10 Biopics That Bring the Early 20th Century to Life

Description: This epic film covers the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, from his early days as a lawyer in South Africa to his leadership in India's independence movement through nonviolent civil disobedience.

Fact: The film won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was one of the longest films ever to win Best Picture at over 3 hours long.

Description: Focused on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this film explores his genius, his rivalry with Antonio Salieri, and his tragic end, set against the backdrop of 18th-century Vienna.

Fact: The film was adapted from a stage play and won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham.

Description: This biopic explores the life of Charlie Chaplin, from his impoverished childhood in London to his rise as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. It covers his silent film era, his political troubles, and his personal life.

Fact: Robert Downey Jr. learned to play the violin for the film, and the movie was shot in black and white for scenes depicting Chaplin's early career.

Description: This film delves into the life of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist known for her surrealist works, her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera, and her physical and emotional pain.

Fact: Salma Hayek, who played Frida, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Mexican actress to be nominated in that category.

Description: Set during World War II, this film follows Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist, who survives the Holocaust by hiding in the ruins of Warsaw.

Fact: Adrien Brody, who played Szpilman, learned to play the piano for the role and lost a significant amount of weight to portray the character's physical decline. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Brody.

Description: This film chronicles the life of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer, filmmaker, and one of the richest men in the world during the early 20th century. It captures his obsessive-compulsive disorder and his groundbreaking contributions to aviation.

Fact: Leonardo DiCaprio gained 30 pounds for the role to portray Hughes' later years. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning

Description: This film tells the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of Elle magazine, who suffers a massive stroke and is left with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye.

Fact: The film was shot from the perspective of Bauby, with the camera often placed to mimic his limited field of vision.

Description: Set in the 1930s, this film tells the story of King George VI, who must overcome his stammer with the help of an unorthodox speech therapist to give a crucial speech during World War II.

Fact: The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was the first film to win Best Picture without its director being nominated since

Description: This biopic focuses on the life of physicist Stephen Hawking, particularly his relationship with his wife Jane, and his battle with motor neuron disease while making groundbreaking contributions to science.

Fact: Eddie Redmayne won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hawking, and the film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards.

Description: This poignant film tells the story of Joseph Merrick, a man with severe deformities in Victorian London, who is rescued from a freak show by a compassionate surgeon.

Fact: David Lynch, known for his surreal films, directed this surprisingly straightforward and emotional biopic. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards.