Costume Dramas
From the magisterial sweep of Raúl Ruiz’s Mysteries of Lisbon to the playful anachronism of Derek Jarman’s Edward II, the films of this collection present unique approaches to recreating the distant past. Lush costume design and exquisitely detailed mise-en-scène are never held back by stuffy traditionalism; instead, each filmmaker crafts a modern and deeply cinematic vision of the past.
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Return of the Hero
Directed by Laurent Tirard • Drama • With Jean Dujardin, Mélanie Laurent • 2018 • 90 minutes
France, 1809: The charming Captain Neuville (Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST) is set to marry the naïve Pauline (Noémie Merlant) when the war breaks out, forcing Neuville to depart for the battlefield. After n...
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Pastorale 1943
Directed by Wim Verstappen • Drama • With Pim de la Parra, Rutger Hauer • 1978 • 128 minutes
Submitted for the 1978 Academy Awards -- Best Foreign Film, Wim Verstappen's Pastorale 1943 is a war drama centered on the Dutch resistance during World War II, starring Derek de Lint, Sylvia Kristel, Ru...
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Germinal
Directed by Claude Berri • Drama • With Renaud, Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou • 1993 • 160 minutes
Winner of France’s prestigious César Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, this epic film is based on the novel by Émile Zola.
During the Second Napoleonic Empire (the mid-19th cen...
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Gaadi - Children Of The Sun
Directed by Prasanna Vithanage • Drama • With Sajitha Anthony, Dinara Punchihewa • 2019 • 104 minutes
From Prasanna Vithanage, one of Sri Lanka's most acclaimed directors, comes this sweeping historical drama of a Sinhala noble woman (Dinara Punchihewa) forced to choose between suicide or marria...
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Lost Illusions
Directed by Xavier Giannoli • Drama • With Benjamin Voisin, Cécile De France, Vincent Lacoste • 2022 • 150 minutes
Lucien de Rubempré (Benjamin Voisin) is an ambitious and unknown aspiring poet in 19th century France. He leaves his provincial town, arriving in Paris on the arm of his admirer, Lo...
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Olivia
Movie + 1 extra
OLIVIA is a remarkable work by one of France’s first ground-breaking female filmmakers, which easily merits rediscovery today after being neglected for almost 70 years.
Plunging the viewer—and the main character—into a true lion’s den, Jacqueline Audry (1908-1977) depicts a 19th century boardin...
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Camille Claudel
Directed by Bruno Nuytten • Drama • With Isabelle Adjani, Madeleine Robinson, Laurent Grevill, Philippe Clevenot, Gérard Depardieu • 1988 • 175 minutes
The biography of the iconic French sculptor Camille Claudel in a tale of love, betrayal and female empowerment. When her enthusiasm for the arts...
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The Bohemian
Directed by Petr Václav • Drama • With Vojtech Dyk, Elena Radonicich • 2024 • 142 minutes
In 18th century Italy, aspiring opera composer Josef Mysliveček dreams of becoming a musician. His ambitions lead him to embark on a journey, exploring the world of opera to fulfill his destiny. Against all...
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A Quiet Passion
Directed by Terence Davies • Drama • With Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle • 2017 • 126 minutes
Cynthia Nixon delivers a triumphant performance as Emily Dickinson as she personifies the wit, intellectual independence and pathos of the poet whose genius only came to be recognized after her death. Acc...
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Wuthering Heights
Directed by Andrea Arnold • Drama • With Kaya Scodelario, James Howson • 2010 • 129 minutes
Andrea Arnold's WUTHERING HEIGHTS is an excitingly fresh and distinct take on the classic novel by Emily Brontë. An epic love story that spans childhood well into the young adult years, the film follows H...
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Time Regained (Raúl Ruiz, w/ Catherine Deneuve & Emmanuelle Béart)
Directed by Raúl Ruiz • Drama • With Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Vincent Perez • 2018 • 163 minutes
Raúl Ruiz’s most ambitious literary adaptation and considered his greatest cinematic achievement. An Official Selection at both the Cannes and New York Film Festivals and starring an out...
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Mysteries of Lisbon
Directed by Raul Ruiz • Drama • With Adriano Luz • 2011 • 257 minutes
A masterful adaptation of the nineteenth-century Portuguese novel evokes the complex intertwined narratives of Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. The core story centers on Joao, the bastard child of an ill-fated romance between ...
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Mozart's Sister
Directed by Rene Feret • Drama • With Marie Feret • 2011 • 120 minutes
Mozart’s Sister is a re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna ‘Nannerl’ Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang and a musical prodigy in her own right. Once the featured performer, Nannerl has given way to Wolfgang ...