The 21st century has been full of surprises. Pandemics. Politics. The rise of artificial intelligence. Have things ever been this unhinged? Short answer: Yes. The briefest glimpse into a middle school social studies textbook proves that the course of human history, like the course of true love, has never quite run smooth. World wars. Nuclear weapons. More pandemics. Ever since we walked out of the cradle of civilization millennia ago, it’s been a bumpy ride. To celebrate (and commiserate) on the course of human events, here’s a list of the ten best historical films of the 21st century. If you think you’ve got it bad today, just wait until you get a load of the bad circumstances of yesteryear!
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Directed by Céline Sciammam, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is queer cinema history in the making – a sapphic masterpiece of the modern age. The story takes place in late 18th century France, and revolves around an artist named Marianne who is hired to paint the portrait of Héloïse, a noblewoman who is soon to be married of to an Italian aristocrat. While some might say Héloïse is living the dream, it soon becomes apparent that her impending betrothal is indeed a nightmare. Héloïse’s heart isn’t in it, because her heart belongs to Marianne. As it turns out, staring at someone beautiful who is also staring at you for hours on end makes one fall in love quick. Over the course of the slowest of slowburn romances, Héloïse and Marianne’s devotion goes from matchstick to forest fire bright. But despite the heat of their ardor, it isn’t enough to burn away the social constraints that women, especially queer women, faced at the time. Heart warming and heart wrenching, Portrait of a Lady on Fire will leave your soul singed.
Master and Commander
One would be forgiven for thinking that Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World would be a bloated and ponderous affair like its overlong title suggests, but one would be wrong. Master and Commander is AWESOME. Truly the ultimate dad movie, it’s the harrowing story of the HMS Surprise, a British frigate that runs into stormy waters during the Napoleonic Wars. “Stormy waters” is a euphemism here, because while the Surprise does indeed face some terrifying squalls, the ship also suffers from multiple privateer attacks, and a number of onboard accidents (one of which involves the ship’s doctor having to perform surgery on himself after being accidentally shot by one of the crew). It’s a mortifying exploration of the realities sea travel at a time when sinking ships were a relatively common occurrence. You’d have to be a madman to get onboard one of these vessels, and lucky for the viewer, this ship is crawling with them.
BlacKkKlansman
Based the real life memoir Black Klansman, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is the unbelievable true story of Ron Stallworth, a Black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Taking place in the 70’s, the story follows a young Ron as he attempts to fit in to the Colorado Springs police department as the organization’s first Black officer. Assigned to the intelligence division, he successfully makes contact with a local chapter of the Klan while pretending to be a white man on the phone. His efforts eventually lead him to the upper echelons of the Klan, and he’s able to establish a rapport with neo-Nazi leader David Duke himself. Nail-bitingly thrilling and blisteringly funny, BlacKkKlansman is the ultimate exercise in schadenfreude, two hours of watching the most morally repugnant organization in America getting exposed for the morons they are.
Gladiator
A gold standard historical film that doubles as the final boss of dad movies, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius, a disgraced Roman general who is captured by slavers and sold as a *title drop* gladiator. Using his tactical mind and fighting spirit, Maximus ascends from faraway fighting pits to the Roman colosseum itself, where he finds himself face to face with the corrupt emperor who betrayed him. It’s Joaquin Phoenix as Emperor Commodus who truly steals the show, a Roman politician so terrifyingly sociopathic he could give Nero a run for his money. The ultimate popcorn history action flick, when Gladiator asks “are you not entertained?” your answer is sure to be “YES.”
RRR
S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR (Roudram Ranam Rudhiram) is a historical Telugu-language film that came out of nowhere to become one of the biggest action films of the century – rivaling both Bollywood and Hollywood. Set in pre-Independence India, the film follows to freedom fighters of mythological proportions: Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju. Once serving on opposite sides of an India oppressed under British rule, the two living legends form a fast friendship on the road to eventual revolution. The ultimate historical bromance, RRR is the story of two men who are platonically head over heels for one another, and their love (combined with incredible, ridiculous, over the top fighting skills) allows them to lead their nation towards freedom – and in a a couple staggering song and dance sequences. Part musical. Part action. Part historical drama. All you’ve ever needed in a blockbuster.
12 Years A Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave is inspired by the true story of Solomon Northup, a 19th century Black man who was captured and sold into slavery. Originally from New York, Northrop was coaxed into following two men down to D.C. under the promise of short term employment. Instead, he was drugged, beaten, and shipped off to a plantation in New Orleans. The film is an unflinching look into the brutal realities of slavery, detailing Northup’s dozen years spent as a captive before he was finally able to return to the family he was forced to leave behind. It’s a devastating watch, a full exploration of the physical, psychological and spiritual torment that enslaved people were subjected to in one of most grim periods in American history. A decorated Oscar winner, this deeply moving survival story is easily one of the most important films of the century – and all time.
Milk
A biopic inspired by one of the most important figures in the American gay rights movement, Gus Van Sant’s Milk is the story of Harvey Milk – the first openly gay man to ever be elected to office in California. Beginning with a portrait of the end -Milk’s inevitable assassination – the film details how the trailblazing politician became one of the leading lights of LGBTQ+ history, and the fierce opposition he faced in his dauntless pursuit of human rights. Heartfelt and deeply human, Milk is a celebration of larger than life queer figure – a life that was tragically taken too soon.
Selma
Directed by Ava DuVernay, Selma is the story of the history making marches across Alabama made by Black Americans to demonstrate their desire to vote. The film begins with one of the most senseless tragedies in American history: the KKK organized 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, which claimed the lives of four young girls. Serving as a horrifying prelude to the historic march, the event spurs the leaders and supporters of the budding civil rights movement to redouble their efforts – risking their lives in order to stage mass protests in support of human rights. Selma is a stunning drama, an intimate glimpse into the realities of mythologized figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Malcom X., John Lewis and many more.
Persepolis
Directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnau, Persepolis is an animated film adapted from Satrapi’s graphic novel memoir of the same name. The film recounts Satrapi’s coming of age during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a sweeping conservative and theocratic reform that dramatically reduced the rights that Persian women enjoyed only a few years prior. As young Satrapi faces a future radically different from the one she was first promised, she stages her own personal rebellion – with black market metal music, foreign clothing, and revolutionary speeches to her classmates.
The Zone of Interest
A devastating examination of doublethink, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is the story of SS Officer Rudolf Höss, who is attempting to build a dream home for his family next to Auschwitz, where he works. He takes his children out fishing, he approves designs for new crematoriums where bodies are burned, he grows lilac bushes in garden – beyond which lies unimaginable levels of human suffering. It’s a horrifying display of the lengths human beings go to compartmentalize and rationalize atrocities – the portrait of a “loving” father who reads fairytales to his children while making life a living nightmare for others. In a world that continually normalizes violence on national and global scales, The Zone of Interest serves to remind humanity of its own ambivalence, and the plight of those deemed “less than.”
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