Excellent but underrated film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

"The Longest Day" is a small miracle of a movie. Despite being directed by a handful of different men, it manages to be more coherent and more consistent in tone across its considerable running time than many films directed by a single person. This is not an episodic film in the sense that each director gets his own moment to shine before handing another section of the movie over to someone else; no, all of the variously directed segments are interwoven into a seamless narrative about the events leading up to and taking place on the day of the American invasion of Normandy during WWII.Released in 1962 and produced by an artist of the old school, Darryl F. Zanuck, "The Longest Day" sits somewhere between the patriotic WWII films of the 1940s and 50s, to a greater or lesser degree all propaganda films, and those of the 1970s and 80s, which would downplay the heroism of war and instead focus on its barbarity and its toll, physical and mental, on those who fight them. This film leans much more toward the former, but it does dip its toes in the water of the latter by including a couple of moments that ask us to reflect on the sheer horror of what it must have been like to see combat during the World War. Of course, compared to a film like "Saving Private Ryan," its version of the Normandy beach landing looks quaint, but taken as a whole this film is better than Spielberg's, because it rejects the maudlin and sentimental story around which Spielberg anchored his film and replaces it with a much more objective, journalistic style. The film looks jaw-droppingly amazing, a marvel of sheer physical scale. If this were made today, CGI effects would do at least a half of what real actors and physical locations do in this film.The film stars everybody and his mother. OK, so actually it doesn't feature anyone's mother, since only one role in the movie out of hundreds, that of a French resistance fighter, is played by a female. But it's a who's who of male talent, some of them -- John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Eddie Albert, Sal Mineo, Richard Burton -- already superstars when the film was released, and others -- Sean Connery, George Segal, Rod Steiger -- about to become so.But the real star of "The Longest Day" is Samuel E. Beetley, the film's editor. This is a movie entirely made in the editing room, and it's one of the best examples of the art form ever committed to screen. Beetley was rightfully nominated for an Oscar nomination, but had the misfortune of seeing his work go up against that other little movie from 1962, "Lawrence of Arabia," which won just about every technical award it could. That would have been a tough choice, but I'm not so sure that, much as I love "Lawrence" and think it's overall by far the better film, I wouldn't have given Beetley his due.The film did win Oscars for its black and white cinematography (thankfully "Lawrence" was in color) and its special effects. In addition to editing, it received nominations for Best Picture and Best Art Direction (B&W), which is also phenomenal.Oscar trivia: "The Longest Day" was one of three films in 1962 (the other two being "The Music Man" and "Mutiny on the Bounty") that managed to be nominated for Best Picture without receiving nominations for directing, acting, or writing, the only time that's ever happened in a year with only five Best Picture nominees.Grade: A

The epic story of D-Day, June 6, 1944, a retelling of the Normandy invasion (France) by the Allies (e.g. troops from the United States and Great Britain, among others) during World War II from across the English Channel, detailing various assaults and the American, British, French, and German perspectives (e.g. the Nazi thinking that Calais would be invaded).This essential war drama was directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki; it features a screenplay by Cornelius Ryan that was based on writing by Romain Gary, James Jones, David Pursall, and Jack Seddon. The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it won Academy Awards for its B&W Cinematography and Special Effects; it also received Oscar nominations for its B&W Art Direction-Set Decoration and Samuel Beetley's Editing (his first).The first hour of the film is the set-up and background information (e.g. the Allies waiting, trying to decide whether to go during imperfect weather conditions while the Germans try to guess if and where the invasion will take place), the second details the overnight clandestine activities (including a diversion using miniature dummy paratroopers that explode upon landing, dubbed Rupert), and the third begins with the various beach assaults.The all-star cast includes (among others), alphabetically:Eddie Albert as Colonel Thompson (whose troops are pinned down on Omaha Beach), Paul Anka and Fabian as U.S. Army Rangers, Richard Beymer (who wins a lot of money gambling, receives a "Dear John" envelope containing beads, and ends up asking "I wonder who won" in the end while with), Richard Burton as Flight Officer David Campbell (whose leg gets injured), Red Buttons as Private John Steele (a paratrooper whose parachute gets snagged on a church with bells), Sean Connery as Pvt. Flanagan (who comments on the Britisher's use of bagpipes), Mel Ferrer as Major General Robert Haines (a behind- the-lines officer who tracks the progress or lack thereof), Henry Fonda as Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (who, despite his pedigree and arthritis that requires him to use a cane, goes ashore with his men, though a couple of miles too far North), Steve Forrest as Captain Harding (a paratrooper officer in John Wayne's unit), Gert Fröbe as Sergeant Kaffekanne, Jeffrey Hunter as Sergeant John H. Fuller, Curt Jürgens as Major General Gunther Blumentritt (who's frustrated that Adolf Hitler's aide won't wake him to allow Panzer tanks in reserve to move up), Peter Lawford as Lord Lovat (the British secret service commander whose unit must relieve glider units that took a bridge during the night), Roddy McDowall as Pvt. Morris (who went ashore an infantry man on a landing vehicle and took out an enemy machine-gunner), Sal Mineo as Pvt. Martini (a paratrooper who misreads a clicker signal), Robert Mitchum as Brig. Gen. Norman Cota (whose efforts and inspiration finally enabled a breakthrough at Omaha Beach), Kenneth More as Capt. Colin Maud, Edmond O'Brien as Gen. Raymond D. Barton (who hesitates sending Roosevelt Jr. ashore), Robert Ryan as Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin (who gives John Wayne's unit a challenging mission), Tommy Sands and George Segal as U.S. Army Rangers, Rod Steiger as a Destroyer Commander (who appears very briefly, saying a few patriotic words), Richard Todd as Maj. John Howard, Tom Tryon as Lieutenant Wilson, Peter Van Eyck as Lt. Col. Ocker, Robert Wagner as a U.S. Army Ranger (whose unit much climb a fortified cliff in order to knock out a fortified artillery bunker), Stuart Whitman as Lt. Sheen (also a paratrooper under Wayne's command), and John Wayne as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort (the paratrooper's commander who shatters his leg upon landing and commandeers a wagon for transportation).

The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.It seems that everyone is familiar with "Tora Tora Tora". I had to watch it in school, and I am sure many others did, too. It is a great look at both sides of the Pearl Harbor attack. Maybe not 100% accurate, but a serious attempt to see a global event from multiple angles.Fewer people probably know about "Longest Day", even though it has a similar premise and a great cast -- Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and many others. It looks at D-Day from multiple sides, and taught me that Hitler liked to take naps. It even had some humor (which may actually be inappropriate -- this seems like a very bloodless war).

As my great grandfather was one of the many men who participated to this historic and epic event, this movie has always been very special to me and my family.Each time my great grandfather was watching or even discussing this movie, all his memories of that day as well as all the relationship he had with great friends he lost on that dirty beach came through. The moments of happiness, the tension becoming stronger each day waiting for big battle, the fear of dying or losing the strangers you learned to know and respect throughout the intense training. This movie had a very special resonance to him and he was very thankful that such a movie was released and even more he was proud that the director didn't take on any side because the Germans were as afraid and respectful towards the men they faced.Now when I watched this movie, it makes me remember of my great grandfather who was one of those heroes, one of what we called the greatest generation. He had the chance to survive this day and the battle which followed and claimed even more lives. So it has also a very special place to my heart. We should never forget their sacrifice and be careful to not repeat the same mistake which led to WW2.