Epic Films Offer Escape from World Worries

EPIC FILMS OFFER ESCAPE FROM WORLD WORRIES -- Moviegoers thirsting for epic, holiday blockbusters will not be disappointed this winter as many of the big studios trot out their Oscar contenders, like the final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Russell Crowe's Gladiator-meets-high-seas vehicle Master and Commander, and the Civil War drama Cold Mountain. The glut of epic pictures comes as little surprise to English professor Keith Gumery, who attributes the larger-than-life depictions to the tone of the day. "Since the advent of cinema, audiences have turned to the epic as an escape from the real world," says Gumery, who incorporates film, music and television into his lectures. "Escapism in difficult times has been the key--whether it was Birth of a Nation around WWI or the classic musicals of the Depression era extolling 'We're in the money,' when few actually were. Epics offer us good versus evil, and seeing good triumph in times of national stress makes those who believe that they are on the right side feel empowered and more resolved to stay the course."