It was a time of oppressive authorities and great scientific and geographic discoveries; that’s the17th centuryinour history. That period in human development also marked the end of the Renaissance, a time when new cultural norms and the restructuring of traditions were more widely accepted. As one can imagine, life was difficult during the 17th century.
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As a result, movies set in the17th centuryare full of drama. The best of them capture what the authorities and monarchs were like during such an era; they were paranoid, despotic, and violent. Such was the case for religious and governing bodies. And these events inhuman historybecame sources of inspiration for these particular blockbusters.
8The Witch
The Witch,stylized asThe VVitch,is one of the most unique horror films in existence since it’s also a period piece that takes place during the 1630s. It follows a small family that was banished from their village in New England (North America) due to their different brand of Christianity. The said family was thus forced to migrate somewhere else.
Panic and strange occurrences followed them, however, and their teenage daughter wasblamed for witchcraft. Young siblings started disappearing, and madness consumed the oldest members of the family, all in preparation for recruiting the young teenage daughter into the witches' ranks.
7The Crucible
Speaking of witch hunts and Christian/Catholic inquisitions,The Crucibleis yet another historical drama that takes place some decades afterThe Witch’s time period, in 1692. It also took place in Salem, Massachusetts, famed for its legendary and notorious Salem Witch Trials back in the 17th century.
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That’s exactly what the film is about. As it turns out, witchcraft, both legitimate and suspected, was rampant during that period, and church authorities were rabid with vigilance. But even church officials had some skeletons in their closets that didn’t alleviate them from suspicion in thisadaptation of a playbased on historical events.
6Pocahontas
Backing up a bit to the start of the 17th century,Pocahontasis a Disney-fied tale of a real-life Native American figure who served as an important example of the cruelty of European colonialism and racism, with historical texts painting her as a “tamed savage.” Of course, the real-life tale is more harrowing, but the Disney version gavePocahontasa fighting chance for her dignity.
In the Disney film, Pocahontas would encounter settlers from Virginia, ever-inching closer to Powhatan territory. During the height of the tension, Pocahontas falls in love and forms a dream-team interracial relationship with John Smith, which also serves as a symbolic gesture of peace. But as with most tales that derive fromRomeo and Juliet, it ended in tears and tragedy, but at least the two loversprevented a war.
5The New World
For those who prefer a somewhat more accurate account of what happened to Pocahontas,The New Worldmight be more tolerable and without those highly romanticized musical numbers. It offers a different perspective for Pocahontas and how she was involved with John Smith and later on with the Rolfe family.
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The New Worldfollows the historical accounts better, where Pocahontas was captured or exiled and was taken back to England to live with the Rolfes. Sadly, due to its emphasis on historical accuracy and authenticity (as much as possible), the film ended on a more heartbreaking note.
4Silence
Not all religious entities in the 17th century were oppressors and enforcers; some of them were missionaries who acted as liberators for downtrodden locals. Such was the case inSilencewhen two Christian missionaries were tasked with locating their missing mentor in 17th-century Japan when Christianity was outlawed by the Shogun.
Thus, the two missionaries' presence was forbidden, forcing the faithful and secretive Christian locals to hide them. They were soon discovered by the Shogunate authorities, of course, and their faith was put to the test in this film about systematic bigotry and religious extremism.
3Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergeracexplores an odd romance between the titular hero of the film, who is madly in love with his own cousin. It was 17th-century France, don’t judge him. It’s also a comedy film, first and foremost, with jabs at incest and Cyrano’s huge nose which was partly the reason for his timidity.
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In any case, that’s the whole premise of the film. Cyrano, with his large nose and first-degree familial ties with his cousin, had to resort to subtle and stealthy ways to express his love for her. The film was based on an 1897 play of the same name.
2I, the Worst of All
The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most notorious religious groups of theRenaissance period. Their foul deeds and tyranny even reverberate to this day, and a lot of people know them as a result. Thus, only a few people dared to oppose them, and one of those was a real figurehead and early feminist, Juana Inés de la Cruz.
During the height of the Spanish Inquisition, Juana re-established herself as a new philosopher and even became one of the earliest symbols of feminism due to her opposition to the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico. It’s an uphill battleagainst religious bigotryand tradition, making Juana’s plights worthy of a film.
1Anonymous
There has always been a lingering theory that someone else penned Shakespeare’s works as a ghostwriter, putting the famous author and playwright’s reputation into question.Anonymousexplores that possibility. Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford, was presented as the real author of Shakespeare’s works in this drama and thriller film.
But it wasn’t only Shakespeare’s reputation that was at stake in the film, as apparently, Edward’s ghostwriting work paved the way for a young Elizabeth Tudor to become the Queen of England. The film’s bold claims and theories were explored through flashbacks to Edward’s childhood and his liaisons with Elizabeth I.
