(Written 6/6) On this anniversary of D-DAY and the invasion of Normandy by US and Allied forces, THE LONGEST DAY delivers a terrific history lesson with an almost documentary feel and a HUGE all-star cast.
Long before Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" told the story of D-Day for our generation at the movies, 1962's three hour film told the story in a black and white tour de force.
The brilliant brainchild of Eisenhower and his team, the allied strike at Normandy shocked the German forces. Stars such as John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton and Sean Connery, along with literally 30 more are sprinkled through the film in small and large roles.
It's a slowly building film, taking its time to set up the strategy of the attack from both sides of the battle before digging into an amazing, giant scale recreation of the attack.
All of us should probably watch either this sixties classic or Spielberg's "Ryan" every June to remember the gift of freedom that the troops gave us with their amazing bravery and fortitude in the face of tremendous opposing odds.
A valuable history lesson in the form of a powerful war film that earns an explosive A.
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