"... Making rankings must be tough.

    • @varovaro1967
      @varovaro1967 2 місяці тому +8

      Downfall my friends….. and Titanic??? come on….

    • @BB-pw8ko
      @BB-pw8ko 2 місяці тому +6

      Was voted by viewers not history hit

  • @magnificus8581
    @magnificus8581 2 місяці тому +97

    Great list, but frankly disappointed that Glory was not in the top 20. 3 Oscars, fantastic score, great performances.

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому +4

      👍👍

    • @shaunwest3612
      @shaunwest3612 2 місяці тому +4

      Agree,epic film, Denzel Washington top tier actor 👌

    • @richardcanedo1614
      @richardcanedo1614 Місяць тому +4

      I strongly agree: a great subject, underrated and too little known at the time it was released, powerful script and acting, esp. from Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman, not to mention Andre Braugher (in his first major film role) and John Finn (as drill sergeant major Mulcahy). Broderick is good, but he was a bit out of his depth as Robert Gould Shaw.

  • @user-hf9vq6sg6n
    @user-hf9vq6sg6n 2 місяці тому +104

    Where is Zulu?

    • @denisefarmer366
      @denisefarmer366 2 місяці тому +12

      Absolutely should have been high on this list. 👍

    • @bigmikem1578
      @bigmikem1578 2 місяці тому +3

      No it’s of the last 50 years. Zulu came out 60 years ago.

    • @karlsenula9495
      @karlsenula9495 2 місяці тому +1

      ​@@bigmikem1578... I believe it is a top 50?

    • @bigmikem1578
      @bigmikem1578 2 місяці тому

      @@karlsenula9495top 50 of The last 50 years it says. “Zulu” was 60 years ago.

    • @robertsnare1411
      @robertsnare1411 2 місяці тому +13

      @@bigmikem1578in which case, The Great Escape shouldn’t of been included, made in 1963, making it 1 year older than Zulu, (1964).

  • @UKMacMan
    @UKMacMan 2 місяці тому +66

    A worthy winner, but Master and Commander should have absolutely have been second - outstanding movie

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому +2

      👍👍

    • @frankknudsen842
      @frankknudsen842 2 місяці тому +6

      It was the most underappreciated movie in my life anyway. Thanks ever much

    • @joseph.irvin.photography
      @joseph.irvin.photography 2 місяці тому +5

      Should have been first!

    • @redcaoimh3127
      @redcaoimh3127 2 місяці тому

      It would be great to have a film about 'the Seawolf' Cochrane.

    • @FuncleB
      @FuncleB 2 місяці тому +1

      I feel like it got poor reviews at the time which was harsh. A solid movie with great performances.

  • @pedrogoncalves2827
    @pedrogoncalves2827 2 місяці тому +56

    A Bridge too Far should also be in this list.

    • @philvittetoe4383
      @philvittetoe4383 13 годин тому

      Yes! Finally someone else who recognizes that

  • @lizsmith9873
    @lizsmith9873 2 місяці тому +20

    One thing that makes me love Dan Snow is hs admiration and love of 'Last of the Mohicans'. I love it as well and the soundtrack is sublime.

  • @richshaw408
    @richshaw408 Місяць тому +12

    you missed Waterloo, Blackhawk down, master and commander, Zulu, kingdom of heaven, a bridge too far, breaker Morant, patton

  • @darylmckay
    @darylmckay 2 місяці тому +10

    Amistad, Glory, Malcolm X, Gallipoli, Das Boot and more seem to be glaring omissions...

  • @stevenflowers9289
    @stevenflowers9289 2 місяці тому +24

    Two others that were missed were Paths of Glory with Kirk Douglas and, the big miss,The Last Emperor. To cover the end of the Quig dynasty, the Japanese takeover of China, and life in Communist China, all done spectacularly, but in a personal way, was an underrated masterpiece. I learned, and was inspired to learn more about China from this movie than from the three college courses of Asian history I took.

    • @carolinemasson7172
      @carolinemasson7172 Місяць тому +2

      I was waiting for the Last Emperor. Easily one of my favourite movies, so good

    • @Not_Squirrel
      @Not_Squirrel 28 днів тому +1

      YES. I called this out too. How can it not be on a Top 50 list? Top 10 on my list.

