Rating: 
Summary: D-Day Epic
Review: The Longest Day is an epic World War II film that details the night leading up to and including the D-Day invasion. The film is directed by three directors (Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton & Bernhard Wicki) with each filming the story from the US, UK and German point of view. The film is authentic as it includes actually military leaders and the German actors speak German (with subtitles). The fact that the film is in black and white adds to the starkness of the mission that Allied Forces are about to embark on. The film is tension filled and riveting. Since the movie was released in 1962, the war sequences are not realistic (certainly nowhere near the graphic nature of Saving Private Ryan) due to violence restrictions that were in place at the time. That doesn't take away the film's griping nature. The cast is a who's who of actors and musicians including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Eddie Albert, Richard Burton, Red Buttons to just name a few.
Rating: 
Summary: IT HAS NOT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
Review: Director Darryl F. Zanuck tried his best with the technical resources at his dispostition at the time and using the narrative standar for epic movies of that time. But watching this movie today is a really act of courage. It drags and drags, the three hours seem to never end. Also, even if they tried to give a view of the global situation, they failed miserably.The movie is an endless sequence of shell and fire sounds, a really pain. I simply don't like the movie, although I understand what they tried to do.
Rating:
Summary: The Day That Changed the World
Review: Featuring a stellar international cast including Eddie Albert ( Col. Thompson), Richard Burton (RAF Officer David Campbell), Red Buttons (Pvt. John Steele), Sean Connery (Pvt. Flanagan), Henry Fonda (Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt), Robert Mitchum (Brig. Gen. Norman Cota), and John Wayne (Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort), this fine movie takes a look at the D-day invasion from both the Allied and German perspectives.
Cornelius Ryan, who wrote a book by the same title, was brought in to write the screenplay for this movie, and he divides the film into three parts. Part one, "the wait", focuses on the days before the actual invasion. The weather leading up to the invasion date had been very stormy, with the English Channel experiencing some of its worst weather in over twenty years. The Allies were faced with a dilema; to invade during such terrible weather, or postpone the invasion and wait for better weather, which, according to Allied weather forecasters, wasn't supposed to happen until July. The decision was made by General Eisenhower and his staff to invade despite the terrible conditions. On the German side, they were convinced that the invasion was going to occur at Pas-De-Calais, not Normandy, so their initial preparations focused on that area.
Part two, "the night", focused on the airborne drop behind German lines. The objective was to cause confusion among the German troops while destroying some key initial points. The air drop scenes are extremely well-done in the film.
Finally, part three, "the day", focuses on the invasion itself. One scene of the movie that is very vivid is a German officer looking out over the Channel and seeing nothing but water, and then minutes later, the Allied invasion fleet appeared. The landings and battle scenes on the beaches are very well done, although much of the blood and gore is nonexistant in this movie, unlike "Saving Private Ryan", where the landings are much more graphic. Despite this omission, the battle scenes are very good, particularly the scenes of the American troops climbing the cliffs using nothing but rope and grappling hooks. Another exciting scene is when the Americans use their Banglor Torpedoes to overrun a German obstacle which was holding up the American advance.
The acting in this movie is very good, but John Wayne and Robert Mitchum give perhaps the best performances of all. I especially liked Mitchum's line of "There are only two kinds of men on this beach, those that are dead, and those that are going to die". Wayne's character of Col. Vandervoort, who suffered a compound fracture of his ankle while parachuting in but still walked despite the injury, was another of my favorites.
This is an excellent movie. Although it is a little long at 178 minutes, it does a very good job of covering the events leading up to and the invasion itself. I give this movie my highest recommendation. The historical accuracy is very good and the story is told with attention paid to both the Allied and German sides. Watch and see why The Longest Day ranks as one of Hollywood's greatest war films.
Rating: 
Summary: A few slices of ham with your war effort
Review: A grand blockbuster in the great old Hollywood tradition, "The Longest Day" successfully tackles the intimidating concept of covering the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of Normandy, the turning point of WWII, from all sides concerned: The French Resistance, the German occupiers, the RAF, the Americans, and others who had a part in what went on in throwing the yoke of Nazi tyranny off of western Europe. The fact that it's done with few noticeable loose ends is a testament to what a labor of love this project was for mogul Darryl F. Zanuck and company.
