It ’s not just your vision : moving-picture show have been arrive longer . The average runtime for theatrical picture in North America is now around131 minutes , 11 moment above two hours . That ’s about 15 minutes longer than the median movie metre in 2000 and 20 minutes longer than in 1990 . Nevertheless , Hollywood still feature a wide spread of run times , ordinarily between 90 and 150 minutes .
A few mainstream releases haveeven cross four hours . The absolute majority of these have been establish on real masses or periods in human history . Take a look at our list of the longest film waiver in Hollywood chronicle , along with what makes them so epic . As the countdown rolls on , the movie get longer . go times shut out intermission clip , which was often part of movie made before the 1970s .
10. “The Irishman” (2019) 3 hours, 29 Minutes
This film , found on the lives of real - life reprehensible figures Jimmy Hoffa and Frank Sheeran , was a regaining to form for director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro , Al Pacino and Joe Pesci . However , " The Irishman " was Scorsese ’s first feature film to go direct to streaming ( debuting on Netflix ) , and his foresighted - ever picture show , bleed 209 minute .
Since the moving picture spans several X of history , it allow Scorsese to try out with digital First State - aging motion-picture photography . De Niro and Pacino start the pic as young men , and gradually age into their present - daytime bodies .
9. “The Ten Commandments” (1956) 3 Hours, 30 Minutes
" The Ten Commandments " is a scriptural epic , starring Charlton Heston in a straightforward take on the Exodus narrative . Heston plays Moses , who leadsthe Israelitesout of subjugation in Egypt , portion the Red Sea and wanders the desert with his citizenry for about 40 geezerhood before finally entering the Promised Land . lead by Cecil B. DeMille , the moving-picture show was tear in VistaVision ( a widescreen apparent motion - painting format ) and is full of spectacle and particular effects . " The Ten Commandments " is still very popular and has aired on broadcast television every Passover / Easter seasonsince 1973 .
8. “Ben-Hur” (1959) 3 hours, 32 Minutes
Based on an 1880 novel,1959 ’s " Ben - Hur"was not the book ’s first nor last film adjustment , but it ’s widely regarded as the best , most unadulterated version . Charlton Heston ( who plainly like tenacious films ) star as the championship character , a fabricated Jewish nobleman who is enslaved and made to fight in ancient Roman gladiatorial match . The flick is illustrious for a 40 - minute chariot race between Ben - Hur and a Roman commander .
At the fourth dimension , " Ben - Hur " was one of the long and most expensive yield ever conceived , but the attempt paid off when the movie became a monolithic commercial-grade success and sweep the 1960 Academy Award . It was nominated for 12 awardsand won an unprecedented 11 .
7. “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) 3 Hours, 36 Minutes
This wholesale war filmis based on the autobiographical work " Seven Pillars of Wisdom " by Thomas Edward Lawrence . Actor Peter O’Toole portray the author and title character who joins the British military machine in the 1910s and leads campaigns against theOttoman Empireduring World War I. During this time , he travels through much of Syria and establish diplomatical sexual relation with local Arab tribes . The photographic film was a corner office smash and is stillwell - regardedfor its beautiful cinematography and focussing and the bravura performance from O’Toole , Anthony Quinn , Omar Sharif and the ease of the roll .
6. “Gods and Generals” (2003) 3 Hours, 39 Minutes
This historic epic recite the other days of the America Civil War . It follow Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee , play by Jeff Daniels , Stephen Lang and Robert Duvall , respectively . " Gods and Generals " captures the full - scale leaf chaos of Civil War battles and earn that epic title . However , some critic matte up that the photographic film was far too sympathetic to its Confederate figures . Apparently , motion-picture fan agreed , as it was abox - situation nonstarter .
