The Longest Day




Only two kinds of people are gonna stay on this beach: those that are already dead and those that are gonna die.

Certainly one of the most ambitious WWII projects ever, The Longest Day was helmed by four different directors and reportedly employed forty-two big name stars (and some up and comers like Sean Connery).

This covers the immediate events leading up to D-Day, from the perspectives of every side: American, British, German and French. It boasts a large cast of characters, from all up and down the ranks, from the President on down. Every event that occurred the day before and of D-Day is covered with reasonable accuracy.

Though it's now overshadowed by the grim realism of the opener for Saving Private Ryan, this is a film that still remains a commendable effort. At points it is blatantly sugar coated, like at Omaha beach, but for the times it was about as real as it got. Even though the movie weighs in at almost three hours long, it never really drags. There are plenty of characters and situations to keep things interesting. Casual viewers will be treated to some happenings that aren't as well known, such as the initial glider attacks and the dummy parachutists. As the Oscar attests, the special effects are also quite impressive.

At first some of the dramatic buildup is a little sappy and perhaps a few too many cheap liberties are taken with the knowledge of what is going to happen. The rest is pretty compelling, with the uncertainty from both sides aptly represented. As for the Germans, their beginning chokehold quickly turns around and they can feel it. At times it isn't exceedingly difficult to cheer for them, as many are just regular guys on the wrong side.

The vaulted cast delivers the real humanity of this picture, though the stars come and go usually with little cause to notice. Sure, everyone recognizes John Wayne, but that's not really what this is about. On the whole The Longest Day comes off as an elaborate retelling of one of the most crucial events in WWII.



-The Gnome