# Name "epic" movies for me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408 "2003-02-03T02:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/1 "2003-02-03T02:13:17Z")
Having just watched _Sparticus_ in my new big widescreen TV, my friends and I thought it would be a good idea to increase my epic film collection. You know – casts of thousands, panoramic vistas, huge battles, etc. We came up with a fairly small list of titles, and I’d like to have more choices. So far we’ve identified: \*Apocalypse Now Ben Hur Braveheart A Bridge Too Far Cleopatra Lawrence of Arabia The Longest Day Patton Ran Saving Private Ryan Sparticus The Ten Commandments Von Ryan’s Express \* There must be more. Please help out. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/2 "2003-02-03T02:27:43Z")
May I suggest: _Bridge on the River Kwai_ _Dr. Zhivago_ _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ _2001: A Space Odyssey_ _The Big Country_ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/3 "2003-02-03T02:29:25Z")
Ooh, now there’s a great start! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/4 "2003-02-03T02:40:48Z")
Depends what your definition of an “epic” is, but I can recommend some silents: The Big Parade (1925) Ben-Hur (1926) Intolerance (1916) The Ten Commandments (1923) Hearts of the World (1918) All of them easily findable at (better) video stores ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/5 "2003-02-03T02:48:46Z")
The Seven Samurai ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/6 "2003-02-03T02:50:57Z")
The one that popped into my head as soon as I saw the thread title: _Gone With the Wind_ I’d also recommend _Gandhi_ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/7 "2003-02-03T02:52:45Z")
Eve, mentioning silents made me think of Eisenstein. I’ve seen _The Battleship Potemkin_. Isn’t there another one about a Middle Ages war with Germany (or Prussia, or whatever the hell Germany was back then)? Oddly, as you were responding to my thread, I was responding to yours. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/8 "2003-02-03T03:04:01Z")
I’m suprised that nobody has mentioned \*Godfather \* Trilogy ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/9 "2003-02-03T03:06:25Z")
_Tora Tora Tora!_ _The Lord of the Rings_ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/10 "2003-02-03T03:07:36Z")
I thought of the Godfathers, since I have them. But they’re not quite what I’m looking for. They are more sociological rather than cinematic epics. Obviously they are also beautifully shot, but shot more intimately and in closeup than what I’m after. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/11 "2003-02-03T04:37:10Z")
Would “The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly” count? ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/12 "2003-02-03T04:39:28Z")
Fiddler on the Roof ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/13 "2003-02-03T04:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Eve, mentioning silents made me think of Eisenstein. > > … > > Isn’t there another one about a Middle Ages war with Germany (or Prussia, or whatever the hell Germany was back then)? [Aleksandr Nevsky.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0029850) ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/14 "2003-02-03T04:49:38Z")
The Star Wars series, although you may want to wait for the DVDs of the originals. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/15 "2003-02-03T05:44:16Z")
_Gladiator_ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/16 "2003-02-03T05:59:20Z")
AMISTAD SCHINDLER’S LIST DEEP IMPACT Are you limited to theatrical movies? There are a few “cast of thousands” TV films: WINDS OF WAR WAR AND REMEMBRANCE (it’s sequel; the two together cost more than 100 million 1980s ) BAND OF BROTHERS (probably the best WW2 cinematic effort I’ve ever seen and one that would work great on the “little big screen”, which reminds me- LITTLE BIG MAN THE ALAMO THE SEARCHERS HOW THE WEST WAS WON ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/17 "2003-02-03T06:29:15Z")
_Das Boot_ is one of my all-time favorites… the Director’s Cut DVD has a full hour of extra footage! A bit on the lighter side, _O Brother Where Art Thou_ is another winner. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/18 "2003-02-03T06:44:04Z")
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned The Patriot. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/19 "2003-02-03T06:52:51Z")
From the 1950’s _Strategic Air Command Battle of the River Plate The Searchers War and Peace North by Northwest One-Eyed Jacks_ although not all epics look great due to Paramount’s VistaVision process. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408/20 "2003-02-04T01:00:32Z")
Epic, to me, implies a cast of thousands, some combination of war and adventure, and length. Fiddler on the Roof? Straight out. Shaving Ryan’s Privates? Not after the first 25 minutes, after which it becomes an entirely conventional one-of-every-ethnicity small group film. (Coincidentally, those first 25 minutes are the only ones worth watching; Spielberg has _lousy_ taste in writing.) Come to think of it, I haven’t seen a number of epics because the writing comes with such bad notices - _Titanic_ and _Pearl Harbor_ come to mind. In so many cases it seems the enormous, lovingly produced visuals are supposed to distract you from the horrendous dialogue. My only addition that I’ve actually seen: _Ran_, by Kurosawa, with some of the most beautifully intense battle scenes ever filmed. Actually, the problem with bad, sentimentalized writing in epics seems pretty common: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-epic-movies-for-me/152408.md?page=2)