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Historical Figure Film Depictions


Who is a historical figure that you think has still not had their story properly told on film? My pick would be Billy the Kid. It seems like most of the screen depictions of him have an actor who is too old for the part in addition to any historical inaccuracies. I would be curious to see a film where Billy is played by an actor at least close to his actual age.

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Oh, there are so many. For example, I would really love to see a biopic about Albert Einstein and Mileva Maric. True, there is no avoiding that it would have gotten a downer ending (she had to leave him because he turned out to be a terrible husband). But it could still be interesting to watch...

They almost did this though with "E-MC2: Einstein's big idea" from 2005 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0807520), but despite what it sounds like, that was not only about Albert and Mileva. And when I recently made a search here on the IMDB, I found a Serbian TV movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206143) and an Italian TV movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001555) about them. But alas, I speak no Serbian and only a very little Italian...

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There are many. Alexander the Great, for one. A film that shows him in all his complexities has yet to be made.
I would like to see a film on Akhenaton. He is such an interesting figure.
Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid dynasty and of the Persian empire. He drew up the first charter of human rights. We have seen so many films showing us the Greek side of the Persian/Greek wars, but have yet to see any shown from the perspective of the Persians.

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I so agree with both of those, Morgana. Oliver Stone did attempt the former, but he didn't succeed.

I'd also love to see a realistic and well made film about King Leonidas and Thermopylae. For some reason, I'm desperate for someone to do the story justice. It's a great story, and it deserves a great film.


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Oliver Stone failed miserably. I can understand you wanting to see a film that does the subject justice, it is, after all, one of the most memorable tales of battle, ever told.

GO TELL THE SPARTANS PASSERBY,
THAT HERE OBEDIENT TO THEIR LAWS WE LIE


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The Robert Resson 1956 film was arguably better than the more recent attempt. Both failed though. However, so much was crammed into one short life, making a successful film about it is a very tall order indeed. It'll probably be better to concentrate on one episode in his life and try to convey something of the man. Perhaps his pursuit of Darius, for instance, and his treatment of Darius' family.

Was that the Cyrus who died whilst Xenophon was in his employ, resulting in his leading the Greeks home? That story would make a cracking film too.


A signature always reveals a man's character - and sometimes even his name.

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Yes. Cyrus the Great is also the king that freed the Jews and allowed them to return home.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Morgana0x

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Robert E. Lee
Jeb Stuart
Stonewall Jackson
Ulysses S. Grant
Julius Caesar (particularly the "Battle of Alesia")
Jefferson Davis

An adaptation of Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" would be the icing on the cake.


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Decius
Cleopatra VII
Nero
Alexander the Great (especially during the period when he was Pharaoh of Egypt)
Theodore Roosevelt

There are so many.....


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