  • @lesliemaitland3551
    @lesliemaitland3551 2 місяці тому +25

    Welll Dan, you are just going to have to do a best 100, so you can rank Zulu, Downfall, Das Boot, Two Women, Invictus, Spotlight, Operation Mincemeat, Empire of the Sun, A Brilliant Mind, The Insider, Mutiny on the Bounty, Hope and Glory, Death of Stalin, Stalingrad, The Dambusters, Battle of Britain, Woman in Gold, Gallipoli, Bridge over the River Kwaii, Tora tora tora, Lawrence of Arabia, and the Killing Fields. Great video, thanks!

    • @nigeljames5622
      @nigeljames5622 2 місяці тому +5

      Killing Fields was in this list actually but many great movies in your list and in mine were not

    • @claytonberg721
      @claytonberg721 Місяць тому +2

      Lean is not represented here at all. It's hard to fathom that bridge on the river kwai, lawerence of arabia and dr. Zhivago were shot back, to back, to back. Those are the films that Alec Guiness should be remembered for, more than being Obi-Wan.

    • @johnhopkinson7573
      @johnhopkinson7573 Місяць тому

      You haven't paid attention have you, it says movies of the last 50 years

    • @janiced9960
      @janiced9960 Місяць тому

      Don't forget Kingdom of Heaven,- the extended version, otherwise it makes no sense.

    • @TheAureliac
      @TheAureliac Місяць тому

      @@johnhopkinson7573 "The Great Escape" was released in 1963.

  • @thetinmanify
    @thetinmanify 2 місяці тому +63

    The Death of Stalin gets no love!

    • @kev3d
      @kev3d 2 місяці тому +5

      What a surprising and wonderful film. It somehow successfully dances between hilarious and absolutely terrifying. Top notch cast.

    • @judycater2832
      @judycater2832 2 місяці тому +6

      Yes, the blackest of black comedies. Great performances.

    • @69coolchris
      @69coolchris 2 місяці тому +3

      Probably because it's a comedy, and therefore it's not very accurate and can't be classed as a historical film. I'm just guessing on that point.

    • @matthewcreelman1347
      @matthewcreelman1347 2 місяці тому +2

      @@69coolchrisI mean, Gladiator makes up a lot too.

    • @69coolchris
      @69coolchris 2 місяці тому

      ​@matthewcreelman1347 The difference being that Gladiator is a fictional story set around actual historical figures.

  • @LaLayla99
    @LaLayla99 2 місяці тому +11

    Tombstone, Harriet, Glory, Selma, Waterloo, Immortal Beloved, Cry Freedom, Hidden Figures, Sophie Scholl, Loving, Hacksaw Ridge, The Untouchables...

    • @stflaw
      @stflaw 2 дні тому

      Immortal Beloved is pure romance novel fantasy. Only a woman would pick that one.

  • @TriK2Win
    @TriK2Win 2 місяці тому +34

    Great list, but no Das Boot? Come and See? The Lives of Others? Lawrence of Arabia? Downfall?

    • @Annie-rw2ec
      @Annie-rw2ec Місяць тому +3

      Waterloo too 😢

    • @scotbotvideos
      @scotbotvideos Місяць тому +1

      Just watched Come and See the other nigh right here on YT. It was awesome.

    • @kaziu312
      @kaziu312 Місяць тому

      No Lives of Others? That's it! I'm out!

    • @Wesker10000
      @Wesker10000 Місяць тому +1

      Yeah this list is pretty crap. There's a dozen other films that could have taken the place of fucking braveheart and Napoleon.

    • @johnhopkinson7573
      @johnhopkinson7573 Місяць тому

      Lawrence of Arabia is over 50 years old

  • @TheSpencer1982
    @TheSpencer1982 2 місяці тому +35

    No Glory, Downfall, Fury, Tora Tora, Tora, Das Boot, Black Hawk Down, or Stalag 17?! Great list, but could be better.
    But still, hearing “I am Maximus Decimus Meridius” still gets me.

    • @andreasfriedrich4432
      @andreasfriedrich4432 2 місяці тому +2

      fury xD

    • @cubelex3268
      @cubelex3268 2 місяці тому +4

      Its also missing Come And See

    • @jsullivan2112
      @jsullivan2112 2 місяці тому

      It's top 50 historical movies though, not top 50 war movies. Too many of those on the list as it is.

    • @mombaassa
      @mombaassa 2 місяці тому +2

      "Come and See".

    • @FuncleB
      @FuncleB 2 місяці тому +1

      Come and See is one of the most harrowing films of all time.

  • @xitanracing
    @xitanracing 2 місяці тому +7

    Das Boot, Stalingrad (1994 version) Downfall, Battle of Britain. These should all be in there. In the top 15!

