What historical events should be made into films?

[tj50]

What significant historical event/s (from any century, that you personally find intriguing and fascinating) that have occurred in any continent/s, would you most like seeing made into films (or given a TV mini-series adaptation, if the subject matter really needs over 4 hours to be properly told - that Alexander the Great really needed) and what particular filmmaker/s or actor/s would you like seeing involved in making such each film, for either cinema or TV.<br /><br />If anything nominated has already been made into a film (but was done very poorly, disappointingly, or with not enough money in your view, or it didn’t stick to historical facts), nominate it anyway, saying how it should be properly done. Or if anything you’d like seeing made, has been written as any superb fictional novels you've read (mixing historical fact with real and imagined characters and situations), that's quite ok to mention also. <br /><br />

 

[tap_sa]

I was about to say Krakatoa but just checked that it's already in the making!<br /><br />Well, I say it anyway: Krakatoa

 

[telfrow]

There's a great "little" story from the American Civil War that has never been given its due. In 1861-62, I believe, a gentleman named Richard Dale Owen was put in charge of a prisoner of war camp (Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Indiana). He treated his prisoners with so much care, respect and humanity that when he was later captured by the Confederates, he was immediately released and escorted back to Union lines.<br /><br />After the war, he became the only Union soldier to have a statue erected in his honor by Confederate Veterans (it's in the Indiana Statehouse). A remarkable, and untold, story. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[flynn]

The story of how Britian sent man to the moon in '69 just think of it as revenge for U-571 and loads of other historical events "Retold" by Hollywood.<br /><br />Seriously, I'd kinda like the Scott of the Antartica story retold in a fairer way than it has before. Probably wouldn't make great television though so I'll go with the Spanish Armada, theres a battle of totally mismatched forces that helped shape a continent that I don't think has ever had the big screen treatment. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[vogon13]

The raid in Norway (IIRC) that kept a great deal of heavy water out of Germanys nuke program. Think it was the Vermok hydroelectric plant raid. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

Heroes of Telemark

 

[vogon13]

Did not know that. Thanks! Am programming wishlist into TIVO asap! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

How about a miniseries of Ronald Reagans' first marriage to Jane Wyman? Lifetime would probably be the appropriate venue. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[5stone10]

Neither are science fiction, but treatments of either: 1] the voyages of Zheng He's fleet, Shang Dynasty ships who possibly made contact with the Americas in the 1400s or 2] the voyages of the Scottish Templars and Henry Sinclair who may have made a trip from Scotland to North America in 1398. <br />

 

[flynn]

I got a book on the Shang Dynasty fleet I havn't got around to reading yet. Sounds great, I will have to stop slipping it down the list at some point. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[Aetius]

I have a lifelong obsession with the Byzantine Empire, so I'd love to see a film or miniseries drawn from its colorful history. Fascinating people like Heraclius and Theodora are just crying out from the grave to have their stories come to life for 21st century Western audiences.

 

[avaunt]

We DID send Men to the Moon, Flynn.<br /><br />They are our disobediant children, that for the sake of blood and love, we are allowing a little freedom. Everything they have, or will do, is because of how well they were provided for, before they could look after themselves.<br /><br />Except Micheal Jackson, He is entirely their fault.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />

 

[mkofron]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Except Micheal Jackson, He is entirely their fault. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Maybe so, but the Brits terrorized us for a few years by exporting The Spice Girls to the US.

 

[JonClarke]

At least the spice girls are human...<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[Aetius]

Please consider Madonna as our gift to the British Commonwealth.

 

[odysseus145]

What about the Tiananmen Square incident? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Plus, it's already been done: 1969's Krakatoa, East of Java. Given the fact that Krakatoa is actually WEST of Java, perhaps it goes without saying that this was a pretty bad film, redeemed only somewhat by the good special effects. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Well, I suppose one could argue that it's east of Java if you go the long way around. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />Historical even to be made into a movie....<br /><br />I guess I'd like to see a movie made around the life of Korolev. He was sort of the Russian Von Braun. It would be a very interesting movie. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[kane007]

Hernan Cortez defeat of the Aztec ruler Montezuma in Mexico in 1520.<br />Oliver Cromwell and the English Republic (Interregnum) from 1649 to 1660.<br />Marco Polos' 24 year trek.<br />1893 American conquest of Hawaii.<br />etc. etc.<br />

 

[thalion]

<<I have a lifelong obsession with the Byzantine Empire, so I'd love to see a film or miniseries drawn from its colorful history. Fascinating people like Heraclius and Theodora are just crying out from the grave to have their stories come to life for 21st century Western audiences. >><br /><br />Spot on, Aetius. I'd love to see a movie about Heraclius in particular, who I think is a particularly tragic figure. I'd also love to see a movie about the final siege and conquest of Constantinople, which I think is a shining moment in human heroism with respect to the Byzantines.<br /><br />I'd also like to see a *truthful* movie about Constantine I, who is such a pivotal character in Christian history, as well as a biopic of St. Augustine's life (though it would be very difficult to write). I also find Gaiseric (Genseric) to be a fascinating figure; a story about him could be interesting.<br /><br />On the non-Western or Byzantine side, I'd like to see a movie about Tamerlane or Chingiz Khan. A movie about the last days of Teotihuacan could be great...

 

[vogon13]

How about that, Tap_Sa!<br /><br />The old TIVO pulled up The Hereoes Of Telemark last night! I've got a movie to watch this weekend. Sure appreciate the tip about that!<br /><br />Just love the synergy of all this technology!<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

I'd like to see a movie about the Eagle Squadron, which will prove once and for all that without Yanks the Brits would have definitely lost the Battle of Britain.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Oh wait, there's one coming. It should be under a new genre: Hollywood's Take On History. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[yurkin]

What about a movie concerning something that happened during WWII. There haven’t been nearly enough movies, TV shows and video games made about WWII.<br /><i>joking of course <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /></i>

 

[Aetius]

"In Hoc Signo Vinces"..."In This Sign You Will Conquer"<br /><br />That's quite a message for Yahweh and His Son to give one of the great warrior Emperors, just before the Battle Of The Milvian Bridge.<br /> <br />Literally, Constantine was one of the most influential people of the last 2000 years. I think that he and Saint Paul had more to do with what Christianity eventually became than even Jesus did. I don't mean that in a derogatory way by any means. It's just that without the military power and cultural clout of the Roman elites to completely eliminate religious freedom and outlaw paganism, I doubt that Christianity would have assumed the dominant role it did in Europe.

 

[vogon13]

{bump}<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Update of the events portrayed in the above referenced movie, Heroes of Telemark, is on right now on PBS, Nova.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>