Films with the genre "Peplum", sorted by rating

, 2h35
Directed by Ridley Scott
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about slavery, Films about families, Films about sexuality, Sports films
Actors Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi

In AD 180, Spanish-Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius leads the Roman army to a decisive victory against the Germanic tribes near Vindobona, ending a long war on the Roman frontier and winning the favor of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus, weary of battle, decides to retire at his Spanish farm estate at the Emperor's behest, but the Emperor tells him that his son and heir to the throne, Commodus, is unfit to rule and thus appoints him as regent to help save Rome from corruption. Before he makes his decision, Commodus is confronted by his father who tells him that he will not be emperor. Burdened by grief and believing he was never valued by his father, Commodus kills him.

, 3h34
Directed by William Wyler
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Christmas films, Films about religion, Films about sexuality, Transport films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Road movies, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Chase films, Films about virginity
Actors Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott

In AD 26, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy prince and merchant in Jerusalem, who lives with his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott); his sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell); their loyal slave, Simonides (Sam Jaffe); and his daughter, Esther (Haya Harareet), who loves Ben-Hur but is betrothed to another. His childhood friend, the Roman citizen Messala (Stephen Boyd), is now a tribune. After several years away from Jerusalem, Messala returns as the new commander of the Roman garrison. Messala believes in the glory of Rome and its imperial power, while Ben-Hur is devoted to his faith and the freedom of the Jewish people.

, 3h42
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantastic, Action, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about slavery, Films about religion, La précarité, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, L'émigration
Actors Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget

Pharaoh Rameses I of Egypt has ordered the death of all firstborn Hebrew males after hearing the prophecy of the Deliverer, but a Hebrew woman named Yoshebel saves her infant son by setting him adrift in a basket on the Nile. Bithiah, the Pharaoh's daughter, who had recently lost her husband and the hope of ever having children of her own, finds the basket and decides to adopt the boy even though her servant, Memnet, recognizes the child is Hebrew and protests.

, 2h58
Directed by Roger Young, Robert Malcolm Young
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism
Actors Ben Kingsley, Paul Mercurio, Martin Landau, Dominique Sanda, Lesley Ann Warren, Alice Krige

Joseph, a Hebrew, is an Egyptian slave to Potiphar, chief of Pharaoh's palace guard. When Joseph is placed under the charge of Ednan, Potiphar's overseer, Ednan torments Joseph for his refusal to show deference for the Egyptian god Amun. But Joseph eventually earns Ednan's respect when he reveals that he knows how to read, and Ednan starts relying more and more on Joseph.

, 3h4
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films about slavery, Films about sexuality, Sports films, Bisexuality-related films, LGBT-related films, Political films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin

In the 1st century BC, the Roman Republic has slid into corruption, its menial work done by armies of slaves. One of these, a proud and gifted man named Spartacus, is so uncooperative in his servitude that he is sentenced to fight as a gladiator. He is trained at a school run by the unctuous Roman businessman Lentulus Batiatus, who instructs Spartacus's trainer Marcellus to bully the slave mercilessly and break his spirit. Amid the abuse, Spartacus forms a quiet relationship with a serving woman named Varinia, whom he refuses to rape when she is sent to "entertain" him in his cell.

, 1h55
Directed by Zack Snyder
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films about animals, Superhero films, Political films
Actors Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro

One year after the famed Battle of Thermopylae, Dilios, a hoplite in the Spartan Army, begins his story by depicting the life of Leonidas I from childhood to kingship via Spartan doctrine. Dilios's story continues and Persian messengers arrive at the gates of Sparta demanding "earth and water" as a token of submission to King Xerxes; the Spartans reply by killing and kicking the messengers into a well. Leonidas then visits the Ephors, proposing a strategy to drive back the numerically superior Persians through the Hot Gates; his plan involves building a wall in order to funnel the Persians into a narrow pass between the rocks and the sea. The Ephors consult the Oracle, who decrees that Sparta will not go to war during the Carneia. As Leonidas angrily departs, a messenger from Xerxes appears, rewarding the Ephors for their covert support.

, 2h43
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films based on mythology, Poésie, Films based on Greco-Roman mythology, Political films, Adaptation d'un poème, Dans la Grèce mythologique, Films based on Greco-Roman mythology
Actors Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Peter O'Toole, Rose Byrne

The opening scene shows the troops of Agamemnon of Mycenae ready to fight against the troops of Triopas of Thessaly. Afterwards, Prince Hector of Troy and his younger brother Paris negotiate a peace treaty with Menelaus, king of Sparta, and celebrate the end of a long and bloody war. Paris, however, is having a secret love affair with Menelaus' wife, Queen Helen, and smuggles her aboard their homebound vessel, much to Hector's fury, as this could lead to war between Troy and Greece. Upon learning of this, Menelaus meets with his elder brother, King Agamemnon of Greece, and asks his help in taking Troy. Agamemnon, who has wanted to conquer Troy for a long time, agrees, since it will give him control of the Aegean Sea. On King Nestor's advice, Agamemnon has Odysseus, King of Ithaca, persuade Achilles to join them. Achilles, who strongly dislikes Agamemnon and his ways, initially refuses, but eventually decides to go after his mother, Thetis, tells him that though he will die, he will be forever remembered.

