epic drama
Sweeping historical film
Epic drama is theatrical work on a grand scale, typically depicting heroic figures, momentous events, or sweeping historical narratives.
The term also describes a genre of 20th-century theater pioneered by Bertolt Brecht, which rejects emotional immersion in favor of critical distance—using narration, visible stagecraft, and interruption to make audiences think rather than feel: Brecht's epic drama demanded that viewers remain intellectually engaged.
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- heroOne admired for courage
- fatal flawRuinous character defect
- conflictOpposition between parties
- blood feudInherited cycle of retribution
dramatic tension · mythology · catharsis · stagecraft · dialogue · dramaturgy · ancient Greece · allegory · ritual · chorus · oral history · cultural identity · symbolism · narrative arc · rise and fall · tragic flaw · journey · noble sacrifice
- dramasmelodrama
- dramatizationsenactment, reenactment, recreation, stage play, theatrical production
- historical romanceVictorian romance, medieval romance, love stories, romantic plots, gothic romance
- Paul Thomas AndersonBoogie Nights, Daniel Day-Lewis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly
epic dramadomestic drama
Stories of household strife
bottle episode · two-hander · slice of life · vignette · intimate portrait
epic dramalight comedy
Humorous, undemanding entertainment
farce · sitcom · romantic comedy · screwball comedy · drawing room comedy