  • @GSXK4
    @GSXK4 2 місяці тому +11

    Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Downfall (2004), Mutiny on the Bounty (1983), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), The Pianist (2002), A Bridge too Far (1977).

  • @jacobbernard8509
    @jacobbernard8509 2 місяці тому +45

    A few honorable mentions;
    A Bridge Too Far(Should have made the list)
    Kingdom of Heaven
    We Were Soldiers
    Gettysburg
    Glory(Could have made the list)
    Thin Red Line(Could have made the list)
    Black Hawk Down(Could have made the list)
    Enemy at the Gates
    Patton
    Henry V
    Amistad
    Lawrence of Arabia
    Battle of the Bulge
    Ben-Hur
    Defiance
    …just to name a few.lol

    • @redcaoimh3127
      @redcaoimh3127 2 місяці тому +4

      Nice list. Glory, Amistad and Lawrence definitely shud have made the list over The Queen.

    • @Beautyonthebrain_
      @Beautyonthebrain_ 2 місяці тому +4

      Gettysburg was one of my dads favorite movies, I was surprised it wasn't on this list at all.

    • @modernjosephus356
      @modernjosephus356 2 місяці тому +5

      You forgot The Longest Day

    • @thearthritisgamer946
      @thearthritisgamer946 2 місяці тому +3

      VERY IMPORTANT, don't watch Kingdom of Heaven, watch Kingdom of Heaven Directors Cut!!! It's sooooo much better.

    • @claytonberg721
      @claytonberg721 Місяць тому +3

      Dump some of the ridley scott drek in favour of Amistad and Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence of Arabia could have been 2 or 3.

  • @semmanbro
    @semmanbro 2 місяці тому +52

    You know what's an underated historical movie that I never see on these types of lists? The Northman by Robert Eggers , great viking film. Think it was pretty historically authentic and I personally loved it

    • @fotograf736
      @fotograf736 2 місяці тому +1

      I watched it already, so it can't be underrated :) real gem.

    • @countalma9800
      @countalma9800 2 місяці тому +10

      It is not historically authentic. It’s historical fantasy. But it’s an interesting and very well crafted film.

    • @Mike-qr4mp
      @Mike-qr4mp 2 місяці тому +3

      @@countalma9800is brave heart not a historical fantasy

    • @hermanspaerman3490
      @hermanspaerman3490 2 місяці тому +1

      @@countalma9800, It catches the tone of the era and its people, compare that with Braveheart , with Pictish tribal paint and a lack of bridge in a battle called Stirling Bridge. Can't let a bridge interfere with a Hollywood charge.

    • @semmanbro
      @semmanbro 2 місяці тому

      really? I thought the director was known for his research into making his films fairly authentic@@countalma9800

  • @wekket3117
    @wekket3117 Місяць тому +3

    Others that definitely deserve a consideration; Tora Tora Tora, the longest day, A bridge too far, we were soldiers, and Das Boot among many others.

  • @olavbjortomt1596
    @olavbjortomt1596 2 місяці тому +26

    I think you should have separated the period literary adaptations from adaptations of historical event movies. It seems that 'historical' in this case means any film set in the past (which sort of makes sense but means that a lot of good history movies get excluded)

  • @lim6299
    @lim6299 2 місяці тому +4

    Lawrence of Arabia, Waterloo, Das Boot, Spartacus

  • @rhettcooper5450
    @rhettcooper5450 2 місяці тому +4

    How Saving Private Ryan was not 1 or 2 is amazing. I remember going to see the premiere and when the movie let out, an older couple was in front of myself and my date and the gentleman said that's "exactly what it was like."

  • @eivindkaisen6838
    @eivindkaisen6838 2 місяці тому +48

    No Downfall, no Das Boot, no The Lives of Others.
    List value in free fall.

    • @mombaassa
      @mombaassa 2 місяці тому +4

      The Lives of Others, is my second, all time favourite.

  • @black_stream
    @black_stream 2 місяці тому +24

    Pretty sure Apocalypse Now was 1978, probably a typo showing it as 1998.

  • @MercedesJordy
    @MercedesJordy 24 дні тому +1

    Ridley Scott telling historians that "they weren't there either" will always be legendary ie: Gladiator

  • @stacytadlock7666
    @stacytadlock7666 2 місяці тому +7

    Whenever you have any list there are always things left out, but on the whole this was a good list and an entertaining one.

