Historical Entertainment

88 voters

The Best Movies Based On History Novels

Updated August 28, 2020 997 votes 88 voters 4.2k views42 items

List RulesVote up your favorite movies based on or inspired by historical literature.

From the Trojan War to the Civil Rights Movement, film adaptations of historical novels combine fact and fiction. The best movies based on history books feature real life events. Many films based on historical novels feature political figures while other good history movies that are books feature fictional characters living in historic times. Some of the best history films based off books have even won Academy Awards.

What historic novels adapted into movies will you find on this list. Forrest Gump has to be near the top. Based on Winston Groom's book of the same name, Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks as the title character who finds himself at several historic events. The March on the Pentagon, The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, and the Vietnam War are just a few of the noteworthy events featured in the film. Dances with Wolves is another good movie based on a historical novel.

Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas star in The English Patient, based on Michael Ondaatje's novel. Other good movies based on historical books include Enemy at the Gates, Spartacus, The Scarlet Letter, and Troy.

Which movie based on a historical novel is the best? Give your favorites a vote and and please add any great new films we may have missed.

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Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally Field
Released: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic romantic-comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the... more on Wikipedia
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Schindler's List
Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes
Released: 1993
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List is a 1993 American epic historical period drama, directed and co-produced by... more on Wikipedia
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The Help
Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain
Released: 2011
Directed by: Tate Taylor
The Help is a 2011 American period drama film directed and written by Tate Taylor, and adapted... more on Wikipedia
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Gone with the Wind
Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh
Released: 1939
Directed by: Sam Wood, George Cukor, Victor Fleming
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from Margaret... more on Wikipedia
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Spartacus
Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier
Released: 1960
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
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The Godfather
Al Pacino, Marlon Brando
Released: 1972
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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The Last of the Mohicans
Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe
Released: 1992
Directed by: Michael Mann
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 and produced by Morgan... more on Wikipedia
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The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Released: 1965
Directed by: Robert Wise
The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise... more on Wikipedia
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Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell
Released: 1990
Directed by: Kevin Costner
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 American epic western film directed, produced by, and starring... more on Wikipedia
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Demi Moore, Kevin Kline
Released: 1996
Directed by: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
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Hidden Figures
Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer
Released: 2016
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
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True Grit
Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon
Released: 2010
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
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Shutter Island
Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams
Released: 2010
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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The Pianist
Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann
Released: 2002
Directed by: Roman Polanski
The Pianist is a 2002 historical drama film co-produced and directed by Roman Polanski,... more on Wikipedia
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The Three Musketeers
Charlie Sheen, Tim Curry
Released: 1993
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Glory
Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington
Released: 1989
Directed by: Edward Zwick
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Downfall
Alexandra Lara, Bruno Ganz
Released: 2004
Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel
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Troy
Brad Pitt, Eric Bana
Released: 2004
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
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Cold Mountain
Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman
Released: 2003
Directed by: Anthony Minghella
Cold Mountain is a 2003 epic drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is... more on Wikipedia
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Enemy at the Gates
Rachel Weisz, Jude Law
Released: 2001
Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud
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Greyhound
Tom Hanks, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Released: 2020
Directed by: Aaron Schneider
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The Physician
Ben Kingsley, Stellan Skarsgård
Released: 2013
Directed by: Philipp Stölzl
The Physician is a 2013 adventure, drama and history film written by Jan Berger and Noah... more on Wikipedia
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True History of the Kelly Gang
George MacKay, Essie Davis
Released: 2020
Directed by: Justin Kurzel
True History of the Kelly Gang is a 2020 British-Australian biographical western film directed... more on Wikipedia
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The English Patient
Willem Dafoe, Ralph Fiennes
Released: 1996
Directed by: Anthony Minghella
The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script... more on Wikipedia
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Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany
Released: 2003
Directed by: Peter Weir
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a 2003 epic historical drama film... more on Wikipedia