Lawrence of Arabia is the best epic movie of all time: its sweeping scale serves a sharply focused story rather than overwhelming it. This is an editorial ranking, not a worldwide consensus. “Epic” has no universal boundary; here it means a feature film whose large-scale story, setting or historical reach makes scope central to the experience. The list includes films from different countries and eras, and ranks them for the force of their storytelling as well as their scale.
How this ranking defines an epic
The American Film Institute defines an epic, for its own genre list, as “a genre of large-scale films set in a cinematic interpretation of the past.” It adds that an epic’s scope “defies and demands—either in the mode in which they are presented or their range across time.” That is a useful starting point, not a universal rule: epics can also draw on legend, fantasy or imagined history.
AFI’s 10 Top 10 was a 2008 project about classic American film genres, not a current worldwide survey. Its eligibility rules called for feature-length fiction films with significant US creative or production elements, released before January 1, 2008. AFI ranked Lawrence of Arabia first in its Epic category. Its jury received a ballot of 500 nominated movies—50 for each genre—and included more than 1,500 creative-community leaders. AFI says its criteria included critical recognition, awards, popularity over time, historical significance and cultural impact. AFI’s 10 Top 10: rules, process and Epic list.
This ranking uses those considerations as a guide, while widening the scope beyond AFI’s American-film eligibility. It weighs ambition, craft, emotional and historical resonance, and how convincingly a film makes its scale matter. The order is an editorial judgment; it should not be read as a definitive measure of cinematic greatness.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- OFFICIALLY LICENSED BY IMDb - Based on millions of IMDb user ratings and the only top 100 movies scratch off poster licensed by IMDb - The most official and complete movie list of all time!
- WORK OF ART - Friends and family will appreciate the professional illustration and detail that went into all 100 original "mini movie poster" designs. Perfect gift for movie lovers!
- SUPERIOR QUALITY - With the high level of satisfied custumers, you can trust us to provide the best possible print quality and scratch-off experience. A great addition to your movie room accessories!
- INVESTING IN LOCAL QUALITY: We designed this poster in Madison, WI and printed it down the highway Vernon Hills, Illinois with one of the best scratch-off printers in the USA.
- STANDARD A2 POSTER SIZE - (16.5"x23.4") - Fits standard frame sizes. Frame the poster once all the movies are scratched-off and add it to your home movie theater room decor.
The 35 best epic movies, ranked
-
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
David Lean’s film makes vast desert landscapes part of its drama, but its lasting power comes from the contradictions of T. E. Lawrence: idealism, ambition and the limits of an outsider’s understanding. AFI’s number-one Epic pick is also the clearest case for scale serving character.
-
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The trilogy’s concluding chapter pays off a sprawling struggle with intimate attention to loyalty, exhaustion and sacrifice. Its battles feel consequential because the film keeps returning to the people carrying the cost.
-
Seven Samurai (1954)
Akira Kurosawa builds a village’s defense into a vivid study of cooperation, class and courage. The film’s scale comes not just from action but from the time it gives its ensemble to become a community.
-
Ben-Hur (1959)
A vast historical spectacle anchored by a personal story of betrayal, endurance and revenge. Its set pieces are famous, yet its strongest moments come from the moral and emotional stakes behind them.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSpecial offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Schindler’s List (1993)
Steven Spielberg confronts the Holocaust through a story centered on choices made amid a system of mass persecution. Its scale is historical, but its focus on individual lives resists reducing that history to spectacle.
-
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola expands the Corleone story across generations and locations, using parallel timelines to show how power is inherited and corrupted. It is an epic of family and institutions rather than armies.
-
Ran (1985)
Kurosawa reimagines a ruler’s downfall as a grand tragedy of ambition and fractured loyalties. Color, landscape and battle are composed with extraordinary clarity, while the human consequences remain central.
Rank #2
Trends International Star Wars IV One sheet Collector's Edition Wall Poster 24" x 36" for Bedroom- THIS TRENDS 24X36 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE - ONE SHEET WALL POSTER uses high-resolution artwork and is printed on premium FSC-Certified Gloss Poster Paper
- HIGH QUALITY ART PRINT is ready-to-frame or can be hung on the wall using poster mounts, clips, push pins, or thumb tacks
- OFFICIALLY LICENSED wall poster
- PERFECT SIZE for any room; poster is 24" x 36"
- EASILY DECORATE any space to create the perfect decor for a party, bedroom, bathroom, kids room, living room, office, dorm, and more
-
Spartacus (1960)
Stanley Kubrick’s historical drama turns a rebellion against Rome into a story about dignity under domination. Its crowds and conflict are impressive, but its core is the question of what freedom costs.
