The Longest Day

Rating:
Summary: OK!
Review: This may not have great explosions but saving pvt. ryan was an awsome tale about a soildier and his trip to hell and back and the longest day was about all of D-day so dont bash saving pvt. ryan ... tnx

Rating:
Summary: OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
Review: This is as good as it gets, while some other war movies are as good as "The Longest Day", there are none better!
1. John Wayne, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton in the same film, WOW!
2. Beautifully shot, with a depth of reality that is extraordinary.
3. A wide array of characters, each woven into the tapestry and magic of the film.
4. Epic in every way, you feel the importance of this DAY that will change the world, it is what film making is all about.
OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A), DIALOGUE: (B), SETTING: (B+), ACTION/COMBAT: (A), ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (C-), SEX: (n/a), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

Rating:
Summary: AMAZING WAR EPIC ...HORRRRRRRIBLE DVD!!!!
Review: This amazing war epic should had been treated better. The dvd only offers a theatrical trailer. For the magnitude of the film, I deeply believe that a special edition with Behind the scenes (wich exist!!!) and other incredible documentaries should be made!.ç
This is really sad for such an amazing and complete war epic that include the performences of 48 international stars. Is you find the dialogue or some jokes silly or incredible cheese, well keep in mind that this film was made in 1962, when dialogues and jokes were very damn silly. This is a trully incredible war epic that is highgly recomended.

Rating:
Summary: A note on the definitive D-Day movie
Review: If you've only seen the movie and have not read the Cornelius Ryan book on which the film is based, here's an interesting tidbit. Yes, a paratrooper really fell into a Normandy well. But while the movie leaves the viewer with the sad impression that the poor guy drowned, he didn't: he climbed out.

Rating:
Summary: A Great WWII Epic
Review: This film not only has a great cast of American actors, including John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, but famous French stars (Jean Louis Barrault and Arletty), British actors (Richard Burton, Peter Lawford), and German stars.
The basic plot is of the D-Day invasion at Normandy beach in France by the Allied troops. Beautifully filmed and wonderfully cast, it follows the story of a wide array of characters and their roles in the invasion.

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Film
Review: "The Longest Day" seemed aptly appropriate, as it has become a classic cornerstone of epic film-making about the war, having done something never before accomplished in its time, namely attempting to render, in one film, the grand scale of that first day of the D-Day landings, June 6, 1942. the film suitably shows the preparations made before the landings, effectively building the story just before that famous day in history, and follows a tremendous cast of formidable actors as they portray critical characters in that fateful day's events. The implication of the film is obviously not to tell the tale of the whole war, or even to develop any one character, which is discussed further later. Rather, the film-makers seem to have intended to portray both the sheer magnitude of human achievement as well as loss associated with the invasion of Fortress Europe by the Allies in their attempt to wrest control of the continent from Germany and its Axis allies.

"The Longest Day" is unquestionably an historically accurate film about the events leading up to and including D-day. It includes vignette depictions of the Allied soldiers waiting to be deployed, after having been put on standby several times. It illustrates the day-to-day lives of the occupying Germans who did not expect the invasion. In fact, the landing of such a large force was considered unlikely and even impossible considering the weather at the time. The stories of the Glider Troops, Paratroop drops, the beach landings, and the actual land invasion itself all come together to weave this immense tale.

Something of great value about this film, essentially a macro view of that fateful day in 1942, is the film-maker's decision to present the plot from multiple perspectives. Wisely, these points of view include the Allies (mostly Americans, British, and the Free French), the Germans, and even a bit of the French Resistance. It effectively portrays the attitudes of the soldiers, commanders, and large groups like divisions and armies through the dialog and actions. The audience even gets to see some of the personal moments of that day. The story deftly follows several individual's exploits whose historical significance may or may not be great, but who are nevertheless part of the fabric of that momentous date. There is little character development, and rightly so, because it focuses on The Day and its events, which are, in essence, the main characters more so than the actors. However, the characters are still very intriguing, and deep due to the magnificent performances by an ensemble cast including, to name a few, John Wayne, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton.

This remarkable movie has amazingly large, almost panoramic, scenes. Shot with an eye and fell for the enormity of the moment, the director of photography created several scenes where the camera pans back to show an immense battlefield filled with thousands of extras. Given an bird's eye view of the struggle, the audience cannot help but be awed by the size of the engagements depicted. The sets are also notable because of the high quality and sheer volume of period artifacts, vehicles, uniforms and equipment. In all fairness, where Steven Spielberg expertly used computer generated graphics (CGI) and matte painting to stage the enormity of D-Day, "The Longest Day" employs literally employs a cast of thousands, and what appear to be thousands of acres of movie set. Simply put, some scenes are awesome and worthy or rewinding.

