Your favourite pre-1970 'decades-spanning' film?

MakeEmLaugh

A cursory glance at the IMDB Top 250 reveals several films that span several years, often decades, in telling their respective stories.

The Godfather (spanning 1945-1955)
The Shawshank Redemption (spanning 1947-1977)
Goodfellas (spanning 1955 - 1980)
Forrest Gump (spanning 1955 - 1993)
City of God (spanning 1960s - 1980s)
Cinema Paradiso (spanning 1940s - 1980s)
Braveheart (spanning 1280 - 1314)
There Will Be Blood (spanning 1902 - 1927)

However, the phenomena of 'decades-spanning' films seems much more prevalent, at least in US cinema from the 'New Hollywood' era onwards (i.e. 1970). That said, there are some great decades-spanning films pre-1970.

Citizen Kane (spanning 1870s - 1930s)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (spanning 1902 - 1939)
It's a Wonderful Life (spanning 1910s - 1930s)

My question is, what are your favourite decades-spanning films pre-1970?

enda1

Nostalgia's a hell of a drug.

delbertgrady

2001: A Space Odyssey.

Spans a hell of a long time.

krudler

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

My question is, what are your favourite decades-spanning films pre-1970?

Sounds like a netflix suggestion :pac:

e_e

I'd take the worthy suggestions of There Will Be Blood, The Godfather Part 2 and 2001 A Space Odyssey and also add The Tree of Life.

MakeEmLaugh

delbertgrady wrote: »

2001: A Space Odyssey.

Spans a hell of a long time.

Good shout.

krudler wrote: »

Sounds like a netflix suggestion :pac:

Eh?

krudler

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

Eh?

Netflix has a tendency to group movies together based on your past viewing histroy with makey uppy genre names "dark psychological thrillers with a strong female lead" "wacky buddy movies from the 80's" etc.

missingtime

Casino would be another one.

rednik

How the west was won. Great cast and great directors, looks splendid on blu ray.

delbertgrady

Those Biblical epics fairly chalk up the decades too:

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
King of Kings (1961)
The Ten Commandments (1956)

Also...

Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Giant (1956)

MakeEmLaugh

krudler wrote: »

Netflix has a tendency to group movies together based on your past viewing histroy with makey uppy genre names "dark psychological thrillers with a strong female lead" "wacky buddy movies from the 80's" etc.

Oh, right.