  • @13leaguestotwomorethanyou
    @13leaguestotwomorethanyou 2 місяці тому +36

    No Zulu? Bridge over the River Kwai? Glory? Outlaw King? We Were Soldiers? The Longest Day? Downfall is the best portrayal of Hitler ever, and should be there. Cromwell was an excellent if not fully accurate depiction of the English Civil Wars. Zulu really should have been in this list. Despite being made in the 1960s, it wasn't racist and it had a balanced view of both the British and Zulu forces.

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому +1

      👍👍

    • @t.wcharles2171
      @t.wcharles2171 2 місяці тому

      Zulu was made more than 60 years ago, and whilst it is a great film, it falls outside the 50-year purview, same with bride over the river kwai.

    • @JDothan
      @JDothan 2 місяці тому +2

      We Were Soldiers not being on here is crazy.

    • @t.wcharles2171
      @t.wcharles2171 2 місяці тому

      @@JDothan that's quite true, my personal favourite Vietnam movie.

    • @ybros6926
      @ybros6926 2 місяці тому

      Um, The Great Escape was made in 1963, one year earlier.@@t.wcharles2171

  • @andrewbarthel8224
    @andrewbarthel8224 2 місяці тому +21

    Hoping to see The Duellists somewhere on here!

    • @andrewbarthel8224
      @andrewbarthel8224 2 місяці тому +3

      I did not, in fact, see the Duellists on here

    • @battlejitney2197
      @battlejitney2197 2 місяці тому +4

      Right? How was it missed?

    • @t.wcharles2171
      @t.wcharles2171 2 місяці тому

      ​@@battlejitney2197, Because not enough people chose it.

  • @TimFenningham-wr4dz
    @TimFenningham-wr4dz 2 місяці тому +6

    Great list but Gettysburg and Tora, Tora, Tora should have been somewhere on there.

  • @conemadam
    @conemadam Місяць тому +1

    Last of the Mohicans is still my all time favorite movie… but, thank you! This was incredible!

  • @kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860
    @kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860 2 місяці тому +4

    Das boot, didn’t make the list? That’s crazy. Should be top 5.

  • @jenniferwhite3258
    @jenniferwhite3258 2 місяці тому +13

    Pity this is restricted to 50 years because otherwise 'Lawrence of Arabia' would be in the top 5.

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому

      👍👍

    • @inasible
      @inasible 2 місяці тому

      ​It seems people who saw that movie didn't vote. This list feels like a product of people in their 30's , restricted to commercial and amateur

    • @andrasszabo1570
      @andrasszabo1570 2 місяці тому +3

      Was it? It had The Great Escape from 1963.

    • @pureholy
      @pureholy Місяць тому +1

      Ill Met By Moonlight 1957, A Night to Remember and Dunkirk both 1958, the last two being far better than more recent telling of the same events.

  • @vansnyder9499
    @vansnyder9499 Місяць тому +2

    Judging by this list it seems that the last 20 years have given us better historical movies than the previous 80 years.

  • @Joya5545
    @Joya5545 2 місяці тому +7

    Yes I was entertained Dan…but no Lawrence of Arabia A film that eclipses virtually everything on this list!

  • @geraldsharrock4597
    @geraldsharrock4597 2 місяці тому +7

    1. Lawrence of Arabia
    2. Doctor Zhivago
    3. Wandsee Conspiracy
    4. Amistad
    5. Restoration
    6. Duchess
    7. Young Victotia
    8. Khartoum
    9. Agony and the ecstasy
    10. El Cid
    11. Hamilton woman
    12. Battle of Britain
    13. Lion in winter
    14. Moulin Rouge 1952
    15. African Queen
    16. Dangerous Liaisons
    17. Das Boote
    18. Downfall
    19. The Mission
    20. Black Robe
    21. Man for all Seasons
    22. English Patient
    23. Seven Samurai
    24. Cry Freedom
    25. Last Emperor
    26. Mutiny on the Bounty Charles Laughton

  • @kenbrown2540
    @kenbrown2540 2 місяці тому +28

    You have Napoleon on the list, but not Downfall? Sorry, but that's just materially wrong.

  • @powerfrenzy
    @powerfrenzy 2 місяці тому +18

    Dan Snow. Feels like it's been an Age.

    • @yago8672
      @yago8672 2 місяці тому +3

      of empires

  • @alrightythen84
    @alrightythen84 2 місяці тому +3

    Lion in Winter, Becket, Cleopatra, Waterloo. 😢

  • @bradpenstone515
    @bradpenstone515 2 місяці тому +5

    At first I was like "why isn't Saving Private Ryan" number one?! Then yeah... Schindler's List laps it easily

  • @kariannecrysler640
    @kariannecrysler640 2 місяці тому +5

    Great picks. Faves for me include White Fang, The Fighting Seabees & Empire of the Sun.