It is interesting to explore a social context of this film, and place it in perspective with its release date. Unlike modern war films, "The Longest Day" lacks gore and death. Some modern day critics have denounced this, and it may be wholly unjustified. If one considers that the film was made in 1962, a time when the typical audience was filled with people who not only knew what World War II was like, but may have been personally involved in it (the war had been over for only 15 years), the significance of this takes on a different meaning. If average World War II veterans were, let us say, approximately fifty years of age, their memories were still clear and most likely still impinged somehow by those memories. "The Longest Day" did not, nor did it really need to include the horrors of war to help sell it. On the contrary, if "The Longest Day" had the sort of gore associated with "Saving Private Ryan," the movie might not have sold, because the public would have thought it to be unnecessarily graphic. It is notable to recall that many modern audiences believed "Saving Private Ryan" to be overly graphic. In fact, it became a selling point for that film. If today's public, desensitized by not only the passage of time since the war's end, as well as the accustomed violence of modern films thought "Ryan" was too violent, "The Longest Day" would have been considered utterly distasteful in 1962 had it been filmed with the same sort of graphic depictions of carnage. While "The Longest Day" was not intended for children, there is no content that would be deemed objectionable for them to see, minus perhaps the situation to which the movie pertains.

It is noticeable that the Allies' story is favored. More of it is portrayed that that of the German side. This could be because there was more information available about the Allied operation, and because the film was meant for an American audience. It was gratifying to see people from both sides of the story being depicted as human, even when it is discovered that Hitler had just taken an untimely sedative, was resting, and was not to be disturbed, even as the invasion began!

Overall, "The Longest Day" is an inspiring film, which should be watched with the understanding of someone who might have lived through the war, even if it is imagined. Likewise, it should not be compared to modern movies, because the point trying to be made would be missed.

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Film.
Review: "The Longest Day" is a historically accurate film about the events leading up to and including D-day. It includes the Ally soldiers waiting to be deployed after being put on standby several times, the Germans not expecting the landing of the large force, the glider and paratroop missions, the beach landings, and the land invasion. This film, like any present situation, only hints at what might happen later. The movie is told from multiple perspectives including the Allies (mostly Americans, British, and the Free French), Germans, and even a bit of the French Resistance. It effectively portrays the attitudes of the soldiers, commanders, and large groups like divisions and armies through the dialog and actions. There is little character development, and rightly so, because it focuses on the day and its events which are, in essence, the main characters more so than the actors. However, the characters are still very intriguing and deep due to the magnificent performances by an ensemble cast including, to name a few, John Wayne, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton. This incredible movie has amazingly large and almost panoramic scenes. In some scenes, the camera pans back to show the large battlefield and thousands of extras which help depict the size of the engagements. The sets are also notable because of the high quality and sheer volume of period artifacts.
This epic film, unlike modern war films, lacks gore and death because it was made in 1962 when people still knew what World War II was like. "The Longest Day" did not include, nor did it need to, the horrors of war to help sell it. ... If today's desensitized public thought "Saving Private Ryan" was graphic, it would surely have been insensitive to the public. While "The Longest Day" was not intended for children, there is no content that would be deemed objectionable for them to see, minus perhaps the situation to which the movie pertains.
There are a few awkward bits in the film. When some briefings are given, only one man responds to the commander's questions. In addition, the air cover on the beaches seemed limited. It is possible that there were only two German aircraft, but that seems unlikely. It is noticeable that the Allies' story is favored and more of it is portrayed that that of the German's. It could be because there is more information available about the Allied operation, but I postulate that it is because it was released to an American audience. ...BR> Overall, "The Longest Day" is an incredible film, which should be watched with the understanding of someone that lived through the war, even if it is imagined. Likewise, it should not be compared to modern movies because the point trying to be made would be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Longest Cameo Day
Review: The Longest Day was one of the most anticipated films ever when it was about to hit the theaters over forty years ago. A lot of people really love this film, and don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible film, but I don't love it and I don't see what makes it so special. The Longest Day is a long movie, which is a given, but the movie is a one time watch. After seeing it for the first time, I know for a fact that I doubt that I shall want to see it again. Again, it's not because it's a bad movie, or I don't like historical war films, it's just that it does very little as far as entertainment value and progression of the characters.

I gave it three stars because it is historically accurate, it is pretty easy to follow (the battle of Normandy I mean), and it does use some live footage that helps enhance its realness. This earned it three stars, but there is more to a movie than just realness or accuracy. There are things like character development, or main characters at that. Also, there is something called a consistant storyline, something within the plot that tells of a story. These things lacking reduces the star count to three and no more.

