"The Longest Day - reviewed" Topic

Hola

Just watched the classic 1962 movie 'The Longest Day', for the umpteenth time. Loved it! I've shared my thoughts on it over at my blog, here:

link

… I hope some of you guys might enjoy reading that post. And possibly chipping in with your own thoughts? It was definitely a movie that, if it didn't actually sow the seeds of my interest in WWII, certainly helped cultivate it.

I think I went out and bought some kind of Airfix gun emplacement set after seeing it as a kid. But that's all so long ago now, in the mists of prehistory, it's hard to be sure!

Cheers

Seb

I remember it was shown on TV in the UK about 1976 and I missed it as I was on a school trip ( totally gutted ) . It was only shown again on TV again several years later .

"Invasion! Sie kommen!"

I saw it in the cinema when it was first released and was overawed by the whole spectacle. I was only 9 at the time.

Great Movie!!!!! I would have loved to see it on the big screen.

Best War Film Ever.

I saw it at a drive-in theater when it came out, which was the biggest screen there was at the time. It was glorious.

I think it's a very under-rated movie that more young folks should seek out.

I've only ever seen it on TV. To see it on the big screen… Ah, I'd love that!

Saw this with my entire family at the Grandin Theater in Roanoke, VA when it came out (in Roanoke). It was probably 1964 or so, back then, smaller places didn't get new movies when they were actually released! I remember the Naval bombardment part, when my Dad leaned over to me and said something like "That's what your Pop was doin" or the like. Actually, he was at sea, on LST 197, loaded down with nothing but Gas Weapons, just in case. Years later, he told me, "Damn we were scared of getting hit there!" !97 didn't actually hit Omaha Beach till June 7th. But yeah, I watch that now, and it's amazing how well done it is. Damn good movie. Thanks Dad, miss you. And thanks to all the ANTIFA circa 1939-1945, out there, who saved our ass & the World.

I read a review a few years ago that compared this movie to the modern ones like Saving Private Ryan.

Basically it said that the new movies are quite big on action, while the older ones were mainly about the characters, and in some cases seemed quite boring to modern audiences.

The reason for this they believed, was that the older movies were often made by people who were in the war, both actors, directors and writers. For them, what was important were the relationships they had (loss in particular), and they remembered being bored out of their skulls! And the audience was often ex-military and their families.

Cheers,
JohnG

When I was growing up the local movie theater showed that movie every June 6, and even today my family and I watch it (on our old VHS player) on June 6 (like we watch Gettysburg on July 4). I was pretty young when I first saw it but there were so many scenes that absolutely fascinated me – like the 'clickers', finding out what a Bangalore torpedo was, the columns of German and American soldiers passing each other in the dark, the coded messages to the French underground, etc. It started my fascination with WWII, I immediately found the book in the library and read it over and over. It is a classic, no doubt.

I like the movie well enough, pop it in once in awhile for background whilst painting.

But overall I fall in the review camp of: "star-leaden" cast that props itself up on way too much exposition.

I generally like the old epic-length movies because they give time for character development. This movie does not do that. It brings in so many stars for a walk-on part that they deliver their historical lines and then on to the next one.

Does have a catchy theme song!

By contrast with a less sweeping movie, Robert Mitchum is able to deliver a greater acting performance in Anzio where he actually gets time to develop and has a script that's more than a collection of famous lines.

It is one of the great films of it's time.

Great film – one of my Dad's favourites; he must have watched it a dozen times

"Hold until relieved. Hold until relieved."

A great movie indeed. I am one of those old enough to have seen it at the theater with my parents. Although it wasn't shown in the movie, my uncle was a lieutenant serving on the destroyer Corry and had to swim to shore after she was sunk.

"Hold until relived." Actor Richard Todd, who played Maj. Howard of the British Airborne, was previously Lieut. Todd of the British Airborne who took part in the Pegasus Bridge operation he re-enacted for the movie.

Its on all the time and never fail to watch it, Cornelius Ryan book is very good as all his books are, my only disappoint is the contrived ending, its the only part made up every other snippet is fact from German with boots on backwards to paratrooper caught in church tower and bells ringing for hours
Good write up

1 of our club members' late father was the British soldier on the harbour bridge that collapses. He was in the TA at the time who were used to make up much of the British extras. He was supposed to get across the bridge, then a stuntman was to follow for the collapse, but the charges went off early!

The picture quality of the blu-ray is brilliant

It is one of my favorite war films to watch. Growing up in western Pennsylvania, this movie was on the late night rotation on the local TV station. It was always on D-Day weekend and usually on once or twice the rest of the year. I would stay up late just to watch it every time it came on. I watched it at least 20 times before I made recorded it on VHS from one of the showings.

Phil

One of the best WWII movies ever made.

Great to hear how popular this film remains! I do hope some of you might've had a read of my review over at my blog?

Yup…posted comment there.

P.

Brilliant film, so many inspiring cameo's

One of my favorites. It never ceases to amaze me the scene where the French attack the casino. The aerial shots of the action of them running down the street to the aerial shot of the Germans on the roof of the casino seems so steady. I always thought for the time that was excellent filming.

Hlaven, that Ouistreham attack scene is just superb, I quite agree! My guess is that they used a tethered balloon. I'd love to know exactly how that shot was achieved.

Of course they had to go and colorize it. Sacrilege!

link

YouTube link

On another website a discussion of another Cornelius Ryan book A Bridge To Far came up and said how that movie was very good in accuracy and linked your review adding I thought it was good. Probably the connecting factor of following the books has something to do with it.

Thanks 14bore. What about a link here to that other post? A Bridge Too Far was one of the first military history books I ever read, back when I was about 11-12 yrs old.

Not over worth that, its banter for a dozen things at once but Me as well reading those books as a teenager, shame the Last Battle was never made. I should find them and re read them.

The other great thing is that it was also filmed in situ on the real beaches etc, except for Quisteram which was filmed in Port En Bessin.