20 Best Movies Over Three Hours Long
3. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Runtime: 3 hours, 38 minutes
Based on the life and times of T.E. Lawrence, a British archaeologist and soldier who fought alongside Arab tribes during the fight against the Ottoman Empire in World War I, Lawrence of Arabia is a film that succeeds at all it tries.
At once a thrilling war drama rife with intense battle sequences and an intimate character study of one man's shifting allegiances, David Lean's epic re-telling of the First World War's Arab Revolt is masterfully constructed, both in story and scale.
Complete with magnificent set pieces and startling imagery, the film shifts between time and place with remarkable ease, using its vast war sequences and political intrigue to craft a tale of identity, friendship and loyalty that, some 60 years after its release, still feels as alive and enthralling as ever.
With career-best turns from the great Peter O'Toole, Alex Guinness and Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia finds Lean at the height of his powers, and cinema itself at its most unforgettably majestic.