The Longest Day – 1962
There was so much about this film that was done right. The size and scope of the narrative was epic in nature, even though the events depicted in the film only cover the space of two days. The complex battle scenes, the humongous cast full of stars, the historical accuracy of the plot, and the fast paced action all made for a memorable film on a grand scale.
The film is a telling of the events of the Allied invasion of Normandy in WWII, covering June 5th and 6th of 1944. The film was like a docudrama in that it told of one of the biggest turning points of the war, in which 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes, and 4,000 ships turned the tide history. The epic events are told from the perspectives of French, English, German, and American soldiers, each speaking in their own native languages with the use of subtitles.
The film covers the massive preparations, mistakes, decisions, and random events that led to one of the greatest offensives in human history. It went into the reasons why certain people made certain decisions, and showed the results of those decisions. And of course, the 8 exciting battle scenes, each of which must have been a logistical nightmare to film, came out realistic and engaging.
The most exciting of them was the storming of the beaches of Normandy. I also really loved the liberation of Ouistreham and the breaching of the wall on Omaha Beach. The sheer number of extras and the constant barrage of machine-gun fire and exploding shells kept me on the edge of my seat. The action sequences were so bold and non-stop, that they started about an hour and a half into the three hour movie and didn’t stop until the end.
The film also touted incredible star power with a long list of big-name actors like John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Richard Beymer, Red Buttons, Henry Fonda, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Robert Mitchum, Edmond O’Brian, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Leo Genn. They all played key historical figures, from common infantry soldiers and paratroopers, to commanders and generals.
Some of the more prominent figures were Brigadier General Norman Cota and Colonel Thompson, who led the soldiers inland, up the beaches of Normandy, played by Mitchum and Albert, respectively. John Wayne played Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort, who commanded the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
But just as important to the film as the Allied forces, were the German actors who most people probably haven’t heard of, playing the roles of Nazi officers. These actors played their parts incredibly well. I’ll never forget Hans Christian Blech playing the part of Major Werner Pluskat. He was the man who first saw the fleet of thousands of Allied ships appearing on the horizon as they approached Omaha Beach. Blech was incredible as he shouted into the phone, while shells exploded all around him, “You know those five thousand ships you say the Allies haven’t got? Well, they’ve got them!”
But I think that one of the most memorable lines in the film was spoken in German by Major General Günther Blumentritt, the Chief of Staff at OB West, played by Curt Jürgens. Upon learning that the panzer units could not be sent to reinforce the German soldiers defending Normandy, he calmly remarks, “This is history. We are living an historical moment. We are going to lose to war because our glorious Führer has taken a sleeping pill and is not to be awakened.” Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “Sometimes I wonder which side God is on,” an echo of a sentiment given earlier by John Wayne.
The entire cast did a fantastic job, but I think the highest praise has to be given to Cornelius Ryan, writer of the original novel upon which the film is based, Darryl F Zanuck, the film’s producer, and the film’s three directors, Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki. The size and scope of this film was truly epic, a must-see for anyone who enjoys movies. I’m not even a huge fan of war films, but this one gave me such an accurate depiction of all the key points of the famous day, that I came away from it, not just feeling like I had been entertained, but somewhat educated, as well. This was really a great film.