Epic film

In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends.

Common subjects of epics are royalty, gladiators, great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history.

[4] 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.

As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on Lawrence of Arabia:[5] The word epic in recent years has become synonymous with big-budget B picture.

What you realize watching Lawrence of Arabia is that the word epic refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision.

This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Doctor Zhivago (1965).

Epic films continue to be produced, although since the development of CGI they typically use computer effects instead of an actual cast of thousands.

James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic, which is cited as helping to revive the genre, grossed $1.8 billion at cinemas worldwide to become the highest-grossing film—a record it held for twelve years.