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CineRank

David Lean

Director · 33 credits · 16 in highly-rated films

Best known for Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Frequent collaborators: Omar Sharif, Robert Bolt, Alec Guinness, Geraldine Chaplin, Julie Christie

Best David Lean movies by genre

Directed movies (17 total, ranked by score)

  1. Lawrence of Arabia

    1962 · ★ 8.0 (3,536 votes)

    Adventure, History, War

    1

  2. The Bridge on the River Kwai

    1957 · ★ 7.8 (2,428 votes)

    Drama, History, War

    2

  3. Doctor Zhivago

    1965 · ★ 7.6 (1,294 votes)

    Drama, Romance, War

    3

  4. Brief Encounter

    1945 · ★ 7.7 (721 votes)

    Drama, Romance

    4

  5. Oliver Twist

    1948 · ★ 7.5 (262 votes)

    Drama, Adventure, Crime

    5

  6. Great Expectations

    1946 · ★ 7.3 (383 votes)

    Drama, Romance

    6

  7. Ryan's Daughter

    1970 · ★ 7.1 (180 votes)

    Romance, History, Drama

    7

  8. Hobson's Choice

    1954 · ★ 7.4 (165 votes)

    Comedy, Drama, Romance

    8

  9. A Passage to India

    1984 · ★ 6.8 (333 votes)

    Drama, Adventure, History

    9

  10. Blithe Spirit

    1945 · ★ 7.0 (167 votes)

    Comedy, Fantasy

    10

  11. This Happy Breed

    1944 · ★ 7.1 (63 votes)

    Drama

    11

  12. In Which We Serve

    1942 · ★ 6.8 (105 votes)

    Drama, War

    12

  13. Summertime

    1955 · ★ 6.7 (171 votes)

    Drama, Romance

    13

  14. The Passionate Friends

    1949 · ★ 6.9 (62 votes)

    Drama, Romance

    14

  15. The Sound Barrier

    1952 · ★ 6.5 (59 votes)

    Drama, Romance, War

    15

  16. Madeleine

    1950 · ★ 6.9 (37 votes)

    Drama, Crime, Mystery

    16

  17. Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor

    1979 · ★ 7.0 (1 votes)

    Documentary

    17

Credits are ranked using the same weighted score as movie collections. Last updated Aug 30, 2026.