Epic !

While this ``study of themes and variations, with history . . . as the theme''sic sounds promising, and the 250 black-and-white and color photos recall the genre's grand scope, Searles's ( Films of Science Fiction and Fantasy ) breezy text suggests neither a devotion to time past nor a critical eye for the movies. Shallow synopses--``France in the late eighteeenth century was in a bad way''; the American colonies are dubbed ``thirteen ministates''--reduce the past to cocktail chatter, while film analysis is often limited to the charms of an actress (Jean Simmons is cited five times), lavish costumes and worn encomiums (`` The Captain of Castile is deservedly a classic''). Epic westerns and space epics ( Heaven's Gate , Star Wars ) are for the most part excluded; the author's discussion of Lawrence of Arabia goes no further than to note that the film is ``long for the limited attention span of modern audiences.'' Too arch for true fans, too skimpy for students, this glib pastiche misses both of its potential audiences. (Dec.)