5. “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984) 3 Hours, 39 Minutes
Famous for his spaghetti western films like " The Good , The Bad , and The Ugly , " Italian director Sergio Leone take away a late - career turn when he helm " Once Upon a Time in America . " Instead of the Old West , this film focuses on mobsters in New York over five X in the 20th century . The full - length version ( asterisk Robert De Niro and James Woods ) debut at Cannes , but the studio apartment got scared of the foresightful runtime and cut it down to a more typical 139 - hour length for theaters , rearranging the substance in chronological social club . It was n’t until the videodisc discharge in 2003 that Americans saw the full version . In 2014 , an " extended director ’s cut " running 251 minute ( over four hours ) was released .
4. “Gone with the Wind” (1939) 3 Hours, 41 Minutes
For a long prison term , " Gone with the Wind " was considered the quintessential Hollywood play . It stars Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara , the vain girl of a wealthy Georgia grove proprietor who ’ll do almost anything to survive after losing her riches during the Civil War and Reconstruction . Over the course of the film , Scarlett has several romances , most notably with Rhett Butler , played by Clark Gable . Shot in Technicolor at a time when most picture show were in black and clean , the epic drama has tickle audiences for decade . It won eight Academy Awards and is still thehighest - gross box office movie , when adjusted for inflation .
But in late years , critics have begun to questionthe pic ’s classic status , specially its romanticized depictions of bondage and the Old South . If audiences were originally shocked by Rhett telling Scarlett , " Frankly my dear , I do n’t give a hoot , " today they ’re shock by Scarlett slapping enslaved adult female Prissy ( played by Butterfly McQueen ) across her face .
3. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021) 4 Hours, 2 Minutes
The only dealership film on our list , the superhero epic " Justice League " is technically a re - cut of the 2017 theatrical release , which manager Zack Snyder step forth from , replaced by Joss Whedon . However , Snyder institute back several actors like Ben Affleck ( " Batman " ) and Ray Fisher ( " Cyborg " ) to film several Modern scenes for his utter variant . The resultant role was an almost entirely separate movie that dilute just past the four - hour mark , making it the longest Hollywood film of the 21st 100 so far . Critics widely agreed that the extended version ( which aired on HBO Max ) was much better than the original release , whichunderperformed at the box government agency .
2. “Hamlet” (1996) 4 Hours, 2 Minutes
Kenneth Branagh ’s version marked the first time this Shakespeare play had beenfilmed in its integrality , all four hours of it . Branagh did double duty , directing and starring as Hamlet , the Danish prince who returns home after his Father-God dies to find his mother is hook up with her married man ’s chum . Should he shoot down his uncle Claudius whom he thinks may have murdered his Father of the Church ? " What must Hamlet do ? He desire the death of Claudius but lacks the impulse to work out . He contemn himself for his passivity … At the destruction of this ' village , ' I feel at last as if I was getting a handle on the play ( I never expect to to the full understand it),“wrote Roger Ebert . Despite its vital acclaim , it was not a box authority winner . Perhaps the duration had something to do with it .
1. “Cleopatra” (1963) 4 Hours, 4 Minutes
" Cleopatra , " with Elizabeth Taylor in the statute title role , has laid claim to the title of the longest Hollywood film release for about 60 years now . It was also the most expensive and elaborate film production of its time , almost sending studio 20th Century Fox into failure . The historic epic chronicle the life of the Egyptian queen as she has pass with Julius Caesar , adjudge state of war on the Parthian Empire and dies in spectacular mode . " Cleopatra " was also famed for the tempestuous love affair Taylor carried on with carbon monoxide gas - virtuoso Richard Burton at a meter when both were marital to other people .
Acting on complaints from critic that the original motion-picture show was just too foresightful , Fox rationalise itfrom four hours , four minutes to just three hour , four mo for general release . ( A restored four - time of day , eight - minute interpretation was free in 2013 . ) Despite often being portrayed as a loge - office failure , the picture show was in fact thebiggest box - office winner of the twelvemonth , make $ 57.8 million domestically on a $ 44 million budget or , if align to 2019 dollars , $ 480 million on a budget of $ 365 million .
