Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972), Kuroneko (1968), Bill (2015), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Flesh & Blood (1985), Seven Samurai (1954), The Princess of Montpensier (2010), Lorna Doone (1922) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best 16th Century movies.
Storyline: King Henry VIII (Richard Burton) of England discards one wife, Catharine of Aragon (Irene Papas), who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of a young and beautiful woman, Anne Boleyn (Geneviève Bujold), whose one-thousand-day reign as Queen of England ends with the loss of her head on the block. Henry weds Anne and soon she gives him a child. The girl, Elizabeth (Amanda Jane Smythe), is a bitter disappointment to Henry, who desperately wants an heir. Anne promises Henry a son "next time", but Henry is doubtful. Shortly thereafter, rumors begin that the King's eye has already wandered. One Jane Seymour (Lesley Paterson) is at court for a moment. The Queen has her sent away, but, if Anne will bring Jane back to court, the King promises to sign the Act of Succession to insure that Elizabeth will be Queen.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: king, queen, cardinal, maid, pope, heir, dark ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: During the middle of the 16th century, Martin Guerre returns to his village in southwestern France, after being away in the war for almost a decade. The villagers who knew him as a young man suspect he is not Martin, but he seems to know all about his friends, his family and his wife, even the most unusual things. Is this man really Martin Guerre?—Michel Rudoy <mdrc@hp9000a1.uam.mx>
Plot Keywords: wife, husband, villager, magistrate, veteran, impostor, fascinating ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The night of August 24, 1572, is known as the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. In France a religious war is raging. In order to impose peace a forced wedding is arranged between Margot de Valois, sister of the immature Catholic King Charles IX, and the Hugenot King Henri of Navarre. Catherine of Medici maintains her behind-the-scenes power by ordering assaults, poisonings, and instigations to incest.
Plot Keywords: heiress, king, husband, lover, brother, striking, gripping ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Roman Polanski's version of Shakespeare's tragedy about a Scottish lord who murders the king and ascends the throne. His wife then begins hallucinating as a result of her guilt complex and the dead king's son conspires to attack Macbeth and expose him for the murderer he is.—Jason Ihle <jrihl@conncoll.edu>
Plot Keywords: king, macbeth, lady, ghost, rival, brutal, unrestrained ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Young lovers Hero and Claudio are to be married in one week. To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick, an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favorite sparring partner. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing".
Plot Keywords: prince, soldier, half brother, niece, fiancé, fiancée, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Mary Stuart, named Queen of Scotland when she was six days old, is the last Roman Catholic ruler of Scotland. Her cousin Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England, and her arch adversary, has her imprisoned at age twenty-three. Nineteen years later, Mary is executed, removing the last threat to Elizabeth's throne. The two Queens' contrasting personalities make a dramatic counterpoint to history.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: mary stuart, husband, courtier, lord, somber, fascinating, passionate ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In 16th century Venice, courtesans enjoy unique privileges: dressed richly in red, they read, compose poetry and music, and discuss affairs of state with the men who govern the Republic. When Veronica Franco comes of age, she cannot marry Marco Venier, whom she loves, because she is well born but penniless. Her choice: cloister or courtesan. She steels her heart, and with beauty and intelligence becomes the best. She's a heroine when she helps convince France to aid Venice in war with Turks, but when plague descends, the Church charges her with witchcraft. At her inquisition, she must match wits with an old rival, speak for all women, and call courage from Venier.
Plot Keywords: aristocrat, courtesan, mother, lover, wrongly accused, zealot, powerful ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Pope Julius II (Sir Rex Harrison) is eager to leave behind works by which he will be remembered. To this end he cajoles Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) into painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When not on the battlefield uniting Italy, the Pope nags Michelangelo to speed up his painful work on the frescoes.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: artist, pope, countess, passionate, powerful, rome, mountain ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In 16th-century Prague, a rabbi creates the Golem - a giant creature made of clay. Using sorcery, he brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.
Plot Keywords: creature, rabbi, emperor, daughter, assistant, little girl, dark ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Don Salluste, a petty tyrant in his own home and minister of the King of Spain, falls from grace. Wanting revenge, he tries to compromize the Queen with his valet Blaze, introduced as his cousin. But poor Blaze gets stuck with a rather repulsive duenna, who is madly in love with him and very keen on getting her way. This wild comedy takes off at a dashing pace set by the De Funes, Montand and Sapritch trio.—Anonymous
Plot Keywords: tax collector, valet, queen, king, nephew, hilarious, spectacular ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Lederer is a Hessian soldier who defects to the Americans during the Revolutionary War.He falls in love with a Yankee girl, but a thuggish local militiaman jealously makes things hard for him while he's a prisoner of war.
Plot Keywords: anne boleyn, wife, queen, king, cheeky, melodramatic, emotional ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son King Edward VI is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guilford, to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guilford and Jane fall in love. But they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.—Samantha Santa Maria <TE7441667@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg>
Plot Keywords: father, minister, princess, lady, son, brutal, disheartening ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In the inspired Olivier concept, Shakespeare's play begins as a performance in the Globe Theatre, shifting in broad cinematic terms to an epic narrative of Henry V, who had developed from a dissolute youth to a purposeful monarch. Proving his ability as a soldier and skillful leader, he unites the dissident factions in the English army and goes on to crush the French, against enormous odds, at Agincourt. Arranging a treaty with the French court, he woos Princess Katharine to whom he is formally betrothed as part of the peace agreement.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: soldier, king, leader, military officer, queen, creative, intense ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Baptista (Sir Michael Hordern), a rich Paduan merchant, announces that his fair young daughter, Bianca (Natasha Pyne), will remain unwed until her older sister, Katharina (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), a hellish shrew, has wed. Lucentio (Michael York), a student and the son of a wealthy Pisan merchant, has fallen in love with Bianca. He poses as a tutor of music and poetry to gain entrance to the Baptista household and to be near Bianca. Meanwhile, Petruchio (Richard Burton), a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona, arrives in Padua, hoping to capture a wealthy wife. Hortensio (Victor Spinetti), another suitor of Bianca, directs Petruchio's attention to Katharina. When Hortensio warns him about Katharina's scolding tongue and fiery temper, Petruchio is challenged and resolves to capture her love. Hortensio and another suitor of Bianca, Gremio (Alan Webb), agree to cover Petruchio's costs as he pursues Katharina.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: wanderer, beautiful woman, sister, suitor, tutor, father, witty ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Desdemona (Dame Maggie Smith) defies her father to marry the Moor of Venice, the mighty warrior, Othello (Sir Laurence Olivier). But Othello's old Ensign, Iago (Frank Finlay), doesn't like Othello, and is determined to bring about the downfall of Othello's new favorite, Cassio (Sir Derek Jacobi), and destroy Othello in the process, by casting aspersions on Othello's new bride.—Kathy Li
Plot Keywords: othello, senator, iago, desdemona, servant, campy, confident ...
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