Epic film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The epic film is a film genre typically featuring expensive production values 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.
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[edit] 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 not unknown. 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. By this definition, some animated films such as The Lion King, would also fall into this category.
The genre arguably 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) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). Although "epic" films continue to be produced to this day, they are 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 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 sometimes listed as such by critics. Some epic films (espically from the 1950's-1970's) were shot with a wide aspect ratio, for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience.
Many 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 Aguirre: The Wrath of God didn't cost as much as the catering in Pearl Harbor, but it is 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.
[edit] Biblical epics
The evolution of Jesus films is rooted in the religious or biblical "epic;" a popular genre in the 1950's usually accompanied by towering budgets and names such as Charlton Heston, Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, or Yul Brynner. Examples include: The Ten Commandments (1956 film) and Ben-Hur (1959 film).
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. Swedish actor Max Von Sydow’s portrayal of Christ was lambasted for being emotionally removed and humorless. The same could be said for Jesus of Nazareth, a 1977 made-for-television mini-series. The film received mostly favorable reviews on the part of the evangelical community.
[edit] People associated with epics
Some of the most famous directors of epics include David Lean, Sergio Leone, William Wyler, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg, Cecil B. DeMille, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and D.W. Griffith, all of whom essentially made careers out of films that could be considered epics.