, 1h45
Directed by Don Chaffey
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Peplum
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, Films based on mythology, Poésie, Transport films, Films about dragons, Films based on Greco-Roman mythology, Adaptation d'un poème, Dans la Grèce mythologique, Films based on Greco-Roman mythology
Actors Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Nigel Green

Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), misinterpreting the prophecy given to him by the god Zeus (Niall MacGinnis), usurps the throne of Thessaly by killing King Aristo and most of his family. The infant Jason is spirited out by one of Aristo's soldiers. Pelias encounters one of the king's daughters, Briseis (Davinia Taylor), seeking sanctuary in the temple of the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman) and slays her. Because the murder has profaned her temple, the angry Hera becomes Jason's protector. She, disguised as the high Priestess, warns Pelias to beware of a man wearing one sandal.

, 2h20
Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Origin Pologne
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa
Actors Jerzy Zelnik, Wiesława Mazurkiewicz, Barbara Brylska, Piotr Pawłowski, Kazimierz Opaliński, Lucyna Winnicka

Ce film décrit les manipulations de prêtres et hauts-prêtres conservateurs à l'encontre du nouveau monarque Ramsès XIII, trop progressiste à leurs yeux, et qu'ils finiront par éliminer en jouant de la crédulité populaire.

, 2h
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Documentary, Historical, Peplum
Themes Théâtre, Political films, Films based on plays, Films based on works by William Shakespeare
Actors Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, Greer Garson

Caius Julius surnommé Caesar, ambitieux leader politique, est déterminé à devenir dictateur. Il est accueilli en triomphe dans Rome lors de la célébration des Lupercales. Les sénateurs (et en particulier Cassius), face à la réaction de la foule, en viennent à le considérer comme une menace pour Rome. Mais la popularité dont jouit César rend difficile tout complot contre lui.

, 2h51
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Anthony Mann
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum, Romance
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion
Actors Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov, Leo Genn, Patricia Laffan, Finlay Currie

The action takes place in ancient Rome from AD 64–68, a period after Emperor Claudius' illustrious and powerful reign, during which the new corrupt and destructive Emperor Nero ascends to power and eventually threatens to destroy Rome's previous peaceful order. The main subject is the conflict between Christianity and the corruption of the Roman Empire, especially in the last period of the Julio-Claudian line. The characters and events depicted are a mixture of actual historical figures and situations and fictionalized ones.

, 2h3
Directed by Giovanni Pastrone
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Transport films, Political films
Actors Umberto Mozzato, Lidia Quaranta, Italia Almirante Manzini, Émile Vardannes, Felice Minotti, Ignazio Lupi

FIRST EPISODE Batto and his little daughter Cabiria live in a lavish estate in the shadow of Mount Etna at Catana on the island of Sicily. Cabiria, plays with dolls with her nurse Croessa. When the volcanic Etna erupts violently, Batto prays to the god Pluto for deliverance, but receives only a brief respite before his home and gardens are destroyed. While attempting to escape, servants discover a secret stairway leading underground. Taking advantage of the chaos and plundering Batto’s hidden treasure, the servants, along with Croessa and Cabiria, flee to the countryside. Batto and his wife mourn the loss of Cabiria, as they believe her to be buried beneath the rubble.

, 2h6
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Origin Espagne
Genres Drama, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about mathematics, Films about religion
Actors Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Michael Lonsdale, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom, Rupert Evans

In 391 AD, Alexandria is part of the Roman Empire, and Greek philosopher Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) is a teacher at the Platonic school, where future leaders are educated. Hypatia is the daughter of Theon (Michael Lonsdale), the director of the Musaeum of Alexandria. Hypatia, her father's slave, Davus (Max Minghella), and two of her pupils, Orestes (Oscar Isaac) and Synesius (Rupert Evans), are immersed in the changing political and social landscape. She rejects Orestes's love (she offers him her bloody menstrual towel, to show him that love has its drawbacks, while studying has none): she prefers to devote herself to science. Davus assists Hypatia in her classes and is interested in science, and is also secretly in love with her.

, 2h26
Directed by Sohrab Merwanji Modi
Genres Drama, War, Historical, Peplum
Themes Politique, Political films, Films about royalty
Actors Prithviraj Kapoor, Sohrab Merwanji Modi, Meena Shorey, K. N. Singh (Krishan Niranjan Singh), Noor Jehan

The film begins after Alexander the Great (Sikander in Hindi/Urdu) conquers Persia and the Kabul valley and approaches the Indian border at Jhelum. Sohrab Modi plays the Indian king Puru (Porus to the Greeks).

, 2h50
Directed by Bimal Roy
Origin Inde
Genres Drama, Action, Peplum, Romance
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Political films, Films about Jews and Judaism, Films based on plays, Films about royalty
Actors Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Merwanji Modi, Nazir Hussain, Nigar Sultana, Helen Khan

Ezra (Sohrab Modi) is a jeweller who has a son called Elijah. He also has a friendly butler/child minder called Emmanuel. In the beginning, Ezra is due to leave. As he does, Elijah becomes upset and stands at the balcony. In the roads of the Jewish area, Brutus (Nazir Hussain), Governor of Rome, is passing, making an announcement. Watching over the balcony, is Elijah. A stone slips from his hand and hits Brutus on the head. Brutus immediately gets Elijah arrested, and as Elijah is a Jew, sentences him to death. Hearing this, Ezra rapidly returns from his trip and arrives at the doorstep of Brutus. He begs Brutus to free Elijah but Brutus feeds Elijah to hungry lions. Ezra sadly returns to his house. In revenge, Emmanuel kidnaps Lydia, motherless daughter of Brutus, and takes her to Ezra. Ezra declines to kill Lydia and adopts the child.