There is no such thing as too long when it comes to hit blockbuster films these days.
Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is about three hours, while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has a run time of almost two hours and 30 minutes.
However, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer leaves these films behind with its three-hour runtime. It joins a prestigious group of films that are both epic in length and successful with audiences.
Here are nine other three-hour features that have been well-received by fans and critics.
1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming, Gone with the Wind is considered one of the first Hollywood epics.
Running for a little less than four hours and based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, the film is set in the American south and follows the torrid relationship between the fiery Scarlett O'Hara, the daughter of a plantation owner, and businessman Rhett Butler.
Despite its length, Gone with the Wind broke US box office when it was released.
With figures adjusted for inflation, it is now viewed as one of the biggest hit films of all time, with an estimated total gross of $4 billion.
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
A supersized remake of the 1925 silent film about a Jewish prince enslaved by the Romans, Ben Hur’s $15 million production made it the most expensive Hollywood film of its time.
That hefty war chest was used to recreate epic battle sequences, cities of ancient Rome and more than 8,000 costumes.
With so much going on, the three hours and 32 minutes fly by.
3. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Clocking at three hours and 42 minutes, the Academy Award-winning film is based on TE Lawrence’s writings about his experiences as a British Army Officer in the Middle East during the First World War.
Joining the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, the film has been praised for its astonishing cinematography and pacing.
4. The Godfather Part II (1974)
After redefining the gangster genre with 1972’s The Godfather, director Francis Ford Coppola returned with a bigger film in scale and length.
But nothing is squandered in the three hour 22-minute runtime as viewers go on a deep dive into the origins of the Corleone family, from its roots in rural Sicily to becoming one of the most lucrative crime syndicates in the US.
5. Schindler’s List (1993)
Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved scores of Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust, Schindler's List is unsparing and a towering technical achievement.
Running for three hours and 15 minutes and shot mostly in black and white, director Steven Spielberg’s documentary-like approach to subject matter has been hailed by critics and fellow filmmakers.
Schindler’s List went on to win seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
6. Titanic (1997)
Writer and director James Cameron teamed up with stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet for a sweeping love story set on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic.
The attention to detail in the 194-minute film is breathtaking, from recreating the majestic vessel to its tragic destruction upon hitting an iceberg.
7. The Green Mile (1999)
What's impressive about The Green Mile is that it doesn't feel like a film with a runtime of more than three hours.
Such is the great casting of Tom Hanks and the late Michael Clarke Duncan in this touching drama, which is about a mysterious convict accused of an unspeakable crime.
8. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
At three hours, The Wolf of Wall Street is a shocking look at Wall Street’s stockbroking culture of the 1980s.
Based on Jordan Belfort's memoir and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film was a box office success despite its controversial content and was nominated for five Academy Awards.
9. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame has all the action and drama fans expect from the Marvel Universe and concludes a series of more than a dozen films featuring the superheroes who make up The Avengers.
The three-hour film was a major success at the box office and raked in more than $2.5 billion, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of all time.
