The Best David Lean Movies, Ranked
31 credits from 1942 to 2023, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The biggest box office hit is Doctor Zhivago (1965) with $112M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest David Lean Box Office Hits
David Lean's films have made $218M worldwide in total. Doctor Zhivago (1965) is the biggest hit at $112M, ahead of A Passage to India (1985) ($33M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
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Doctor Zhivago 1965 · Drama $112M $112M dom. - 2
A Passage to India 1985 · Adventure $33M $27.2M dom. - 3
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 · Adventure $27.2M $27.2M dom. - 4
Brief Encounter 1946 · Drama $119K - 5
The Passionate Friends 1949 · Drama $40.3K - 6
Great Expectations 1947 · Adventure $33.4K - 7
In Which We Serve 1942 · Drama $247 - 8
Blithe Spirit 1945 · Fantasy $169 - 9
This Happy Breed 1944 · Drama $158
The Best David Lean Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre David Lean has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 8 films, and Doctor Zhivago (1965) is the pick of them.
The Best David Lean Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of David Lean's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1940s to 1980s.
Most Awarded David Lean Movies
David Lean's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) leads with 14 wins from 16 nominations.
The Latest David Lean Movies
The most recent films David Lean is credited on, newest first — starting with Lawrence of Arabia (re-release) (2002). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
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Lawrence of Arabia (re-release) 2002 · Director -
Lawrence of Arabia (re-release) 2002 · Director - A Passage to India 1985 · Director
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Ryan’s Daughter 1970 · Director - Doctor Zhivago 1965 · Director
- The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 · Director
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Summertime 1955 · Director -
Hobson’s Choice 1954 · Director -
The Sound Barrier 1952 · Director -
Oliver Twist 1951 · Director -
Madeleine 1950 · Director - The Passionate Friends 1949 · Director
The Best David Lean Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest David Lean films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the highest-grossing David Lean movie?
Doctor Zhivago (1965) made the most at the box office, with $112M worldwide, followed by A Passage to India (1985) with $33M. Together, David Lean's films with box office figures have made $218M.
Which David Lean movie won the most awards?
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is the most decorated David Lean film, with 14 wins from 16 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best David Lean drama movie?
Doctor Zhivago (1965) is the best-rated of David Lean's drama films. In other genres: A Passage to India (adventure) and Blithe Spirit (fantasy).
What is the newest David Lean movie?
The newest film on David Lean's filmography is AFI Life Achievement Award: 50th Anniversary Special (2023), with David Lean as Self (archive footage).
More Movie Rankings & Collections
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