Genres:Biography | Drama | History Countries:Germany | Russia | UK Directors:Michael Hoffman Actors:Kerry Condon | John Sessions | Christian Gaul | Paul Giamatti | Maximilian Gärtner | Wolfgang Häntsch | Patrick Kennedy | Nenad Lucic | David Masterson | James McAvoy | Christopher Plummer | Tomas Spencer | Anne-Marie Duff | Helen Mirren
In 1910, acclaimed Russian novelist 'Leo Tolstoy' (qv), in the later stage of his life, works rather than a writer but as the leader of the Tolstoyan Movement, whose basic tenets are brotherly love and world peace through pacifism, and a denouncement of material wealth and physical love. His chief follower is Vladimir Chertkov, who does whatever he requires to advance the cause. Chertkov hires a young man named Valentin Bulgakov to be Tolstoy's personal secretary in carrying out this work. Once ensconced in the life on the estate where much of the work is taking place, Bulgakov quickly learns that many there take from the movement only what he/she wants/believes. Also chief amongst the movement's wants is the deeding of all Tolstoy's writings to the people so that after his death it will become public domain. Tolstoy's wife, the Countess Sofya Andreevna Tolstoy, believes that her husband's writings are rightfully hers after he passes, as she wants and believes she deserves the monetary benefits derived from such. This places a strain between those in the movement, especially Chertov and the Tolstoy's daughter Sasha, and the Countess. Bulgatov acts as the mediator between the parties, he who feels he needs to do what is truly in Tolstoy's heart regardless of what Tolstoy may say or do.
Genres:History Countries:UK | USA Directors:Robert Strange Actors:Corey Johnson
How could the planet that was once a simmering sea of radioactive, molten rock evolve to become the universe's greatest refuge for human life? This is the question asked by filmmaker Peter Chin as he descends deep into the volcanoes that formed the planet's crust and dives to the bottom of the ocean to explore the first evidence of life on Earth. Beginning in the distant past and stretching into the far-off future, this documentary utilizes cutting edge special effects and breathtaking footage from remote locations in order to find out not only where life came from, but where it could be heading as well.
Genres:Biography | Drama | History | War Countries:West Germany Directors:Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Actors:Helmut Käutner | Kristina Söderbaum | Käthe Gold | Attila Hörbiger | William Trenk | Mady Rahl | Lil Dagover | Rudolf Prack | Rainer von Artenfels | Leon Askin | Marquard Bohm | Wolfgang Büttner | Peter Chatel | Erwin Faber | Rudolf Fernau
This is a biographical movie about famous best selling German writer, noted mainly for books set in the American Old West, (best known for the characters of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand) and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East.
The film is structured as a kind of biography, and the long central scene of a courtroom battle marks the collapse of May's dreams as he gets more and more deeply embroiled in the realities of Prussian jurisprudence. The matter-of-fact historical framework acquires an added resonance from the fact that all the main parts are played by prominent figures from the Nazi cinema of the '30s. The mesh of fact, fiction, realism and expressionism is complex and fascinating.
Genres:Action | Drama | History | War Countries:China Directors:John Woo Actors:Tony Leung Chiu Wai | Takeshi Kaneshiro | Fengyi Zhang | Chen Chang | Wei Zhao | Jun Hu | Chiling Lin | Shido Nakamura | Yong You | Ba Sen Zha Bu | Yong Hou
Bitter over an unforeseen defeat to rival states Shu and Wu, Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) of the Wei Kingdom is confident that his million-man fleet will crush the under-manned alliance once and for all. An epidemic and seasickness cripple Cao Cao?s men, however, postponing D-day. Gen. Zhou Yu (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) take the time to demoralize their enemy, and trick Cao Cao into practically giving them 100,000 arrows and even beheading his top generals.
Genres:Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War Countries:China Directors:John Woo Actors:Tony Leung Chiu Wai | Takeshi Kaneshiro | Fengyi Zhang | Chen Chang | Wei Zhao | Jun Hu | Chiling Lin | Shido Nakamura | Yong You | Ba Sen Zha Bu | Yong Hou | Tong Jiang | Jingwu Ma | Chun Sun | Dawei Tong
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued, both on land and on water, eventually culminating in the battle of Red Cliff. During the battle, two thousand ships were burned, and the course of Chinese history was changed forever.
