All 5 David Lean Epic Movies, Ranked

The last short/relatively punchy film he made was in 1955 (Summertime), and then his final five movies were all epics, in turn giving Lean a reputation for being one of the best epic film directors of all time. These were released between 1957 and 1984, with two of them winning Best Picture at the Oscars, and the “lesser” ones still attaining high levels of acclaim and/or success at the box office. Not all of them are perfect, by any means, but they're all well-made, engaging, and (generally) hold up well, being ranked below from good to great.

5 'Ryan's Daughter' (1970)

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, Sarah Miles

There’s an argument to be made that Alec Guinness was David Lean’s good luck charm, at least when it came to directing epic movies, because Lean’s least compelling, Ryan’s Daughter, is the only one that doesn’t feature Guinness in some capacity. For what it’s worth, he was supposed to be in it, too. Anyway, Ryan’s Daughter has problems outside the lack of Alec Guinness, because it’s very long, quite slow, and has an only sometimes interesting story concerning romantic drama amidst British and Irish conflict in the 1910s.

Given it’s still a David Lean epic, there are things here that end up impressing technically, and Ryan’s Daughter is undoubtedly packed with some breathtaking imagery. The immensity of its images does make a lengthy runtime seem somewhat deserved, but 206 minutes ends up being too many minutes for what’s ultimately quite a straightforward premise. Even those used to longer movies might find this one a challenging sit, but redeeming qualities within do exist for anyone willing to be rather patient.

4 'A Passage to India' (1984)

Starring: Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee, Peggy Ashcroft

Not quite perfect, as far as period dramas go, but still fairly compelling stuff overall, A Passage to India ended up standing as both David Lean’s final epic movie and his final film, too, as he passed away at the age of 83 about seven years after its release. A Passage to India is also on the shorter side, by epic movie standards, though a runtime of 163 minutes is nothing to scoff at. It’s also interesting because of what the narrative ultimately ends up being about, as what starts as something of an adventure-type movie ends up being more of a courtroom drama.

This progression splits the movie in half a little awkwardly, but all throughout, it does successfully explore difficult themes surrounding colonialism and prejudice, particularly how such things existed in India during the Crown Rule in the 1920s. It also has an unequivocal female lead (compared to other David Lean epics), with Judy Davis being more than capable here in what ends up being a difficult role. A Passage to India doesn’t handle everything it’s going for perfectly, and can drag ever so slightly at parts... still, much of it’s well-made, and it has an expertly-done score by frequent Lean collaborator, Maurice Jarre.

3 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965)

Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin

Doctor Zhivago is both a great war movie and an exceedingly long one, clocking in at close to three and a half hours in length. Much of the film’s story centers around World War I and its aftermath, though the narrative as a whole ends up spanning decades. Much of it’s about romance, too, with a good focus on social unrest and revolution… the good thing about a long runtime is that a film can afford to touch upon so many broad things in the one story; it certainly has the time to.

Like David Lean’s other acclaimed 1960s release (more on that one shortly), Doctor Zhivago looks at unrest and change on a large scale following the First World War, centering the drama around a few people and thereby having bigger things play out believably in the backgrounds of their lives. It doesn’t have the best pacing out of all of Lean’s epics, but Doctor Zhivago generally works very well, feeling appropriately sweeping, moving, and grand, thanks to things like its direction, score, and the quality of its lead performances.

2 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957)

Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins

Standing tall as one of the best epic movies to have ever won Best Picture at the Oscars, The Bridge on the River Kwai still works magnificently as an effective anti-war movie. It’s got spectacle, tension, and despair, all wrapped up in a story that’s well-paced, and still honestly quite thrilling, so long as you're prepared for a bit of a slow burn. The Bridge on the River Kwai always feels like it’s going somewhere, thankfully, and slowness isn't necessarily a bad thing, as a result. In the end, the way everything’s paid off here is immense.

It also travels back less in time than most epics directed by David Lean, focusing on World War II and the tense dynamics at play between English POWs and their Japanese captors who demand they build a bridge. There’s more to The Bridge on the River Kwai than that, but it’s not worth saying too much, as despite this movie’s age, it’s still powerful. If not for one other David Lean masterpiece, this would be more than worthy of being crowned the director’s best epic, and perhaps even his best film overall.

1 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962)

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif

It’s probably best to go through life causing as few riots as possible, but if you did want to kick one off (at least one of the online variety), you might want to voice the opinion that David Lean’s best epic isn't Lawrence of Arabia. You can’t really beat this one as far as traditional cinematic epics go, and if it’s a high point of the genre overall, then it stands to reason that it’s also Lean’s best. Narratively, it does manage to do an impressive amount throughout its lengthy runtime, serving as a war movie, an adventure film, a psychological drama, and an excellent biopic.

The central figure here is T.E. Lawrence, with his eventful life explored in depth, predominantly focusing on what he did during and then after the First World War. Simply put, Lawrence of Arabia is one of the best-looking movies of all time, and Peter O’Toole gives one of the most complex and compelling lead performances in cinema history. It’s no bold claim to call this one worthy of being ranked among the greatest films of all time, and though it takes the better part of an afternoon to watch, it’s well worth one’s time.

NEXT: The Worst Movies of All Time, Ranked