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Summary: Best Overview of Overlord/Neptune on video
Review: In its day the movie (and book) "The Longest Day" was revolutionary in its retelling of history. It combined individual accounts with "classic" military history to tell the story of one the most important campaigns in history. At a time when histories written in the US were basically one-sided chest thumping accounts; this one actually portrayed the Germans as what most were: dedicated professional soldiers who were fighting the Allies and their own high command. Additionally, the critical role of the other Allies in planning and execution of D-Day were finally given their due in a popular history.In one way at least, the movie is more historically accurate than the book. At the time the book was written (early 1960) common belief was that Erwin Rommel was a conspirator against Hitler. The author uncritically parroted that exaggeration in his work. However, the movie deletes nearly all references to Rommel's "role" in the conspiracy; modern research bears this out. He was a tangential at best member of the plot to kill Hitler on 20 July 1944. The historical weaknesses of the book replicate themselves in the movie. Primarily characters are sometimes given more prominence than their actual role deserves. This tendency is aggravated in the film by using "big name" stars in those roles. Other reviewers have mentioned this movie in connection with Saving Private Ryan. The two simply cannot be compared. The Longest Day is an epic told on a huge scale to match the operation itself. Individuals therefore die cleanly and heroically. SPR on the hand, is an intensely personal account of infantry combat at the platoon/squad level-the landing of the 2nd Rangers on the beach is the most accurate ever filmed, period. Combat IS random, bloody and revolting; SPR wisely reminds us of this unpleasant truth. But in NO way was it intended to describe all of Overlord. All in all The Longest Day is an excellent movie, and, unusally for Hollywood pretty good history.
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Summary: John Has A Long Moustache
Review: This is truly the best war movie of all time. Nothing compares, and nothing ever will. This excellent film shows the entire D-Day invasion, from all sides. This movie shows everything. ALL the beaches are covered, as well as 'lesser known' but equally important battles like the landing on Pointe Du Hoc, the battle at the Orne River Bridge (Pegasus Bridge), and a lot about the paratroops that landed. Who needs gory violence. Most people don't know anything about D-Day but after watching something like Saving Private Ryan they'll think D-Day was a bunch of soldiers getting blown apart on a beach. Unlike SPR, this movie shows, in detail, all the events from the commanders' point of view. Very good adaption of the Cornelius Ryan book. If your someone who has just watched Saving Private Ryan, and wants to know what the hell D-Day was really all about, than watch this. Very educational.
Rating: 
Summary: History vs Blood & Guts
Review: A comparison of The Longest Day (TLD) with Saving Private Ryon (SPR) is like comparing apples with body parts. TLD is an accurate historical doccumentary without the now-popular blood and guts splattered all over your screen portrail. The focus of TLD is to portray the events leading up to and including the Normandy invasion in an even, non-predudicial fashion from the American, British, French and German perspectives. Some of the humor is a bit corny and stilted and attempts to develop the characters of the American GI's fall short of being realistic. But these are minor complaints. I have watched this movie many times and continue to enjoy it. Spielberg, on the other hand, is mainly focused on displaying the horrors and absurdity of war and he does so quite graphically in SPR. Having been in a combat situation, I have to say his portrail is quite accurate; uncomfortably capturing the essence of what it is really like. With TLD I can relive history. With SPR, I am reminded why I didn't re-enlist!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad, But Has Some Flaws.
Review: This no doubt is a good movie and it can be seen that there was a lot of work put into it. I liked that fact that The Longest Day didn't just show the American perspective, but also the German perspective for example. The black/white didn't bother me, but a couple of things did. No one seems to bleed and everyone dies a quick death. Also this movie makes it look easy running up a beach with enemy fire all around. The movie also doesn't always carry on a serious tone, but almost a comedic one. Besides that, this is still a pretty good movie that is well made, but is too sanitized and play it safe.
