The longest movies in history

What is the maximum time you would be willing to spend in front of a screen? Recently, from IGN they reported that the Snyder Cut of the Justice League movie will last 4 hours and it will not be a divided miniseries.

This impressed the fans as they have to be willing to endure 4 hours of attention to follow a story. Something similar had happened in films like The Irishman, by Martin Scorsese, thought to be about 3:30 hours  long. Another famous case was that of Kill Bill or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, initially thought to be a single film, but which ended up being divided into two parts because of how extensive they would be.

The most curious thing is that, in reality, all these productions are really short compared to other cases of the seventh art. In other words, we are talking about unusual films that decide to experiment with in really extraordinary lengths. Let's get to know, then, the longest movies in history.

Evolution of a Filipino Family (10 hours and 43 minutes)

We start with a duration that surprises us, since it is the approximate equivalent of about 4 "normal" long-term films, approximately. The truth is that this 2004 drama film is justified from its plot, since it narrates the evolution of a town in the Philippines between 1971 and 1987.

This film was written and directed by Lav Diaz, being a production that took about 11 years to complete, but that is understood from its own intention: the idea of showing the passing of the years and the socio-cultural transformations that the town has.

Out 1 (12 hours and 55 minutes)

We go to France, with a film by the filmmaker Jacques Rivette, made in 1971. It can be seen in eight parts, totaling almost 13 hours of viewing. Basically, the plot involves two theater companies that are preparing versions of the works of Aeschylus.

Despite its durability, the quality is guaranteed. The prestigious Sight & Sound decided to place it in position 127 in a vote on the best films of all time, since it manages to keep the viewer's attention during all those hours.

Also read: Actors who were cast before their films were released

La Flor (13 hours and 28 minutes)

In this case, we find a Latin American film. More specifically, an Argentine production directed by Mariano Llinás, which was released in 2018. The filmmaker commented that this story can be seen in about 6 episodes, where each one tells a different story.

The truth is that it is seen as a "marathon" and an unprecedented production, where different genres are combined in an excellent way.

Resan (14 hours and 33 minutes)

This 1987 documentary film was made by Peter Watkins. Its plot shows us the use of nuclear weapons, the generation of poverty, and politics in terms of national defense, all from the point of view of different people, both professionals and "ordinary people."

The film is not only limited to telling how nuclear technology affects people's lives, but also questions society to find out how much they know about the subject and what we would do if a deadly weapon were launched again. In addition, the role of the media is criticized … all in more than 14 hours!

Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo (21 hours and 5 minutes)

Finally, we come to the longest film made to date. This Bangladeshi film was released in 2019, written and directed by Ashraf Shishir, having the record of being the longest of all time that was released in theaters, marking a before and after in the history of cinema.

The story is based on different stories that revolve around the Liberation War that that country had in 1971. There are shown the different political visions, dreams, passions and revolutions that this war brought, all from one point of view that can be heartbreaking for viewers.

Our eye becomes more and more accustomed to short films, those that last more than 2 and a half hours seem quite extensive. However, we have seen that there are other film productions that decide to experiment with much longer durations. Could you bear to see any of these productions in a row?