Biography movies tell the stories of real people, so they are almost about facts. This article is about the best biography movies of all time.
The Cinema industry covers all kinds of movies and genres, and among these categories, biography films have always been popular as they narrate almost truth. These movies are primarily about persons but can also be about places, events, and objects. If you are a movie fan and have a particular interest in biographies, this article of Tech Trends on the best biographical movies of all time suits you.
Best Biography Movies of All Time; Top Movies
Frida
Inventive in its portrayal of the famous painter’s life, Frida, as one of the top biographical movies of all time, even manages to free itself from the normal bounds of realism that most biopics adhere to. This is evident in how the movie even incorporates Kahlo’s vivid artist’s imagination into depicting the events of her life. Scene transitions are often still paintings that come to life, and Frida’s daydreams, however grandiose or fanciful, may be played out in front of us alongside her actual experiences. Through these fantasy-riddled moments and Salma Hayek’s moving performance as Kahlo, you get a vivid sense of who Kahlo was as a woman. Kahlo’s life was the stuff of legend, but Hayek’s performance shows you the very human and flawed world behind all of that.—Anita George
The Aviator
With Howard Hughes’ larger-than-life personality and those action-packed scenes of him flying (and crashing) planes, it’s hard not to first think of the famous businessman and aviator as a sort of superhero: a man capable of almost any feat, of withstanding any struggle. But a movie that only captures that side of Hughes’ life would be an incomplete one. A hollow one. What makes The Aviator one of the top biography movies of all time is that it shows Hughes’ vulnerabilities, most notably his battle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes at his lowest, during Hughes’ anxiety-ridden spirals, is far more compelling and suspenseful than the Beverly Hills plane crash scene itself.—Anita George.
Walk the Line
Before Joaquin Phoenix took a couple of years off from conventional acting roles for Casey Affleck’s I’m Still Here, he gave one of his most memorable performances as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. As one of the best biography movies of all time, the film tells the story of The Man in Black’s early career and his relationship with June Carter, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, who received an Academy Award for her performance.—Wyndham Wyeth.
The Passion of Joan of Arc
It’s the oldest film on this list of the best biographical movies of all time and the only silent film. Released in 1928, The Passion of Joan of Arc depicts the trial and execution of France’s most famous martyr, Jeanne d’Arc, better known as Joan of Arc: the brave woman who led the French armies to victory during the Hundred Years’ War, only to have been captured and executed by her British (and some French) enemies a year later for crimes of heresy. But it isn’t just the compelling story, that makes this movie a favorite among critics like the New York Times’ A.O. Scott. It’s mostly the lead actress’ performance that pulls you into this film. Maria Falconetti’s vividly expressive portrayal of Joan’s suffering, fear, and sadness, like Scott notes, “makes you feel like you know her,” even if you don’t understand (or believe) how Joan can be so sure that God spoke to her. Falconetti’s face is haunting even in short clips, and the fear Joan feels is palpable. It’s a silent film, but it doesn’t need the sound of the actors’ voices to tell its story, or to make you feel something as strongly as Joan thinks about God.—Anita George.
GoodFellas
It’s not your typical shoot-em-up gangster flick. The charm of GoodFellas is in the details earning it a spot in this guide to the top biographical movies of all time. The carefully chosen close-ups. The nuances in each of the characters’ personalities. No one in the film has a two-dimensional, flat persona. Even though the scenes involving murder and violence are grotesque and can turn your stomach, they still aren’t flatly black-and-white. Because then one of the guys cracks a joke, and, weirdly, you can still laugh at that moment. Suddenly, those situations are grayer now, and suddenly you realize you still see these guys as fellow humans, even though the things they do are monstrous. These small details come together, and somehow they humanize the gory story of Henry Hill, and his fellow made men. It’s a biopic that immerses you into Hill’s life and makes it hard for you to distance yourself from him and his friends. It’s unique because this biopic chose to make the protagonist and the villain the same guy and, through very small details, convinces you to like him anyway.—Anita George.
La Vie en Rose
An icon in France, the story of singer Édith Piaf, could have been filmed as just another stereotypical musician biopic or episode of Vh1’s Behind the Music. In fact, her life had all the hallmarks of the troubled, yet incredibly talented musicians that are often the subjects of such movies and documentaries. But actress Marion Cotillard’s stunningly moving performance as Piaf really allowed La Vie en Rose to stand out among other musician biopics making it one of the top biography movies of all time. Cotillard’s Oscar-winning performance captured Piaf’s charismatic soulfulness as a performer.—Anita George.
The King’s Speech
It’s a biopic that covers a particular part of King George VI’s life: the period in which he learns to cope with a speech impediment to lead his country through World War II ultimately, and does so with the help of a speech therapist named Lionel Logue. While a masterful performance by Colin Firth and the film’s compelling writing undoubtedly led to The King’s Speech winning three Oscars, something else makes this a fantastic movie, and that’s the story itself. It’s a different kind of King’s tale. Instead of just a film about a king gloriously leading his countrymen to victory, it’s about a would-be king struggling to find his voice and the courage within himself to lead his people through one of the toughest times they’ve ever had to face. King George VI’s story is about the inner turmoil and struggles it took to reach a place of victory, not the success itself, making the story a bit more relatable, making it even more meaningful.—Anita George. No list of the best biography movies of all time is complete without this one.