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Summary: One of the Best WWII Movies Ever
Review: The Longest Day has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it as a kid in the late 70's. It led me into an interest in the Invasion of Normandy. Since then I have read a dozen books on the subject including Ryan's book The Longest Day as well as Ambrose's D-Day: The Sixth of June. This movie is a far superior "historical document" than Saving Private Ryan. Although I agree that comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges I still can't help doing it. TLD is an ensemble cast movie that seeks to teach the viewer about D-Day itself. The actors play real people (generals mostly) who have an impact on the battle. SPR is concerned with a fictional group of rangers looking for an equally fictional Private Ryan. There isn't much history to be gleaned from that movie. While I admit that SPR presents a more grusomely bloody (and accurate) view of the battle on the Normany beaches themselves, it is not concerned with telling the story of D-Day. I have a feeling that the majority of the people who saw SPR in theaters were unfamiliar with the historical events surrounding this great battle. It is unlikely that their knowledge of D-Day was increased as a result of seeing SPR. If you have seen SPR but not TLD, do yourself a favor and watch TLD. It will at least give you context for what you saw in Spielberg's movie. The Longest Day is epic storytelling at its best. If SPR has a cast of dozens, TLD has a cast of thousands. In addition, the movie is very accurate as far as Hollywood movies go. I should also mention that TLD has excellent acting, cinematography, and directing. Do yourself a favor and watch this one in a letterbox presentation. Which is the better movie? I personally believe The Longest Day to be better although Saving Private Ryan is still good in its own right. Other great epic war movies with ensemble casts that attempt to present the historical "big picture" include Tora! Tora! Tora!, A Bridge Too Far, and Gettysburg. The Longest Day is my favorite although Gettysburg presents strong competition. Great biopic epics include Patton and Lawrence of Arabia. Perhaps the ultimate movie would be a version of The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan's gory realism. Sadly, such a movie will probably never be made. Still, The Longest Day stands on its own just fine without it.
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Summary: FABULOUS!
Review: The most INCREDIBLE movie ever made. How people can even compare this to SPR, boggles the mind! They are two totally different types of flicks. This is incredibly accurate movie. It's almost scene for scene from Cornelius Ryan's book. It's fascinating! I've seen the B&W and color versions about 10 times & still love it. Gory violence is not needed to depict D-Day -- this is subtle, but so much stronger!
Rating:
Summary: The best war movie of its generation
Review: This great movie STILL sets the standard for war films. A stunning achievement, this recreation of D-Day still rates in the top five war movies ever filmed, it is up there on my own list of favorites right beside THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY and THE BRIDGES OF TOKO-RI.
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Summary: Why not the colorised version?
Review: I bought the colorised video of The Longest Day and the color improved it.I know that there are people that are against this but the fact is,as far as action movies are concerned,color improves them.
Rating:
Summary: The finest, most acurate war movie ever made.
Review: There have been many reviews of this great movie that have compared it with another great war movie, Saving Pvt Ryan. This is not just silly, but ridiculous. SPR was based on a fictional script, written to become a movie. TLD is based on Cornelious Ryan's best selling, AND VERY ACCURATE book of the same name. Luckily, MR. Zannuck shared Mr. Ryan's commitment to reality. When he filmed paratroopers of the 82nd unluckily dropping into the town square at St. MereEgleise, he filmed on the actual town square. Yes, a paratrooper did hang from the church spire and witness the slaughter, and yes Red Buttons hangs from the SAME church spire, and was also deafened from the same bells. Likewise the portrayal of the 6th Airborne (British) seizure of the bridge over the canal (Pegasus Bridge)is portrayed with great accuracy at the actual bridge. The actor who plays Maj Howard at the bridge was a 6th Division veteran who had jumped into Normandy on June 6. The US Rangers attack on Point du Hoc is filmed at the actual site as well. I don't think any other war movie ever had that attention to detail. Much is made of the Marine Captain who gave some instruction to SPR actors. Long before that, Zannuck had German Army veterans spend 3 weeks teaching the Frenchmen who would portray the Whermact soldiers how to handle weapons, equipment and act as German soldiers acted, (3 Weeks!!) This movie is great, because in addition, German actors portray German soldiers, British actors portray their countryman with that typical British "at the sharp end" coolness, and of course American actors portray the Americans. About the only critiscism I'd agree with is Robert Ryan and John Wayne WERE too old for the officers they portrayed. SPR was a great warmovie, however, Mr Hanks, I must disagree, it's no "Historical Document" People who need that sort of graphic violence to show them how horrible war is need to pick up an occasional book (TLD would be a good start) that has more text than pictures. TLD IS a great movie, it's no substitute for reading the book, but you will understand something of what the Allied soldier faced when he underwent his "Longest Day" by watching it.
Rating:
Summary: BEST WAR FILM EVER!!!
Review: Of all war movies, this would have to rank as the best. It's not as good as Saving Private Ryan, it's BETTER! Based on the book by the same title, this film is surprisingly accurate. It covers the ENTIRE invasion (but the Gold-Juno beaches aren't shown in detail like the others), everything from Paratroopers to the Rangers on Pointe Du Hoc. Sure, it lacks gory violence like SPR, but that makes it even better. I don't want blood and gore, I just want a film that shows the events and happenings in detail, and this film delivers. 43 international stars are in this one, but some are only on screen for a minute or so. But who cares. We've seen them so many times. Germans speak German, and French speak French. No crude dubbing here, just good ol' subtitles! This film won 2 Oscars for cinematography and special effects. If you want to see a excellent war movie, or just wanna learn more about D-Day, this is as good as it gets! Colourized version is much better than B&W though.
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