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I'm Spartacus (No!- Really!)Aug 06 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line If nothing else, I hope this list proves that defining just what an epic film is, is hard enough. Let the arguing begin! Let me start by saying that without question the "Star Wars" series is the screen's greatest epic saga. And yet, no "Star Wars" film appears on this list. At all. Partly this is because "Star Wars" appears somewhere on all my other lists it seems (ditto "Raiders of the Lost Ark" , another absentee), but also I decided to stay away from science-fiction as much as I could, by and large (though my honourable mentions feature some). This was so I could focus on some films that I have yet to talk about, that do deserve some attention. However, I must say that just because I personally have shyed away from sci-fi, it does not mean that sci-fi is entirely ineligible as epic. If you look at my list, there are so many different types of epic film that to exclude sci-fi in a definition of epic would be unfair. I simply needed a break from George Lucas (and including "War of the Worlds" in the list would free up the opportunity for people to include "ID4" - hey I liked Randy Quaid and Jeff Goldblum too, but c'mon, it's no world-beater). As much as I liked "Tombstone" , you will also not see any Western epics here either. And as much as I get goosebumps every time I hear Elmer Bernstein's classic score, "The Great Escape" will also not be on this list. There are war films on this list, but unlike "The Great Escape" , they also fit the bill as another type of epic, for instance, a romantic epic. As per usual, if one wishes to email me or leave comments (or highly profane verbal tirades if you so wish), I am more than happy to defend my choices to the nth degree. 1. Braveheart - A blood-soaked, epic-scale war flick that yes, has its basis (albeit questionable) in history. Mel Gibson directs and stars as a rowdy, vengeful Scottish warrior who dreams of freedom for his people in 13th Century where the British rule with an iron fist, under the vile Edward Longshanks (a nefarious, tubercular, yet rather droll Patrick McGoohan, in a rare screen appearance). This film makes the #1 spot for also featuring several other staples of the epic genre, particularly historical epics; a sweeping, tragic love story (aided by an evocative music score- the soundtrack is a must-have), a brilliant character study (William Wallace is truly fascinating character, not all sunshine and innocence, but certainly there's enough for us to sympathise with him- essential given that he's on screen for practically the whole film), a story touching on universal themes (though Wallace is a brutal man, he has his own morals and has been wronged in the most shocking and savage way. He also represents a sort of David vs. Goliath as he attempts to destroy the British and gain freedom for his people). Homophobia and historical accuracies aside, you'll be caught up in the emotion and grandeur here...even if Wallace and his men look and act like Scottish soccer hooligans at times. Cool decapitation, too, for fans of that sort of thing. 2. Last of the Mohicans - Though it won't have you championing its brilliant re-telling of historical events, this is like a large-scale old-style 'injun' flick, only without the cowboys...instead we've got good Indians vs. treacherous, barking mad ones. Throw in the always handy unscrupulous French and ineffectual, conflicted Brits, some terrific, brutal battle scenes, some romance, and stunning cinematography, and you've got another action-epic ala "Braveheart" . Only shorter, slightly less violent, and possibly a little less black and white. The British characters are neither heroes nor villains here, which makes for some interest. It's a shame that inept dialogue soils the romantic aspects a bit, but with the incredibly charismatic Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead (not only has he sex appeal and a real screen presence, the guy can ACT, and act brilliantly) it's still compelling and stirring stuff. Haunting soundtrack is worth buying, the film also has a tragic finale that works better than the script gives it any right to, thanks to brilliant acting and the music score. I won't reveal said finale, but I doubt you'll be able to control the tears. 3. Superman - Well, it's almost sci-fi, but this is still the benchmark for all superhero films and the only one thus far to be on an epic scale (though the "X Men" films are crying out to be), and not just in terms of length. We get the fascinating character arc for Clark Kent- born on Krypton, sent to Earth to be raised by a simple farmer (a sturdy Glenn Ford) and wife, who try and help him control/conceal his special powers (despite not understanding them) etc. Then we see him as an adult as he tries to convince the world that he's a meek reporter when really he's a superhero. Then you've got the love story with fellow reporter Lois Lane, that too is on an epic scale, when one not only considers that Clark is super-human but also that their big scene together involves a night flight (with admittedly dated FX). You've also got