#Epic movies movie

Yuri, a poet and a doctor, experiences defining moments in 20th century Russia. Yevgraf Zhivago tells the story of his half brother, Dr. Zhivago finds him at his most sentimental. Quo Vadis and The Ten Commandments are all fantastic examples of this subgenre.ĭavid Lean is the unquestionable master of the epic film, and Dr. The biblical epic holds a special place in cinema history.

#Epic movies movie

The movie is a remake of the 1925 version, and another remake is due for 2016. George Lucas cites it as his inspiration to create the famous pod-race scene in The Phantom Menace.īen-Hur is pure, enjoyable entertainment. It took five weeks to film, with tour buses visiting the monumental set frequently. The chariot race scene is a classic piece of action cinema. It is a wonder that Ben-Hur remains as one of the most exhilarating films Hollywood every made, as it runs close to four hours.īen-Hur is the tale of a Jewish man seeking revenge against a terrible betrayal. The Last Emperor is a remarkable epic with arresting visuals and an amazing score to accompany them. The film is not the royal tale of an emperor, but the life of a man and the history of a nation.īertolucci was given exclusive permission to film in The Forbidden City, a jaw-dropping palace complex built in 1420. The film jumps back and forth across time, from his childhood on the Chinese Throne to his inevitable abdication, from his imprisonment to his release into a world that has left him behind. This biopic tells the story of Pu-Yi, the last emperor of China. The movie is a visual morsel, and it will make your eyes salivate from the first shot to the last. However, it is in The Last Emperor that they are both at their finest. These include Last Tango in Paris and The Sheltering Sky. The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987)īertolucci collaborated with master cinematographer Vittorio Storaro in many films. Its greatest quality is the intimacy we are allowed to share with the characters.ġ4. Ondaatje’s novel is also highly recommended.Īnthony Minghella’s adaptation is nothing less than a champion for flawless storytelling. They give interesting views on movies and storytelling, and it is a must read for anyone interested in film editing. The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film recounts editor Walter Murch’s conversations with the author of the book, Michael Ondaatje. When it finally settles, we feel as burnt as our title character. The story elegantly leaps in time, sweeping us like sand in a desert storm. From the start, we are bombarded with intriguing character and plot questions, each and every one falling into place as the movie progresses. A nurse looks after a badly burned man, known only as the English patient. So what makes The English Patient earn such high praise? Roger Ebert compares director Anthony Minghella’s visual bravado with that of David Lean. The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)Ĭritics have hailed this film as “the Casablanca of the late 20th Century”. However Homeric their journeys are, they all lead down a long, winding path into our humanity.ġ5. But there is something all of these epics share in common. They transport us from vast desert landscapes to the gaping void of space, from dismal jungles to countries torn apart by the drums of war. These filmmakers had the audacity to dramatize their ideas in majestic splendor. Every frame carries tremendous ambition that translates into piercing emotions for the audience. Their visions are only matched by the jaw-dropping spectacles they exhibit on screen. The greatest epics are movies unparalleled in magnificence. I said yes otherwise I would be someone who had no dream left, and without dreams I would not want to live.”įrom Conquest of the Useless: Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo, by Werner Herzog “But the question that everyone wanted answered was whether I would have the nerve and the strength to start the whole process from scratch.