1) The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928–1931)

This Chinese silent film is considered one of the earliest and longest epics in cinematic history. It was released in 18 feature-length parts over three years, with a runtime totaling approximately 1,620 minutes (27 hours). The story, inspired by a popular wuxia novel, centers on martial arts, betrayal, and heroism. Its length allowed for an intricate exploration of characters and subplots, which was unprecedented at the time. The sheer scale and ambition set a foundation for serialized storytelling in Chinese cinema.
Edited by Anshika Jain
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