I think it is probably true that a film generally can reach more depth over a longer runtime, but on the other hand, they have to work harder to hold the attention of an audience (at least a modern audience) if the time isn't managed well. This is a list of recommendations of films that all run over 170 minutes (I was going to do 3 hours but there were so many I love that would have been discounted) and that I think really benefit from the time spent in the worlds and with the characters. In fact in most cases, I would very happily have seen the film go on longer. Again, these are not reviews, but recommendations.
1999 Drama
180 minutes
For me, Paul Thomas Anderson is the best modern director. His second feature Magnolia is a sprawling tale of multiple characters across the San Fernandino Valley, California. The opening presentation sets up the motif of coincidence, so It has the feel that they will all meet or somehow come together by the end, however, this isn't exactly the case - not literally anyway. It is the character journeys that are somewhat connected, not all of the characters - which for some poeople is a disappointment, but why is it? I love it when films experiment and divert expectations, this is what Magnolia does with its story, and also it's production e.g. in many scenes there is music playing over the dialogue, sometimes making the dialogue hard to hear.. so you may not get the full picture.. just like in real life. At times it is audacious filmmaking. The runtime is full of really great stuff, including what is undoubtedly Tom Cruise's best ever performance, this film needs 3 hours to have the depth that it does.
There are lots of messages, most come under the umbrella of the main one - Don't underestimate the chance of chance.
1984 Drama
180 minutes
Most films that I would have in my all time best films list (this currently sits at number 2 on my all time list) get there after at least a second viewing (where you are likely to notice more details and meanings) but Amadeus shot to the top of my list immediately after the first viewing. The plot is a complex human story which examines the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his (somewhat embelished) rivalry with fellow composer Antonio Salieri, portrayed by an unbelievable, Oscar winning performance from F Murray Abraham. The dynamic between the two is fascinating, and multi layered. On the most basic level: Salieri has worked hard all his life and is considered a fine talent, then Mozart comes along and seemingly has the ability to create musical genius with no effort whatsoever which makes him the target of extreme jealousy.
The directors cut is around 30 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, and it really benefits.
1975 Drama
203 minutes
My all time best director Stanley Kubrick's under appreciated masterpiece follows an Irish rogue through his selfish adventures and efforts to elevate his social status by any means necessary. Barry is a strangely cold character, his actions are shocking in a somewhat predictable way, he is a memorable anti-hero.
In a way, its a hard film to love. It is made in an extra old fashioned style, (perhaps in the style of novels from the era) including the narration, editing, composition (it may still be the best looking film I have ever watched) it might just simply be too slow for some people. But that helps the juxtaposition between the setting and the man/story. Kubrick's films were often as much or more art than story, this is one of those.
2006 Mystery
180 minutes
This is my second favourite of David Lynch's film catalog, it is, to borrow a quote about another Lynch work; 'much maligned but frankly marvellous'. The story follows an actress played by Laura Dern (in an incredible oscar worthy performance - 'with no milk there would be no Inland Empire') who is offered a part in an apparently ill-fated film based on a Scandinavian TV show, the cast and crew of which met a sticky end. Is it a cursed role? As she begins to get into the role, her reality and the plot of the story seem to merge, before long it is impossible to tell them apart. By committing fully to the premise, Lynch ties you up in knots, before pulling the rug from under your feet with a few moments of almost unspeakable thematic power, something Lynch has achieved in a few of his films - i think if I was responsible for recording a single 3 minute scene to entice the greatest emotional response from an audience-I would want Lynch at the helm. The finale when the lifelines seem to somewhat return to normal/assimilate is wonderful, and the moment where the camera pulls back to reveal the recording camera is an all time epic moment that I will never forget.
1984 Crime
240 minutes
Directed by legendary Western filmmaker Sergio Leone, this has the longest runtime on this list.
The first time I sat down to this, I watched the first half on disc one, expecting to do the second half the next day, but I was so hooked I did the second half right away -to hell with bedtime. It is one of Robert De Niro's less celebrated gangster films. It is slower and more thoughtful than Casino or Goodfellas, and by showing almost his whole life in flashbacks it becomes an in depth character study, taking the time for the audience to acclimatise to multiple environments and stages of his life. The most memorable moment may take place in the back of a taxi, but it's the film's journey as a whole, including the that will stay with you.
1954 Action Japanese B & W
195 minutes
Seven Samurai is still cited as a hugely influential masterpiece from the most celebrated of Japanese directors, Akira Kurosawa, and starring his frequent collaborator, Toshiro Mifune. It is a fairly simple story.. a team of seven samurai (master-less warriors) are brought together on meagre pay to protect a small village from maraudering bandits out to steal their food supplies. The warriors are mostly weak or out of practise, so must pull together. The characters are all written so well and are given ample time to develop and gain organic personalities.
Amazingly, the action scenes still hold up very well today, many of them include fighters on foot or horseback, outnumbering the defenses who rely on planning and logic to gain the upper hand. The bodies pile up, there is a deceptively simple but genius plot point to keep the audience up to date with the progress - a few times we see the samurai keep count of the dead bandits by crossing them off on a sheet, since they know how many there are. A more simple system you couldn't imagine, but it helps so much, and gives us something of a reset between each fight.
1983 Historic Space
193 minutes
The Right Stuff chronicles the American Space Race, from Chuck Yaeger breaking the sound barrier to the first astronauts breaking the atmosphere barrier. An established ensemble cast including the great Ed Harris and Sam Shepherd bring to life the journey taken and pressures felt on the prospective history making feat.
They all meet hurdles before and after making the cut, many of which come down to the public's perception and government control - perhaps my favourite moment is a phone call from Ed Harris' stammering wife, who is under pressure from local government to do a TV interview to coldly appease the PR agenda. Her husband and his fellow crew members unflinchingly defend her privacy.
1960 Romance Drama Italian
178 minutes
An arresting, meandering tale which takes us directly into the lifestyle of Marcelo, an Italian playboy who lives, and parties mostly at night, and takes stock in the morning, this gives thie film it's structure. Played by Marcello Mastroianni, he isn't particularly engaging or sympathetic, but enigmatic and charismatic. There is some real visual beauty here, much of it focusing on the architecture of Rome and its inhabitants. The famous opening shot of a Jesus Christ statue being airlifted out of the city provides its own meanings, and the famous final scene of a sea monster being washed up into the area may do the same. Personally, my favourite moment comes when Anita Ekberg's impossibly glamorous, alluring actress finds a stray kitten and carries it on her head in the back streets on her way to the Trevi fountain - just one of the many images that live long in the memory.
There will be a second part to this list in the future but feel free to contact me with any others great films over 170 mins, or great films of any length for that matter. Many Thanks
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