Five movies that cover the greatest length of time
Comingsoon.net is taking a look at the entire history of the known universe to determine the best movies that cover the greatest amount of time. Check out our selections in the gallery below!
More often than not, a film’s timeline restricts itself to a very limited amount of time—whether it be days, months, years, or even the span of a character’s lifetime, the timeline of most movies is quite minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Considering the billions of years the Earth has been around, less than a hundred years is nothing. That’s why it’s worth noting the rare occasions when feature films try to tackle massive time spans.
From Stanley Kubrick to the Wachowskis, there have been a few filmmakers over the years who’ve done their absolute best to fit the entire history of our humanly existence into one film. While some have failed, these directors have far exceeded the limits expected of their visual medium.
movie timelines
-
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
While this Stanley Kubrick classic is most-known for its middle section, 2001: A Space Odyssey stretches back to humanity’s existence in its first act and infinitely forward in its final. It's as ambitious as anything else the director has done, with plenty of incredibly influential science fiction visuals.
-
Cloud Atlas (2012)
The Wachowskis are often celebrated for their most popular film, The Matrix, but some of their lesser-praised work is equally deserving of attention. One such example is Cloud Atlas, which sees big names like Tom Hanks and Halle Berry portraying countless generations of (occasionally problematic) characters.
-
The Fountain (2006)
Darren Aronofsky’s filmography often proves to be pretty controversial, from his earliest works to his most recent (2016’s mother! continues to divide critics and audiences). His 2006 film The Fountain is one such example, but one can’t help but be impressed with the sheer size of the film’s timeline.
-
The Time Machine (1960)
Based on the work by H.G. Wells, George Pal’s The Time Machine tells the story of a man who creates a time machine and ends up immersing himself in some of humanity’s greatest atrocities (both in the past and in the future). Wells’s novella is largely responsible for the idea of a time machine, and Pal’s film perfectly captures the wonder of the invention.
-
The Tree of Life (2011)
Director Terrence Malick’s films are nothing short of poetry. This is especially true of one of his more recent films, The Tree of Life. Following a family in the 1950s, the film stretches far and wide to try and provide an explanation for the history of human life and the persistence of faith.
