zen Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Per AFI epics (or should I say historical epics) are "a genre of large-scale films set in a cinematic interpretation of the past. Their scope defies and demands—either in the mode in which they are presented or their range across time. A bloody sword fight in an ancient coliseum; carnage on an open battlefield; a country on the eve of revolution. With sweeping interpretations of turbulent times, epics depict characters that, whether nobly heroic or shamefully depraved, are living life on the grandest of scales." In 2008, it picked 10 best films, ranking them as following: Winners: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Ben-Hur (1959) Schindler's List (1993) Gone With The Wind (1939) Spartacus (1960) Titanic (1997) All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Saving Private Ryan (1998) Reds (1981) The Ten Commandments (1956) I agree with its top choice - Lawrence of Arabia. It is perfect with legendary direction, acting, cinematography and background score. Outside of historical epics, there are films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey too (Sci-Fi epic). Among non-English language films, we have immaculate epics such as Kurosawa's Ran (Japanese), where he seems to have squeezed all his experience to make an unforgettable film. Which are your top 3-5 favorite epics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranvir Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 In no specific order I would say Gladiator Troy Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Kingdom Of Heaven Ben Hur Spartacus I wouldn't consider WW2 movies like Saving Private Ryan and the likes of Titanic as epics. sandeep and coffee_rules 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 LoA = epic personified with tons of epic moments that have inspired various film makers. The score is mesmerizing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 Among non-English films, Kurosawa's Ran (Japanese) ... the battle sequence below is class, capturing the pain (not heroics) of war: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Avatar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 16 hours ago, coffee_rules said: Avatar good but nothing from the AFI defined historical epics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, Ranvir said: In no specific order I would say Gladiator Troy Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Kingdom Of Heaven Ben Hur Spartacus Spartacus and Gladiator are great ... Ben-Hur is great too but has too much grief in it to not have relatively more rewatchability for me (Messala is one of the cruelest villains) ... The other 3, I have not watched them recently but they have more "masala" elements in them iirc Recently, rewatched the Ten Commandments (released in 4k DV now; colors are gorgeous). Because of the way it was shot, along with its acting, it feels unique Edited April 8, 2021 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I6MTW Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 30 minutes ago, zen said: Spartacus and Gladiator are great ... Ben-Hur is great too but has too much grief in it to not have relatively more rewatchability for me (Messala is one of the cruelest villains) ... The other 3, I have not watched them recently but they have more "masala" elements in them iirc Recently, rewatched the Ten Commandments (released in 4k DV now; colors are gorgeous). Because of the way it was shot, along with its acting, it feels unique What about Braveheart? I enjoyed it. Even though it was highly historically inaccurate. Still think Gladiator is one of the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarke Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 (edited) Aviator ? Das Boot ? Edited April 8, 2021 by Clarke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 Just now, I6MTW said: What about Braveheart? I enjoyed it. Even though it was highly historically inaccurate. Still think Gladiator is one of the best. Braveheart is superb too. It has the “raw” energy to it, esp. in action sequences, and covers touchy subjects such as “prima nocte” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 (edited) del Edited March 16, 2022 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 3 hours ago, zen said: good but nothing from the AFI defined historical epics? So only AFI decides what is epic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 6 minutes ago, coffee_rules said: So only AFI decides what is epic? I asked because we are mainly talking from the historical epics perspective (as mentioned in the OP) ... of course, there are epics in other categories as well such as 2001: A Space Odyssey ... if you do not have one, that is fine too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 2 hours ago, Clarke said: Aviator ? Das Boot ? Appears as if you like planes and submarines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Wolf Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Apart from above the new ones I liked are (In order) 1917 Hacksaw Ridge Dunkirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarke Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 11 hours ago, zen said: Appears as if you like planes and submarines There's so much more to those films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda-esque Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Mother IndiaSent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariyam Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 17 hours ago, Clarke said: Aviator ? Das Boot ? 14 hours ago, zen said: Appears as if you like planes and submarines He's Gujju. Probably goggles and flashy shoes. zen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariyam Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Yoda-esque said: Mother India Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk This whole Kisaan woe be me stuff in Bollywood is very un-relatable for me. I could barely stay awake through the movie. Mr India, now that's an epic. Clarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 20 hours ago, zen said: I asked because we are mainly talking from the historical epics perspective (as mentioned in the OP) ... of course, there are epics in other categories as well such as 2001: A Space Odyssey ... if you do not have one, that is fine too Still don’t get what qualifies as epic. How is Titanic an epic, it has a large canvass. Is that the qualification? Ten Commandments was a boring sermon esp after Moses returns from the desert. The Mummy had epic war scenes, won’t it qualify? Maya Bazaar was a better epic than most listed in OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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