In the Defense of Long Movies

Sometimes, the story you are telling needs to be nearly four hours long, and that's okay.

Ali watches Lawrence return from the Sun's Anvil / Still from Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I take a 4-hour train back home every few months, usually at night, which leaves me with nothing to do but stare into the darkness outside the window...

Or watch a really long movie.

I first watched Lawrence of Arabia on the Amtrak Wolverine line at the end of this past Fall semester. Needless to say I was ensnared by this film to the extent that it still had a hold on me after three months.

Now, I've always liked long films; I was raised on three-hour Indian epics like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). I am not new to the long game, even within American films like Lord of the Rings* or Killers of the Flower Moon.

*Technically, it is a New Zealand production, but it's co-produced with US studios, so for ease of understanding, I'm just saying American

There is a beauty in long films but I want to focus on Lawrence of Arabia right now, and another favorite of mine, Oppenheimer. Both benefit immensely from the longer runtime as it gives time for both the plot and characters to flourish simultaneously.

Still from Oppenheimer (2023)

These long films, or 'Epics' as some have taken to calling them, have always been the center of debate. All the 'ugh, no one wants to watch a 3-hour long film in a language they don't know' and 'there's no way a 4-hour long film actually has anything to say.' Sentiments that get parroted over and over again and are frankly dull and unimaginative. If you do it right, any film can be worth its length. It all depends on the mindset you go into it with. Personally, I go into most longer films with the view that someone I know recommended it, and if they liked it, I want to watch it to figure out what part they fell in love with. So, in a sense, I am also advocating for you to watch your friend's favorite films, listen to their recommendations, and maybe you'll find watching a really long film that you actually love. That's how I ended up watching Lawrence of Arabia, someone I knew mentioned how much they loved it, and it domino'd into one of my favorite films.

So next time you have a long trip somewhere, throw on that film you've been meaning to watch but haven't found a long enough chunk of time. It might just be the best thing you've ever seen.

Lawrence conversing with Ali / Still from Lawrence of Arabia (1962)