Movies like Duse
If you like "Duse" you are looking for period piece, historical drama and philosophical movies about / with theater, character study, biopic, sacrifice, political unrest, mortality and legacy themes of Biography, Drama and History genre shot in Italy or France.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
Duse (2025)
416
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
In the years between WWI and the rise of Fascism, legendary thespian Eleonora Duse shocks everyone by getting back onstage at over 60 years of age. Struggling with the brutality of historical events unfolding and clinging to the possibility of utopia, she makes her art a revolutionary act, even at the cost of sacrificing health and affection—facing her final journey aware she could give up life itself, but not her own true nature.
Style:
period piece, historical drama, philosophical, melancholic, art house, existential, moody
Plot:
theater, character study, biopic, sacrifice, political unrest, mortality, legacy, resilience, social change, illness, memory, nostalgia, slow burn, world war one, female protagonist, tragedy, mother daughter relationship, italian history, identity, based on real people, italian politics, archive footage, psychological drama, stage
Place:
italy
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Duse
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out period piece, historical drama, melancholic and art house films with plots about biopic, female protagonist, character study, legacy, resilience, literary and sacrifice mostly in Drama, Biography and History genres. Some movies like Duse: Haywire (1980), Achena Uttam (2022), Wildcat (2023), Young Andersen (2005), Christine Cristina (2009). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
169
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 200 min.
Story:
After fleeting marriages to Henry Fonda and William Wyler, Margaret Sullavan found contentment as the wife of producer Leland Hayward (Jason Robards) and as the mother of three. Or so it seemed, until the marriage crumbled, the children rebelled and ...
Style:
period piece, reflective, melancholic, art house, moody
Plot:
biopic, autobiography, family drama, dysfunctional family, broadway, celebrity culture, hollywood, mental illness, father daughter relationship, mother daughter relationship, glamour, showbiz ...
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
Upcoming Bengali Movie Based on Bengali matinee idol Uttam Kumar. The story revolves around the unexplored life of Uttam Kumar.
Style:
period piece, retro, reflective, sentimental, emotional ...
Plot:
biopic, tribute, actor's life, legacy, film industry, behind the scenes, respect, character study, nostalgia, glamour, identity, memory ...
Place:
kolkata
Similarity:
93%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Can scandalous art still serve God? Does suffering precede all greatness? Can illness be a blessing? In 1950, writer Flannery O'Connor visits her mother Regina in Georgia when she is diagnosed with lupus at twenty-four years old. Struggling ...
Style:
southern gothic, thrilling, psychological, captivating, emotional ...
Plot:
writers, biopic, female protagonist, literary, illness, mother daughter relationship, writer's life, aspiration, direction and purpose, lifestyle, character study, ambition ...
Time:
1950s
Place:
georgia
Similarity:
88%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A powerful modern film narrative, set in a historical framework, about the crucial encounter between vulnerable eighteen-year-old Hans Christian Andersen, who rates himself so highly, and Mr. Meisling, the cynical school principal. An encounter that ...
Style:
period piece, historical drama, emotional, melancholic, art house ...
Plot:
writers, biopic, coming of age, hans christian andersen, school, character study, personal growth, ambition, identity crisis, isolation, social class, poet ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
denmark
Similarity:
78%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, History
Country: Italy
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
The life of medieval author Christine de Pizan (Amanda Sandrelli).
Style:
historical drama, period piece, inspirational, melancholic, art house
Plot:
biopic, medieval, female protagonist, character study, literary, female empowerment, thoughtful, gender roles, feminism, creative process, legacy, education ...
Time:
14th century
Similarity:
76%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Serbia, Greece
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
The story of the Serbian army, led by the King Peter, through the World War I.
Style:
historical drama, psychological, captivating, thrilling, political ...
Plot:
world war one, democracy, biopic, political unrest, political activism, politics, homeland, leadership, national identity, monarchy, patriotism, sacrifice ...
Time:
1910s
Place:
serbia, belgrade, greece
Similarity:
75%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
By the side of a founder of a new faith was a woman of undeniable courage.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, contemplative, educational, melancholic ...
Plot:
faith, mormon, female protagonist, religious, biopic, character study, religious community, family life, resilience, persecution, loyalty, motherhood ...
Time:
19th century, 1840s
Similarity:
67%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Ariadna discovers that her grandfather has been searching for the remains of his father, who disappeared during the Civil War. Determined to help him, she travels to Burgos, where a mass grave is being excavated, and where he could be buried. During ...
Style:
historical drama, thrilling, psychological, captivating, emotional ...
Plot:
teacher, biopic, school teacher, professor, small community, spanish civil war, civil war, storytelling, political violence, exhumation, memories, memory ...
Time:
1930s
Similarity:
61%
Movie in collections
31
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Bliss tells the story of Katherine Mansfield in her early 20s as she leaves New Zealand and begins her journey as a writer.
Style:
historical drama, poetic, period piece, sensitive, reflective ...