Recommended Free Tools
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Gone with the Wind (1939)
This landmark Hollywood production follows its characters through the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Its scale and cultural significance are undeniable, though its romanticized portrayal of the antebellum South and its racist worldview demand critical viewing.
-
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Andrei Tarkovsky’s portrait of a medieval icon painter is a searching, episodic epic about art, faith and violence. Its contemplative pace makes history feel lived rather than merely staged.
-
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Cecil B. DeMille transforms the biblical story of Moses into a monumental popular spectacle. The film’s theatrical scale and clear moral conflict make it a defining example of the Hollywood biblical epic.
-
War and Peace (1966–67)
Sergei Bondarchuk’s adaptation gives Tolstoy’s novel room for both private emotion and the upheaval of war. Its enormous canvas is most effective when it moves between the lives of individuals and forces larger than they are.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppola turns a military mission into a feverish journey through the moral disorientation of the Vietnam War. Its epic reach is psychological as much as geographic.
-
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone traces friendship, crime and regret across decades. Its patient structure and shifting memories make the passage of time itself the film’s grandest subject.
Rank #3
80's Favorite Movies - Back To The Future - Movie Poster (Regular Style) (Size: 24" x 36")- 80's Favorite Movies - Back To The Future - Movie Poster (Regular Style) - Unframed
- Regular Style
- Release Year: 1985
- LARGE 24" x 36" WALL SIZE UNFRAMED POSTER: Eye-catching design fills your wall with inspiration and color. Perfect for creating a bold visual centerpiece on any wall
- VIBRANT, HIGH-RESOLUTION PRINT: Printed on high-quality paper with bold colors and sharp detail that pop in any lighting - creating a professional, premium look.
-
Lawrence of Arabia’s contemporary counterpoint: The Last Emperor (1987)
Bernardo Bertolucci follows Puyi’s life from imperial childhood through political transformation. The intimate portrait gains force from the scale of the institutions and historical changes surrounding him.
-
Ran’s fellow Shakespearean tragedy: Hamlet (1996)
Kenneth Branagh’s full-text adaptation embraces theatrical length and royal-scale intrigue. It earns its place through a sustained commitment to the play’s language, family conflict and political uncertainty.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Stanley Kubrick’s tale of social ascent and decline is an epic in miniature: a life shaped by class, chance and self-deception. Its measured pace and painterly compositions turn every gain into a reminder of impermanence.
-
Gandhi (1982)
Richard Attenborough’s biographical film takes on a life intertwined with the struggle for Indian independence. Its broad historical sweep is most compelling when it connects political change to disciplined, personal conviction.
-
Spirited Away (2001)
Hayao Miyazaki makes a young girl’s passage through a spirit world feel as consequential as a journey across a kingdom. Its imaginative scale is matched by a carefully observed story of work, courage and growing up.
-
Intolerance (1916)
D. W. Griffith interweaves stories from different eras to make a silent-era argument about cruelty and social conflict. Its formal ambition helped establish how cinema could move across time on a monumental canvas.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
David Lean sets an intimate love story against revolution and civil war. The film’s wintry grandeur works best as a contrast to the fragility of the lives caught in upheaval.
Rank #4
Trends International 24X36 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - One Sheet Wall Poster, 24.00" x 36.00", Unframed Version- THIS TRENDS 24X36 STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH - ONE SHEET uses high-resolution artwork and is printed on premium FSC-Certified Gloss Poster Paper
- HIGH QUALITY ART PRINT is ready-to-frame or can be hung on the wall using poster mounts, clips, push pins, or thumb tacks
- OFFICIALLY LICENSED wall poster
- PERFECT SIZE for any room; poster is 24" x 36"
- EASILY DECORATE any space to create the perfect decor for a party, bedroom, bathroom, kids room, living room, office, dorm, and more
-
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Steven Spielberg frames a wartime mission around the burden of risking lives to save one. Its scale is grounded in the physical danger and moral uncertainty faced by ordinary soldiers.
