The Longest Day - Possibly the greatest ensemble war movie ever made

There’s not much that hasn’t been written about ‘The Longest Day.’ It’s arguable one of the best World War II movies out there.  It charts – predominantly – the 8th June (or ‘D-Day’ to most of us) when the Allies finally stormed their forces into France to liberate it from German rule, but the first part (of the film’s near three-hour runtime) tells the story of the events leading up to the fateful day itself.

The film is generally an ‘ensemble’ with multiple actors appearing for – in some cases – quite brief periods of time.  However, due to the general talent of the actors, that never really feels like a problem.  Yes, I’m sure that any of them could have had an entire film made just about them, telling their individual story, but we have to make do with their minor performances.  It’s hard to pick a ‘stand-out’ performance as they’re all so good.

Apparently, according to some who have lived through the day itself, the film isn’t always factually accurate (and even a former President of America apparently left a showing due to technical inaccuracies).  However, even if some creative liberties have been taken, it still gives a no-nonsense feel of what the troops had to go through when entering the French beaches and countryside for the first time.

Due to the film’s length, there’s even time to fit in some scenes with the Germans themselves.  It’s important to see what was happening on the ‘other side’ as it relates specifically to how the Allies managed to pull of the (overall) victory.

Of course it is black and white, so for those who find it unable to watch anything that isn’t designed for 3D and/or IMAX will find it hard to take!  

The Longest Day may seem a little dated by today’s standard, but, if you’re a fan of war films, or are even just interested in what went on during World War II, then you should definitely check this one out.

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather