I want my kids to know about and love world history. Movies are exciting. I want to show them the 'best' movies/TV series. I've drafted a list but I know very little (My history classes were dull and it is only now I;m realising how amazing it is). I am unsure about the rating system (I will let them watch R rated if the film is a good one, kids these days see so much blood and gore anyways...that said, scarring them for life isn't really the idea). I am unsure about the value of 'wow' and a general sense Vs. accuracy (how much does it matter?) and just which films to show. For reference, here is the draft list I have made and any comments would be most appreciated. Here is my list;
300 (I know this isn't accurate, it is R rated but it might capture their interest?), Spartacus, Jesus of Nazareth, Ben-Hur, I, Claudius (TV), Elizabeth, A Man for All Seasons, Rob Roy, Roots (TV), Last of the Mohicans, Amazing Grace (Not totally accurate but gives a feel for history and a worthwhile film, yes?), Master and Commander, Amistad, Gone with the Wind, The Red Badge of Courage, Glory, Dances with Wolves, The Lonesome Dove (TV), Gandhi, Doctor Zhivago, All Quiet on the Western Front, Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Emperor, The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, Casablanca, Come and See, The Great Escape, The Shop on Main Street, Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom, Das Boot, The Diary of Anne Frank, Tora! Tora! Tora!, War and Rememberence (TV), Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Europa, Europa, Band of Brothers, Der Untergang (Downfall), Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Valkyrie, The Best Years of our Lives, Gentleman's Agreement, Platoon, Apollo 13, All the Presidents Men, Black Hawk Down
That's about 180 hours worth. Any help - additions, deletions, disagreements? If I sat them through this list, do you think they would be educated, entertained, enlightened? Thank you in advance.
EDIT: 20/5/14 So, we started watching these....and it is 'working' ...the kids are loving it. Sadly, the old films that are really long, are not causing as much joy/interest as I had hoped, however, one win was that we watched the old Spartacus and they hated it so i downloaded the newer TV film and they LOVED that. Doing a comparison of the two was pretty fun. We're now watching Medieval Lives and THAT is a huge success. Last night's dinner time conversation was 'Did you know, anyone caught killing a royal deer got their fingers or testicles cut off,' etc. etc.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have contributed to this.
Kingdom of Heaven and Gladiator should be on the list. While they may have historical inaccuracies, they are good at providing the atmosphere of the eras in which they are depicting. This helps to inspire kids to be interested in those eras, even if the content isn't 100% right.
It actually might be good to even point out the historical inaccuracies while you're going along and have a discussion on some of the more difficult topics that are brought up in those movies once you finish. Perhaps even a debate? Whatever you do, make sure to engage your kids and make them think about the different sides of events like the Crusades, the fall of Rome, etc.
First thought is that there are films on there a 10 and 12 year old won't enjoy as film, which might turn them off, such as Gone with the wind and all the presidents men.
Start with picking films the will watch and then look for history.
Saving Private Ryan is a good movie, but you should let them watch that movie right after 300. They'll be all pro-war and suddenly watching SPR can be quite a shock.
Joking aside, I've read somewhere that veterans said that the D-Day scene was very accurate in how it actually happened. Master and Commander is also quite accurate depiction of life in the British Napoleonic navy and it made me more interested in that general time-frame. I've watched I, Claudius with my younger nephew (who is interested in Romans) but we both thought that it was a bit slow and maybe not very interesting for kids.
What really makes kids interested in history is video games. Try some Rome Total War (not very accurate but is a lot of fun and has enough accuracy and tidbits of interesting information to make someone interested in the Antiquity). This only applies if they like games of course (and if you will allow it)!
The Pianist
It's about the holocaust, incredibly real. Saw it in the 10th grade and still remember every minute of it.
Maybe add some comedies? I suggest The Incredible Army of Brancaleone, which is a great send-up of all those Hollywood Middle Age movie cliches, and in a way ends up being more accurate than many of these movies, because avoids much of the idealized notions of chivalry. It is also very funny. I would also suggest some of the documentaries Terry Jones made for BBC, like Medieval Lives and Barbarians. Before joining Monty Python, Jones was studying history, and, at least according to this reddit, his documentaries are pretty accurate, as well as accessible and fun.
You seem to have the basics covered, so let me go into some less known stuff. If your kids speak German or are otherwise willing to watch a movie with subtitles I heartily recommend Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex. It's a very accurate thriller about a communist terrorist group in 1970s Germany. It really captures the spirit of the time and is a damn good movie at the same time. If you want some more German/Iron Curtain stuff, Good Bye Lenin! is also really good. It's a comedy film taking place during the Fall of the Wall and German reunification from an Eastern German family's point of view. Really drives home the disparity between both sides of the Iron Curtain and the subsequent impact of Capitalism in Eastern Europe.
Furthermore, although not specifically historical, the Seven Samurai is still a period piece and really does a great job of portraying the Sengoku Jidai. It's also one of the best films ever made, so you lose nothing from watching it!
Sharpe. TV series, all on youtube.
Dr. Strangleove: Or how I Learned to stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Not based on an actual historical event, but provides a humorous point of view on Cold War thought.
Grave of the fireflies - history isn't always happy, war is never fun
On a related note, what would be some good historical documentaries/informative films that at the same time are interesting?
What about Schindler's List? Not sure of the rating but it's about a business man that helps Jews escape from Nazi Germany.
There's also a movie about Marie Curie that I recall enjoying.
ETA: Madame Curie(1943).
This is an old thread, but I thought I'd mention MAS*H. We watch that often with our daughter (starting at age 5, she's 7 now), and it's often prompted discussions with her about war, geography, cultures, US intervention, communism, morality, etc. She got addicted to it because of Klinger wearing dresses and Radar carrying his teddy bear, but I feel like she has started to get the much more nuanced parts of the show and has developed an interest in the era.
We also watch Hogan's Heroes, which has prompted a few discussions as well, but nothing like on the scale that MAS*H has done.
Another good show we watch with her, that has prompted historical discussions, is the British show Foyle's War. Little humor, much more quiet, but she gets into those as well.
Obviously not a hugely historically accurate list, but they captured her interest and it gets the discussions started, so to speak.
Hello! Stumbled across this list here and I thought I'd add in "The Pacific" to your movie compilation. You already have "Band of Brother's" on the list, so why not throw in HBO's OTHER 10 Part Mini-series/epic.
It's a bit more dark, but I think it's definitely worth adding!