The Top Non-English Language Epics
Mar 29 '05 (Updated Nov 10 '05)
The Bottom Line Use this list to find worthwhile "epic" films from countries around the world.
Genre categories often have ambiguous meanings and boundaries. What constitutes a drama, a thriller, or a mystery? Some films seem to clearly fit a particular genre category while others may combine elements of two, three, or four categories or not fit into any category perfectly. Did you know that genre theory exists? Fear not, however, this will not be an essay on genre theory.
Some genre categories used at Epinions have obvious operational determinants. A tear-jerker, for example, has to jerk tears for a particular viewer. A comedy has to evoke laughter or, at the least, smiles or bemusement. The "epic" genre is one of the more uncertain ones. Approximate synonyms for "epic" include "costume drama" and "period piece." There is no widespread concurrence on which films are and are not "epics," judging from the remarks I have come across from a variety of writers. When the meaning of a term is in dispute, I like to start with dictionary definitions – not as absolute truth but as guidance in seeking the truth of a concept's meaning. The word "epic" is of Greek origin and was apparently first used in relation to long narrative poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey, but I'm after the word's meaning as it relates specifically to films. The third meaning listed in my Webster's New World Dictionary provides a start: "a prose narrative, play, or motion picture having the nature of an epic." If an epic film has to have the nature of an epic poem, that points us right back to the first listed meaning. In Webster's, that's: "a long narrative poem about the deeds of a traditional or historical hero or heroes of high station." My American College Dictionary, on the other hand, says, "poetic composition in which a series of heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, is dealt with at length as a continuous narrative in elevated style." Deconstructing those definitions, we have the following implied criteria for the word epic, as it was originally used in relation to poetry:
• poetic
• traditional or historic setting
• protagonist usually a hero or heroes
• hero is of high station
• heroic deeds, achievements, or events
• long
• style of the narrative is elevated
Are all of those criteria also relevant when the term "epic" is applied to a film? The first of the seven, I think, we can throw out altogether when the term is extended beyond poetry to prose, plays, or motion pictures. The second bullet above strikes me as the one absolute criterion for an epic: an epic must be set in a historical or legendary context. An epic film, I would think, would have to have, in terms of production values, good period authenticity, in costumes, sets, and linguistics. If the context is historical rather than legendary, the film gains stature if the historical facts and settings are accurate. On the other hand, the personalized part of the story may be fictional and, therefore, need not be authentic. Epics also gain stature from on-location shooting and panoramic backdrops.
The other five criteria strike me as relative criteria. For one thing, the third bullet includes the qualifier "usually." Stephen Murray, in his excellent posts for this topic, makes a point of dividing epics into two subtypes, epics and anti-epics, based on whether the protagonist is a hero or an antihero. That begs the question of what to call such films when the protagonist has both heroic and anti-heroic qualities or is a hero to some characters (or viewers) but a villain to others (e.g., Vito Corleone in The Godfather). I'm opting for the position that the protagonist can be heroic, anti-heroic, or a character of mixed qualities.
Must the protagonist be of high station? I say that it is not required but if he or she is, it's likely to advance the epic quality of a film. I maintain that film "epic-ness" comes in degrees. To qualify as an epic, a film must meet the absolute criterion (a historic or legendary setting). If it also meets one or more of the relative criteria, it may very well be more epic than another film. A film, for example, is more epic if it encompasses grandeur, spectacle, pageantry, or events of a massive scale using many extras. A film may be more epic if there are lavish (hence expensive) costumes and sets and a sweeping musical score. It's easier to build in such qualities if the film has a protagonist of high station. On the other hand, the fifth bullet (heroic deeds, achievements, or events) suggests why a film about lowly protagonists might still qualify as an epic. Peasants, workers, and slaves sometimes become involved in heroic deeds or achievements. For example, the story of a poor family braving the hardships of immigration could be told in the manner of an epic, even though the costumes and sets would likely be simple rather than "lavish." If a story about peasants, in a historical context, focuses only on details of ordinary daily living (e.g., The Tree of Wooden Clogs or Christ Stopped at Eboli), the film is an ethnographic portrait rather than an epic.
Epic poems were notably long. Some epic films are also long, but I would argue that the length of a film should not be an absolute requirement for status as an "epic." After all, since it's often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, every thousand frames of a film should equate to about a million words, making every film epic in proportions! More important than the length of the film, I think, is the time span that the film encompasses. I would argue that a film covering more than one generation or more than a few years in the life of a generation is more epic than a film spanning just a few months or years.
A film is also more epic if its style is elevated. For me, elevated style means the absence of the following:
• characters excessively romanticized; excessive poetic license
• making characters more heroic than they really were; suppressing negative characteristics
• telescoping or otherwise modifying chronology
• ideological slant; deferring to modern standards of political correctness
• inauthentic dialog; leaden dialog; translation into modern vernacular; impossible metaphors, references, or allusions
• dramatic weaknesses; poor character development
• farcical or prurient elements
• fanciful religiosity or supernatural elements
• historical element minimal in relation to fictionalized personal drama
So, to sum up, my criteria for epics:
Absolute Criterion:
• Historical or legendary context with strong period authenticity
Relative Criteria:
• #1 Grandeur and spectacle and/or heroic deeds or achievements
• #2 Long time span
• #3 Elevated style
************************************************************
That leads to my My Rating System for Epics:
One point for each star in the rating I gave the film when I reviewed it (using the Epinions five star maximum);
plus
one bonus point for each relative criterion, #1 or #2, the film meets;
minus
one point for each sense in which the film deviates from elevated style;
plus
one point if the soundtrack is especially magnificent.
*************************************************************
Since viewers often want to choose an epic film expressly for the people and location it depicts, I'll first list the films that I consider to be epics by nationality. Within each nationality, I've listed the films according to my rating for them as epics. My overall, Top-Ten appears at the end.
Argentina
Veronico Cruz (1987) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
*************************************************************
Brazil
Quilombo (1984) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Xica (1976) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Prurient elements Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
Belgium
Farinelli: Il Castrato (1994) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 7
*************************************************************
China
Farewell My Concubine (1993) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 7
The Emperor and the Assassin (1999) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Red Sorghum (1987) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Road Home (2000) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
France
The Horseman on the Roof (1995) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
Indochine (1992) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Life and Nothing But (1989) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Lumumba (2000) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Characters over-romanticized Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
The Rise of Louis XIV (1966) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Napoléon (1955) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Europa Europa (1991) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
A Man Escaped (1956) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
La Nuit de Varennes (1982) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Harvest (1937) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Mayerling (1936) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
The Story of Adele H. (1975) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
La Fayette (1962) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Germinal (1993) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Carnival in Flanders (1935) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Farcical elements Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 3
Danton (1983) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Suppressing character deficits; inauthentic dialog; poor character development Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 2
*************************************************************
Germany
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Fitzcarraldo (1982) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Nowhere in Africa (2001) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
Hungary
Colonel Redl (1985) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Poor character development Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 6
The Red and the White (1967) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Farcical elements Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
India
Apu Trilogy (1955/57/59) (See Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and The World of Apu) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Jalsaghar (1958) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 7
Mother India (1957) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Farcical elements Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 6
Earth (1998) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
Italy
The Battle of Algiers (1966) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
The Leopard (1963) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
The Last Emperor (1987) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Padre Padrone (1977) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Death in Venice (1971) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Historical aspects minimal in relation to fictional personal drama Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 5
Senso (1954) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Dramatic weaknesses Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 5
Rocco and His Brothers (1960) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Historical elements minimal in relation to fictional personal drama Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 4
1900 (1976) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Dramatic weaknesses Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 4
The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Dramatic weaknesses Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 4
Socrates (1970) My Rating: * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Dramatic weaknesses Soundtrack Bonus: YesNo Total Points: 2
*************************************************************
Japan
Ran (1985) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
Chushingura (1962) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
Kagemusha (1980) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
The Burmese Harp (1956) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Suppressing negative characteristics Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
The Hidden Fortress (1958) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Farcical elements Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 4
*************************************************************
Korea
Chunhyang (2000) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 7
*************************************************************
Netherlands
Soldier of Orange (1978) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
*************************************************************
Poland
Man of Iron (1981) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Ashes and Diamonds (1958) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 4
*************************************************************
Portugal
The Jew (1996) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
Russia/Soviet Union
Ivan the Terrible, I & II(1944/6) (See Eisenstein: The Sound Years.) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 8
Andrei Rublev (1966) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
War and Peace (1968) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
Alexander Nevsky (1938) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Ideological slant Soundtrack Bonus: Yes Total Points: 6
Come and See (1985) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
Anna Karenina (1967) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Historical element minimal in relation to fictional personal drama Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
The Cranes Are Flying (1957) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Dersu Uzala (1975) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: No Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
Rasputin (1981) My Rating: * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
*************************************************************
Sweden
The Emigrants (1971)(See Trust1235's Review.) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: Yes Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 7
The Seventh Seal (1957) My Rating: * * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 6
The Last Chance (1945) My Rating: * * * * Grandeur/Heroic Deeds: Yes Extended Time Span: No Elevated Style Deficits: None Soundtrack Bonus: No Total Points: 5
***************************************************************
My Top Ten Non-English Language Epics
#1. Ivan the Terrible, I & II (See Eisenstein: The Sound Years.)
