David Lean Movie Runtime Comparison (Minutes)
Compare 11 David Lean runtimes in minutes, from the 86 minute Brief Encounter to the 222 minute Lawrence of Arabia. Exact BFI and BBFC data in a tool.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief Encounter Shortest here at 86 minutes. | 86 minutes | Cineguild 1945, station romance | BFI / BBFC listing: Brief Encounter (1945) 86 min |
| Summertime Hepburn Venice at 100. | 100 minutes | UA 1955, Venice romance | AFI Catalog / BBFC listing: Summertime (1955) 100 min |
| Hobson Choice Shop comedy at 107. | 107 minutes | British Lion 1954, boot shop | BFI / BBFC listing: Hobson Choice (1954) 107 min |
| Oliver Twist US cut runs 105 minutes. | 116 minutes | Cineguild 1948, Dickens orphan | BFI / BBFC listing: Oliver Twist (1948) 116 min |
| Great Expectations Dickens pair at 118. | 118 minutes | Cineguild 1946, Pip tale | BFI / BBFC listing: Great Expectations (1946) 118 min |
| The Sound Barrier Matches Expectations at 118. | 118 minutes | British Lion 1952, jet test | BFI / BBFC listing: Sound Barrier (1952) 118 min |
| The Bridge on the River Kwai Best Picture at 161. | 161 minutes | Horizon 1957, POW bridge | AFI Catalog Film/52118: Bridge on River Kwai (1957) 161 min |
| A Passage to India Last feature at 164. | 164 minutes | EMI 1984, final feature | BFI / BBFC listing: Passage to India (1984) 164 min |
| Doctor Zhivago Intermission included in 197. | 197 minutes | MGM 1965, Russian epic | AFI Catalog / BBFC listing: Doctor Zhivago (1965) 197 min |
| Ryan Daughter Coast epic at 206. | 206 minutes | MGM 1970, Irish coast | BFI / BBFC listing: Ryan Daughter (1970) 206 min |
| Lawrence of Arabia Longest here at 222. TV cut runs 180, 1963 cut runs 202. | 222 minutes | Horizon 1962, desert epic | AFI Catalog moviedetails/23993: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 222 min premiere |
About this converter
Lean features run 86 to 222 minutes in this table. Brief Encounter at 86 is the shortest, a station romance from 1945. Summertime at 100 and Hobson Choice at 107 follow. Oliver Twist at 116, Great Expectations at 118 and Sound Barrier at 118 form the forties band. Bridge on the River Kwai at 161 and Passage to India at 164 sit mid epic. Doctor Zhivago at 197, Ryan Daughter at 206 and Lawrence of Arabia at 222 close the long end. Every figure is the official theatrical runtime with credits and intermissions included, as listed by the AFI Catalog, BFI and BBFC.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Lawrence of Arabia against 1 Brief Encounter to see the 222 to 86 gap. Switch the unit to Hours for a friendlier reading of long films. Click any table row to load it as Entry A with amount 1.
Runtimes count the full theatrical presentation including credits and built intermissions. Lawrence lists 222 premiere with a 202 reissue cut and a 180 TV cut, the table pins 222 and notes the older values. Oliver Twist exists in a 105 minute US cut, the table pins the 116 minute UK cut. One or two minutes of drift between AFI, BFI and BBFC reflects credit roll rounding.
FAQ
Which Lean film is longest here?
Lawrence of Arabia at 222 minutes premiere, per AFI moviedetails/23993.
Which is shortest?
Brief Encounter at 86 minutes, per BFI and BBFC listings.
How long is Doctor Zhivago?
197 minutes theatrical with intermission, per AFI and BBFC listings.
Do runtimes include intermissions?
Yes. Epic runtimes include overture, intermission and credits where released that way.
Sources
- AFI Catalog Film/52118 Bridge on River Kwai 161 min; moviedetails/23993 Lawrence of Arabia 222 min premiere
- BFI listings for Brief Encounter 86 min, Great Expectations 118 min, Oliver Twist 116 min, Passage to India 164 min
- BBFC theatrical runtime listings for Lean features 1945-1984
Last verified: 2026-10-07 · 11 entries
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