20 Best Movies Over Three Hours Long
10. Hamlet (1996)
Runtime: 4 hours, 26 minutes
In the vast pantheon of Shakespeare adaptations, Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet may well be the most faithful and complete, never wasting a single line or moment from the play. A risky move, to be sure (Laurence Olivier famously left a lot out of his version), but one that paid off marvellously.
Featuring a staggeringly packed cast who committed to their roles with unwavering care - including Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, Julie Christie and Kate Winslet, as well as Branagh himself as the eponymous Prince of Denmark - Hamlet is immaculately paced despite its towering runtime, and filled with visuals matching its cast's monologuing at every turn.
Far and away the finest achievement of Branagh's moviemaking career, Hamlet is the product of a man clearly crafting a film from the heart, and deeply invested - despite its overall faithfulness - to imbue it with his own style and risks.
A daring adaptation of perhaps Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, Branagh's take on Hamlet is one for the ages, exploring the Prince's downfall without a wasted word.