Schindler’s List is the greatest historical film of all time according to HistoryExtra.com

Thursday 16 January 2025

HistoryExtra.com, the home of BBC History Magazine and the HistoryExtra podcast, announced today (Thursday 16 January) the results of a poll to find the greatest historical film of all time.

To arrive at the original list of 100 films, twenty-two of Britain’s leading historians nominated what they considered to be the greatest historical films ever made, then HistoryExtra.com readers voted for their top five from the list from 4 November to 8 December 2024.

Schindler’s List (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg, topped the list after over 3,800 votes were cast. Nominated by historians Roger Moorhouse and Nathen Amin, the film – based on true events – chronicles how German industrialist and Nazi Party member Oskar Schindler saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jewish workers during the Second World War.

‘Today, as the Holocaust recedes beyond living memory, Schindler’s List takes on a vital significance not just as a cinematic masterpiece, but as a history lesson. It immerses viewers in the brutal reality, from the dehumanising conditions of the ghettos and concentration camps to the small acts of defiance and hope that sustained the survivors. By focusing on individual stories, the film adds much-needed humanity to one of history’s darkest chapters.’

Roger Moorhouse, Historian

Second in the HistoryExtra.com poll of the Greatest Historical Movies is Gladiator (2000), directed by Ridley Scott, and nominated by historians Nathen Amin, James Holland and Luke Pepera. The tale of the slave who became a gladiator and defied an emperor won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Third on HistoryExtra.com’s list of the 100 of the Greatest Historical Movies of all time is Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean and nominated by historian Alex von Tunzelmann.  One of the most visually stunning films ever made: its desert landscapes, filmed in Jordan, Morocco, California and Spain, are sumptuous, and the film is praised for capturing Lawrence’s character and charisma, and the historical context he was rooted in.

‘HistoryExtra.com challenged 22 historians to choose the historical movies that have most inspired, entertained and enthralled them, and explain why. Our final list, ranked by the HistoryExtra.com readers, spans the centuries and shines a light on what cinema can do to bring to life characters and stories that are timeless.  Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List was a clear winner in this poll, and is widely regarded as not only one of the greatest historical films ever made, but one of the greatest films full stop.’

‘As well as some surprising inclusions, equally surprising are the movies that did not make the cut, and how many popular historical movies of recent memory were not nominated by our panel of historians at all. Some of them are the biggest releases of recent years that are covered on HistoryExtra, from American true crime tale Killers of the Flower Moon and slickly shot WW1 drama 1917 to the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.’

Kev Lochun, Deputy Digital Editor, HistoryExtra.com

A special edition of the HistoryExtra.com podcast launches today (Thursday 16 January) with Alex von Tunzelmann, historian and screenwriter, and Roger Luckhurst, Geoffrey Tillotson chair of 19th century Studies at Birkbeck University of London, who specialises in film and culture from the 19th century, discussing the nominations, what counts as a historical film, and – with Schindler’s List being crowned the winner – the challenges of telling the story of the Holocaust.

Listen to the HistoryExtra podcast via your usual podcast provider or visit HistoryExtra.

To see the full list of 100 Greatest Historical films, visit HistoryExtra,