20 long movies that are worth their runtimes

It took Hollywood several years to finally begin engaging with the Holocaust, and one of the most important of these early films is Judgment at Nuremberg. Focused on the Nuremberg Trials, which meted out justice to Nazis for their war crimes, the film still packs a potent emotional punch. This is due to Stanley Kramer’s direction and the soaring performances given by the likes of Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, and Judy Garland. It is, moreover, a reflection of a world still reeling from World War II and the revelations of the horrors unleashed by the Nazi regime.

Based on the novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago is an epic film in every sense of the word. As with David Lean’s earlier film Lawrence of Arabia, this takes place during a pivotal period of history, in this case the Russian Revolution, with Omar Sharif portraying the title character. In this film, history and politics are intertwined with the romantic, as Zhivago pursues a relationship with Lara Antipova. This is epic filmmaking at its classic Hollywood best, with beautiful visuals, sweeping love, and the end of one age and the beginning of another.

Giant  was truly a meeting of great talents. In addition to starring heavy-hitting stars like Rock Huson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean, it was directed by Hollywood veteran George Stevens. A sprawling epic melodrama, it focuses on Hudson’s Bick and Taylor’s Leslie as they meet and forge a life together, all while Dean’s Jett Rink yearns for Leslie’s love, which he can never have. It’s one of those stories that Hollywood of the 1950s excelled at telling, with stunning camerawork and a potently emotional story.

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is not just one of the director’s most ambitious projects; it’s also one of the best and most influential science fiction films ever made. Based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke, it’s one of those films which asks some big questions about humanity, its place in the universe, and the nature of consciousness itself. In addition to its philosophical weightiness, it is a remarkably beautiful film, a testament to Kubrick’s vision as a filmmaker and a cinematic artist.

The Last Emperor, as its title suggests, focuses on the life and reign of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It’s one of those films that is sprawling in its scope yet deeply resonant in its emotional impact, and it gives the viewer remarkable insight into the man himself and his time in power. John Lone is particularly impressive in his performance of the unfortunate emperor, who spent so much of his life being a pawn in the hands of others, denied the power that, by birth at least, should have been his.

Braveheart may have a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most egregiously historically inaccurate movies, but there’s no denying that it has a great deal of emotional heft. Starring Mel Gibson as the noted Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace, it follows him as he launches a deadly and effective rebellion against England’s King Edward I. The film is epic in every sense of the term, with a searing and soaring performance by Mel Gibson as Wallace. It’s thus no wonder that it was critically praised and even managed to win several Oscars, including Best Picture.

Seven Samurai has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most influential films ever made, and its story about a village that hires samurai to defend them is one punctuated by violence and heightened dramatic stakes. Director Akira Kurosawa solidified his reputation as one of the great directors with this film, and it has been imitated many times but never really exceeded or matched. It’s a film that is as beautiful as it is violent, and it has gone on to have a remarkable influence on the history of cinema, both in Japan and abroad.

Having achieved remarkable critical and commercial success with The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson went in a new direction with a remake of the classic film King Kong. His version follows many of the same story beats as the prior two iterations, but it is also grander and larger in scale in almost every way, including its runtime. Even so, he never loses sight of the emotional stakes of his story, and the film also features another remarkable motion capture performance from Andy Serkis as Kong.

Francis Ford Coppola is one of the truly great directors, and in some ways The Godfather  is his magnum opus. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, it focuses in particular on the various members of the Corleone crime family, including Marlon Brando’s Vito and Al Pacino’s Michael. This is a sprawling human drama that retains its power because of Coppola’s inspired direction and the performances of its uniformly talented cast, and it is one of the very few films which maintains its popularity and critical esteem.

Though Stephen King’s books have had a very inconsistent record when it comes to their big-screen adaptations. One notable exception to this is The Green Mile,  which is a moving, poignant, and haunting adaptation of the novel of the same name. With stirring performances by the likes of Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan, it more than earns its length, which runs to just over three hours. It highlights the brutal reality of life in prison and the enduring power and strength of the human spirit. 

