Rating: 
Summary: The Recreation of Normandy
Review: This movie seems a bit shadowed after seeing Saving Private Ryan, but still makes an impression. This film had 48 international stars, all in leading roles. The story of d-day and the events that led to it are told from 4 sides, the Nazis, the French rebellion, leaders in washington, and of course, the Allied troops invading occupied France. This is one of the closest films to the truth Hollywood has ever made. This was a big-budget movie that shows you where the money went.
Rating:
Summary: THE BIG PICTURE
Review: With its black and white photography, ensemble structure, and titles displaying the rank and identity of its historical characters, THE LONGEST DAY, seems almost a docu-drama. The focus is at all times on the momentous nature of the event, as if each soldier seems aware the historical and strategic importance. There are no bad guys. Patriotism and war weariness exude from every quarter, from the American command burdened by the consequences of sending so many boys to their deaths, to the British consumed with the desire for the war to be over, to the French enraged by four years of harsh occupation, to the Germans knowing the outcome of the war is at stake. In the German sector, the Nazis and SS are nowhere to be seen, while contempt for Hitler and fatalism are everywhere. The comparison with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is inevitable and undeserved. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is a testament to war correspondant Ernie Pyle's statement, "to the G.I., the war is a hundred yards wide." Blood and evisceration are absent from THE LONGEST DAY. It's about the big picture, covered with the thoroughness of a term paper and the celebration of a fourth of July parade. Allowing for some of the Hollywood dramatic license, it has a very authentic feel to the considerable action. For WWII buffs, it is a must. As an example of epic film making, it is a must. I saw it at its original release, when it was an event movie with reserved seats. It still works.
Rating:
Summary: Best Depiction of How a Battle Is Really Planned and Fought
Review: Based on Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day" masterpiece,Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" - especially thefirst 25 minutes - will give you a better idea of what combat is really like... but "The Longest Day", based on another masterpiece (the book of the same name by Cornelius Ryan), illustrates better than any Hollywood picture how war is an organizational effort, won - or lost - not by a handful of superheroes but by a combination of armies, units, and individuals, along with healthy doses of planning, determination, and luck.P.S. A note to the person complaining that none of the main Allied characters getting killed in the movie: Since the film recreates the real-life experiences of soldiers on June 6, 1944 - as told in hundreds of interviews after the war to journalist-author Cornelius Ryan - it stands to reason that every single one of the interviewees obviously - obviously! - survived Operation Overlord (and, indeed, the war). And if one observes closely, none of the characters played by the major German actors is actually killed either, and that for the same obvious reason.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the most realistic; just the best story.
Review: "The Longest Day" may not convey the horror of battle as well as "Private Ryan", and it does perpetuate a number of myths about the invasion that have crept into the history books. But it's entertaining and it gives a pretty good picture of all the people and events surrounding the invasion, from Eisenhower's decision down to the experiences of one soldier. I saw this movie when it first came out, again just a few weeks ago, and probably twenty or more times in the years between. It still holds up, and it still entertains.
Rating:
Summary: Longest Day true to history
Review: If you want to see what really happened at Omaha Beach (as opposed to Private Ryan's 'Hollywood' fictionalized account about an infantry squad ordered to fight their way thru the entire German army to find a private in an area of 400 square miles, while gliders are flying in... figure that one out. Spielberg's sense of reality is as bad as his sense of history) then you should view the Longest day: the closest Hollywood has ever came to providing an accurate account of an historical event.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, excellent, most excellent epic War Movie.
Review: The Longest Day has been made to an accurate scale. The all star cast is unbeatable, the battle scenes are utterly, fantastic! The invasion scenes were very accuratly done, the action is: Wow!. I think that this is an excellent film also because it does NOT treat all Germans as criminals, and portrays them as human beings, that can celebrate birthdays, play cards, joke around, as we all do. This film did NOT have to have the blood and guts, and the foul language, as Saving Private Ryan needed, in order to portray the film as was wanted. This film has merits all its own, and conveys the essence that is meant, while maintaining the position as being a movie for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Truly awesome, historically accurate, AND educational
Review: "The Longest Day" is an awesome and engrossing history lesson about arguably the most important day of World War II, the day the Allies stormed Normandy. It should be watched IN COMBINATION with "Saving Private Ryan". Private Ryan is great for pointing out the horrors of war but it falls a little short in the history department. It does very accurately depict the Omaha Beach landings, but then it drifts into a fictional story (a good one nonetheless). D-Day was about a LOT more than just Omaha Beach, it was a huge, multi-pronged invasion. The Longest Day, meanwhile, meticulously re-traces the events, conversations, decisions and strategies used by the Germans, Americans, British, and French. It builds beautifully in its' tension leading up to H-hour. Sure, it may not show intestines and other internal organs hanging out of GI's bellies after being ripped apart by German machine guns, but it doesn't NEED to. It has a different focus: namely, the STRATEGIES, the plans, the deceptions. Basically, how it all came together. I LOVED Saving Private Ryan. But I ALSO loved The Longest Day. See both.
Rating: 
Summary: I know this movie was made in the sixties but to unrealistic
Review: I saw this movie a couple days ago. It was good but too unrealistic. Soldiers die a short and easy death but this movie cannot be compared to Saving Private Ryan at all
Rating: 
Summary: A too romantic/glorified picture of war
Review: This movie was good but only because of the history. War is not about shooting the bad guys and running up the beaches yelling "C'mon, let's go" War is horrific. If you want a movie concerning what the men of D-Day went through go see Saving Private Ryan
Rating:
Summary: Les sanglots long des violons d' autonne
Review: I've seen this film several times. When it was release ( around 1963 ) and now ( 1999 ). And I can say that this motionpicture is one of the best concerning the D-Day. Comparisons whith Private Rian are not possible - they are different. And both good. I recomend.
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