The Encyclopedia of Epic Films

This resource contains reviews of every major production considered to be an epic film. Entries consider the characteristics of what makes an epic, including length, structure, spectacular special effects, and themes involving heroic figures and storylines relating episodes essential to the history of a race or nation. Major Hollywood and European productions from the silent era to the present day are covered. Arranged alphabetically by title, each main entry contains a synopsis of the film, principal production information, and a critical analysis.

Constantine Santas is professor emeritus at Flagler College (St. Augustine, Florida), where he initiated a program of film studies that continues today. He is the author of Responding to Film (2002), The Epic in Film (2007), and The Epic Films of David Lean (Scarecrow Press, 2011). James M. Wilson teaches film, American literature, and creative writing at Flagler College. He teaches and writes about film and has published short stories in the Southwestern Review and Prairie Winds, among others. Maria Colavito is associate professor of philosophy/humanities at Florida State College at Jacksonville. She is the author of three books, including The Pythagorean Intertext in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (1989) and The New Theogony: Mythology for the Real World (1992). Djoymi Baker teaches screen studies in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. Her articles have appeared in journals such as Popular Culture Review and Senses of Cinema and in anthologies such as Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier (2010).