Genres:Animation | Drama | Family | History | Musical | Romance Countries:USA Directors:Mike Gabriel | Eric Goldberg Actors:Irene Bedard | Judy Kuhn | Mel Gibson | David Ogden Stiers | John Kassir | Russell Means | Christian Bale | Linda Hunt | Danny Mann | Billy Connolly | Joe Baker | Frank Welker | Michelle St. John | James Apaumut Fall | Gordon Tootoosis
Capt. John Smith leads a rag-tag band of English sailors & soldiers to the New World to plunder its riches for England (or, more precisely, for Governor Ratcliffe, who comes along for the ride). Meanwhile, in this "New World," Chief Powhatan has pledged his daughter, Pocahontas, to be married to the village's greatest warrior. Pocahontas, however, has other ideas. She has seen a vision of a spinning arrow, a vision she believes tells her change is coming. Her life does indeed change when the English ship lands near her village. Between Ratcliffe, who believes the "savages" are hiding the gold he expected to be plentiful, and Powhatan, who believes these pale newcomers will destroy their land, Smith and Pocahontas have a difficult time preventing all-out war, and saving their love for each other. Download:
Genres:Action | Drama | History | War Countries:USA Directors:Otto Preminger Actors:Paul Newman | Eva Marie Saint | Ralph Richardson | Peter Lawford | Lee J. Cobb | Sal Mineo | John Derek | Hugh Griffith | Gregory Ratoff | Felix Aylmer | David Opatoshu | Jill Haworth | Marius Goring | Alexandra Stewart | Michael Wager
Following World War II, the life of the Jewish nation is uncertain. The United Nations is contemplating taking a vote on creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Until then, many Jews are exiled from much of Europe - especially Germany - and as they have no where to go, they are sent to detention camps among other places Cypress. Ari Ben Canaan, a Palestinian Jew, wants to smuggle as many Jews as possible into Palestine. In his mind, the easiest way to influence the United Nations vote is by sheer numbers residing in Palestine. Ari commandeers a ship with 600 Jews, and after some obstacles, manages to make it to Palestine. Ari grew up in a mixed Arab/Jewish community in Palestine. His best childhood friend, Taha, is Arab and is now leader of the Arab section of the community. Regardless of the United Nations vote, the road to Ari's dream of a peaceful Jewish homeland in Palestine will be a difficult one because despite his own model community, extremist factions, both on the Jewish side and the anti-Zionist side, will never see living together in peace and advocate violence to achieve their own ends. Within this fray is widowed American nurse, Kitty Fremont. Kitty is initially naive about the conflict and hostile toward Ari's means of achieving his goals. However, she ultimately falls in love with him and with his dream despite their religious and cultural differences. Download:
Genres:Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | History | Mystery Countries:USA Directors:Henry Hathaway Actors:James Stewart | Richard Conte | Lee J. Cobb | Helen Walker | Betty Garde | Kasia Orzazewski | Joanne De Bergh | Howard Smith | Moroni Olsen | John McIntire | Paul Harvey | Robert Adler | Richard Bishop | Larry J. Blake | John Bleifer
The whole story takes place in Chicago. A policeman is murdered in a cold-blooded way in one of some illicit taprooms. Tomek Zaleska who on the ill-fated night was staying at Franek's flat is suspected of the homicide. They are both sentenced to 99 years of prison, with the conviction based merely on the testimony of one witness. Frank's mother who believes that her son is innocent after eleven years places an announcement in the local newspaper in which she offers 5000 dollars reward for anybody who would prove the innocence of her son. The chief editor of Chicago Times gets interested in the case and commissions to one of his journalists, McNeal (in this part great James Stewart) writing an article about it. Initially his view on the issue is quite skeptical, but later on he gradually starts to believe that Frank is innocent. He also faces the growing resistance from the local authorities. Download:
Genres: Drama | History | War
