Ridley Scott's masterpiece of a film, Gladiator, is credited as the work that managed to reinvent the swords 'n' sandals genre as well as reignite interest in entertainment based on Ancient Greek and Roman culture. Such films as 300 and Troy were all released later in the 2000s and became successful.
Yet, there have also been some not-so-good epic historical dramas which is why it can sometimes be difficult to choose the films in this genre that are actually good.
10 Centurion (2010)
Centurion might not be the most critically-acclaimed film, but its stylish action sequences make up for what it lacks in dialogue and character development. Besides, it has a decent cast with such actors as Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, and Olga Kurylenko.
The plot of the film is loosely based on the real-life story of the disappearance of the Roman Empire's Ninth Legion in Caledonia in the early second century AD.
9 Cleopatra (1963)
Sometimes, great films require great sacrifices. In Cleopatra's case, these sacrifices exceeded everyone's expectations and immortalized the film not only as "the one that won many awards" but also the one that was a production disaster, the one that initially lost a lot of money and nearly made 20th Century Fox bankrupt, and the one that was the most expensive film ever made up to that point.
As the name of the film suggests, it tells the story of the young Queen Cleopatra (played by Elizabeth Taylor) struggling to resist Rome's imperial ambitions and keep Egypt peaceful.
8 Quo Vadis (1951)
Quo Vadis is kind of an opposite to Cleopatra. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and was a massive box office success that pretty much saved MGM from bankruptcy. The film's title is translated from Latin as, "Where are you going?"
Based on the 1896 book of the same name, the film is an epic historical drama and even stars some actors that would soon become famous (Sophia Loren and Bud Spencer both appeared as uncredited extras). The film tells the story of a Roman commander who falls in love with a Christian hostage and starts questioning the tyrannical leadership of his emperor.
7 Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Five years after releasing Gladiator, Ridley Scott made another epic historical drama film - Kingdom of Heaven. The cast of the film is particularly remarkable with such names as Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Iain Glen, Liam Neeson, Edward Norton, and Michael Sheen.
Set during the Crusades of the 12th century, the film tells the story of a French village blacksmith who aids the Kingdom of Jerusalem in its defense against the Ayyubid Muslim Sultan Saladin.
6 Troy (2004)
Troy might not have been a favorite with critics, but it was a huge commercial success and audiences love and adore it to this day. As the name suggests, the film tells the story of the Trojan War (or at least a part of it) by taking inspiration from the Iliad.
Troy remains one of the most expensive films ever made even though its box office success seems much smaller compared to the latest blockbusters. Still, the cast is quite impressive: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, and others.
5 300 (2006)
Though Zack Snyder is a controversial director, there is no denying that he is outstanding when it comes to visuals - and 300 proves this. Based on Frank Miller's comic book of the same name, it tells a fictionalized story of the Battle of Thermopylae from the Persian Wars.
The film's original visual style drew attention from critics and viewers alike making it a huge commercial success. There was even a sequel released eight years later based on Miller's other comic book, but it wasn't as successful as the original film.
4 The Last Samurai (2003)
Upon its release, The Last Samurai was a critical and commercial success. Starring Tom Cruise in the title role, it was partially based on true events and went on to be nominated for multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
The story is set in the 19th century in Japan. A United States Captain of the 7th Cavalry Regiment happens to come in contact with samurai warriors. What follows is a rebellion during the process of the westernization of Japan by foreign powers.
3 The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Ten Commandments may be an old film, but it is still among some of the most highest-grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation. Moreover, it features one of the biggest sets ever created for a film while actually being a remake of the director's earlier silent film.
The story is as old as time. The biblical narrative tells of Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who helps free his brethren, the enslaved Hebrews. He leads them to Mount Sinai and eventually receives the Ten Commandments from God himself.
2 Spartacus (1960)
Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus may not be his most well-known work, but it is still a major one, especially in the epic historical drama subgenre. Written by the famous screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, it stars such actors as Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Peter Ustinov.
The film is based on the 1951 novel of the same name, but the story is a historical one. Spartacus is a gladiator who leads the slave revolt in antiquity as a part of the Third Servile War. The film was a commercial success and even won four Academy Awards.
1 Ben-Hur (1959)
Ben-Hur is probably the most acclaimed epic historical drama of all time. At the time of its making, it had the biggest budget and the biggest set ever built till that time. It became a huge commercial and critical success winning numerous awards (for example, a record eleven Academy Awards).
A remake and a book adaptation at the same time, it tells the story of the Jewish prince from Jerusalem Judah Ben-Hur. He is enslaved by the Romans and becomes a Christian as well as a charioteer. His storyline runs in parallel with that of Jesus.
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