your hero vs. villain stuff as our hero tries to save the world from the (campily) dastardly Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman having a high old time, surrounded by boobs...and not just Valerie Perrine's). I know many think the film starts a bit slow, but I reckon the stuff on Krypton is actually the most interesting portion of the film, even if it's just to hear Harry Andrews and Trevor Howard shout: GUUUIIILLLTYYYYYY! And that Fortress of Solitude is just plain cool, isn't it? 4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - I bet the "Star Wars" fans are getting REALLY inflamed now (hey, I love 'em, but c'mon, how many more times do I have to say it?), but I really feel that Peter Jackson's adaptations of Tolkien's work are gaining on Mr. Lucas as we speak. A fantasy epic, this mid section of the trilogy is like what "Empire" was to Lucas's trilogy; darker, meatier and more compelling viewing. Like many epics, we have romantic intrigue (the separated lovers Arwen and Aragorn, plus the beginnings of a new love triangle), large-scale heroism (mostly by Aragorn, with Viggo Mortensen a compelling romantic hero, but also the scene-stealing John Rhys-Davies and appropriately effete-looking Orlando Bloom get in on the action. This of course counters the internal struggles faced by the cursed Gollum (who gets at least one bravura soliloquy that generated Oscar buzz at the time, a brilliant creation by the CGI team and Andy Serkis) and Frodo (a weary-looking Elijah Wood, starting to look a little Gollum-like) perhaps on his way down a similar path as the ring starts weighing on him (in every way possible). Plus there's sweeping photography, entertaining supporting characters (Rhys-Davies' Gimli and Christopher Lee's Saruman being my favourites, though Brad Dourif is perfectly cast in the new character of Grima Wormtongue, servant to Saruman. Great casting there.), and like "Gone With the Wind" and "The Grapes of Wrath" , it's based on classic literature. 5. From Here to Eternity - Troubled army boxer Montgomery Clift is sent to Philip Ober's post and coerced into fighting by his brown-nose henchman Burt Lancaster (I'm not gay but DAMN he's huge!). But the kid won't budge, and there's more to Lancaster's character than meets the eye. More than a war film, this is almost a romantic epic, except that none of the characters truly seem in love, at least not in the holding-hands-whilst-strolling-through-the-fields way. But like in a lot of epics, the characters go through changes, most interestingly Clift (as the bullying starts to take its toll) and Lancaster (a yes-man, but he's having an affair with his superior's bored wife, played by Deborah Kerr). And like all great epics, you care what happens to these people, even if this film sanitises the classic novel it is based on. Unforgettable characterisations by Frank Sinatra as Clift's doomed, good-time buddy, and Ernest Borgnine at his smiling sicko best as the sadistic guard who bullies Sinatra from the get-go. However, it is Montgomery Clift's doggedness and stubborness under extreme pressure that will probably appeal to younger generations looking for an epic film with something a little deeper than Michael Bay and Alec Baldwin-as-Spencer Tracy could deliver. 6. Gandhi - For all you "Lawrence of Arabia" fans out there, I do like that film (especially Guinness, Sharif, and Quinn), but if you think this film is just a re-tread, you're wrong. I find it hard to believe that Richard Attenborough would use a similar story structure from that film (about a British guy who helps out the 'natives') for this 1982 film without it being intentional. After all, this is the story of the famed leader of India, who prefered passive resistance over gunplay and violence. It's an almost totally Indian story, with the Brits relegated to unsympathetic characters, and two rather unnecessary American characters. But when focusing on Gandhi himself, the film is unbeatable. Ben Kingsley is superlative in the lead, a character who is not, as many believe, watered down for the cinema (yes he apologises for any bad behavior, but he still DOES behave badly on occasion!). It's amazing that a film about a non-violent guy could be so compelling, but in our modern political climate it seems to provide more food for thought than ever. And it is still on a grand-scale, with huge crowd scenes for a funeral and also some unforgettable violent scenes. But it is the quieter moments, especially those between Gandhi and his wife, that appealed to me most. I love the gung-ho heroics of Arnie Schwarzenegger, but Attenborough, Kingsley et al, have painted a portrait of a man who shows us that there is another way. 7. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - This epic-scale fantasy gets it right. All those books I read as a kid (though strangely, I'm only reading Tolkien's work right now, 7/8/03) have been brought to life here by Peter Jackson, better than I could ever have imagined. The characters (Rhys-Davies' elf-hating, war-hungry dwarf, and Christopher Lee's nefarious wizard especially) are spot-on for this sort of thing, even though some members of the audience I saw it with seemed to find Gimli rather funny (though Jackson fixed that in the next film by actually having him as comic relief), personally I just found everyone to be exact here. This is THE fantasy epic, a mixture of exciting battles, sorcery, romance (Liv Tyler is surprisingly good and Viggo Mortensen is totally commanding), and lots of adventure in the good vs. evil mould, but stretched (without being noticeable) to around three hours. This is probably the most fun I've had in the fantasy genre since the 1980s with "Ladyhawke" and "The Beastmaster" , which just don't have the epic feel of this film ( "Excalibur" ? Don't make me barf. That was a dark, confusing travesty of a film that didn't even feature Merlin in his pointy had and wand garb. Aargh!). 8. The Grapes of Wrath - The story of the Joad family, who just keep on goin', not letting the Depression get in their way, no matter how hungry and poor they have to go. John Ford's finest film, it also gives us two of the greatest characters in epic films; Henry Fonda's reformed Tom Joad (The key to a great character? You remember the name) and sad-eyed Jane Darwell as his eternally optimistic Ma Joad, who gets some of the film's most unforgettable moments. And yes, like many on this list, it's based on a great American novel too. Human misery made palatable (Darwell gets some sappy speeches, but boy if they aren't needed in this kind of film...), easily identifiable, and utterly compelling. And remember, Wherever there is Suffering...We'll be- err...sorry, wrong film. An epic for the people, by the people, about the people, dare I say? 9. El Cid - 'Coz there had to be SOMETHING for the "Spartacus" crowd (And by the way, I TOLD you it wasn't Moops, it's Moors!- one for the Seinfeld fans there). Charlton Heston ably plays the title character, which translates to something like 'The Lord', an 11th century hero who helps drive the moop...er...Moors from Spain. Meanwhile, in a novel twist, the love of his life (Sophia Loren) blames him for the murder of her father, and vows to seek revenge. The dialogue is awful in these scenes, but Loren and Heston sell it, and the very idea still resonates well enough. Thankfully we also have some wonderfully orchestrated, large-scale battle scenes that are pretty hard to match, even by the other classics in the genre. Throw in the old 'one brother killing another' device (see the next film for more of that), a scene-stealing Herbert Lom and Frank Thring, and a top-notch score and you've got a winner. Hell it even has a tragic end, some thirty years before "Braveheart" . 10. The Vikings - An unsung historical (well, kinda, though they certainly claim to have HIRED historians for the film) epic, this one is as close to "Braveheart" in terms of full-throttle action and rowdy behavior as 1958 would allow. And it also happens to be tremendous entertainment. Forget the seriously mincy Tony Curtis and feather-weight Janet Leigh, and revel in the brilliantly controlled ham of Kirk Douglas and Ernest Borgnine, the latter of which gets one of cinema's greatest epics (the way it is done is just so...Macho). Beautiful to look at, with the replica viking ships being wonders to behold. Kirk Douglas towers over all, however, as Eignar, a growling one-eyed Viking warrior hunk of man (I SWEAR I'm not gay...not that there's anything wrong with that) who captures himself a slave (Tony Curtis- who CAN be great, see "The Sweet Smell of Success" ) who is actually his half-brother. And wadddaya know, the two macho men end up squaring off, all over a dame (Leigh, playing British Royalty, natch). On a larger scale we have the Vikings squaring off against the pompous Brits, led by that brilliant Aussie-born scenery-chewer Frank Thring (Boy, when he and Borgnine share the screen together, it's almost too much cheese, if that's possible). Dependable James Donald (who was underrated in "The Great Escape" and "Bridge on the River Kwai" ) plays the turncoat Lord Egbert, who seems to be on the side of Norsemen. There are very few Viking films out there, and even fewer worth seeing (For the modern era, "The 13th Warrior" comes closest to being a Viking films, but was totally incoherent) but this one is a gem. Honourable Mentions: Gladiator - "Spartacus" for the modern era...literally, right down to the late Oliver Reed delivering an Oscar-worthy (and was certainly being touted that way at the time, if memory serves) performance in a role VERY similar to Charles MacGraw's in said film (Djimon Honsou, a modern Woody Strode, too). It's good fun, however, the likes of which hadn't been seen for a very long time. Crowe is totally arresting in the lead and Phoenix's sissy boy act has grown on me over the years. Spartacus - A tad overrated and self-important (ooh, fancy symbolism!- BARF!), with a dull romantic angle, but Douglas, Olivier, and especially Laughton and Ustinov are excellent (John Gavin and mincing John Dall are horribly miscast, though). Hard to match those battle scenes, too. Destroy All Monsters - Yup, an Epic Godzilla film. Call it Toho Smackdown, it's the best fun you can have watching guys in rubber suits beat the pants off each other. A must.  |
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