The biographical film genre can be very monotonous at times. Films with the same formulaic approach pop up each year, and most exist sheerly as Oscar bait. However, certain films overcome the genre conventions or manage to be particularly special in their approach towards showing the lives of extraordinary people, both good and bad.
This list contains 10 of the best biographical pictures (biopics) to have graced the big screen. As there are so many of them to sift through, these picks are by no means the most definitive, but merely a sample of the great films made by great artists.
The Elephant Man
Joseph Merrick, known as "The Elephant Man," suffered from a debilitating and deforming condition, the exact circumstances of which are still unknown. Merrick endured hypertrophy, hyperostosis, lipomas, and many other deformities for his whole life.
Merrick was rejected by his father and found work in a freakshow, before later being found by a surgeon, Frederick Treves, who became a close friend. The film has John Hurt in the lead role and Anthony Hopkins as Treves and is directed masterfully by none other than David Lynch. It's a heavy drama shot in black-and-white with practical effects to make its audience truly believe they're in Merrick's era, and it works effectively.
Capote
In what may have been Phillip Seymour Hoffman's finest role, Capote tells the story of the life of famed writer Truman Capote. Hoffman nailed Capote's eccentric nature and peculiar voice, and the performance alone is among the best seen in any biopic. However, the film itself is also well-written and structured.
It shows the arduous journey of Capote's attempt to write In Cold Blood, with the help of his friend Harper Lee (author of To Kill A Mockingbird). It deals with Capote's struggle to find inspiration, personal anxieties and woes, and his general misery.
Gandhi
Richard Attenborough spared no expense when it came to making great biopics. Along with Chaplain and Shadowlands, Attenborough also directed the epic Gandhi in 1982, a film he wanted to make for years.
Its advocacy for non-violence and attempt to be true to Gandhi's message above all earned praise from both the UK and Indian audiences alike. Ben Kingsley's transformation into the lead role was impressive and left audiences hungry for more out of the newborn star.
Walk The Line
Before there was Rocketman, there was Walk The Line. Joaquin Phoenix learned to play guitar and sang like Johnny Cash in the film, a role that earned him a "Best Actor" nomination at the Academy Awards, although he would lose to Capote. Walk The Line is about the Man in Black himself and his rise to stardom, with all of the ups and downs.
In particular, the film focuses on Johnny Cash and his love, June Carter, with whom he had a rollercoaster of a relationship for 13 years until they got married. The story of the country singing duo was a solid entry for both fans and general audiences alike.
Malcolm X
Spike Lee's biopic about the ever-controversial Malcolm X is a very long look into one of the most important and influential people to emerge from the Civil Rights era. The film was largely based on the critical 1965 Autobiography of Malcolm X book, co-written by Malcolm himself, and while people may not have agreed with Malcolm X on everything, they could at least understand him and where he was coming from.
The film managed to do Malcolm X justice and summarized his entire life with a brilliant performance from Denzel Washington as the titular character.
Milk
Sean Penn's acting prowess is undeniable. Milk tells the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in US history, who was assassinated after being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
The film was directed by Gus Vant Sant, one of the most talented and most important gay directors in Hollywood, and he made sure to create a powerful narrative with a captivating (and Oscar-winning) performance from Penn. Milk is just as relevant now as it was upon its release in 2008, and the events it was based on in 1973.
Patton
Most people imagine the voice of the stern General Patton, they imagine the gruff voice of George C. Scott...but in actuality, Patton's voice didn't quite match that level of intensity. But it speaks to the power of film, that people would generally associate Patton with the larger than life portrayal seen in the 1970 epic.
Patton isn't really a war movie in the traditional sense; battles are not frequent and are not the main focus whatsoever. The movie is about the tactics and work that goes into planning them, and from the mind of one of the toughest/craziest men to ever serve the USA.
Schindler's List
When Steven Spielberg was on track to complete his Bachelor of Arts degree in the Fall Semester of 2001, long after he started his career in filmmaking, he turned in Schindler's List as his class project for the course. Needless to say, he passed. And of all the films he could have chosen, it was suiting that it was this film.
Schindler's List is not just the story of Oscar Schindler; it is the story of the Jews who survived the Holocaust/Shoah during the Nazi regime in WWII. Each person in the film is an essential piece of the story, each one a thread in the tapestry of the overall story. It's Spielberg's magnum opus for good reason. The performances, score, cinematography, attention to detail, brutality, heart, and personal importance make it a powerful piece of cinema.
Amadeus
Miloš Forman's Amadeus is a film that doesn't go for historical accuracy so much as capturing and exploring the lifestyle and attitude of Mozart. And it captures his essence perfectly. Tom Hulce's portrayal of the annoying, yet charmable, Mozart and F. Murray Abraham as his rival Antonio Salieri are two of the best performances ever put to screen.
The movie's loose adaptation of history isn't a problem whatsoever, because the outcome remains the same: Mozart was an eccentric and slightly childish genius.
The Social Network
David Fincher has many great movies in his filmography, but The Social Network is truly his Citizen Kane. In fact, the film's parallels in showcasing the rise of an ambitious person and the subsequent collapse of their social life are eerily close. The story is about the founding of Facebook, based on the tell-all book The Accidental Billionaires, and displays the journey of Mark Zuckerburg and company out of chronological order...once again, like Citizen Kane.
Zuckerberg's "Rosebud" is being dumped by his college girlfriend, and forming "FaceMash" in response. By the end of the film, as he sends her a friend request on Facebook, he has found wealth and power but remains in total isolation, longing for the belonging he craved since the start. The film's score, performances, and script are all top-notch, making The Social Network not just one of the best biopics ever made, but one of the best movies of the 2010s, and perhaps even, of all-time.