Historical drama facts for kids
A historical drama is a type of story. It is usually a film or television show. These stories are set in the past. They show real historical events and people. Sometimes, they add made-up parts. This can be creative dialogue or new scenes. These parts help tell the story better. They can also make long events shorter.
A biographical film is a kind of historical drama. It focuses on one person's life. Or it can be about a small group of people. Historical dramas can also be romances. They can be adventure films too. Some are even swashbucklers, with lots of action.
Historical drama is different from historical fiction. Historical fiction usually has made-up characters. These characters live during real historical events. A historical drama can be set in a general time. For example, the Middle Ages. Or it can be a specific time. Like the Roaring Twenties. It can even be about the recent past.
What is a Costume Drama?
Over time, different types of historical dramas became popular. For example, westerns and sword and sandal films. These were very popular in North American movies in the 1950s.
A costume drama is a special kind of historical drama. Early critics said these films focused on love stories. They often had beautiful settings and fancy clothes. They thought costume dramas were less serious. Other historical dramas were seen as having deeper themes.
But many people defend costume dramas. They say these films are often for women. Some think they are unfairly criticized because of this. Historical dramas have also been called old-fashioned. Some say they make the past look better than it was.
How Accurate Are Historical Dramas?
Historical dramas can tell stories based on real people. Or they can be about real events. But they often add many made-up parts. For example, Shakespeare's history plays did this. Other examples include Apollo 13 and Braveheart. Chernobyl and Titanic also mix fact and fiction.
These works might mention real people or events. They can also show what the time period was really like. But they often change things for the story.
Works that try to be very accurate are called docudramas. An example is The Report. If a story is all about a person's life, it's a biographical drama. Famous examples are Alexander and Lincoln. Frida and Raging Bull are also biographical dramas.
See also
- Historical fiction
- Jidaigeki, which are Japanese historical dramas
- Sageuk, which are Korean historical dramas
- List of films about the American Revolution
- List of films and television shows about the American Civil War
- List of films set in ancient Rome
- Middle Ages in film
- War film
