Movies about the Holy Roman Empire?

[Inhuman One]

Most medieval period movies seem to be about England or France.. but I can't say I ever saw much of the Holy Roman Empire in any of these.

Considering Germany is quite a vast country and has made other succesfull movies, have they ever produced a worthwhile movie about a part of their history that they can take pride in?
If this is the setting, I'd actually want the movie to be in german and wouldnt mind subtitles.

Frederick Barbarossa alone seems like someone who truly should be the focus of a movie. An interesting and powerfull emperor. Perhaps someone close to him could be the main character so that the portrayal of Barbarossa could be done more faithfully and no liberties would need to be taken to try and appeal the masses or such.. they can just take liberties with a knight or other confidant close to him who would not be known much about.

[Stavroforos]

There's a nationalist user on YouTube who smells a lot like a Nazi who makes videos with German military music, and there seem to be a lot of movies he uses which are set from the 17th-19th Centuries. I don't think he actually says which movies he uses in the descriptions, but perhaps checking the channel out will help out.

https://www.youtube.com/user/DeutschenVaterland

(if mods feel this channel is too unsavory and Nazi-like, please just delete my post)

[athanaric]

Good question. I can't recall any, off the top of my head. Good Medieval movies are very rare anyway, and even those about Britain or France are usually rife with gross historical inaccuracies.

There's a nationalist user on YouTube who smells a lot like a Nazi who makes videos with German military music, and there seem to be a lot of movies he uses which are set from the 17th-19th Centuries. I don't think he actually says which movies he uses in the descriptions, but perhaps checking the channel out will help out.

https://www.youtube.com/user/DeutschenVaterland

(if mods feel this channel is too unsavory and Nazi-like, please just delete my post)

lol - I bet the guy is American. In German, it's Deutsches Vaterland, with an s (/Grammar Nazi mode).

[Stavroforos]

Good question. I can't recall any, off the top of my head. Good Medieval movies are very rare anyway, and even those about Britain or France are usually rife with gross historical inaccuracies.



lol - I bet the guy is American. In German, it's Deutsches Vaterland, with an s (/Grammar Nazi mode).

I think he's Japanese, and there seems to be something about Japanese people and Nazism. He corrected his name though, just obviously he signed up with the wrong one.

[Thorn777]

I know of an Italian movie about where the Braveheart Milanese teach tyrant Barbarossa(Rutger Hauer) a lesson.

The premise and cheap TV movie look didnt get me to watch it though.

On that note I found the recent adaption of Michael Kohlhaas ...watchable...not great...and for some reason playing in France(its originally set in the HRE though), but I like Mads Mikkelsen in such roles, and the story of Michael Kohlhaas(German variant of Robin Hood, Wilhelm Tell) is one worth watching when not familiar with it before.
.
Then there is also a movie about Hildegard von Bingen set in the HRE. Have not watched it.

[Condottiere 40K]

Asia believes, even if they know the exact details, Nazism is neither their legacy nor their problem.

[Antiochus Seleukos]

Um, there is one called Barbarossa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarossa_%28film%29

[Inhuman One]

Seems thats the same one mentioned earlier, a terrible remake of braveheart but without any redeeming qualities and a lot of fiction.

[athanaric]

Asia believes, even if they know the exact details, Nazism is neither their legacy nor their problem.

And rightly so. However if you consider yourself a fan of German culture, you shouldn't be embracing NS, of all things. It only causes embarrassment to Germans (the sane ones, that is).

Regarding the "Wanderhure" (= "travelling whore") franchise, it's fairly popular, though I have no idea whether it's good or terrible.

[Mangalore]

And rightly so. However if you consider yourself a fan of German culture, you shouldn't be embracing NS, of all things. It only causes embarrassment to Germans (the sane ones, that is).

Regarding the "Wanderhure" (= "travelling whore") franchise, it's fairly popular, though I have no idea whether it's good or terrible.

It's okayish, for a German production good. Second part had ridiculous fantasy elements to it and no actual reason to be called that anyway. The first part had more references to history and was more plausible in the context.

[Condottiere 40K]

It's like visiting America and wondering where all the cowboys have gone. Or the obsession with Elvis impersonators, both foreign and domestic.

