20th Century FoxWhether it be fought with swords and shields, tanks and machine guns or laser cannons and space ships, the medium of film has given us some truly epic battles across the years. Sometimes we cinephiles dont need the witty dialogue and word-play of directors like Alexander Payne or Robert Linklater instead we want to see explosions, gore and awesome displays of combative skill. Oftentimes these set-pieces see the heroes overcoming the odds either by defending a position against a seemingly irresistible force or launching a kamikaze-style assault almost certain to end in a gruesome death. The audience is left to suffer as we see the tense violence play out on screen. These budget-consuming sequences act as visceral, visually captivating moments in the movie which keep you talking about it long after the final credits roll. Epic battle scenes are generally used either to end the film on a climatic high or to open it in a manner which sets the tone for the remainder of the narrative. We might not get much dialogue in epic battle scenes but they provide an excellent means for a character to prove their mettle and endear themselves to audiences with their valour. There have been many exceptional battle sequences throughout the history of the silver screen and whittling them down to the finest 10 was an arduous task. However, every battle featured on this list is shot so exceptionally and is on such an awe-inspiring scale that it would be a crime to not feature them. Here are the 10 most epic movie battle scenes of all time: