EPIC GENRE

TAEIM TALLAL
SAQIB HASSAN
ALBAR ZAIDI
ALI SHAHZAIB
INTRODUCTION • Epic films are a style of filmmaking with a large scale,
expansive scope, and performance. This term has been
used in many different ways, sometimes as big-budget
filmmaking. In a classic literary sense, it is concentrated
on a heroic character. An epic's aspiring nature helps it
to set it apart from all other genres of movies.
• Epic historical films are usually made on historical or
mythical events with a touch of extravagant props for
sets and lavish costumes, which are then accompanied
by an expansive musical score and a big cast. Such
factors would make them among the most expensive
films to produce.
• The term "epic" originally came from the poetic genre. Epics are
considered as films made on journeys of heroes upon which the fate of
many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a
historical character or a mythical figure. However, there are some films
described as 'epic' based on the enormous scope and sweeping
panorama of 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. 
• According to many film scholars, "one of the hardest film genres to
define is that of the "epic" film, confining such examples as Ben-Hur,
Gone with the wind, and more recently. 300 and the Star Wars films
which do not count in literary epics per se. They are not that much linked
with one another. Among those who adopt film genre studies, epic is one
of the most detested and ignored genres.
• Although the American Movie Channel formally defines epic fils as
historical films, in spite of everything they state, the epic film may be
combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite Star Wars as an
example. 
• Dramatically, films classed as epics usually employ spectacular settings
and specially designed costumes, on many occasions accompanied by a
sweeping musical score, and an ensemble cast of profitable stars. Epics
are generally considered one of the most expensive films to produce.
They often use on-location filming, original period costumes, and action
scenes on a massive scale.
DAVID LEAN
• Sir David Lean was born in 1908, 25th March. He
was an English film director, producer,
screenwriter, and editor. Widely considered one
of the most influential directors of all time.
• Lean was mainly renowned for his large-scale
epics such as "The bridge on the River Kwai(1957),
"Lawrence of Arabia(1962), "Doctor
Zhivago"(1965), and "A passage to India (1984).
He also directed alterations of Charles Dickens's
novels "Great Expectations(1946) and "Oliver
twist" (1948), and the romantic drama "Brief
Encounter" (1945).
• David Lean has initially been a film
editor in the early 1930's, and Lean
made his directorial debut or first
performance as a director with 1942s
"In Which We Serve," which was the
first collaboration with Noel Coward.
Starting with "Summertime" in 1955,
Lean began to produce internationally
co-produced films which were financed
by the Big Hollywood Studios. 
• In 1970, when he made "Ryan's
Daughter," that turned out to be a
critical failure, which led him to take a
fourteen-year-old break from his career.
• During this tenure,
he planned a
number of projects
which never came
to completion.
However, he had a
career revival in
1984 when he
made "A passage
to India," adopted
from E.M Forster's
novel. It became
an instant hit.
A PASSAGE TO INDIA
• A grand masterpiece, the legendary David Lean, Peggy
Ashcroft, played a significant role, outstanding
screenplay. This movie is another diamond creation,
“Lawrence of Arabia.” This movie is based on the Indian
independence movement and sincere friendship
between Indians and the British. In the film, DR Aziz
symbolically indicates the face of modern educated
Indians. This masterpiece portrays the social norms of
both Indian and British at those time.
• Maurice Jarre composed music. According to Jarre, He
wanted to write music that fits in the cave. And
composed music that raises sexuality. Jarre wrote 4 min
music in two and a half weeks.
• Directed and edited by David Lean
• Release date: 14 December 1984  
• Budget: £17 million or $14.5 million
• Box office: $27.2 million (US)

Awards and Honors 

Academy award
Wins
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Peggy Ashcroft
• Best Original Score: Maurice Jarre

Nominations 
• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Writing, screenplay
• Best cinematography
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
• Due to his knowledge of the native
Bedouin tribes, British
Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence is sent to
Arabia to find Prince Faisal and
serve as a liaison between the Arabs
and the British in their fight against
the Turks. With the aid of native
Sherif Ali, Lawrence rebels against
the orders of his superior officer
and strikes out on a daring camel
journey across the harsh desert to
attack a well-guarded Turkish port.
• Lawrence Of Arabia won 12 Awards & was nominated for ten Oscars at the
35th Academy Awards in 1963, it won seven Oscars, including best picture
& best director.
• The film was made by Horizon Pictures and Columbia Pictures. Principal
photography began on 15 May 1961 and ended on 21 September 1962.
The desert scenes were shot in Jordan and Morocco, as well as Almería
and Doñana in Spain.
• Lawrence Of Arabia was made on the budget of 15 Million USD.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
• To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharaoh, Rameses I,
condemning all newborn Hebrew males, the infant
Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket.
Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is
adopted by her and brought up in the court of her
brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and
the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as
the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew
heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and
makes his way across the desert where he marries,
has a son and is commanded by God to return to
Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt,
Moses' fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses,
but someone near to him who can 'harden his
heart'.
• The movie tells the story of Moses' leader of the Hebrews and prophet of
Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He was thought to have lived in Egypt in or
around the 14th century BC. The movie was released on 5th October 1956
by Paramount studios. It was the highest-grossing film of 1956 and the
second most successful film of the decade. Cecil B. Demille directed it, and
the total budget of the movie was 13 million USD.
• It became Paramount's highest-grossing movie at that time. The Ten
Commandments was filmed on location in Egypt, and it was the last film
directed by Cecil B. DeMille. In 1957 the film was nominated for seven
Academy Awards, including Best Picture-winning the Academy Award for
Best Visual Effects. The movie lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes. If we talk
about the cast, the stars include Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne
Baxter, and so on. The story relates the life of Moses from the time he was
found in the basket by pharaoh's daughter to his hard struggle to free the
Hebrews from the slavery of the Egyptians.