200 minutes is usually the mark at which the “longest” movies begin to end up on lists. While there are many of these if we include all experimental films and the like. We will cut down our options by focusing on Hollywood movies in particular. Some actors really enjoy epically long projects (Charlton Heston and Elizabeth Taylor being two of them).
Charlton Heston starred in two films over three hours in length, The Ten Commandments, and Ben Hur, both clocking in at about 3 hours and 40 minutes. Elizabeth Taylor starred in both Giant, and Cleopatra (which is over 4 hours long). So, if you have a lot of time on your hands here are a few movies you might want a try, and a handful to avoid.
Best – Gone with the Wind
While in hindsight Gone with the Wind has a problematic storyline and some unfortunate depictions of slavery in the Confederate-era South, it’s an epic technicolor journey and is still very watchable, even at over three hours long.
It’s worth a look just for its quotable lines, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” and the scene of wounded soldiers that asked for so many extras that over had to be placed instead because there were not enough actors in the union.
Worst – Hamlet
Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 screen version of Hamlet is known from English classrooms all across the world. It certainly offers a very loyal depiction of the Shakespeare drama, though its loyalty also makes it a little bit dry to sit through.
It certainly doesn’t help that Branagh (as talented as he is) took on the part of Hamlet himself. So, instead of watching a young prince mourn his father and seek revenge we watch Branagh, nearing 40 years old, take on the part instead.
Best – Lawrence of Arabia
David Lean was a director who made more than one film stretching over three hours in length and there is a reason it was allowed because he knew what he was doing. Not only were his characters, like T.E. Lawrence (portrayed by Peter O’Toole) larger than life but his settings, like the Arabian desert, were as well.
If you’re going to watch anything for almost half a workday it should be beautiful, and Lean’s panning shots of the desert certainly are. With a grand setting, it makes sense for a films run time to be grand as well.
Worst – Nixon
Oliver Stone’s 1995 biographical film on President Richard Nixon was very well-reviewed. It had a heck of a cast led by Anthony Hopkins as the former President himself.
But, unlike David Lean, Stone didn’t exactly pick an epic story to tell over an epically long period of time. There was really no reason that the film had been stretched to over three hours, despite great performances.
Best – The Right Stuff
Unlike Nixon, The Right Stuff does take history on an epic scale and offer it a run time to match. Following the entirety of the Mercury program at NASA, the film faithfully depicts the history of space flight from Check Yeager’s breaking the sound barrier to Gordo Cooper’s becoming the first man to sleep in outer space.
Focusing not only on the agency’s successes and failures but the relationships of the seven men who would lead the American program to the stars, there’s enough to keep everyone glued to the screen the entire time.
Worst – Cleopatra
The sets are beautiful and so is star Elizabeth Taylor, but Cleopatra was and is a long film. Despite the story of the Queen of Egypt and her Roman suitors, the four hour run time was such a struggle for some that a three-hour version of the movie was also released.
When there are two extra-long versions of the same movie it certainly raises some questions about the original production decisions. It’s quite a look at classic Hollywood’s overindulgence when it came to certain stars and sets, which is fun to look at, but maybe not for that long.
Best – The Godfather Part II
As The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II is the best film in a strong trilogy and also happens to fall in the middle. A look back at the rise of Don Corleone alongside the rise of his youngest son, Michael, the way the film is put together is genius. Despite being over three hours long, viewers never feel it, and that’s part of the magic.
It’s longer than the original movie Godfather movie by almost a half an hour, but that extra time is both well deserved and well used.
Worst – The Irishman
Despite its many Golden Globe nominations, The Irishman is not only long but feels long when you watch it. And that’s the trick with movies over three hours, if you can feel it, you know something is wrong. Sort of like a mashup of Martin Scorcese’s greatest hits The Irishman fails to stand out or stand on its own when compared to the master’s other mob works.
While it’s interesting to see de-aging technology it makes more sense to just watch Goodfellas again to see a young De Niro.
Best – Return of the King
The last of the Lord of the Rings movies won an Oscar for Best Picture for a reason. There were more battles and more special effects than the first two movies combined (at least that’s how it felt) and it certainly needed time to tie up all its loose plot threads.
In this day and age, you have to respect a movie that takes a little extra time to finish its saga storytelling while not splitting the last chapter into two separate films just to squeeze out some extra cash from fans at the box office. Long live the king.
Worst – Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor does a decent job of offering up both human stories and giant action set pieces, but when you can’t believe the characters whether they’re talking to one another or shooting at incoming Japanese airplanes, you know there’s a problem.
Like many films that would follow in its footsteps, a well-known story and special effects are not enough to gain an audience’s love. When watching anything for three hours a person wants to be drawn in, not held hostage.