Plot:
modernism, biopic, writer's life, female protagonist, coming of age, character study, friendship, literary, female empowerment, writers, teenage girl, tuberculosis ...
Time:
edwardian era
Place:
england
Similarity:
58%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, Austria, Italy, Morocco, Qatar, Lebanon, France
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A film within a film, "Looking for Oum Kulthum" is the plight of an Iranian woman artist/filmmaker living in exile, as she embarks on capturing the life and art of the legendary female singer of the Arab world, Oum Kulthum. Through her ...
Style:
independent film, contemplative, art house, intercultural, poignant ...
Plot:
biopic, female protagonist, patriarchy, iranian, female artist, gender roles, creative process, exile, resilience, feminism, female empowerment, identity ...
Similarity:
56%
752
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Rome. The 1980s. After the magnum opus The Art of Joy she has been working on for a decade is rejected by the Italian publishing world, writer Goliarda Sapienza commits a desperate theft that costs her her reputation and social position. ...
Style:
reflective, melancholic, period drama
Plot:
character study, writers, feminism, biopic, self discovery, intimate, rejection, hopes, redemption, women's rights, resilience, outcast ...
Time:
80s, year 1980, 20th century
Place:
italy, rome italy
Similarity:
54%
Genre: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
From World War, to revolution and ultimately rebirth, Forever Young is the story of four generations spanning a hundred years of modern Chinese history. Each generation faces its own unique set of challenges. Up against corporate corruption, the ...
Style:
historical drama, family saga, period piece, emotional, poignant ...
Plot:
coming of age, chinese history, cultural revolution, identity, legacy, bittersweet, moral dilemma, nostalgia, soul searching, resilience, memory, corruption ...
Place:
china
Similarity:
54%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Movie about a sculptor Otakar Svec who is building a statue of Stalin in Prague.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, dark, art house, suspense ...
Plot:
artist, sculptor, moral dilemma, political oppression, totalitarianism, surveillance, symbolism, sculpture, propaganda, paranoia, biopic, accomplice ...
Time:
1950s, 50s
Place:
prague, czechoslovakia, central europe
Similarity:
53%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, Denmark
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
1983. The biggest architectural competition in history, both anonymous and open, is launched under the impetus of a new socialist president, François Mitterrand. Coveted by all the biggest international architectural firms, the competition is ...
Style:
historical drama, intellectual, period piece, inspirational
Plot:
architect, architecture, biopic, ambition, modernism, anonymity, legacy, french president, cold war era, perfectionist, bare chested male, fishing ...
Time:
80s
Place:
paris france, france, italy
Similarity:
51%
177
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
From double BAFTA nominated Writer and Director John Walsh. Monarch is part fact, part fiction and unfolds around one night when the injured ruler arrives at a manor house closed for the season.
Style:
period piece, historical drama, melancholic, reflective, bleak ...
Plot:
monarchy, royalty, monarch, mortality, isolation, regret, manor, character study, palace intrigue, legacy, ghost, betrayal ...
Time:
16th century
Place:
england
Similarity:
51%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Dramatization of the life of Italian actress Sophia Loren who plays herself during adulthood and also that of her mother Romilda Villani.
Style:
period piece, emotional, dramatic
Plot:
biopic, mother daughter relationship, female protagonist, glamour, autobiography, resilience, legacy, motherhood, family drama, intimate, female empowerment, hollywood ...
Place:
rome italy, italy
Similarity:
50%
140
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Zina, the daughter of Leon Trotsky by his first wife, is undergoing freudian analysis in Berlin in the 'thirties. Meanwhile Trotsky is in exile in Prinkipo having been driven from power by Stalin. The Nazis rise to power in Germany and Austria ...
Style:
bleak, historical drama, thought provoking, melancholic, period piece ...
Plot:
suicide, exile, mental illness, character study, biopic, tragedy, obsession, female protagonist, identity crisis, alienation, political repression, claustrophobia ...
Time:
1930s, year 1985
Place:
berlin germany, soviet union, ussr
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
At a bar table, old samba singer and composer Adoniran Barbosa tells a young waiter stories about a São Paulo that no longer exists. He fondly remembers the maloca where he lived with Joca and Mato Grosso, their passion for Iracema and other ...
Style:
reflective, melancholic, historical drama, poignant, period piece ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
samba, nostalgia, composer, singer, memory, legacy, tribute, biopic, street life, working class, character study, intimate ...
Place:
sao paulo, brazil
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
The disturbing story of a physician who conducted the first operation with general anaesthetic, and the women in his life who are both so determined to win his love that they volunteer as subjects for his experiments
Style:
period piece, historical drama, grim, melancholic, art house ...
Plot:
anesthetic, feudal japan, biopic, ethical dilemma, romantic rivalry, family tragedy, obsession, family relations, asian history, tragic romance, character study, moral ambiguity ...
