Top positive review
6 people found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars"Well, gentlemen, there it is . . .it's a go!"
ByMike Powerson October 2, 2000
"The Longest Day" is one of the greatest war films of all time, and one of my personal favorites! Produced and directed by Darryl F. Zanuck, it was originally made to save the Twentieth Century-Fox studio from the financial ravages of the over-budget "Cleopatra," which was being shot at the same time. "The Longest Day" set a standard of excellence in war films that is unsurpassed even now, thirty-eight years after its theatrical release. It remains one of the most popular and successful war movies of all time.
This is the story of D-Day, June 6, 1944. Based on Cornelius Ryan's book of the same name, the film accurately chronicles the strategy, tactics, frustrations, triumphs, and failures of both the Allied and German sides on the day that marked the turning point of World War II in Europe. There are excellent performances all around by a star-studded international cast headed by John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, (a young) Sean Connery, Robert Ryan, and Eddie Albert. Occasional snippets of silliness rear their head throughout the movie, but are not distracting. Filmed in black-and-white, "The Longest Day" has a documentary flavor and a wonderfully authentic feel that made it a film to view and savor time and time again. Highly recommended.