[Inhuman One]

Well obviously America is full of Cowboys, Scandinavia with Vikings, Japan with Samurai and geisha, england with top hat and umbrella wearing gentlemen who sip tea, Italy with mobsters, etc.

But to get back on track, it is odd that there are so many movies made about the Germans during their darkest period and hardly any historic movies featuring Germans outside of WW2.

[Pinarius]

Good movies about the medieval era are rare anyway and I don't remember any good ones about the HRE and this era. I'd rather recommend this mini series about Wallenstein from 1978:

[Condottiere 40K]

Could be an Anglospheric and Anglophonic bias, but most films about the continent aren't that interesting, not without an Anglo Saxon.

[Pinarius]

that's pretty dumb.

[the_mango55]

It doesn't have to be about any specific nation or culture, but I just want more historical (or even historical fantasty) movies where everyone doesn't speak with modern British accents. Hell half the time even the American or Australian actors speak with British accents.

I'm like, why is this American dude speaking with a British accent in a movie about ancient Greece?

[Condottiere 40K]

Same reason Christian and Charlton play some Egyptian and/or Bedouin dude who forgets his satnav.

[Stavroforos]

It doesn't have to be about any specific nation or culture, but I just want more historical (or even historical fantasty) movies where everyone doesn't speak with modern British accents. Hell half the time even the American or Australian actors speak with British accents.

I'm like, why is this American dude speaking with a British accent in a movie about ancient Greece?

Mainly because that's what Americans expect. I mean, look at Valkyrie, where everyone was speaking normal English, people were complaining about the fact that it wasn't with German accents or because there were American accents.

If they make a movie about ancient Greece, I expect the Athenians to speak with American accents because they're a democracy.

[sabaku_no_gaara]

I know of an Italian movie about where the Braveheart Milanese teach tyrant Barbarossa(Rutger Hauer) a lesson.

The premise and cheap TV movie look didnt get me to watch it though.

On that note I found the recent adaption of Michael Kohlhaas ...watchable...not great...and for some reason playing in France(its originally set in the HRE though), but I like Mads Mikkelsen in such roles, and the story of Michael Kohlhaas(German variant of Robin Hood, Wilhelm Tell) is one worth watching when not familiar with it before.
.
Then there is also a movie about Hildegard von Bingen set in the HRE. Have not watched it.

I've seen Barbarossa it was crap! Kohlhaas was good though, Don't know why they placed it in France

Haven't seen your third movie yet


Aside from that, I'm no fan of German production, or most Euro productions from the mainland, I think Mainland directors are often too artsy, and whereas Hollywood and the Uk give up accuracy for entertainment and action and pace, Euro directors tend to give up acuracy for "art" (read: boring crap) or for promoting their personal often anti violence opinions.

As for German productions, yeah, The last one I liked are the Niebelungen movies, the one from 1966 die Nibelungen and from 1967 Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds rache

They are about the German Siegfried myth The Germans tried to redo the Siegfried myth in the 2000's, but it was horrible, absolutely horrible, Germans can only make good movies when they are set in the modern era like for instance Der Baader Meinhof Komplex, that was a good movie

[Inhuman One]

That Wallenstein series looks pretty good, thanks for the recommendation.

Good movies can be made by the mainland of Europe, sadly few historic movies are made while to me that is actually what could be the strenght of European cinema, something they have that American cinema does not have.
Sure, Americans can shoot their movies here too but thats likely far more expensive for them than it would be for local movie companies. Flying actors, people and equipment around, working with history most of the cast and crew might not have been familiar with at all before working on the movie... Sure, it can be done and yes good movies can be made that way. But it certainly is a disadvantage. Same would be the case for a european studio making a movie about the american civil war by the way.

Alatriste showed that it can be done, a Spanish movie that truly did look beautifull. Just a shame that the scenes are very random which makes it quite difficult to follow the story. For me personally also a bit hard to root for those that invaded the Netherlands.

Soon "Michiel de Ruyter" Will be in theaters, a Dutch movie about our golden age, focused on our greatest general.
It was he who led the attack during the battle of Medway, where the Dutch destroyed the British fleet as most of it laid docked, taking the British by surprise. I do hope they feature it in the movie, it would be weird not to. Hopefully they do it justice.