Time:
18th century, 1790s
Place:
japan
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Greece
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
The story of the greatest Greek statesman. In the early 19th century, Greece has just gained its independence from the Ottomans and Ioannis Kapodistrias is called upon to assume the role of its first governor. He steadfastly defends the freedom of ...
Style:
historical drama, serious, inspirational, period piece, heroic ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
patriotism, sacrifice, biopic, nationalism, reform, tragedy, power struggle, corruption, diplomacy, grave, assassination, politics
Time:
19th century
Place:
greece
Similarity:
49%
11K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
3 trailblazers: a young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative surgeon face opposition from the church, state, media and medical establishment, in their pursuit of the world's first 'test tube baby', Louise Joy Brown.
Style:
inspirational, medical drama, dramatic, emotional, period piece ...
Plot:
hospital, controversy, parenthood, perseverance, ethics, women's rights, legacy, biopic, hopes, social change, sacrifice, social issues ...
Time:
70s, 60s, 20th century, year 1978
Place:
united kingdom
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France, Germany
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
The story of Benvenuto Cellinin (1500 - 1571), a soldier and one of the most important craftsmen and artists of Renaissance Italy whose life was marked by many achievements and adventures, but also crimes.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, intense, educational, epic ...
Plot:
renaissance, biopic, pope, painter, sculpture, ambition, artist, politics, rivalry, betrayal, palace intrigue, passion ...
Time:
16th century
Place:
rome italy, italy, florence
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Chile, UK
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
A true story of passion and political intrigue in early nineteenth century Chile, based on the memoirs of the intrepid travel writer, Maria Graham.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, costume drama, atmospheric, intercultural ...
Plot:
biopic, female protagonist, political intrigue, diary, social commentary, literary, revolution, intimate, travelogue, independence movement, empowerment, class conflict ...
Time:
19th century, 1820s
Place:
chile
Similarity:
45%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Spain, Italy, France, Brazil, Portugal
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
The story of Father Antonio Vieira, a 17th-century Portuguese priest who lived in Brazil and worked for better treatment of the Indians and to abolish slavery.
Style:
serious, historical drama, period piece, captivating, disturbing ...
Plot:
liberation theology, biopic, political intrigue, latin american history, slavery, social justice, religious, catholic, fight for justice, historical figure, fighting the system, society ...
Time:
17th century, ancient times
Place:
portugal, brazil
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
1940, Jeanne Reichenbach turns her back on a peaceful life to link her destiny to Léon Blum. She's been loving him since her teenage years, and is ready to sacrifice her freedom to mary him at Buchenwald, where he's held prisoner. They ...
Style:
historical drama, suspense, psychological, disturbing, captivating ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
world war two, lovers apart, older man younger woman relationship, true love, biopic, wartime, concentration camp, love story, romantic relationship, relationships, social problems, male female relationship ...
Time:
1940s
Place:
france
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
This is the story of the first martyr of free speech. Socrates is on trial for his life. He will be put to death and he knows it. 2500 years later we remember his words. The Death of Socrates was filmed in 10 countries by 23 filmmakers in 7 ...
Style:
philosophical, thought provoking, contemplative, experimental, art house ...
Plot:
monologue, legacy, martyrdom, death, philosopher, memory, trial, experimental narrative, visionary, biopic, minimalism, justice ...
Place:
ancient greece, greece, athens greece
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Portugal
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
A historical classic drama in three acts, retold after an original prologue about dreams and nightmares of the thirteen-year-old noble heroine, Maria de Noronha.
Style:
historical drama, melancholic, reflective, period piece, art house ...
Plot:
female protagonist, nightmare, haunting, adolescence, coming of age, loss of innocence, maturation, family drama, symbolism, aristocracy, dialogue, literary ...
Place:
poetic realism, portugal
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
The journey of young Jeanne through mountains and faith, from the lonely forests to the plains of Rome.
Style:
historical drama, poetic, emotional, bleak, melancholic ...
Plot:
faith, female protagonist, journey, religious, pilgrimage, spiritual awakening, coming of age, mountain, mysticism, legend, sacrifice, identity ...
Place:
rome italy
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
The life and times of silverscreen goddess Rita Hayworth.
Style:
emotional, period piece, costume drama, melancholic
Audience:
adult
Plot:
hollywood, actress, showbiz, female protagonist, biopic, glamour, glory, nostalgia, character study, relationships, identity, rise and fall ...
Time:
1940s, 1950s
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
38%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Iran
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
In the year 16 BCE, the people of Jerusalem are awaiting the birth of the son of Imran. Instead of the much-anticipated "Messiah", a girl is born to Imran and Anna. The latter names her ...
Style:
biblical, historical drama, thrilling, psychological, captivating ...
Plot:
religious, antiquity, problem, faith, religious faith, belief in god, religion, faith based, spiritual journey, female protagonist, loyalty, coming of age ...
Time:
1st century
Place:
middle east
Similarity:
38%
Related movie lists