  • @JulieS261
    @JulieS261 2 місяці тому +4

    Who exactly took part in this survey? Not one movie made before 1963 is mentioned and there were a lot of great historical movies made back then which are far better than many that were on this list. Missed films include classics such as Stalag 17 (1953), Judgement at Nuremberg (1961), Ben-Hur (1959), Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

    • @barbarak2836
      @barbarak2836 Місяць тому +1

      The Lion in Winter, because it is so evocative of medieval times and is about the Plantagenets who we hear almost nothing about.

    • @ragingtomato04
      @ragingtomato04 Місяць тому +1

      Lawrence of Arabia too

  • @josephallsen3135
    @josephallsen3135 2 місяці тому +2

    Here are some movies that deserve at least an honorable mention:
    * The Big Red One -1980
    * The Last Emperor -1987
    * Waterloo -1970
    * Any Samurai movie directed by Akiro Kurosawa
    * Death of Stalin - 2017
    * Agora - 2009
    * Brother Sun, Sister Moon -1972
    * Gettysburg -1993
    * Tora! Tora! Tora! -1970
    If you have not watched these in a long while or have never heard of them; they are definitely worth your time.

  • @davinalescott2971
    @davinalescott2971 2 місяці тому +3

    Love Dan Snow.
    He's so knowledgeable and puts it in an easy to understand way.
    Also he's gorgeous XX

  • @Hew.Jarsol
    @Hew.Jarsol 2 місяці тому +9

    It is not widely known esp between Americans, but there was a substantial Royal Navy and RAF presence on Omaha and Utah Beaches on D-Day. On Omaha Beach, four battalions of American troops were landed from seven British transport ships and LCA Flotillas. Both of the 2nd and 5th the US Ranger Infantry Battalions were with the Royal Navy, as were the 1st Battalions of 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division and the 1st Battalion of 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division.
    Some of our sister flotillas, including 550 Flotilla on the SS Empire Anvil at the eastern, Colleville end of Omaha Beach, suffered higher casualties. A number of British sailors were killed on Omaha Beach. Many other landing craft, amongst them LCTs for example, were British.” The RAF 21 BDS landed and took casualties on Omaha beach.

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому

      👍👍

    • @kfemme68
      @kfemme68 2 місяці тому

      I'm not a WWII expert but the way I understand it, DDay was a combined effort of anybody they could send in. My grandfather (being a paratrooper) was sent in behind enemy lines ahead of the day to help set it up. I believe he was in Market Garden but I could be wrong.

  • @Wesker10000
    @Wesker10000 Місяць тому +1

    The fact that you had Braveheart and Napoleon on this list, but didn't have The Grey Zone, Conspiracy, or the Downfall means that this list is not worth spit.

  • @kevinjacobs2730
    @kevinjacobs2730 2 місяці тому +1

    Downfall, Battle of Britain, Come and See, Longest Day just to name a few?

  • @denisefarmer366
    @denisefarmer366 2 місяці тому +14

    An interesting and well placed top 50. Maybe a nod could be given to The Longest Day, Black Hawk Down, Enemy at the Gate, The Green Mile.
    Your commentary on the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan was perfect. It was so realistic I couldn't bear to watch it. Apparently that was the universal reaction.
    And thanks for reminding me of the movie I haven't seen but must watch, Chariots of Fire. 👍

    • @joseph.irvin.photography
      @joseph.irvin.photography 2 місяці тому

      Black Hawk Down! Sooooo much better choice than Gladiator.

    • @andreasfriedrich4432
      @andreasfriedrich4432 2 місяці тому +1

      so realistic? so you where there?

    • @Beautyonthebrain_
      @Beautyonthebrain_ 2 місяці тому

      my dad took me (age 15) & my brother (age 13) to see SPR when it was released. I'll never forget the image of a soldier on one of the transports getting a bullet right through his helmet. That was a powerful moment.

  • @LudiCrust.
    @LudiCrust. Місяць тому +1

    Last of the Mohicans at 26 is definitely a mistake. The final 30-45 minutes of that movie are probably the most gripping I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely top 10.

  • @tomtom21194
    @tomtom21194 2 місяці тому +8

    Kings Speech is one of my favourite films.

