biography


John Paul Jones
This hagiographic 1959 film tells the story of the Revolutionary American naval commander in the American Revolution and his successes in seizing British ships and keeping General Washington in supply. It is a film that portrays him as the father of the United States Navy.

Amazon

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
The film tells the story of Dr. Ambedkar who was known mainly for his contributions in shaping the Constitution of India when negotiating independence from Britain.

Amazon

Sardar: The Iron Man Of India
This is a biopic about Indian resistance leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It charts his role in the Quit India movement and how he helped convince Nehru and Gandhi about the wisdom of accepting partition and in helping reconcile the princely states into accepting the new Union of India.

Amazon

Jennie
This series tells the story of the American wife of Randolph Churchill and mother of Winston. An indefatigable campaigner with many interests and connections such as organizing a hospital ship to help in the Boer War, dispensing refreshments to First World War troops as they set off to fight and make herself a central character in the British political elite.

Amazon

Edward The Seventh
A 1975 dramatisation of the life of Edward VII from his days as a wayward Prince to a triumphant King forging a new direction for Britain in the first decade of the 20th Century.

Amazon

Madness of King George
George III was ruler of Britain as it lost one Empire but started building another. This film traces his illness and sickness that afflicted him later in his reign.

Amazon

Lawrence of Arabia
The epic and romanticised story of Lawrence helping the Arabs against the Turks in World War One...

Amazon

Amazing Grace
The story of William Wilberforce as he battled to end the Slave Trade throughout the British Empire during the Napoleonic War.

Amazon

Victoria the Great
A landmark biography from 1937 telling the story of the most Imperial of Queens...

Amazon

Mary Bryant
The incredible journey of Mary Bryant to a penal colony in New South Wales...

Amazon

Rhodes
The story of Cecil Rhodes and his African empire building exploits...

Amazon

Michael Collins
A biographical account of this Irish nationalist who fought the British but then disagreed with other Irishmen...

Amazon

Gandhi
This is an epic film describing the origins and exectuion of Gandhi's peaceful opposition to the British...

Amazon

The Legend of Bhagat Singh
This is a film about the revolutionary who turned away from Gandhi's non-violence techniques against the British...

Amazon

Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy
Mountbatten was the last viceroy of India and played a crucial role in preparing for independence...

Amazon

Jinnah
Christopher Lee plays the Muslim counterpart to Gandhi in the final days of the British Raj...

Amazon

Young Winston
An enjoyable if romantic look at the early days of Winston Churchill, including his exploits in the Sudan, South Africa and India.

Amazon

Queen of the East
Dramatisation of the life of the eccentric adventurer Lady Hester Stanhope. She liked the Levant so much that she set herself up as a self styled mystic and spiritual leader.

Amazon

The Tiger and the Flame
Dramatisation of the life of Rani of Jhansi during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The female Queen conjured up images of Boudicca or Joan of Arc and so plays a similar role in Indian history. This was a lavish production that enjoyed a US general release in the 1950s.

Amazon

Ned Kelly
The story of an Irish settler striving to survive in a hostile environment with an oppressive and brutal system keeping him and his family in their places. The film tells the story from the outlaw's point of view. Ned is hunted down for a crime he did not commit but then has to rob banks to survive and to free family members from prison.

Amazon

Disraeli
A six hour mini-series from 1978 that tells how Disraeli rose to the top of the 'greasy pole' against all the political odds.

Amazon

Shackleton
The South Pole was one of the few, as yet, unexplored parts of the world. Shackleton's failure was more spectacular than any success would have been.

Amazon

The Making of the Mahatma
A film about the early years of Mahatma Gandhi. The young lawyer becomes disillusioned with discriminiation and imperialism in South Africa.

Amazon

Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun
Based on the aviator growing up in East Africa, this film tells the story of how she dealt with the social constraints of the day.

Amazon

Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honour
The story of this pivotal figure during the American Revolution and his inner wranglings over whose side he should actually be on?

Amazon

The Rising: The Ballad Of Mangal Pandey
A Bollywood treatment of the story of Mangal Pandey. This is the man who was credited with helping fuel the Indian Mutiny.

Amazon

Clive of India
The story of the man who rose from a humble desk clerk to become the founding master of the British Empire in India. A hagiographic account of Robert Clive's life.
Burke and Wills
The story of the 1860 expedition by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills to cross the continent of Australia. Their journey began in Melbourne in the south and ended the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 1,750 miles. At that time most of inland Australia had not been explored by non-indigenous people and was completely unknown to the Europeans.

Amazon


| Silver Screen |


Armed Forces | Art and Culture | Articles | Biographies | Colonies | Discussion | Glossary | Home | Library | Links | Map Room | Sources and Media | Science and Technology | Search | Student Zone | Timelines | TV & Film | Wargames


by Stephen Luscombe