RELATED: 10 Best Thriller Movies Set In A Small Town Not surprising, seeing as the Bard himself wrote frequently on the subject. Since the dawn of filmmaking in the early 1900s, screenwriters, directors, and actors alike have been fascinated with the lives of emperors, gladiators, and even common folk. Victorian England, World War II-era Europe, and Ancient Rome are a few popular examples. When a filmmaker thinks of 'history', there are a few time periods that immediately spring to mind.
