20 Best Movies Over Three Hours Long

Runtime: 9 hours, 38 minutes

Initially released as a 10-part miniseries, Krzysztof Kieślowski's magnum opus Dekalog has spent much of its life re-published as an epic film, in which each of its 10 chapters complement each other to deliver a visceral display of parabolic storytelling. 

Set within a poor housing estate in Poland, the drama's chapters are each based on one of the Ten Commandants, and follow a resident of the estate as they grapple with religious, personal, romantic and moral turmoil. One takes aim at the death penalty; another finds a woman intent on raising her daughter after a scandalous affair.

Rooted in a deep philosophy but concerned with real lives, Dekalog is slow-moving yet endlessly engaging, full of big questions about the way we live and come to terms with the world around us. Kieślowski never gives easy answers to his characters' dilemmas, leaving that to his audience. 

Tales of love, faith, austerity, sex and deceit - all of these and more can be found in Dekalog, a film only as long as it is rewarding.