  • @andreasschmidt2739
    @andreasschmidt2739 7 днів тому

    There are a lot more that deserves to be on that list. Glory, Gettysburg, a thin red line, Land of the Pharaohs, ben hur, Agora, The Lion in Winter, The Name of the Rose, El Cid, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, the seven samurai, The Duellists, Gallipoli and Downfall.

  • @HaveSheildWillTravel
    @HaveSheildWillTravel 2 місяці тому +2

    Love seeing people list a bunch of great movies that where not made in the past 50 years and be like, "why is it not in the list called the best 50 movies made in the last 50 years"

    • @pnorth3212
      @pnorth3212 2 місяці тому

      True and title alludes to1974-2024 films...... BUT The Great Escape is included at number 49 in ranking and that was a 1963 film

    • @katherinelarini8514
      @katherinelarini8514 2 місяці тому

      spoil sport...

    • @claire-christmas-august73
      @claire-christmas-august73 2 місяці тому

      @@pnorth3212
      hence the additional movies.!
      😉😃
      ✌🏻🇦🇺🌏🤘🏻

  • @NSHCPharoah12
    @NSHCPharoah12 Місяць тому +1

    Napoleon next to Imitation Game seems downright criminal

  • @SpawnReaper1993
    @SpawnReaper1993 Місяць тому

    I love this. Dan and his Father have such a passion for history and it really shows. thank you for taking the time to present this.

  • @johnslaughter5475
    @johnslaughter5475 2 місяці тому +3

    It is probably a good thing for Britain that France never got frigates such as the Acheron. The moment I saw it I recognized it as one of America's frigates like "Old Ironsides," USS Constitution. Things might have gone much different if France had had those. It must've been terribly galling to the Admiralty when they had to give the order not to attack American ships without superior numbers. The US Navy is having new frigates built. The 1st 5 will be named for the 5 that are no longer around.
    I recently watched a video about the Higgins boats. He pointed out that the dropping of the ramp created a machine gunner's dream. Exactly what was depicted.

  • @stephenwodz7593
    @stephenwodz7593 2 місяці тому +15

    The Last Duel was much better than Napoleon.

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому

      👍👍

    • @TheFatMob
      @TheFatMob 2 місяці тому +1

      Waterloo and War and Peace from a long time ago are immensely better than Napoleon.

    • @Not_Squirrel
      @Not_Squirrel 28 днів тому

      👍

  • @joearcher6973
    @joearcher6973 2 місяці тому +3

    Great Channel great list what about Waterloo Patton and the original Midway keep up the great work

  • @jaimebergner
    @jaimebergner 2 місяці тому +1

    I was thrilled that one of my favorites "Master And Commander" was Number 8 on the list.

  • @MrToronto44
    @MrToronto44 Місяць тому +2

    I was hoping to see The Lion in Winter on the list. Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn are seared in my mind.

  • @Valkanna.Nublet
    @Valkanna.Nublet 2 місяці тому +1

    With the comments at the beginning about Ridley Scott not caring about historical accuracy I thought that this list would actually care about historical accuracy when ranking the films, but nope, I was disappointed.

  • @MrVuvuzaala
    @MrVuvuzaala 2 місяці тому +4

    A good list, however I am surprised that Zulu (1964), and Waterloo (1970) didn't make the top 50?

    • @will2777
      @will2777 2 місяці тому +1

      I would think they would be within the 50 year limit right?

    • @MrVuvuzaala
      @MrVuvuzaala 2 місяці тому

      @@will2777Yeah you're right, my bad. I think it was because Dan Snow kept saying "Best of all time", that I forgot 'all time' really only meant the last 50 years?
      It's a bit like football, where history only starts once the Prima Donna League began, in 1992!
      I often feel that the World only began when people aged under 50 were born, the rest of 'us' and 'it' was just an illusion, lol 🤣

    • @MrVuvuzaala
      @MrVuvuzaala 2 місяці тому

      @@will2777Just realised, The Great Escape was on this list, yet it is even older than the two that I suggested above; it was made in 1963!

  • @jmontarsi
    @jmontarsi 2 місяці тому +2

    I would definitely add DOWNFALL. Great list and commentary.

  • @DCS_World_Japan
    @DCS_World_Japan 2 місяці тому +2

    Napoleon, Braveheart, Dunkirk, Gladiator, were all full of historical inaccuracies. Where are the good historical movies like Black Hawk Down, The Man Who Never Was, We Were Soldiers, Shadow of My Eye?

  • @abdjfhskbdh
    @abdjfhskbdh Місяць тому +3

    No Zulu, Waterloo, Lawrence of Arabia??? What!

