Epic Film

Generally speaking, the term "epic" refers to movies that have a large scope, often taking place during time of war or other conflict, that take place over a considerable period of time and/or place. A historical setting is commonplace, though Fantasy / Science Fiction settings are also common. Usually they consist of a set goal or journey ("quest") that the characters are trying to achieve over the course of the film. By this definition, numerous Animated Film s would also fall under this category, '' The Lion King '' and '' Finding Nemo '' being two of the most prominent examples.

The genre arguably reached its zenith in the '50s and '60s, with Hollywood frequently collaborating with foreign film studios (namely Rome's Cinecitta ) to use "exotic" locations for their films, in Spain , Morocco , and elsewhere, to make mostly historical epics. This boom period of films and international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with '' Cleopatra '' (1963), though "epic" films continue to be produced to this day, albeit generally not on so large a scale.

The definition of epic has been broadened over the years to include films that in general have a large scale or scope of history, time, or events, even when not venturing out to epic adventures. The crime films '' The Godfather '' (1972), '' Once Upon A Time In America '' (1984), and '' Casino '' (1995), for instance, could hardly be considered epics in the same way that the Cinecitta films were, but are usually listed as such by most critics.

Many mistaken refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, and as such a definition of an epic film (especially among today's films) is a matter of dispute among many. As Roger Ebert put it, in his Great Movies article on '' Lawrence Of Arabia '':

"The word ''epic'' in recent years has become synonymous with ''big budget B picture.'' What you realize watching ''Lawrence of Arabia'' is that the word ''epic'' refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's '''' didn't cost as much as the catering in '' Pearl Harbor ,'' but it is an epic, and ''Pearl Harbor'' is not." Link

Some of the most famous directors of epics include David Lean , Sergio Leone , John Ford , William Wyler , George Lucas , Steven Spielberg , Werner Herzog , Cecil B. DeMille , and D.W. Griffith , all of whom essentially made careers out of films that could be considered epics.

Epic films were recognized in a montage at the 2006 Academy Awards .

NOTABLE EPIC FILMS

These are films that are widely considered to be epics as they fit most of the above criteria.

1910s and 1920s