Uncovering The Past: Historical Dramas From 1960 To 1969

By WatchListHQSeptember 7, 2025
The 1960s was a transformative decade that witnessed significant historical events, cultural shifts, and artistic innovations. This era also saw the production of numerous iconic films that captured the essence of history, drama, and social change. The historical dramas from this period offer a unique window into the past, allowing us to reflect on the complexities and challenges of bygone eras.

From the grandeur of war epics to the intimacy of personal struggles, these films showcase the diversity and richness of historical storytelling. With their meticulous attention to detail, nuanced characterizations, and thought-provoking themes, these movies continue to captivate audiences and inspire new generations of filmmakers. Whether you're a history buff, a film enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates compelling stories, this collection of historical dramas from the 1960s has something to offer.

The selected films represent a range of historical periods, genres, and styles, from the sweeping romance of War and Peace to the gritty realism of In Cold Blood. Each movie provides a distinct perspective on the human experience, exploring themes such as power, identity, morality, and the consequences of our actions. By exploring these films, we can gain a deeper understanding of the past and its ongoing impact on our present.

As we delve into this curated list of historical dramas from the 1960s, we invite you to join us on a journey through time, exploring the triumphs and tragedies, the heroes and villains, and the enduring legacies of a bygone era. With their masterful storytelling, memorable characters, and historical significance, these films are sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches them.
The Red Tent
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The Red Tent

#1

Torn by personal guilt, Italian General Umberto Nobile reminisces about his 1928 failed Arctic expedition aboard the airship Italia.

1969158 min
AdventureDramaHistory
6.0
63 votes
Burn!
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Burn!

#2

The professional mercenary Sir William Walker instigates a slave revolt on the Caribbean island of Queimada in order to help improve the British sugar trade. Years later he is sent again to deal with the same rebels that he built up because they have seized too much power that now threatens British sugar interests.

1969129 min
HistoryDramaWar
6.8
124 votes
Anne of the Thousand Days
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Anne of the Thousand Days

#3

Henry VIII of England discards his wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.

1969145 min
DramaHistoryRomance
7.1
121 votes
The Conspirators
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The Conspirators

#4

Rome, 1825. Bishop Rivarola and Colonel Nardoni are in charge of suppressing the liberal revolution. Shoemaker Cornacchia got the information that the liberal Filippo Spada is a spy and is going to denounce his revolutionary companions.

1969124 min
HistoryComedyDrama
7.6
70 votes
The Damned
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The Damned

#5

In the early days of Nazi Germany, a powerful noble family must adjust to life under the new dictatorship regime.

1969158 min
DramaHistory
7.3
215 votes
The Color of Pomegranates
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The Color of Pomegranates

#6

The life of the revered 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova. Portraying events in the life of the artist from childhood up to his death, the movie addresses in particular his relationships with women, including his muse. The production tells Sayat-Nova's dramatic story by using both his poems and largely still camerawork, creating a work hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov.

196980 min
DramaHistory
7.4
296 votes
Battle of Britain
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Battle of Britain

#7

In 1940, the Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle against the might of the Luftwaffe for control of the skies over Britain, thus preventing the Nazi invasion of Britain.

1969132 min
WarHistoryAction
6.9
326 votes
Colonel Wolodyjowski
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Colonel Wolodyjowski

#8

In 1668 Polish colonel Michał Wołodyjowski, who recently retired to a monastery, is recalled to active duty and takes charge of Poland's eastern frontier defenses against invading Tatar hordes and Ottoman armies.

1969148 min
HistoryAdventureWar
7.0
55 votes
The Night of Counting the Years
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The Night of Counting the Years

#9

Set in 1881, a year before the start of British colonial rule, it is based on the true story of the Abd el-Rasuls, an Upper-Egyptian clan that had been robbing a cache of mummies they have discovered at tomb DB320 near the village of Kurna, and selling the artifacts on the black market. After a conflict within the clan, one of its members made a crucial decision when the Antiquities Service arrived.

1969102 min
DramaHistory
7.7
55 votes
The Lion in Winter
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The Lion in Winter

#10

Henry II and his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, battle over the choice of an heir.

1968134 min
DramaHistory
7.4
378 votes
Witchfinder General
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Witchfinder General

#11

England, 1645. The cruel civil war between Royalists and Parliamentarians that is ravaging the country causes an era of chaos and legal arbitrariness that allows unscrupulous men to profit by exploiting the absurd superstitions of the peasants; like Matthew Hopkins, a monster disguised as a man who wanders from town to town offering his services as a witch hunter.

196887 min
DramaHistoryHorror
6.5
245 votes
The Charge of the Light Brigade
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The Charge of the Light Brigade

#12

During the Crimean War between Britain and Russia in the 1850s, a British cavalry division, led by the overbearing Lord Cardigan, engages in an infamously reckless strategic debacle against a Russian artillery battery.

1968139 min
DramaHistoryWar
6.1
67 votes
War and Peace
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War and Peace

#13

A seven-hour epic adaptation of the novel by Leo Tolstoy. The love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov is interwoven with the Great Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon's invading army.

1968422 min
HistoryDramaWar
7.6
145 votes
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
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The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

#14

Chicago February 14th 1929. Al Capone finally establishes himself as the city's boss of organised crime. In a north-side garage his hoods, dressed as policemen, surprise and mow down with machine-guns the key members of Bugs Moran's rival gang. The film traces the history of the incident, and the lives affected and in some cases ended by it.

1967100 min
HistoryCrime
6.3
107 votes
Marketa Lazarová
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Marketa Lazarová

#15

Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's daughter Marketa on the eve of her initiation as a nun in an act of vengeance.

1967166 min
DramaHistory
7.9
144 votes
Far from the Madding Crowd
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Far from the Madding Crowd

#16

Bathsheba Everdine, a willful, flirtatious, young woman, unexpectedly inherits a large farm and becomes romantically involved with three widely divergent men.

1967166 min
DramaHistoryRomance
6.9
95 votes