A film genre born in Italian cinema during the silent era and then became largely part of Hollywood. Historical epics are usually set in ancient times and they are large-scale films which use high technology, high production values and emphasize visual spectacle, especially based on large-scale battle scenes and action set-pieces.
Published in Chapter:
Historical Epic as a Genre in Popular Turkish Cinema
Ala Sivas Gulcur (Istanbul Commerce University, Turkey)
Copyright: © 2014
|Pages: 14
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6190-5.ch015
Abstract
Cinema, born as a part of entertainment industry, became an independent industry in the first half of 20th century. The film genre, which had a notable role in the industrialization of cinema, is not only a cinematic fact but also a social case including several economic, cultural, and ideological tools. The historical epic, which is one of the major film genres, emerged with the medium itself. Despite its Italian origins, the historical epic has remained largely American because of Hollywood's financial and technological possibilities. As the spectacular nature of this genre has been more visible than historical realities, these films have become notable parts of the entertainment industry. This chapter examines the historical epic as a film genre in popular Turkish cinema and its place in Turkey's entertainment culture and industry, particularly observing its prototype, The Conquest of Constantinople (1951), then evaluating its advanced example, Conquest 1453 (2012).