Let's talk about the missing consistancy in the story. Now, what is a consistant story? It's a story that has a beginning and an end, a conclusion. There is no one single consistant story in this film. The movie is about the Landing at Normandy, but it has a bunch of scenarios that kinda pop up during the film. These are the storylines, but they aren't consistant. For example, within the first hour of the film the story of the French Underground prior to the Landing is told. But it goes for say 20-30 minutes and then it just quits. The film doesn't go back to it, it just leaves it and its characters that they were shaping kinda out in the dark, forgotten about. This is a no no in story telling. You don't introduce characters, tell a story with them in it, but never go back to them. But rather just introduce new characters in new situations and scenarios. This isn't a consistant storyline, it's bouncing from one scenario to the next, shuffling characters and sub-plots around like some talent show.

Let's talk about the character development, or the characters in general. Most of the characters in the film are historically true. But like the storyline, it shuffles the characters in and out like a talent show. In fact this movie really is more talent show than movie. The reason why I say this is because this film has no real main character or even primary characters. Because it has so many scenarios, and different characters within those many scenarios, no character or characters emerge as a focal point.

However, this isn't a bad thing necessarily. Take a film like Tora! Tora! Tora! and this multi-scenario/lacking main character(s) chemistry works. But it doesn't work with the Longest Day. Why? Well in Tora! Tora! Tora! the cast consisted of nobodies. There really isn't an actor in that film that one would expect to take a leading role. In the Longest Day, there is an arm full of actors that you would expect to be the focal character. Not to mention, the characters and scenarios in Tora! Tora! Tora! didn't just vanish like they do in the Longest Day.

The Longest Day is not a film with an intent to tell an entertaining story, with characters you can follow. No, it is rather just a cameo movie. Think of it, would this film have the reputation, the prestige, the admiration if it didn't have an all-star cast? It is because it has an all star cast that people like this film, primarily. It's a cameo film. In this cameo film is where none of these "famous" actors really play a leading role, they just kinda poke their head into the film, supposedly play the role of a historical figure, and that's all there is to it. Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, these actors and more only have like 15 minutes in the film each. So it's quite clear that this is nothing more but an all-star, cameo movie. And because it lacks a consistant storyline, with consistant characters who last the whole film, the only way this film could get the admiration it desired was to plug in big names in small roles.

I see the Longest Day as more of a tribute film than a movie. It's intent was to round up big names and put them in historical roles, although minor roles mind you, and tell the story of June 6th, 1944 in a condensed form. And this isn't a bad thing, again, necessarily. It's a film worth seeing once, you'll learn something of the battle of Normandy. But with me, I like characters that last, I like a storyline that doesn't jump from scenario to scenario leaving sub-plots unfinished, untold. Not to mention, the ending of this film is for the pits. Apparently, they were spending too much money for these big name actors that they ran out of budget to end it right. The abrupt ending is just another black mark against this film. And it is indeed the Longest Cameo Film ever.

Grade: C+

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best War Movies Ever Made
Review: This movie is, hands down, one of the best WWII films ever. It's filmed in black and white, which may seem old and boring, but it does quite the opposite. The B&W only makes the movie seem more graphic and more realistic, while allowing the filmmakers to cut in actual WWII footage.

This film has it all, the horror of war without the graphicness of war, the emotional turmoil men go through, a great soundtrack, historical accuracy, (the foreign characters even speak their own languages) and, of course, The Duke. (I mean John Wayne) This covers so much more than Saving Private Ryan did, showing much more than the beach landings, you get the paradrops, the famous assault on Pointe de Huc, and the German perspective on the invasions.

This is classic filmmaking at its best. Simply stunning cinematography, sound, and acting.

The only problem I have with this movie is the portrayal of the assualt on Pointe de Huc; the Rangers that fought there actually did come across and destroy the guns they were sent to knock out. Darryl F. Zanuck (the director) explained this by saying that he wanted to make a statement of the futility of war. I agree with this statement, though he could've done it differently, instead of mocking the sacrifice the 2nd Ranger Battalion made to save men on Utah beach.

This is the only inaccuracy that I could find in the movie. If you want a G-rated, well done, profoundly moving and sometimes funny war film, definately buy The Longest Day. It's superb.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie
Review: I'm a 20 year old girl, and although some war movies are ok, they're not my favorite thing in the world...This one totally blew me away. I was 10 the first time i watched it with my father, and i've watched it at least 5 more times since...I absolutely love the longest day, because not only is it a very accurate portrayal of what went on, but the international cast of actors was simply amazing, from Fernandel to Connery, this was truly a great movie...i highly recommend this movie to everyone, especially my generation, and if you think black and white movies [are bad], then you're truly ignorant, because some of the best movies ever are in black and white (and for those of you who didn't know, there's actually a color version of this movie as well that you can buy at select stores)...