What is a Biopic Film?

Have you ever heard the term “biopic film” and wondered silently to yourself, “What is a biopic film?” You’re not alone! Many are confused when they initially hear the term “biopic film” and for good cause. However, a biopic film isn’t all that difficult to understand when you get a basic definition of it. In fact, a biopic is actually a biographical film that tells the story of someone’s life similar to a biography in a book.

So, what is a biopic film and how is a biopic produced?

What is a Biopic Film?

A biopic film is a biography of sorts but it’s a biographical movie that dramatizes the life of an individual that truly exists. For instance, you might have heard the term biographical motion picture?

It’s the same as a biopic film. These films focus on various famous figures from history including politicians, celebrities, and others and deliver non-fiction dramatizations of the lives of the individuals represented by the film.

Essentially, a biopic film is a movie about a person’s life. It can cover an entire lifetime, just a few years, or just certain elements of the individual’s life. So, why not just call it a biography? The main reason these films are called biopics.

Rather than biographies is because a biography covers the person’s life from start to finish whereas a biopic can cover just a certain time period for the purpose of dramatization or it may cover several elements, but it does not have to cover the person’s entire life.

What Qualifies as a Biopic Film?

Many different types of biographical stories could potentially qualify as a biographical film. Most of the time, biopic films will cover the actual life of a non-fiction character or person. They might cover just certain parts of a person’s life or the entire thing.

Generally, a biopic film will require a creative license that allows the filmmaker to create the film based on parts of the individual’s life for dramatic purposes. These films may cover several years of an individual’s life or they could cover just certain moments.

Are Biopics Accurate?

Not always! In fact, it’s basically impossible to produce a 100% accurate biopic film because these films are based on past times and tend to dramatize a situation or situations that took place prior.

Basically, a biopic is reenacting and dramatizing a situation and thus might accentuate certain elements while omitting other details or missing out on some facts. The idea is to create an interesting story, not so much to focus on facts.

Examples of Biopic Films

So, what is a biopic film? It’s essentially a dramatized biography that has the power to fudge the truth for the purpose of producing a more engaging or interesting movie.

Examples of biopic films include: Young Mr. Lincoln, Private Parts, the Jackie Robinson Story, and Spartacus, all of which dramatized different elements of an individual’s life.