The term "epic" originally came from the poetic genre exemplified by such works as the
Epic of Gilgamesh and the works of the
Trojan War Cycle. In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a historical character, or a
mythic heroic figure. Common subjects of epics are
royalty,
gladiators, great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history. However, there are some films described as "epic" almost solely on the basis of their enormous scope and the sweeping panorama of their settings, such as
How the West Was Won or
East of Eden, that do not have the typical substance of classical epics but are directed in an epic style. When described as "epic" because of content, an epic movie is often set during a time of war or other societal crisis, while usually covering a longer span of time sometimes throughout entire generations coming and passing away, in terms of both the events depicted and the running time of the film. Such films usually have a historical setting, although
speculative fiction (i.e.
fantasy or
science fiction) settings have become common in recent decades. The central conflict of the film is usually seen as having far-reaching effects, often changing the course of history. The main characters' actions are often central to the resolution of the societal conflict. In its classification of films by genre, the
American Film Institute limits the genre to historical films such as
Ben-Hur. However, film scholars such as Constantine Santas are willing to extend the label to science-fiction films such as
2001: A Space Odyssey and
Star Wars. Lynn Ramey suggests that "Surely one of the hardest film genres to define is that of the "epic" film, encompassing such examples as
Ben-Hur,
Gone with the Wind and more recently,
300 and the
Star Wars films [...] none of these comes from literary epics
per se, and there is little that links them with one another. Among those who espouse film genre studies, epic is one of the most despised and ignored genres". Finally, although the
American Movie Channel formally defines epic films as historical films, they nonetheless state the epic film may be combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite
Star Wars as an example. Stylistically, films classed as epic usually employ spectacular settings and specially designed costumes, often accompanied by a sweeping musical score, and an
ensemble cast of
bankable stars. Epics are usually among the most expensive of films to produce. They often use on-location filming, authentic period
costumes, and action scenes on a massive scale.
Biographical films may be less lavish versions of this genre. They often have a
Roadshow theatrical release and are often shot on
70 mm film. Many writers may refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, making the definition epic a matter of dispute, and raise questions as to whether it is a "genre" at all. As
Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on
Lawrence of Arabia: ==History==