Some of the most compelling stories are about heated feuds and rivalries. History is full of infamous feuds, as conflicts and arguments are often unavoidable during human interactions. Many of these quarrels, unfortunately, led to some rather tragic outcomes for both sides.
Over the years, the Film Industry has adapted these real-life rivalries, turning them into entertaining and dramatic motion pictures. Though many of these historical films have their fair share of inaccuracies, they still shed light on the real-life figures of these bitter disputes and offer insight into both sides of the conflicts to let the audience understand and engage within the story.
10Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs — ‘Battle of the Sexes’ (2017)
Thisamazing sports bio-dramaseesEmma StoneandSteve Carellas tennis pros Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs during the build-up to their highly televised tennis match of the century. As tempers flare and the anticipation for the game becomes overwhelming, King and Riggs' professional rivalry quickly becomes personal.
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Battle of the Sexespaints a highly accurate portrayal of King’s and Rigg’s complicated feud and thankfully doesn’t exaggerate events or make Riggs appear too much like an antagonist. It also addresses how important the stakes were for King in her battle to fight for women’s recognition in sports and equal pay.
9James Hunt and Niki Lauda — ‘Rush’ (2013)
Rushdepicts the glamorous and exciting but dangerous world of high-speed racing. It follows two of the best Formula One drivers at the time, England’s James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austria’s Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), as they engage in a bitter professional rivalry that leads to a disastrous outcome for both of their careers.
With pulse-pounding driving sequences and shocking crashes, the film accurately portrays the stressful environment these racers had to endure while on the track. Hemsworth and Brühl also give fantastic performances and flush out their real-life characters and personalities. They help create anexciting racing dramawith a true story that adds to the entertainment value.
8Elliot Ness and Al Capone — ‘The Untouchables’ (1987)
The Untouchablesfeatures an epic story full of exciting police raids and shootouts and includes recognizable historical figures set during the American Prohibition. It shows the downfall of notorious Chicago mob boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) as he was taken to justice by the determined treasury agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner).
Unlike what’s depicted on-screen, much of the film’s action sequences and characters were made up to spice up the story. It also claims that Ness had a more prominent role in bringing down Capone through his bootlegging activities, while in actuality, Capone was sent to jail for tax evasion. Despite thisbiopic being mostly inaccurate, it still tells an interesting story about several of the Prohibition era’s most famous law enforcers and criminals.
7Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan — ‘I, Tonya’ (2017)
In this comedic biopic,I, Tonyafollows Olympic silver medalist Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) through her years as a competitive figure skater while dealing with a dysfunctional home life. Ultimately, her career comes crashing down after she’s accused of being involved in the controversial attack on her skating competitor Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver).
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The film is mainly told through Harding’s perspective, allowing the audience to see her side of the story and how she dealt with the aftermath following Kerrigan’s assault. It also addresses Harding’s desire to let the world know about how she felt about the rumors and misconceptions that have plagued her life since her banishment from figure skating.
6Nikita Khrushchev and Lavrentiy Beria — ‘The Death of Stalin’ (2017)
This controversial dark comedy, The Death of Stalin,depicts the chaotic power struggle following the sudden death of the infamous Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In the aftermath of their leader’s death, the Moscow Party head Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and the secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale) soon battled each other for control of Russia’s future.
Since the film is a comedic retelling of actual events, it portrays Khrushchev and Beria acting like schoolchildren who constantly try to undermine each other. It becomes hilarious to see these two grown men scheming and plotting in a desperate attempt to become the next Soviet leader.
5Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr — ‘Hamilton’ (2020)
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly successful stage production ofHamiltonwas turned into a live recorded film version containing many returning actors and musical numbers that helped make the play so spectacular. It tells the biography of founding father Alexander Hamilton (Miranda) through his years and eventual death at the hands of his political adversary Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.).
The musical gives an interesting portrayal about one of the most influential figures in American history. Behind the talented performances andincredible musical numbersis an accurate portrayal of Hamilton and Burr’s feud and how it led to their infamous duel.
4The Earps and The Cowboys — ‘Tombstone’ (1993)
Kurt RussellandVal Kilmerstar as two gunslingers who partake in one of the most significant gun fights from the old west. When former lawman Wyatt Earp (Russell) and his family move to Tombstone, Arizona, he and his brothers are unintentionally roped into a bloody conflict with a gang of dangerous outlaws known as The Cowboys.
ThoughTombstonepaints a mostly romanticized depiction of the Earp Vendetta, it’s still a highly entertaining and quotable movie that doesn’t fail to entertain. It honors its historical roots by incorporating many elements and figures from the real-life event, and its performances let viewers know that they’re watchingone of the greatest Western films of all time.
3Mark Zuckerberg and The Winklevoss Twins — ‘The Social Network’ (2010)
David Fincher’s smartly written and brilliantly acted masterpieceThe Social Networkdepicts the creation and success of the popular social media platform Facebook. It follows the site’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), as he enters a heated court dispute after being accused of stealing Facebook’s conception from the Winklevoss Twins (Armie Hammer).
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Eisenberg’s Oscar-nominated performance is a definite highlight as he portrays Zuckerberg as a highly confident and intelligent billionaire who’s more than capable of handling his own in court. The only fight between Zuckerberg and the twins was through legal processes and arguments, but the film’s sharply written dialog ensures that viewers will keep their eyes glued to the screen from start to finish.
2J. Robert Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss — ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
Oppenheimershows the nail-biting true story of the race against time to create the first successful nuclear weapon. It shows the head of the Manhattan Project, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), in a desperate struggle to keep his position after being labeled a security threat by his political rival Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.).
Oppenheimer and Strauss' feud is shown in great detail within the story, showing the audience how these two men became enemies and what were the consequences of their actions. Downey Jr. does a surprising turn as a villain with his performance as the petty and vengeful Strauss, which is also a welcoming change for his career.
1Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — ‘Amadeus’ (1984)
This Best Picture-winning period dramafollows two of history’s most revered musical composers as they find their lives and careers changed due to a famous rivalry. When the respected composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) learns that his idol Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) was a more gifted musical prodigy, he makes it his mission in life to ruin Mozart’s career at all costs.
Amadeustakes plenty of liberties with history, including the depiction of Salieri’s hatred for Mozart’s behavior while their real-life rivalry was more professional. However, the film is still a well-directed and beautifully shot masterpiece featuring solid performances from both Abraham and Hulce, who expertly bring these famous musical geniuses to the big screen.
