Favorite Epic films

[Lonestar]

Gods and Generals

No, wait, that was agonizngly long, historically inaccurate, skipped the Battle of Antietam entirely, and was a Neo-confederate propaganda piece.

It wasn't epic.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I wouldn't call The Godfather an epic either. Lacks... vastness.

but Part II has it...

[Dom Pedro II]

Good lord... Gods and Generals was awful... I don't think I've ever been so psyched to see a movie and so disappointed when I saw it. NOT EVEN EPISODE II DISAPPOINTED ME THAT MUCH!

[Daz]

Uhmmm. I really need a definition for EPIC. Is EPIC=classic, sucessful?

If.... Treasure of Sierra Madre, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner.

I also liked Arsenic and old Lace, but thats hardly an epic...

[axi]

You should see the latest film of Jiang Yimou, "Hero"

That's epic for you!

[Spiffor]

"Empire of the Sun" truly impressed me when I was young.
"Ran" is beautiful, but lacks something to be considered an epic IMHO.

[Traianvs]

unless a definition of epic is given.. I'd say dirty dozen?

[rah]

Others not mentioned.

The longest day.
Patton.
The 10 commandments.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Epics are typically films about historical events which had a big impact. Ben Hur was fictional I believe and certainly not a major historical event while Spartacus was historical. Gladiator lacked the historical context to qualify IMO, but the thread allows for everyone's definition of the word. Gone with the Wind is certainly an epic film...

So The Ten Commandments was not an epic? I dont think an epic movie has to be historical, it just needs to present events on a 'grand scale' (whatever that is).

Ben Hur is definitely the winner for me, followed closely by Lawrence of Arabia.

Star wars and LOTR are not single movies so dont qualify (for me). Leaving those out, Das Boot (in German) is the best of the more modern epics.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by rah
Others not mentioned.

The longest day.
Patton.
The 10 commandments.

How could I forget The longest day and A Bridge Too Far :duh:. They're both much better books though.

[SpencerH]

Does Waterloo (with Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as Wellesley) count as an epic ? It certainly had the most epic battle scenes of any movie I've seen.

[BeBMan]

I also liked "The Fall of the Roman Empire", the story has a similar background to "Gladiator" (Marcus Aurelius/Commodus). Of course it was not very accurate, but I liked it more than those bible movies....

Edit: yes, Waterloo was great

[spiritof1202]

Originally posted by SpencerH
*SNIP*LOTR are not single movies so dont qualify (for me).*SNIP*

LOTR was written as a single story and divided into 6, and then 3, for commercial reasons, by the publisher. It certainly could be a single movie, but it would be utterly impractical to have an 8 hour movie, in a theatre.

You could not possibly do justice to the story with a single 3 hour film.

The three films aren't neatly packaged, into beginnings, middles and ends... but together form this structure.

I'd say that for these reasons, LOTR:FotR, LOTR:TTT and LOTR RotK definitely count as an (as in one collectively) epic.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Ramo
Kurosawa's Ran

I like his Shadow Warrior better.

[DanS]

History of the World, Part I.