Best 22 History Movies Highly Recommended Released in 1997

Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian climber, breaks out of prison and travels to the holy city of Lhasa. He is employed as an instructor to the 14th Dalai Lama and soon becomes his close confidante. More about Seven Years in Tibet / IMDB / YouTube

In 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free. Look into Amistad / IMDB / YouTube

The hit musical based on the life of Eva Perón (Evita Duarte), a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Domingo Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina. Explore Evita / IMDB / YouTube

The true story of Selena, a Texas-born Tejana singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts. Check out Selena / IMDB / YouTube

Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali. See more about When We Were Kings / IMDB / YouTube

During the war in Bosnia, two childhood friends eventually become enemies, as the tragic and devastating circumstances of the war put them on the opposite sides and expose the most gruesome and cruel aspects of the human nature. Learn about Pretty Village, Pretty Flame / IMDB / YouTube

An anime adaptation of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, where Lord Ram combats the wicked king Ravana. Details on Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama / IMDB / YouTube

When Queen Victoria descends into deep mourning after the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861, she finds solace in her trusted servant, Mr. John Brown, but their relationship also brings scandal and turmoil. Find out about Mrs. Brown / IMDB / YouTube

A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers struggle to finally bring a white supremacist to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader. Find out about Ghosts of Mississippi / IMDB / YouTube

Two female friends become sexual rivals at maturity. More about Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love / IMDB / YouTube

A dramatization of a 1923 horrific racist lynch mob attack on an African-American community. Learn about Rosewood / IMDB / YouTube

In 1930s Berlin, a gay Jew is sent to a concentration camp under the Nazi regime. Look into Bent / IMDB / YouTube

American and British journalists Flynn and Michael Henderson, along with their respective news teams, meet at the beginning of the Bosnian war in Sarajevo. During their reports, the group find an orphanage run by the devoted Mrs. Savic near the frontline. Feeling sympathy, Henderson decides to take one of the children, Emira, illegally back to England. Read about Welcome to Sarajevo / IMDB / YouTube

An exiled filmmaker finally returns to his home country where former mysteries and afflictions of his early life come back to haunt him once more. See more about Ulysses' Gaze / IMDB / YouTube

A group of women who are imprisoned on the island of Sumatra by the Japanese during World War II use music to relieve their misery. Read about Paradise Road / IMDB / YouTube

Following an ambush in his visit to America, Wong Fei-hung becomes separated from his fellow travelers and suffers memory loss. More about Once Upon a Time in China and America / IMDB / YouTube

A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead. Get info on Waco: The Rules of Engagement / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary of the notorious racial terrorist 1963 bombing by the Ku Klux Klan of the African American 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement, which killed four young girls. Explore 4 Little Girls / IMDB / YouTube

Chan Mong-Gut, a famous Chinese lawyer, who must defend his apprentice Foon, who got framed for murder, in court. Info on Lawyer Lawyer / IMDB / YouTube

The rise and fall of a beauteous actress. She rises from an impoverished background to become a favorite of the Sun King, Louis XIV. See more about Marquise / IMDB / YouTube

The story of the most important American exploration expedition in American history and the participants in it. More about Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery / IMDB / YouTube

The life story of the titular Beaumarchais, playwright and adventurer, who gets himself into numerous different scrapes and romantic encounters in 18th Century France. Learn about Beaumarchais the Scoundrel / IMDB / YouTube