20 truly epic historical epics every film fan should watch at least once

It's historical, and dang, is it epic. The story of a diplomat turned warlord in the shimmering sands of the scorching desert, Lawrence of Arabia is probably the first movie that comes to mind when you think of "historical epic." The scale is massive, the direction from David Lean is poetic, and somehow, the story of Lawrence's doomed quest for power is human. It's a canvas worthy of a Renaissance battle painting and a story dense enough to fill two Don Quixotes--it's Lawrence of Arabia, and it's magnificent.

A slave fights for his freedom in the bloody ring of gladiators. Sound familiar? It's like Gladiator but with a giant butt chin. Kirk Douglas and his giant chin start a rebellion in ancient Rome that leads to scenes of tremendous action, humanism, and direction from Stanley Kubrick, who himself had to fight for creative freedom on set.

Are you not entertained? Russell Crowe gets revenge on those who killed his family in the ring of gladiators. It's one of Ridley Scott's last truly great films. 

Arguably, the greatest historical epic ever made is about a Russian who painted churches. That doesn't sound very epic. In the hands of Andrei Tarkovsky, the story is just a primer for a dazzling canvas of almost impossibly poetic images. A story about faith, art and ancient Russian feuds, Andrei Rublev looks like a painting come to life.

Gritty, visceral, violent realism explodes on screen in The Battle of Algiers. The movie throws you into the gorilla warfare of civilians fighting for their freedom against a fascist regime. As these people plant bombs in public places, hide amidst the dusty shadows and rubble of a once great city, you feel as if you're watching a documentary--the images are that realistic.

Federico Fellini tells the story of his childhood in Italy. If you know anything about Fellini, then you can expect him to bend the truth with colorful breezes of surrealism. The characters of his hometown are hilarious oddities, the setting itself is almost impossibly beautiful and yet somehow the endlessly circulating circus strikes a resoundingly human chord. 

The horror, the horror. The horror of war has never been more trippy than in Apocalypse Now . Francis Ford Coppola's journey through the Vietnam War not only takes us through the jungles of Vietnam but also through the tangled forests of the soldiers' minds. These soldiers are lost, dazed and a little more than confused, but you're constantly invested in where these movie characters wander next.

A classic swords and sandals epic about a slave who claws his way up the ranks of society. Ben Hur is a cinematic epic that set the tone for future movies like Gladiator and Spartacus.

Daniel Day-Lewis drinks your milkshake and the entire scenery in There Will Be Blood . A historical epic about a man who loses his mind mining for oil, this movie might just be Paul Thomas Anderson's greatest film. 

There was more room on that door, just saying. The irritable Kate Winslet character is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with Titanic, but hey, the period details are incredible, DiCaprio's performance is indelibly entertaining, and the production design is truly impressive. Titanic is a flawed yet historically interesting film.

There are medieval movies packed with action, bloodshed, and battle sequences, and then there are medieval movies that use that backdrop for emotional warfare. Movies like Sansho the Bailiff, which follows a family torn apart in feudal Japan and their lifelong journey to reunite. It's one of the most emotionally moving movies ever made--a beautiful, haunting and eventually indescribably rewarding movie about motherly love. 

The greatest Jane Austen adaptation ever, with apologies to Clueless. It is one that simply cannot be matched in terms of the heartwrenching performance from Emma Thompson and the lush direction from Ang Lee. The story of sisters looking for love in sumptuous costumes. This movie gives me the feels on every occasion I see it.

When it comes to war epics, there's a tendency to emphasize action over emotion. Many of the most talked-about historical epics are packed with grand battles and zero emotional stakes, which is why Peter Weir's war movie stands out. Frozen in my memory like a freeze frame, the story of best friends sent to war ends on a riveting battle sequence but the gorgeously shot and emotionally charged early sequences are what stick with me. 

This is like a Reddit conspiracy thread come to life--the assassination of JFK becomes a deep state conspiracy in the hands of Oliver Stone, who plays with our collective fear of the government like silly putty. It's an overly long and messy film, but the paranoia strikes a chord.

A historical epic doesn't have to be based on fact to get at the truth of an era.  A much darker take on 18th-century romance than Jane Austen, whose portraits of 18th-century bourgeoise pettiness merely scratched the surface of disturbing class indifference, Barry Lyndon is a much more depressing telling of a similar story. As Barry Lyndon infiltrates the ranks of high society, he finds himself lost in a cavernous pit of despair. As directed by Kubrick, this film is bleak, beautiful, and bullet-ridden with despair.

The hills and everything else are alive in this glorious historical epic. Bolstered by Julie Andrews, who may be cinema's greatest babysitter, and some great production and cinematography, The Sound of Music remains a triumphant ballad for optimism amidst war.

This movie's for all you dads out there. It might as well be a precursor to fatherhood that you are going to become a Braveheart fan--it's a staple of dad watchlists everywhere. The story of a man who rebels against the soldiers who killed his wife, Braveheart is a film packed with action, battle scenes, and even boasts a little bit of heart as well.

Before there was Top Gun, there was The Right Stuff--an ode to the pilots who made our first venture to space plausible. Orbiting around humor, action, camaraderie, and in some cases, humanity, this movie is an absolute treat to watch.

This isn't what you think of when you think of "historical epic," but the main course of this Julia Childs biopic is a savory period piece with ample servings of humor, texture, and Meryl Streep. Oh yeah, that Meryl Streep. The actress has perhaps never been better than as a chef in 20th-century Paris. 

You read that right. This is an animated historical epic. Following two sisters in the countryside as they cope with their mother's cancer diagnosis, the film comes to life in poetically beautiful images, imaginatively designed creatures and a setting that is epic in scope and intimate in emotion--an excellent film that anyone can enjoy.