Other reviews on this page do an excellent job of detailing what this film is all about and why it is great. In fact, the NY Times lists it as one of the 1000 best films ever made. In this era, almost a half-century after its creation, it's natural to think of more recent WWII films like "Saving Private Ryan" and its sister mini-series "Band of Brothers," and BoB fans will be delighted to know that the 101st Airborne figures into this film fairly prominently as well. The gut-wrenching taking of Omaha beach is expanded in "The Longest Day," finally taking center stage for the whole picture here (if any part of D-Day could be said to truly be at center stage), whereas in SPR it was the setting of a phenomenal opening 20 minutes of that film.
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome for the first-time viewer of this film is the distraction of seeing some of the best-known actors of all time popping up in cameo roles. Perfectly ubermacho guys like John Wayne and Robert Mitchum fit their leadership roles in this film as well as if no one else could have played their parts, and Wayne's magnetism triumphs in spite of how stilted some of his lines are written. Richard Burton hams it up in a limited role as well, as does Sean Connery, and the momentous pronouncements by a number of characters in the film's first hour are spoken with a "stage aside" air that the art form has long since outgrown, but other than those moments any melodrama is certainly called for in this setting.
Further, a number of events portrayed here transcend the "traditional blockbuster" format that's been so often satirized over the years, as they strike the viewer as falling into the category of "fact is stranger than fiction." A group of American paratroopers march past a wall with a group of Nazis marching the other direction on the other side of the wall; they can see each other's helmets over the wall, yet there is no confrontation since the GIs are the first insurgents of the invasion to come and neither side yet expects a confrontation. A paratrooper hangs from the steeple of a church, his night drop interrupted by the architecture, and views the carnage of the battle below while the church bells ring all night and leave him at least temporarily deaf. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., played by Henry Fonda, convinces those in command to allow him to physically accompany his men to the taking of Utah Beach, stating that his arthritis isn't bothering him, then has to take a cane with him into battle. And so forth for a great number of scenes.
Any fan of heroic war films, especially those in their 20s and 30s who've more recently been drawn toward the genre by the aforementioned Spielberg/Hanks productions and others, must see this film. It's unique and a valuable addition to anyone's library in this regard.
Rating:
Summary: A Day to Be Remembered.
Review: "The Longest Day" (1962) set up the mold for future "war reconstruction" movies as "Is Paris Burning?" (1966) and "A Bridge too Far" (1977).
Now that we are used to modern film technology, as shown in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), some war scenes may seem not as realistic as they were intended to be. But that don't detract the merits of this movie. More, in my opinion, it is not dated whatsoever.
The story, based on Cornelius Ryan's book, is constructed as a mosaic of scenes occurring at both sides of the Channel and afterwards on the beaches. Showing all the main actors in action, ranging from Generals and Marshals thru Privates to Civilians. Each national group speaks its own language and different directors are in charge of each segment.
There are some unforgettable scenes, amongst them I point out the French Commandos attack to the City Hall, the Rangers climbing the vertical walls at Omaha Beach, the Paratroopers falling over Saint-Mere-l'Eglise just to be massacred, General Cota sending man after man to certain death attempting to blow-up the German blockade.
Those 24 hours should had seemed, as the title implies, an eternity to everyone involved.
The cast is a great collection of stars performing from cameos (Rod Steiger, Sean Connery, Mel Ferrer, Gert Frobe), small parts (Henry Fonda, Paul Anka) or major parts (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Leo Genn) and thousand of extras.
Black & white photography is great and gives a documentary tint to the whole picture. Direction, special effects and music are very good also.
A great War film to be sure!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Rating:
Summary: One of THE Best
Review: I grew up watching a lot of WWII movies. Some were based on fact and plenty of others were based on fiction. There don't seem to be too many WWII movies made anymore although great ones, such as "Saving Private Ryan", will surface from time to time. A good debate would be deciding which WWII movie was the best of all-time. Personally, I'd have to give a slight edge to "Bridge on the River Kwai" but surely "The Longest Day" should be on everyone's short list. It has all of the elements of a great movie; excellent directing, acting, script, cinematography, sound, editing, special effects, you name it.