-
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Sergio Leone’s western uses a sprawling Civil War setting for a sharp, shifting contest among three characters. Its grand scale and stylized suspense make it an epic with a distinctly playful streak.
-
Red Cliff (2008)
John Woo’s historical war film turns a major conflict into a story of strategy, alliances and spectacle. Its battles matter because the film gives the opposing forces distinct personalities and aims.
Recommended: Fix Windows Errors and Clear Junk Files in Minutes - Free Scan →Recommended: Crashes or Glitches? A Free Driver Scan Usually Finds the Culprit →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
Michael Cimino’s western follows a range war shaped by class and migration. Its deliberate pacing and immense physical detail make it an unusually expansive, contested vision of the American West.
-
Samson and Delilah (1949)
Cecil B. DeMille’s biblical romance is built around desire, betrayal and legendary strength. It represents the studio-era appetite for stories whose settings and stakes exceed ordinary life.
-
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Werner Herzog’s film follows an obsessive plan to bring opera to the Amazon. Its ambition is inseparable from its portrait of obsession, making the expedition’s scale part of the character study.
-
Throne of Blood (1957)
Kurosawa relocates the tragedy of Macbeth to a stark, feudal world. Its disciplined visual storytelling gives a familiar tale of ambition the weight and atmosphere of legend.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Best Value
Jurassic Park - Movie Poster (Regular Style) (Size 24 x 36")- Jurassic Park - Movie Poster (Regular Style) - Unframed
- Regular Style / Key Art
- LARGE 24" x 36" WALL SIZE UNFRAMED POSTER: Eye-catching design fills your wall with inspiration and color. Perfect for creating a bold visual centerpiece on any wall
- VIBRANT, HIGH-RESOLUTION PRINT: Printed on high-quality paper with bold colors and sharp detail that pop in any lighting - creating a professional, premium look.
- READY TO HANG OR FRAME: Fits standard 24" x 36" frames, making display quick and easy.
-
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott revived the popular historical action epic with a story of betrayal, survival and political power in ancient Rome. Its crowd-pleasing momentum is balanced by a clear personal motive for its hero.
-
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Leone turns the arrival of the railroad into a broad western about power, land and the end of an era. Its patient scenes and sharply drawn figures reward viewers who enjoy atmosphere as much as action.
-
Red River (1948)
Howard Hawks makes a cattle drive feel like a test of leadership and loyalty. Its journey across difficult terrain gives a compact human conflict an epic western frame.
-
The New World (2005)
Terrence Malick approaches early colonial Virginia through impressionistic images and competing perspectives. Its lyrical style invites attention to landscape and encounter rather than a conventional march through historical events.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallSpecial offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Yellow Earth (1984)
Chen Kaige’s restrained drama uses a rural setting and a young soldier’s visit to explore tradition, change and constraint. Its epic quality lies in the historical forces pressing on ordinary lives, not in spectacle.
-
Queen Margot (1994)
Patrice Chéreau’s historical drama plunges into court politics, religious conflict and family danger in France. Its crowded world gives personal loyalties the tension of national stakes.
-
Joyeux Noël (2005)
This World War I drama focuses on a Christmas truce between soldiers on opposing sides. Rather than treating war as a sequence of grand victories, it finds epic meaning in a brief human interruption of violence.
Why other “greatest film” rankings look different
A genre list and an all-cinema poll answer different questions. AFI’s 2008 Epic category was limited to eligible American films and selected by a jury using stated criteria. The British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound critics’ poll, by contrast, invited voters to submit their own top-ten lists and left “greatest” open to interpretations such as historical importance, aesthetic achievement or personal impact. Its 2012 critics’ poll gathered 846 lists mentioning 2,045 different films. It does not directly rank the epic genre. BFI: How we made the Greatest Films of All Time poll.
Different eligibility rules, voter groups and definitions can produce different orders without either list being mistaken. AFI is a useful institutional reference for the American epic tradition; it is not an endorsement of this 35-film ranking or a global verdict.
Quick Recap
Where to start
- For a definitive desert-scale historical drama: start with Lawrence of Arabia.
- For a long-form fantasy journey: choose The Return of the King.
- For an ensemble and tactical battles: try Seven Samurai.
- For historical tragedy with a personal center: choose Schindler’s List or Ran.
- For an epic that is more reflective than action-driven: try Andrei Rublev or Barry Lyndon.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
