The longest films Hollywood ever made

[jw5]

The longest films Hollywood ever made​

In today’s age, it seems that the 1.5 hour film standard is a thing of the past. Increasingly, our favorite directors are pushing the limits of traditional run times, perhaps thanks in part to streaming and the ability to pause at your convenience for snacks and bathroom breaks. But while there are some recent films that have challenged us with their over-three-hour run times, there have been many others who have released famous sprawling on-screen epics in the past, with some even exceeding four hours!

 

[jw5]

'Cleopatra' (1963)​

At a whopping 248 minutes (4 hrs, 8 mins), the Elizabeth Taylor-starring film was a spectacle through and through, telling the story of the queen of Egypt, who seduces two Roman rulers: Emperor Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) and his general Mark Antony (Richard Burton).

 

[jw5]

'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984)​

Originally 251 minutes (4 hrs, 11 mins), Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster epic about a small group of New York's Lower East side Jewish gangsters was eventually cut down for European audiences to 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes), and then 139 minutes (2 hours and 19 minutes) by American distributors.

 

[jw5]

'The Irishman' (2019)​

Martin Scorsese cashed in on his reputation when he put out this film that has a run time of 209 minutes (3 hrs, 29 mins), and trusted audiences to watch it. It’s based on the Charles Brandt novel ‘I Heard You Paint Houses,’ and follows the life and times of former hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) in post-war America.

 

[jw5]

'Gone With the Wind' (1939)​

This classic American film is 238 minutes (3 hrs, 58 mins), and is based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell. The epic love story of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) set during the American Civil War swept the Oscars, though today it has been viewed through a much more critical lens regarding race and slavery.

 

[jw5]

'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962)​

David Lean’s much loved epic historical drama is based on the autobiography ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by British Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, and runs at an impressive 222 minutes (3 hrs, 42 mins).

 

[jw5]

'Magnolia' (1999)​

Paul Thomas Anderson's epic cinematic collage of characters intertwined in their searches for love, forgiveness, and meaning, whose paths cross by various means, clocks in at 188 minutes (3 hrs, 8 mins) and is a favorite of film buffs around the world.

 

[jw5]

'War and Peace' (1956)​

The epic film is based on the epic Leo Tolstoy novel of the same name, which explains why it runs at 208 minutes (3 hrs, 28 min). Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer star as Natasha and Andrei.

 

[jw5]

'Apocalypse Now' (1979)​

Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novel ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Francis Ford Coppola’s film ended up being 202 minutes (3 hrs, 22 mins), and tells the story of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a US Army officer serving in Vietnam and tasked with a mission to assassinate a renegade Special Forces Colonel (Marlon Brando).

 

[butoh6050]

you forgot ben hur.
5 hours long

 

[jw5]

'Ben-Hur' (1959)​

This cinematic marvel is especially impressive for the time it was made, running at 212 minutes (3 hrs, 32 mins) and telling the story of Jewish nobleman Judah Ben-Hur, who is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend but eventually returns home for revenge. It was worth every minute, since it became the first film to win 11 Oscars.

 

[jw5]

'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)​

Infamous for its length but beloved just the same, Peter Jackson’s final film of the trilogy clocked in at 201 minutes (3 hrs, 21 mins). It sees Gandalf and Aragorn struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces, while Frodo and Sam approach Mount Doom with the one ring.

 

[TerrexLee]

Michael Man's heat also nearly 3 hours if i not wrong

 

[jw5]

Michael Man's heat also nearly 3 hours if i not wrong

Not sure but that was a good movie.

 

[TerrexLee]

Not sure but that was a good movie.

hell yeah, the bank heist scene and the thumping music = perfecto!

 

[jw5]

'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)​

Famed for being one of the rare cases in which the sequel was better than the first film, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime film runs 200 minutes (3 hrs, 20 mins) and is considered one of the finest American movies of the late 20th century.

 

[jw5]

'Spartacus' (1960)​

Stanley Kubrick’s historical epic runs 197 minutes (3 hrs, 17 mins) and tells the story of Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), who leads a violent revolt with his fellow slaves against Rome.

 

[jw5]

'Zack Snyder's Justice League' (2021)​

Zack Snyder's director's cut demonstrated what he’d had in mind before personal tragedy tore him away from the project. The extended cut is 242 minutes (4 hrs, 2 min), which is slightly different from the two-hour theatrical cut but was largely favored over the 2017 version.

 

[TerrexLee]

View attachment 154094

'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)​

Famed for being one of the rare cases in which the sequel was better than the first film, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime film runs 200 minutes (3 hrs, 20 mins) and is considered one of the finest American movies of the late 20th century.

FREDO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jw5]

'Schindler's List' (1993)​

Steven Spielberg's famous Holocaust drama based on the German industrialist Oskar Schindler—credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust—clocks in at 195 minutes (3 hrs, 15 mins), which feels appropriate for the subject and was indeed supremely impactful on its audiences.