A type of movie with great historical sweep, usually focused on some important figure or events. Although often slapshot blends of fact and fiction, the intention of historical epics is to teach as well as entertain. Many famous popular figures have gained either a whitewash or a mudslinging blemish from these films. One of the more prominent and influential of the historical epics of the '80s was Gandhi, and it reflected most of the flaws and flourishes of the genre. Convincingly and glowingly brought to life by Ben Kingsley, Gandhi appears as almost more then a saint in the film, with none of the flaws and self-doubts that the real man was riddled with. Undeniably uplifting and often inspirational, these films rarely carry too tight of a focus. Malcolm X, Patton, and Nixon have all been receivers of varying degrees of revisionism, most of which reflected the political biases of the filmmakers rather than the men themselves. In the earlier years of the cinema, the historical epic was more concerned with ancient times, and the highest budgets were allotted to films about Egyptian kings and queens and films about Roman wars. Lawrence of Arabia established David Lean as the master of the historical epic, using the smallish but fascinating story of T. E. Lawrence as an excuse for breathtaking vistas and thrilling battles.