Thuy Pham
March 17, 2010
Visual Literacy
Film Genre: Epic
What does the word epic mean? Epic means having characteristic or relation to an epic poem. Another definition for this word is going beyond the norm or ordinary in size or span.[1] In essence, epic comes from the poetic genre. Examples of such genres are Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Ramayana. Epic poems is a narrative pertaining to a serious subject that includes major events and heroic deeds that affect the people, country, etc. Epic poems can be dated back to the 20th BC, but films were not considered epic until possibly the earliest 1912. Nevertheless, epic poems definitely impacted the making of epic films.
Silent epics were the very first category of cinematic epics. Enrico Guazzoni’s “Quo Vadis” was one of the first films to run over an hour and a half long and was considered the first successful feature-length motion picture and had been distributed internationally.[2] The film had the biggest sets and cast at the time. There were full orchestral accompaniment when ran in major cities; there was also a 150 voice massed choir when the film was played in Paris.[3]
But it was “Cabiria” (1914) produced by Giovanni Pastrone that set the foundation for future feature-length films with big-budgets that would be considered epic films. Five thousand extras were used with a reenactment of the Second Punic War amid that, the Roman fleet was also burned. Pastrone also hired the Italian writer, Gabriele D’ Annunzio, to write the subtitles for the movie.[4]
What comes to mind when you think of an epic movie? Epic films are often called “costume dramas.” Usually the period setting is heavily emphasized with the historical display of costumes and wardrobes, décor, spectacle, etc. “Epic films often take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle and a sweeping musical score.” History is often rewritten to portray the “suffering from in authenticity, fictitious recreations, excessive religiosity, hard-to-follow details and characters, romantic dream worlds, ostentatious vulgarity, political correctness, and leaden scripts.” [5]
Historical epics usually take in the historical past. The main focus is on people who have altered the history’s course. Examples of such historical epics are Gone with the Wind, Ivan the Terrible, Gladiator, and Ben-Hur. The time setting of films made in the 1950s – 60s are typically set in Rome, Greece, or Egypt. Religious epics are revolved around Jesus and/or other religious figures like The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur. The center of romantic epics is the main character’s relationships and the romance transpiring. The romance likes to be depicted in a “counterpoint to war, conflict or political events” in the backdrop of the film like Titanic or Australia. War epics of course recreate major war battles on a grand scale landmark; examples are Troy, 300, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List. Anti-war epics also exist; Full Metal Jacket and The Deer Hunter are such. Crime Epics is apt to spotlight on the lives of people who are involved or within organized crime. Every aspect of their lives is shown how it affects others throughout the story. The Godfather and American Gangster are considered to be crime epics. Science Fiction/Fantasy epics are becoming more popular today. Avatar, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings are amazing examples of this particular subgenre. What you can expect from the science fiction epics is a whole new world that can only exist in books or imaginations. Animation epics are quite popular as Disney produced a mass of them. The Lion King is among the most famous of them all.
Epic genre films are rather popular as they can appeal to a vast majority of their audiences. The least popular subgenre has to be biblical epics. They are rarely made because it can be controversial. But quite a few of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics, Titanic, Avatar, Gone with the Wind, and Star Wars. The most Academy Awards ever won by a single film are also by epic films which are Ben-Hur, Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[6]
[1] Merriam-Webster dictionary
[2] http://www.filmsite.org/epicsfilms.html
[3] http://www.4enoch.org/wiki/index.php?title=Quo_Vadis%3F_(1912_Guazzoni),_film
[4] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/87605/Cabiria
[5] http://www.filmsite.org/epicsfilms.html
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_film
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