How those four hours fly by so effortlessly is beyond me. Truly a wonder. I can't even pinpoint what it is that prevents boredom from setting in.
It's not overly action packed or full of sharp cuts. It must be the intrigue the entire story creates that carries the film. Fascinating.
Should be studied in film school.
In turn, how those four hours flew by so effortlessly for you is beyond me.
I thought the pacing was one of the problems with the film. Though to your point, I don't like "overly action packed" films or those "full of sharps cuts," in excess anyway.
My problem with the pacing isn't that it was slow for stretches, but rather, how the pacing was used. That is, what was filmed and portrayed WHILE the pacing was slowed down.
To each his/her own though.