The line between historical fiction and historical drama is *very* fine. Some stories claim to be based on real events but take far more privilege than they would let on. If you’re looking to add some outstanding history-based titles to your collection or perhaps use historical drama as a teaching tool, what titles are you to use? This is a short list of some of my favorite films based on true stories that I think could have a place in college-level history instruction or any public library’s action film series.
Ip Man (2008)
Starring the masterful Donny Yen in his prime, Ip Man dramatizes the life and actions of famed martial arts teacher Yip Man [Bruce Lee’s childhood Wing Chun master] during the mid-to-late 1930s. The film begins with the first forays of the Japanese army deep into China’s mainland, and the story follows the actions of master Ip as he defends his family from bandits and the townsfolk from Japanese soldiers. While this film certainly takes a lot of creative license, it is based in a stunning true to life story of resistance during the Sino-Japanese war that often goes completely untaught in American schools beyond perhaps a fleeting mention of the Rape of Nanjing. Either as an introduction to the final days of China’s subjugation to foreign empires or as a primer on the Sino-Japanese war, Ip Man is an action-packed and engaging story based in real-life heroics. The kung fu fight scenes and high drama won’t fail to keep viewers engaged. This film would also serve well for Chinese language classes looking for advanced listening materials.
Read our full review of Ip Man here.
Buy a copy of Ip Man on DVD here.
Mapantsula (1988)
Set in the Mid-80s, Mapantsula (literally: petty gangster) follows the life of Panic, a two-bit criminal living in South Africa, mostly through the point of view of his memory as he rots in a prison cell. Captured by police in a raid of an anti-apartheid protest, the young man is uninvolved in the action, but the police interrogation and the scorn of his activist cell mates start to change his mind about the importance of such collective actions. What makes Mapantsula such a stunning work of historical drama is its guerilla nature: This film would have been heavily censored if they had tried to get permission to shoot, so the majority of the film has this astoundingly real edge. What they’re doing is actually illegal, bringing forth an element of extra believability from the actors. Not only that, but it helps to highlight an underappreciated side of the anti-apartheid movements of the 80s and 90s. Anyone teaching classes about South African history, racial justice, or film will want to use Mapantsula in the classroom, and it’s a stunning drama to add to any film series. Even outside of educational purposes, this thrilling drama will captivate anyone who loves movies about social justice, crime, or class dynamics.
Read our full review of Mapantsula here.
Buy a copy of Mapantsula on DVD here.
Downfall (2004)
Downfall is the dramatization of the final ten days of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich from the point of view of Traudl Junge, his personal secretary. Through her eyes, we watch the rise of denial-based madness give way to cowardice and fear as the Allies draw closer and closer to Berlin and Hitler’s Führerbunker. While the idea of watching a drama about Hitler and his closest allies may seem controversial at first, but there’s something about watching the boogeyman of the 20th century portrayed as a human being that is even more chilling. The “servant” point of view, too, is a fantastic dramatic touch, allowing us to explore the cruelty, cowardice, and disillusionment of the Nazi high command in the very final days of the war in a strangely domestic setting. And that setting is incredibly detailed and historically accurate. From the type of technology used as props and set dressing to the style of weave in the clothes of the actors, everything has been considered and replicated. Despite falling from vogue after it’s initial release, Downfall still receives high ratings from viewers, and has a place in any collection of historical dramas. Might be time for a small revival.
Read our full review of Downfall here.
Buy a copy of Downfall on DVD here.
Battle for Sevastopol (2015)
Battle for Sevastopol begins in 1937 Kiev where we find newly accepted student Lyudmila Pavlichenko celebrating the beginning of her college career. While trying out a shooting range with her friends, she earns a perfect score and attracts the attention of the Red Army, who attempt to recruit her as a sharpshooter. Her young romances are interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War, and after training, she moves to the front. The drama drops away, replaced by tense sniper combat. Post-war, Lyudmila becomes a propaganda tool for the Soviet Union, even traveling to the US and meeting the president’s wife. This film is unique in its focus on a female war hero and as a Russian/Ukrainian co-production. For it’s excellent biographical drama and thrilling war action with a feminist twist, Battle for Sevastopol is a perfect choice for history classrooms and library shelves.
Stream Battle for Sevastopol on Prime Video here.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Based on a 1972 bank robbery, Dog Day Afternoon (1975) is a tense and gritty 70s crime thriller that needs little introduction. Desperate to get the money to fund his transgender wife’s sex reassignment surgery, Sonny (Al Pacino) and a pair of his friends storm a bank just before closing, hoping to get some money and make a quick escape with no hassle or greater harm done. Things, as they often do, don’t go to plan, and the crew takes hostages. The next day, when a hostage goes into diabetic shock, the situation comes to a head. This classic film deserves a space in any crime film collection, and might be used in some queer studies classes as an example of queerness in popular media from the 1970s. Consider throwing this film based on real events into a pride film series for a touch of 70s silver screen charm.
Read our full review of Dog Day Afternoon here.
Buy a copy of Dog Day Afternoon on DVD here.
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