Read and analyze 10 reviews of historical movies before you begin to write. You can access these at a variety of online sites, including the one suggested in the Resource section below. Print them out and use different colored highlighters to mark various items in the review. For example, you might use a blue highlighter for references to the historical period as well as a critique of how well the film reflected that era, a pink marker for any mention of period costuming, and a yellow marker for references to the dialogue and how appropriate it was for the movie's time period.
Rate the reviews from 1 to 10 on the basis of how well the review covered the historical elements of the movie, rather than simply critiquing the movie with no reference to the time period. Use your top-rated review as a model of what needs to be included; use the lowest-rated review as a reminder not to leave out the historical elements. Keep these reviews in mind as you watch the movie you plan to review.
Begin your review with a statement about the time period and location in which the movie was set. For example, you might say, "In the 19th century, France was filled with unrest," or "The Dust Bowl of the 1930s nearly wiped out the town of Needles, Okla." Follow that opening sentence with one or two other pieces of information about the historical setting, and then transition into talking about the movie by saying something like: "Director Sally Salson uses this setting as the backdrop for her newly released historical romance," followed by the name of the movie.
Discuss the plot and characters in the film in terms of not only how effective they are but also how well they reflect the time period. For example, you might comment on how legitimate it seems for a particular event during the film to have happened during that particular era. Talk about whether the actors were hampered by the dialogue; in some period films, dialogue is so filled with antiquated words and expressions that it seems to interfere with the acting; in others, the lines are so filled with modern slang that it undermines the historical accuracy.
Because the setting and costuming are crucial to the atmosphere and realism of a historical movie, spend some time in your review discussing each of these. Talk about whether the film seemed to totally transport you to a 16th-century English village or whether you merely felt transported to a movie set. In addition to a brief discussion of the costuming, you could mention how well the hairstyles and makeup contributed or detracted from the historical illusion.