  • @euanaird
    @euanaird 2 місяці тому +3

    I thought for sure Apocalypto would get a mention.

  • @sjtimmer7
    @sjtimmer7 2 місяці тому +5

    Please tell me they are making a historically accurate movie or tv series about Hannibal Barca.

  • @gadgetgirl02
    @gadgetgirl02 Місяць тому

    I haven't watched the Oscars in years, but I was absolutely thrilled when this video showed up in my feed.

  • @aegontargaryen9322
    @aegontargaryen9322 2 місяці тому +6

    I’d say my favourites were Downfall ,The Killing fields, Platoon,Master and Commander,True Grit (new version) , Oppenheimer,Elizabeth, Elizabeth the Golden Age ,Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers List, The Pianist,Gladiator,Tombstone,Flags of our Fathers and The Deer Hunter

  • @Sarcasmses
    @Sarcasmses 2 місяці тому +1

    It should be a crime to leave The Duellists off this list, it's one of the best Napoleonic-era movies and could have made this list with 3 years to spare.

  • @ethancoster1324
    @ethancoster1324 2 місяці тому +9

    Napoleon shouldn't be anywhere on this list.
    That movie wasn't even that entertaining as popcorn flick.

  • @Dave_Sisson
    @Dave_Sisson 2 дні тому +1

    Lawrence of Arabia, Das Boot, Zulu, Death of Stalin and The good, the bad and the ugly should all have been on that list.

  • @faytsampouri6197
    @faytsampouri6197 2 місяці тому

    Dan..thoroughly enjoyed the list...some took me down memory lane❤😊

  • @modernjosephus356
    @modernjosephus356 2 місяці тому +3

    The Longest Day and Gettysburg is missing.

  • @djamesthree
    @djamesthree Місяць тому +2

    Entertaining as it was, Braveheart doesn’t belong on this list, there’s an endless stream of Historians on UA-cam that denigrate it for the license it takes with history (including our presenter here), at times passing absurd. Apollo 13 should have been significantly higher on the list. One that is missing that I would recommend is Bridge of Spies, where Mark Rylance won an Oscar for his supporting Role. Otherwise this is a great collection and mostly a very good ranking. Thoroughly enjoyed. I’m surprised at how many of these films I have watched.

    • @TheAureliac
      @TheAureliac Місяць тому +1

      "Bridge of Spies" was terrifying in its depiction of its time. It definitely deserved to be here. Maybe in place of "Dances With Wolves".

  • @will2777
    @will2777 2 місяці тому +2

    Surprised Outlaw King wasnt on here

  • @myurgil
    @myurgil 2 місяці тому

    I love your sense of humor, Dan! I'm also glad that you can enjoy a movie for its entertainment value even as you recognize it's historical inaccuracies (Braveheart is a prime example)

  • @black_stream
    @black_stream 2 місяці тому +2

    A lot of commenters didn't pay attention to the first minute where Dan explains this list was compiled by you, ie. HH viewers. Maybe the faux Academy Award props went unnoticed. To be clear to the slow people, this isn't a top ranking list put chosen by Dan but by viewers, so think about that before ranting in the comments about how much you disagree with it.

  • @meatloafmen
    @meatloafmen 2 місяці тому +21

    Oof, omission of Das Boot is a big whiff.

    • @yago8672
      @yago8672 2 місяці тому +1

      It was... But otherwise pretty cool list

    • @meatloafmen
      @meatloafmen 2 місяці тому

      @@yago8672 yea. Absolutely. Gives a lot of homework to watch, haha

    • @4HistorysPages
      @4HistorysPages 2 місяці тому

      👍👍

  • @creativelybankrupt3197
    @creativelybankrupt3197 2 місяці тому

    Could this be made into a podcast? I don't have time to watch a 51 minute video but this would fun to listen to over a couple commutes to work.

  • @Brian-hy9fb
    @Brian-hy9fb Місяць тому

    Thanks Hugh, I loved this video and i love your channel. I would have liked to have seen Gallipoli (1981) starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, which the ending scene depicting The Battle of Lone Pine.

  • @TheAureliac
    @TheAureliac Місяць тому +1

    "The Homesman" absolutely deserved to be on this list. Of course, it dealt with women, so it's not important. But "Gallipoli" certainly should have been here. And "Breaker Morant".

  • @thefuturefactory56
    @thefuturefactory56 2 місяці тому +2

    Where is ZULU? I also agree that Downfall, with the greatest depiction of Hitler ever filmed and the frightening tension of submarine warfare in Das Boot should put all 3 in the top 20, at least.

