Review of The Longest Day (1962) by Tonypolito — 15 Aug 2010

A vast and epic undertaking by Director Darryl Zanuck (and a cast of thousands) to retell the events of WWII's D-Day, when the Allies invaded Nazi Europe at Normandie, France.

This gargantuan effort took many Awards/nods and history's remembered it well. Today's viewer, however, may not find its kudos entirely earned/deserved. Well recommended are the battle-recreation scenes, some vast/wide, some quite up-close and personal. This is the content that makes the film truly epic - and fast-tracked the film to Blu-Ray.

Appropriately Cinemascope, but why Zanuck shot in B&W is anyone's guess.

The viewer's also rewarded through the film's ensembling of nearly 100 first-tier and second-tier actors. Even a few 1960s teen-idols were thrown in for good measure. Few films offer as many brief glimpses of mid-Century talent as this.

There's a grand illusion of content accuracy - subtitling continuously yields the names of who's-doing-what, information sourced from the heavily-researched underlying 1959 novel - shooting's on historical and/or authentic locations - and the story's told in a fair, balanced perspective from all sides of the conflict, generally using ethnically-correct actors and languages.

When it comes to dialogue and characterization, however, there's mostly heavy fictionalization intended to facilitate American flag-waving and cheat-beating. The time's long gone by when a viewer will be awe-struck in admiration by hearing John Wayne stupidly demand mid-battle that death be risked to respectfully cut dead paratroopers down out of the trees. Or by Peter Lawford ordering his bag-piper to strike up while the Scots march along standing straight and in-the-open under fire.

With that sort of content, the film does drag along, and it comes in long at three hours.

Still, it's recommended for its battle-scene visuals and look-sees over a ton of mid-Century talent.