20 Best Movies Over Three Hours Long
17. Andrei Rublev (1966)
Runtime; 3 hours, 8 minutes
Since its inception, Andrei Tarkovsky's epic Andrei Rublev has gone through many changes, censored by the Soviet Union when it was first released, re-released in several high-profile edits, and finally released in its original, intended form in 1973.
In its original form, running for just over three hours, the timeless drama is at its best. Taking place in the gloomy heart of medieval Russia, Andrei Rublev is split into several distinct chapters, each carefully charting the titular artist's career, disillusionment, and life through the murky haze of a country in violent flux.
Crafted with Tarkovsky's signature visual style - his long takes, murky black-and-white cinematography, dreamlike imagery, and remarkable command of set and pace creating an enveloping recreation of Russia's past - the biographical stunner ruminates on religion, memory, violence and political upheaval with absorbing results.
Admittedly, Andrei Rublev has an episodic narrative and unsettling action tough to digest at times, but if you let Tarkovsky's vision and musings sweep you away, you'll find a life-affirming opus impossible to resist.