I'm trying to narrow my list to within an affordable range and I'm caught between two titles competing for an almost completely blind buy:

• The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
• The Earrings of Madame de...

I've seen them both pop up continuously in discussions and circles I frequent. Both are beloved by acclaimed directors, both considered masterpieces. For those of you who have seen both or either, how would you describe them? At the moment, I'm leaning a bit more toward Blimp if only because it's longer, so I'm getting "more movie", but that of course is a bit frivolous. I thought about posting my small collection as an indicator, but I think I'd rather just hear about them from a blank slate space, i.e. why do you enjoy them?

I'd appreciate any thoughts or insight about either film. Thanks!