The Best Movies Directed by David Lean

Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies Directed by David Lean

List of all movies directed by David Lean ranked from best to worst with photos. Films directed by David Lean are listed here and include movie posters and David Lean movie trailers whenever possible. This is a collection of the best movies directed by David Lean as voted on by film buffs. If you think the greatest David Lean movie isn't as high as it should be on this list, then make sure to vote so that your opinion of what the top David Lean film is can be factored into this list.

From David Lean's studio films to David Lean's independent films, this David Lean filmography keeps tabs on all David Lean movies, and lets the cream of the crop rise to the top.

List features movies like Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai.

If you’re wondering “what movies did David Lean direct?” or “who is David Lean?” then this list will explain how most people know this director. This list also answers questions like “what are the all-time best movies directed by David Lean?” and “what's a good selection of good David Lean movies?”

If you're wanting to get into David Lean films, then this list is a great starting point for at least starting with the most decent David Lean works.

All David Lean director credits are included. This list of every movie that David Lean has directed can be sorted for specific information such as what genre the David Lean movie is and which actors starred in the David Lean film.

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David Lean was fortunate enough to work with talented actors, including Laurence Olivier and John Wayne. Do you love films directed by David Lean? Check out our lists of the best movies by John Huston and Frank Capra as well.

Ranked by
  • Lawrence of Arabia
    1
    Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn
    92 votes
    • Released: 1962
    • Directed by: David Lean
    Lawrence of Arabia, a sweeping epic drama, chronicles the remarkable life and adventures of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), a British officer stationed in the Middle East during World War I. The narrative unfolds as Lawrence is dispatched to Arabia, where he forges an unlikely alliance with Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) to launch a guerrilla war against the Turks. Despite grappling with his own moral quandaries and the harsh desert conditions, Lawrence's strategic brilliance shapes the course of history in the Arabian Peninsula. This cinematic masterpiece bagged seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, underscoring its timeless appeal and technical excellence.

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  • Brief Encounter
    2
    Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway
    61 votes
    • Released: 1945
    • Directed by: David Lean
    Returning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) is thrown by happenstance into an acquaintance with virtuous doctor Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard). Their casual friendship soon develops during their weekly visits into something more emotionally fulfilling than either expected, and they must wrestle with the potential havoc their deepening relationship would have on their lives and the lives of those they love.

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  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
    3
    William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa
    87 votes
    • Released: 1957
    • Directed by: David Lean
    Set against the backdrop of World War II, The Bridge on the River Kwai is an epic war film. It narrates the tale of British POWs, commanded by Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), who are forced by their Japanese captors to construct a strategic railway bridge. Under extreme conditions, they must grapple with questions of duty and honor. The film's climax unfolds around an American commando mission led by Major Shears (William Holden) to destroy the bridge. Noteworthy for its memorable performances and gripping narrative, the film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

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  • Doctor Zhivago
    4
    Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin
    93 votes
    • Released: 1965
    • Directed by: David Lean
    Set against the backdrop of Russia's tumultuous political landscape, Doctor Zhivago is a sweeping epic that tells the tale of Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), a physician and poet. Balancing his love for two women, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) and Lara (Julie Christie), amidst the chaos of World War I and the Russian Revolution, Zhivago grapples with his torn affections. Directed by David Lean, this film won five Academy Awards. It stands as a monument in cinema history for its grandeur and portrayal of human resilience during times of upheaval.
  • Great Expectations
    5
    John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Bernard Miles
    46 votes
    • Released: 1946
    • Directed by: David Lean
    In this Dickens adaptation, orphan Pip (John Mills) discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers (Francis L. Sullivan) that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt), and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella (Valerie Hobson), he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

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  • Oliver Twist
    6
    Robert Newton, Alec Guinness, John Davies
    36 votes
    • Released: 1948
    • Directed by: David Lean
    When 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (John Howard Davies) dares to ask his cruel taskmaster, Mr. Bumble (Francis L. Sullivan), for a second serving of gruel, he's hired out as an apprentice. Escaping that dismal fate, young Oliver falls in with the street urchin known as the Artful Dodger (Anthony Newley) and his criminal mentor, Fagin (Alec Guinness). When kindly Mr. Brownlow (Henry Stephenson) takes Oliver in, Fagin's evil henchman Bill Sikes (Robert Newton) plots to kidnap the boy.

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