The 1950s and 1960s were a golden age for epic films set in the ancient world, and one of the finest examples of the genre is Spartacus. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, it focuses on Kirk Douglas’ Spartacus, an enslaved person who leads a mighty revolt against the corrupt and oppressive Roman Republic. It’s one of Douglas’ most intense performances, as he brings a steely but vulnerable mien to one of the ancient world’s most famous leaders. The slave revolt might be doomed, but the viewer desperately wishes that it were otherwise and the spirit of freedom wouldn’t be quenched.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sprawling edifice of interconnected storytelling, but in many ways, Endgame  is the apex of its storytelling. Running nearly three hours, it focuses on the Avengers and their efforts to defeat Thanos and undo his genocide of half of the universe. This is epic cinematic storytelling as it should be done, with genuine stakes and career-best performances from Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Pratt. While not everyone makes it out alive, there’s no denying this is the best that the MCU has ever been and is likely to be.

Martin Scorsese has long had an interest in American history and its traumas. In Killers of the Flower Moon, he draws attention to the ways that white institutions and individuals have consistently failed Indigenous people, particularly women. This is a haunting and powerful film, one that is a scathing indictment of American injustice. Moreover, it features several searing performances, particularly from Lily Gladstone, who portrays Mollie Burkhart, who in some ways is the very definition of a survivor.

In some ways, Lawrence of Arabia is the very definition of epic. Based on T.E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom, it focuses on the title character as he becomes ever more involved in the independence movement among the Arab tribes. This is without doubt one of Peter O’Toole’s most well-recognized and highly-praised roles, and he brings a piercing potency to the role of Lawrence. As with so many other epic films, this one is very much about a key moment in history and revolves around the actions of a key historical actor and this, along with its length, gives it a remarkable power.

James Cameron has always had a keen eye for what will make a good story and what will sell to the masses. Titanic,  for example, takes the story of the tragic ship and intertwines it with the equally doomed romance between Kate Winslet’s Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack. The brilliance of a film like this one is that it doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to be successful, heartbreaking, beautiful, and romantic all at once. It’s also easy to see why it remains in a three-way tie when it comes to Oscar wins.

Audrey Hepburn is utterly enchanting in the musical My Fair Lady, in which she plays the lower-class Eliza Doolittle who, under the guidance of Rex Harrison’s Professor Henry Higgins, learns how to behave like a highborn lady. For all that Higgins tries to bluster his way into the center of the story, it’s always clear that this is Eliza’s story, and much of this can be attributed to Hepburn’s performance. It is quite a long film — clocking in at 173 minutes — but it is worth every minute of its runtime, testifying to the remarkable power of the movie musical. 

Steven Spielberg is one of the great directors of his generation, capable of working in almost any genre. Schindler’s List  is arguably his best film: a moving, intense, and utterly haunting piece of cinema about the horrors of the Holocaust. Anchored by stellar performances from the likes of Liam Neeson and with a story that only feels more relevant as the years go by, it’s a warning to never be complacent and to condemn hatred and antisemitism whenever they raise their heads. It remains necessary viewing even several decades after its release.

Director Cecil B. DeMille was a master showman, and The Ten Commandments is in some way his magnum opus. With Charlton Heston in the role of Moses and Yul Brynner as his nemesis Rameses, it follows Moses as he becomes the prophet destined to lead the Hebrews to liberation. It’s a sprawling film that is full of spectacle and religious sentiment. It’s also at times quite campy, and Anne Baxter is delicious as the scheming Queen Nefertiri. This is big-budget Hollywood spectacle at its best, and it is never anything less than entertaining.

Peter Jackson earned himself a place in the movie history books with The Lord of the Rings, particularly the final installment, The Return of the King. Like all great epics, it has a bit of everything, from stirring battle scenes to moments of potent and devastating human (and hobbit) drama. The extended edition of the film is quite long–running over four hours–but it is more than worth it, and the film as a whole manages to be both a remarkable adaptation of Tolkien’s original novel and a masterpiece of epic cinema.

Based on the 19th century novel by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of classic Hollywood. Clocking in at just over three and a half hours long, it follows Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, as his friend betrays him, becomes a galley enslaved person and then charioteer, and ultimately bears witness to the Crucifixion. It’s a beautiful and emotionally wrenching film, one that combines the excitement of epic with the emotional core of melodrama, and it’s easy to see why it remains a beloved piece of cinema.