Film, The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse

The Eclectic Eccentric’s Guide to Binging Through the Apocalypse: Period Films

Times are tough right now, so why not try out some different times? Here is a selection of period films that can take your mind off your current troubles and focus your attention on some grand sets and beautiful costumes.

  • Sense and Sensibility: Ang Lee does Jane Austen. This is perhaps the most delightful of the plethora of Austen adaptations that have been produced over the years. The quartet of Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, and Kate Winslet have more awkward charm than any four people have a right to possess. This is for when you desperately need to believe in true love again.
  • A Room with a View- Merchant-Ivory films are nothing if not well cast and when you’ve got Danial Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith in supporting roles you know you’ve got something going. And the cinematography and set design of period Italy is just gorgeous to see.
  • The Remains of the Day- The second entry on this list for both Emma Thompson and the Merchant Ivory production company. But its Anthony Hopkins who is the main attraction in this film about a butler so obsessed with his duty that he lets every other aspect of his life be subsumed by it. Also featuring appearances by Christopher Reeves and Hugh Grant.
  • Dangerous Liaisons: It’s not quite as risqué as it was now that we’ve all seen “Cruel Intentions”; but it still has a good amount of dangerous sensuality for you to enjoy. And who doesn’t want to see a young Michelle Pfeiffer get seduced and corrupted?
  • The Favourite: The most recent film on our list. A dark dramedy that takes quite a few historical liberties about two cousins who develop a heated rivalry for the affections of Queen Anne. It’s not your typical buttoned up period piece.  But it’s a hell of a lot of fun. The cast is top-notch. And as long as you aren’t someone who obsesses over historical inaccuracies, this will definitely get added to your own list of favorites.
  • Memoirs of a Geisha: Not every period film has to be set in Regency England. Following the transformation of a poor girl sold into service into one of the most celebrated geishas in Japan. The story is a little thin, but the cinematography and the costumes are enough to keep you from noticing.
  • The Last Emperor– A historical biopic about China’s final emperor and the rise of its Communist Party. And it’s good. Like nine Oscars good. For those of you who prefer your period films without the romance.
  • A Man For all Seasons: The story of Sir Thomas Moore and his refusal to acquiesce to Henry VIII’s demands that he support his divorce and position as the head of the Church of England. A stirring examination of one man’s refusal to abandon his conscience.
  • Cromwell: Oliver Cromwell is largely considered one of the more despicable individuals in British history and that reputation is well deserved. But the man left behind a complex legacy and this film delves into the man’s early life and his reasons for becoming what he did. This star-studded biopic is worth a watch, no matter what you might think of the man.
  • Barry Lyndon– Stanley Kubrick wasn’t exactly known for doing period films but man he should have been. In what is his most underrated film, Kubrick gets the best performance of Ryan O’Neal’s career. This is not an easy watch, but it’s worth it.