Prokofiev teamed with Eisenstein for this masterful depiction of the life of Ivan the Terrible. Though only the first two parts of an anticipated trilogy were completed, the combination of Eisenstein's lavishly stylized mise-en-scene and Prokofiev's beautiful choral and orchestral music make this pair of films among the finest ever.
#2. Ran
Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, in his old age, wants to divide up his extensive kingdom among his three sons. His two elder sons thank him for his generosity, but the youngest one insults his father by questioning the wisdom and viability of his decision. When the older sons each later betray their father, the youngest son's predictions prove prescient. Ran features some of the most elaborate and brilliant battle scenes in film history.
#3. The Emigrants (1971) (See Trust12345's Review.)
Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann head a star cast in this film about a group of Swedish peasants who migrate to Minnesota in the middle of the 19th century. The three parts of the film cover the departure, the voyage across the Atlantic, and the trek to Minnesota. The photography is exceptionally beautiful.
#4. The Horseman on the Roof
Set in France in 1862, during the chaos after the fall of Napoleon, an Italian freedom fighter, Angelo Pardi, is on the lam from agents of the brutal Austrian Empire and trapped in the midst of a cholera epidemic. A chance encounter with Pauline De Theus (played by the magnificent Juliette Binoche), puts the two on a shared quest to pass through the quarantine roadblocks to reach their respective destinations. Action and a subtle kind of romance dominate this film.
#5. Andrei Rublev
Andrei Rublev was a Russian artist who lived around 1400. Tarkovsky's film doesn't follow typical narrative logic. In some segments of the film, Rublev is no more than a peripheral character – a by-stander. The film is an affirmation of the importance of art in elevating mankind above the beasts. In keeping with that theme, Tarkovsky has directed a film that is itself a work of art, exploring spaces in creative ways.
#6. The Battle of Algiers
The Battle of Algiers looks very much like the real thing – as though it were some kind of amazing documentary footage. When Algerian freedom fighters are executed by French authorities in Algiers, the freedom fighters retaliate by killing French policemen and civil servants and by planting bombs at locations frequented by Europeans. For their part, the French begin using systematic torture to gain information about the terrorist group's organizational structure. Though the particulars of this film are specific to Algeria, the general issues are universal and highly relevant in today's world.
#7. Chushingura
When a Japanese nobleman is forced to commit hara kiri, his forty-seven samurai warriors swear vengeance, but slyly bide their time for two years, disguising their intents. Chushingura is one of several films based on the most famous of all Japanese tales, “The 47 Loyal Ronin.”
#8. War and Peace
At a cost of over $100 million dollars, this film boasts amazing sets, period costumes, and one of the most elaborate battle scenes ever filmed, with tens of thousands of extras. With film lengths ranging from 380 to 431 minutes depending on version selected, it is a sprawling epic based on the great Tolstoy novel.
#9. Kagemusha
One of the powerful warlords of Japan, Shingen Takeda, leaves instructions, as he lies dying, that his death is to be concealed for three years. Kagemusha, a common thief but a dead ringer for the former warlord, is enlisted to play the part and play it he does, inspiring his clan's warrior as though he were the same immovable mountain that the warlord had been. Fooling the soldiers and the general populace is relatively simple, but averting the suspicions of Takeda's grandson and concubines proves more difficult.
#10. Farewell My Concubine
This ambitious film depicts the lives of two men and one woman against the backdrop of fifty plus years of modern Chinese history, covering the period from 1924-1977, providing a most effective history lesson by illustrating how the various political upheavals in China were reflected in the private lives of the main characters. It won international accolades despite being twice banned in China itself.
***********************************************************
You may also enjoy my other genre lists for non-English language films:
Ten Excellent Spanish-Language Films
Ten More Excellent Spanish-Language Films
Coming-of-age – Outside the USA!
Top Ten Foreign Language Psychodramas
Top Ten Non-English Language Political Movies
My Top Ten Non-English Language Tragedies
Top Non-English Language Comedies
Top-Ten Non-English Language Film Biographies
Top-Ten Non-English Language Action/Adventure Films
Ten Best Non-English Language War Movies!!
Top-Ten Non-English Language Mystery Films
Top-Ten Non-English Language ~Horror~ Films
Top-Ten English-Language ~Horror~ Films from Outside the USA
Ten Excellent Films Featuring Royalty
Ten Excellent Non-English Language Thrillers
Ten Non-English Language High-Yield Tearjerkers
Ten Excellent Non-English Language Senior Films
Top-Ten Non-English Language Films Featuring Classical Music
The 10 Best Foreign Language Romance Movies!!
The Ten Best Non-English Language Love Story Movies!!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
metalluk
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Saunderstown, RI, USA
Reviews written: 830
Trusted by: 224 members
About Me:
Five ... Four ... Three ... Two ... One ...
Blastoff!
|
|
|
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.