"From the beginning of cinema, there have been long films. Abel Gance's 1927 epic 'Napoléon,' about the life of the Emperor, lasted a staggering 330 minutes, although it was swiftly cut down to a more conventional length, and 'Gone with the Wind' ran nearly for four hours when the various overtures and intervals were included. Sometimes, these pictures can end up being interminable, whether because of directorial over-indulgence '(Meet Joe Black,' or rather, don't), production issues ('Cleopatra,' notoriously) or simply by being a decent hour or so of blockbuster cinema sandwiched between two dismal ones ('Pearl Harbour'). But there are also some timeless masterpieces that deserve every frame of their length. Here are 16 of the best (in chronological order). - telegraph.co.uk
