History of Movies.

David Lean

25.54body-of-work score · ranked #8 of 1774 directors · 14 films in our library

A director's score is the sum of their films' composite canon scores — methodology.

Films in our library, ranked

Ranked by composite canon score across 20+ authoritative lists, awards and polls — our ordering, with every placement citing its evidence on the film's page.

  1. 1Lawrence of Arabia19627.71Must-See #5
  2. 2The Bridge on the River Kwai19575.13Must-See #42
  3. 3Brief Encounter19452.21
  4. 4Hobson's Choice19542.16
  5. 5Doctor Zhivago19651.79
  6. 6Great Expectations19461.77
  7. 7In Which We Serve19421.29
  8. 8A Passage to India19841.20
  9. 9Ryan's Daughter19700.63
  10. 10Summertime19550.59
  11. 11Oliver Twist19480.43
  12. 12The Sound Barrier19520.29
  13. 13This Happy Breed19440.16
  14. 14Blithe Spirit19450.16