Malcolm X
“Ya been took! Ya been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok!” When director Spike Lee introduced us to Detroit Red, he reminded the world of a specific time in American history more readily forgotten by some than others. Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Lee (in typical fashion, with a brilliant score and with the significant influence of French cinema throughout) brought us the story of a troubled boy who could have quickly become any unknown black man in the ‘60s—who indeed, almost did until he committed his life to Allah and The Nation of Islam. Denzel Washington perfectly, eerily embodied the role of the young Detroit Red who would become Malcolm X. As a team, Lee and Washington (along with Angela Bassett as Betty Shabazz) created the perfect biopic, where all that we assumed about an icon was troubled or complicated by this new translation of his life.—Shannon Houston. If you are after the best biographical movies of all time, watch this one.
My Left Foot
It’s the story of Christy Brown, an Irish painter and writer born with severe cerebral palsy and is known by many as one of the top biographical movies of all time. The film’s title comes from Brown’s autobiography, on which the movie is based, and refers to the only part of Brown’s body he could completely control, even with cerebral palsy. Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker’s brilliantly artful performances as the unforgettable Christy Brown and Brown’s mother, respectively, are, no doubt, the main reasons you should watch this movie. The interactions between Brown and his mother in the film are some of the best, most moving scenes My Left Foot has to offer.—Anita George.
Amadeus
The fine line between genius and insanity is the subject of this big-budget costume drama that proved how hip classical musicians could be. Milos Foreman tickles the vulgar underbelly of the sublime, and the result is Thomas Hulce’s braying, chittering laugh as the wild-child prodigy Wolfgang Mozart. F. Murray Abraham’s portrayal of Antonio Salieri’s descent into madness fueled by jealousy is the perfect foil. Lust, envy, greed—all deadly sins are set to some of the greatest music ever written. —Joan Radell. This movie is a shiny star in the sky of the top biography movies of all time.
Gandhi
Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi is often described as a vast, sweeping epic about the man that led India to its independence from Great Britain in 1947 and also one of the best biography movies of all time. And it is. A little over three hours long, the film chronicles not Gandhi’s entire life but his journey towards non-violence as a form of protest, which allowed him to gain equal rights for Indians in South Africa and the eventual independence of India from Britain. Everything about this film works wonderfully together: there’s an all-star cast (Ben Kingsley, Daniel Day-Lewis, Candace Bergen, and Martin Sheen, to name a few), the film itself is beautifully shot and makes good use of India’s natural beauty and the film’s music has the notable distinction of being composed by none other than Ravi Shankar. And so it should come as no surprise that in the year following its release, Gandhi won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Writing, and Best Actor in a Leading Role.—Anita George.
Raging Bull
The best film of the 1980s contains one of the all-time incredible feats of directing and one of the all-time incredible feats of screen acting. The status that Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull has achieved in the years since its release is wholly earned. Watching it is a fully felt experience. Over the years, much has been made of Robert De Niro’s weight while filming Raging Bull to capture the physical transformation of boxer Jake LaMotta authentically. While it’s a great symbol of his commitment, the pounds don’t begin to explain the depths of the character portrait he and Martin Scorsese created. The film looks unforgivingly at a fragile, insecure man who communicates his need for love with jealousy, anger, and violence. Scorsese’s shots convey the overly suspicious workings of LaMotta’s head, then back out to coldly observe the horrific violence that ensues. Then there are the boxing scenes. Scorsese deserves endless praise for finding lively, inventive ways to capture the experience inside the ring. But what’s impressive is that he goes beyond a great sports scene. Each fight serves as a window into LaMotta’s soul. The camera movement, the quick edits, and the sudden shifts in speed all reflect his mental state and his need to damage himself or cause damage to others. Such expressive, visceral filmmaking has rarely been equaled.—Michael Burgin. If you are making a list of the best biographical movies of all time, save a spot for this one.
Schindler’s List
It’d be hard to find a more inspiring, moving story to tell than that of Oskar Schindler. And before seeing this film, I assumed that Steven Spielberg was the wrong person to say to it. But all thanks be to the movie gods that I wasn’t a studio head in the ‘90s because Spielberg produced what was simply one of the most ambitious, wise, and moving motion pictures of our lifetime. The acting is superb—a career-making role for big lumbering Liam Neeson, so carefree and cocky at the beginning, concerned and determined in the middle, and so noble and humble at the film’s end. Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley are perfect in supporting roles. A host of unknowns give everything in their one moment on the screen. John Williams’s haunting score and Janusz Kaminski’s breathtaking black-and-white cinematography sparkle. But the script—oh, Steven Zaillian’s majestic script is the biggest star. He takes a Holocaust tale and turns it into a story of triumph, the story of how much one man can do and the regret we’ll each someday have that we didn’t do much. Oskar’s “I could have gotten more out” speech is almost too much to bear.—Michael Dunaway. This biopic is one of the best biography movies of all time.
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Source: Tech Trends