The movie, based on the excellent book by Cornelius Ryan, strives to be a sort of dramatic documentary. The Germans speak German and the French speak French. There are even seperate directors for the German, British, and American scenes. I came to know a lot of German actors watching this movie. With all of those directors, special kudos have to go to the editing department. The camera work and the special effects help to achieve that sense of documentary (the black and white film helps as well). The battle scenes are very realistic for its' time (pre-"Saving Private Ryan"). There is one scene in particular, the assault on Ouistreham, in which an extended camera shot (From a helicopter, I presume) follows the evolving action continuously. The fact that the whole scene was done in one shot is amazing.
The acting is outstanding and literally includes a cast of thousands. There is a lengthly list of "stars" and the multiple stories within the movie gives all of them a meaningful amount of time on the screen. It would be hard not to cite all of the preformances but I was particularly impressed with the acting of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.
This is one fantastic movie and can be enjoyed by those who like action, those who like drama, and those who like history. If you haven't seen it, don't miss it the next time it's on TV. As a matter of fact, it's probably a good one to own. You'll definitely want to see it more than once.
Rating:
Summary: One of Top 100 Movies All Time
Review: I'm astounded by this movie. It has everything- action, grit, charm, humor, tension, drama- prepare to yell, gasp, laugh, and drop your jaw.
I can't believe it was made 42 years ago. Aside from being black and white, its script, action, filmography, and direction are better than most action films today.
If the Longest Day came out new today in 2004, it would be major news for weeks, top the box office, and win academy awards.
Rating:
Summary: A history lesson that won't bore you!
Review: This movie has aged very well especially since it's been digitally remastered! The Longest Day covers most of the aspects of the Normandy Invasion & fits them well into this 3-hour Epic.
Great acting & excellent action scenes for it's time (1962)
Rating: 
Summary: Only a Partial View of D-Day and Operation Overlord
Review: Although this film is certainly worth watching, the viewer who has little idea of what Operation Overlord was about won't learn very much about it. Of course, we see many examples of heroism, but so much was left out that one can easily get a distorted view of things.
(1) Contrary to the impression that the Hollywood movie industry gives, the Americans and British did not defeat Germany alone. Three-quarters of the strength of the German Wehrmacht was destroyed by the Soviet Union. I realize that this film was made a the height of the cold war, but still some mention should have been made of their contribution to victory.
(2) The most impressive part of Overlord were the meticulous preparations made. Some mention of it was made, but more of it should have been shown, such as the various special weapons and ships that were made to ease the assault on the fortified beaches. Archive film could have been easily procured to show the various devices used to clear mine fields and barbed wire.
Most crucial was the development of the "Mulberry" artificial ports.
(3) This film used several Germans as advisors such as Blumentritt who were in the Wehrmacht High Command. They use this film as a vehicle for pushing the now largely discredited line that "if only Hitler had let the Generals run the war, they would have won it for him", and the also the myth that they opposed Hitler and held nothing but contempt for him (von Rundstedt calls Hitler "that Bohemian Corporal" in the film). In reality they were all very loyal to him and they really strongly supported him and his criminal policies when they were winning the war.
(4) The importance of the deception campaign making the Germans think the assault will be at the Pas de Calais and not a Normandy was very important and continued even after the landing on D-Day to make the Germans think Normandy was just a diversion.
This was not mentioned. A whole "virtual army" was created with fake radio traffic opposite Calais. This could have been shown as well.
(5) Although I have nothing personal against the man, John Wayne is a very poor actor and I have no idea where he got his reputation as one of Hollywood's leading men!
Rating: 
Summary: The Longest Movie
Review: I watched on June 6th 2004 "The Longest Day" to learn about D-Day June 6th in 1944. In general it was a painfully boring movie. I accomplished my goal of learning about D-Day, but it was at a cost of wasting about three hours of my life. It is my belief that this story could have been told in one and a half hours instead of three.
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