Everything about The Epic Film totally explained
The
epic film is a
film genre typically featuring expensive
production values, an emotionally moving music soundtrack, and
dramatic themes. The name is derived from the grand themes, stories and characters of
epic poetry, and is often used as a shorthand for "
sword and sandal" films, although it can also refer to films in other genres, such as
King Kong.
Genre characteristics
Generally speaking, the term "epic" refers to movies that have a large scope, often set during a time of war or other conflict, and sometimes taking place over a considerable period of time. A historical setting is commonplace, although
fantasy or
science fiction settings are known. Sometimes the story is based around a quest that the characters are embarked on over the course of the film. A
large cast of characters is also common.
The population reached its zenith in the 1950s and '60s when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's
Cinecittà) to use relatively exotic locations in
Spain,
Morocco, and elsewhere for the production of epic films. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with
Cleopatra (1963),
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and
Doctor Zhivago (1965). Although "epic" films continue to be produced to this day, they're typically not made on so grand a scale as films from this period, and usually utilise computer effects shots instead of a genuine cast of thousands.
The definition of epic has been poached over the years to include films that in general have a large scale or scope of history, time, or events, even when not wandering 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 sometimes listed as such by critics. Some epic films (espically from the 1950s-1970's) were shot with a wide
aspect ratio, for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience.
Many refer to any film that's "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's an epic, and 'Pearl Harbor' is not."
Monty Python and the Holy Grail had the joking
tagline,
Makes Ben Hur look like an epic.
Epic films were recognized in a montage at the
2006 Academy Awards.
Biblical epics
The evolution of Jesus films is rooted in the religious or Biblical "epic;" a popular genre in the 1950s usually accompanied by towering budgets and names such as
Charlton Heston,
Robert Taylor,
Deborah Kerr, or
Yul Brynner. Examples include:
The Ten Commandments and
Ben-Hur.
The ensuing decade brought the first attempt by a major studio to produce a religious epic in which the Christ Event was its singular focus. MGM released
King of Kings in 1961, inspired by a
Cecil B. DeMille film of the same title from 1927.
Four years later,
The Greatest Story Ever Told, directed by George Stevens, was completed for $25 million. A more recent example would be the
2004 Mel Gibson film
The Passion of the Christ.
War epics
War epics are
war films done in a large sweeping scale of epic films. These films are often used to recreate grandscale landmark war battles. War epics occasionally crossover with the
anti-war film genre, such as
Apocalypse Now.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Epic Film'.
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