June 6th 1944, Allied aircraft, ships, and men head toward the Normandy coast of France. They bring along with them the hopes for the defeat of Nazi Germany, and the knowledge that if they fail, it will mean more years of war. THE LONGEST DAY is a film that depicts the struggle that the allies faced in winning the battle of Normandy. The movie portrays the ground battle for Normandy through the eyes of both sides. One gets an omniscient point of view in this movie with the thoughts of the German high command as well as an insight into the allies' thought and split decision-making.
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There are many themes in the movie, which include patriotism, personal sacrifice, and loose. These themes are almost universal when one speaks of war, but the longest day brings these themes to a more personal level. While watching the movie, one can get a sense of what the common foot soldier on both sides felt about the battle, and the overall war. Both sides had to sacrifice materials and men in order to win this battle. Patriotism is a theme that is shown through the French troops that were coming back to their home country. A French soldier says, “This is for Dunkirk!” as he departs his landing craft in a hail of bullets in order to reach his objective, his country.
This film helps one understand the circumstances of the era of World War II. The valiant portrayal of this crucial battle of The War is a great introduction to anyone that is interested in learning about operation overlord, the invasion of Normandy. This film is accurate in its facts, but the visual portrayal is not so. Many men lost their lives on the beaches that day. This movie shows very little death. This movie makes it seem like the troops that stepped out of their landing crafts into uncertainty that day faced very little resistance, which is completely contradictory to what really happened. Nonetheless, this is a gripping movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who is the least bit interested in the battle of Normandy, and to understand why it is called THE LONGEST DAY.
The review of this Movie prepared by Matthew Paluch
Coming in just under three hours, this 1962 Zanuck production to depict and honor the events of June 6, 1944 is an epic in every way. Don't look for character development, but plenty of colorful characters, played by an all-star cast that includes not only Wayne and Mitchum, but Richard Burton, Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Red Buttons, William Shatner, Sean Connery, Fabian, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, Roddy McDowell, Sal Mineo, Robert Ryan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Richard Beymer (fresh from "West Side Story"), Mel Ferrer, and even Tommy Sands. This stirring war film won Oscars for best black-and-white cinematography and special effects.
The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
“The Longest Day” may well be the “longest movie,” too, but there usually are few complaints. Undertaken in epic proportions by Darryl F. Zanuck and based upon the book
by Cornelius Ryan, “The Longest Day” is a tribute to--and the story of--the D-Day Invasion in World War II. Filmed gloriously in black and white and with an assemblage of
48 international actors, the movie certainly earns its merits as one of the great war movies. With quite an awesome undertaking--bringing together experts from both sides of the war and then attempting to film it believably, Zannuck's project seemed almost as massive as the real June 6, 1944, invasion. Melodramatic in parts and with some of the actors, nonetheless, this movie is probably the yardstick by which later war movies looked.
The review of this Movie prepared by Bill Hobbs
