20th Century Flicks, Bristol

1560, Peru. In a beautiful poetic opening scene the conquistadors cross an Andes pass, situated between the peaks and the valleys, between conquered land and unexplored forests, between 'heaven' and 'earth', shrouded in mists, they make their way down a narrow path. Aguirre's meglomania grows as around him his comrades mutiny and die in his search for the lost city of El Dorado. Herzog's best film, an unforgetable tour de force. Made before the director himself gave in to meglomania on a later t find out more...

AMAZING GRACE (2006)

Certification15 Our Rating

Inside this conventionally structured biopic resides an extraordinary story of an extraordinary man. William Wilberforce was the parliamentary spokesman for a group of radicalised young Evangelists (and Quakers), who despised the money politics and corruption of late 18th Century UK politics and who fought for many reformist policies, the most notable of which was the one this film annotates, the abolition of slavery, a process that took years of political skulduggery and the slow passage of find out more...

COBRA VERDE (1987)

CertificationPG Our Rating

A Brazilian farmer turned bandit is employed by a plantation owner to keep his restless slave population in check, but Cobra Verde's eye for the women brings down the wrath of his boss when one by one the man's daughters become tainted by the seed of the bandit's loins. Dismissed to West Africa to rekindle the slave trade, Cobra Verde finds himself facing the murderous intentions of a local despot, while amassing an army of Amazonian warriors to fulfil his mission. Taken from Bruce Chatwin's �Th find out more...

COUP DE TORCHON (1981)

Certification15 Our Rating

An adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1964 novel 'Pop 1280', but relocated from West Texas to a small town in French West Africa. Here risible cuckolded local cop Lucien realises he can use his position to gain revenge, including murder, on those who laugh at him. Witty and visually elegant. find out more...

EL CID (1961)

CertificationPG Our Rating

One of the very finest epics produced, equally impressive in terms of script and spectacle. Heston is aptly heroic as the 11th Century patriot destined to die in the fight to evict the Moors from Spain, Mann's direction is stately and thrilling and Miklos Rosza's superb score perfectly complements the crisp and simple widescreen images. Sobriety and restraint, in fact, are perhaps the keynotes of the film's success, with the result that a potentially risible finale, in which Cid's corpse is born find out more...

GANDHI (1982)

Certification12 Our Rating

The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived, without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of armies, nor the ruler of vast lands, he could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift, yet men, governments, dignitaries from all over the world, have joined hands today to pay homage to the little brown man in the loin cloth who led his country to freedom. This quote is from his funeral, one of the greatest s find out more...

GLADIATOR (1999)

Certification15 Our Rating

A great general, victorious in battle and loved by the Roman people, Maximus finds himself enslaved by the twisted and psychopathic emperor to be, Commodus. The proud General is reduced to a common gladiator, but his extraordinary prowess in the Arena brings him back to Rome and a vengeful showdown with Commodus. Gladiator is an entertaining action epic, with all the grandeur and heroic angst of classics such as "Spartacus" that it seeks to emulate. find out more...

INDOCHINE (1991)

Certification15 Our Rating

A large rubber-tree plantation is owned by a French colonist in 1930s Vietnam. Eliane is a proud but imprudent woman, who lives with her father and her native adopted daughter Camille.

Camille runs off with mum's lover, gets married to another guy and goes on a long journey across the country to find the man she really loves. In between she discovers her Vietnamese identity and becomes an independent person.

Shot in stunning locations, a seductive romantic epic!

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LAGAAN (2001)

CertificationPG Our Rating

Central India 1893, and the villagers of Champaner have just been informed by the local British commander that the enforced tax (Lagaan) is to be doubled. One young man stands up to colonial authority, pleading that any increase will cripple the community, and the nasty Brit in charge gives him one option, win a game of cricket, which the Indians have never before played, against the colonials and the tax will be scrapped, lose, and it will be tripled. Will the village cripple, the last man in, find out more...

MICHAEL COLLINS (1996)

Certification15 Our Rating

Liam Neeson surpasses himself with his portrayal of the legendary Irish folk hero in this stirring historical drama. The controversial patriot's life, from his advent after the Easter Rising to his untimely death, is vividly depicted by a sterling cast in this passion-packed biopic. Excellent. find out more...