  • @susannjarvis5587
    @susannjarvis5587 2 місяці тому

    I was happily surprised that "Titanic" didn't end up Number #1. And I agree that "Schindler's List" was a worthy top choice. But I also agree with another commentator that "Downfall" should have been on this list. Still loved the choices and Dan Snow's commentary.

  • @benjaminrush4443
    @benjaminrush4443 Місяць тому

    Seen Most of these - Great List. Thanks.

  • @sharonagnew3186
    @sharonagnew3186 2 місяці тому

    Love the channel

  • @davidsigler9690
    @davidsigler9690 2 місяці тому +4

    Debatable it is.....Where was Gary Oldman for playing Beethoven? Let alone Helena Bonham-Carter for Lady Jane.....I noted Waterloo is not here.....not to mention The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, Battle Of Britain (1969 Version), Das Boot, Glory, Gettysburg, and the list goes on and on and on and that is why history is so much fun to discuss even in the movies.

    • @joseph.irvin.photography
      @joseph.irvin.photography 2 місяці тому +1

      Immortal Beloved! True. And how about some other artists? The Agony and the Ecstasy comes to mind. Great list of war films you've got there, forgot about some of those!

    • @davidsigler9690
      @davidsigler9690 2 місяці тому +1

      @@joseph.irvin.photography Sadly I forgot about my favorite Historical Novel turned movie, "The Agony And The Ecstasy." or "Lust For Life" Van Gogh....I did leave a few out for war films, "The Lost Battalion"..."Galipoli.".....both Zulu War movies....

    • @Not_Squirrel
      @Not_Squirrel 28 днів тому +1

      Agreed. A tad heavy on Vietnam Era movie some slightly overrated. I'd trade Apocalypse for Immortal Beloved in a ❤beat

    • @Not_Squirrel
      @Not_Squirrel 28 днів тому

      ​@@joseph.irvin.photography100%.

  • @stevenflowers9289
    @stevenflowers9289 2 місяці тому +1

    Alexander with Colin Farrell is not just watchable, but re-watchable. That should be a standard for any "# best" movie.

  • @evansquilt
    @evansquilt Місяць тому

    I am 100% convinced that DiCaprio got the Oscar because the Academy was he'd go so far in his pursuit of the statue that he'd end up dead.

  • @stevenspringer1599
    @stevenspringer1599 2 місяці тому +2

    Fine list that will satisfy no one..."Agora" 2009 ?

  • @michaeltelson9798
    @michaeltelson9798 2 місяці тому

    My list would include:
    Das Boot
    Lady Jane
    Kanal
    If you wanted to read about the Italian resistance from a teenager living through it this book is good.
    “The Bicycle Runner” by G. Franco Romagnoli - bicycle runner, “Italian war groom” and chef. An interesting memoir about the little people behind the scenes.

  • @shaunmclorie5929
    @shaunmclorie5929 2 місяці тому

    Some legendary films here and brilliantly presented 👏🏻

  • @judycater2832
    @judycater2832 2 місяці тому +1

    I was a young adult at the time of Apollo 13 and remember seeing the capsule splashing down. Also seeing Jim Lovell at the film’s premiere. Still, every time I watch the film I’m sitting on the edge of my chair wondering if they will make it! Same with the end of Argo.

  • @ybros6926
    @ybros6926 2 місяці тому +1

    If you have The Great Escape (1963), Zulu, The Battle of Britain and Waterloo, all made after, should be on the list.

  • @nathanricci
    @nathanricci 2 місяці тому

    You sir are a treasure. Love HH. Keep up the good work!

  • @cherylwood5202
    @cherylwood5202 Місяць тому

    Thanks for a hugely entertaining video. I loved reliving my memories of many of those films. I did miss Lawrence of Arabia, however. And Patton..the only movie that personally I have ever seen more than twice.

  • @minalmine
    @minalmine 10 днів тому

    Glory, Gettysburg, The Longest Day, Bridge Over the River Kwai, Empire of the Sun, & A Night to Remember (in place of Titanic, since it's based on actual survivors' accounts) should have made the list.

  • @seanhanlon3047
    @seanhanlon3047 2 місяці тому

    I couldn't wait to get into this list then one of my absolute favourites was dead last hahaha. Ah well. Good video. Great list!

  • @beverleightodd5710
    @beverleightodd5710 2 місяці тому +1

    I'm not surprised Downton didn't make it, let's be honest it shows servants being treated like they are part of the family. This was not the case the Downton relationships are seen through rose tinted specs.