The Scarlet Pimpernel

The French Revolution, the anger of the peasants, their hatred towards the aristocracy, the guillotine… all this, and much more is covered in this brilliant movie. The central character of the film, Sir Percy Blakeney, is fictional, but one's interest in the French revolution is certainly revived. There are various versions of this movie, the 1980s version being the most popular.

The Gladiator

Although children often learn about the great Roman reign in schools, they will not get a sense of the sprit of the times until they learn about gladiators. If your child is studying Roman history at school, this would be a movie worth his time.

Ben Hur and Spartacus are two much older films that also touch on the gladiator theme, and if possible, you could try and get your children to watch these movies at around the same time. Spartacus lead a slave revolt and at the time of his death, lead an army consisting of almost 120,000 people! Spartacus was a historical figure, although Ben Hur was fictional. The movie Ben Hur touches on the topics of gladiators, row-boat slaves, Christ and, in the end, leprosy and the stigma attached to it.

Braveheart

Many students in India may never study Scottish history when they are in school, but this movie is worth a watch. William Wallace is a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against the cruel English ruler Edward the Longshanks, who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself. When he was a young boy, William Wallace's father and brother, along with many others, lost their lives trying to free Scotland. Once he loses another of his loved ones, William Wallace begins his long quest to make Scotland free once and for all, along with the assistance of Robert the Bruce. William Wallace is one of Scotland's greatest national heroes, undisputed leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long and ultimately successful struggle to free Scotland from English rule at the end of the 13th Century.

The Ten Commandments

Although most of us here in India know the story of Jesus Christ, not many know much about Moses. No one, adult or child, should miss this magnificent movie. The story centers around Moses, who, as an infant, was set adrift on the Nile in a basket. The Egyptian Pharaoh's daughter rescues Moses and adopts him. Moses grows up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Seti likes Moses, and the princess Nefertiti falls in love with him. Seti's son, Ramses, however, grows jealous of the attention showered on Moses and starts nursing a fierce hatred for him. Ramses plots to have Moses exiled from Egypt. Moses then makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery.