The Longest Day
 | Two-Disc Collector's EditionDirected by Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck, Ken Annakin Starring: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum 20th Century Fox, 1962, DVD Customer Rating: 241 reviews Recommend |
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This special collector's commemorative edition has been issued in honor of the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of France, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen.
The Longest Day is a vivid, hour-by-hour recreation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations, mistakes, and random events that determined the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. Winner of two 1962 Oscars® (Special Effects and Cinematography), The Longest Day ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films.
The Longest Day is Hollywood's definitive D-day movie. More modern accounts such as Saving Private Ryan are more vividly realistic, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck's epic 1962 account is the only one to attempt the daunting task of covering that fateful day from all perspectives. From the German high command and front-line officers to the French Resistance and all the key Allied participants, the screenplay by Cornelius Ryan, based on his own authoritative book, is as factually accurate as possible. The endless parade of stars (John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton, to name a few) makes for an uneasy mix of verisimilitude and Hollywood star-power, however, and the film falls a little flat for too much of its three-hour running time. But the set-piece battles are still spectacular, and if the landings on Omaha Beach lack the graphic gore of Private Ryan they nonetheless show the sheer scale and audacity of the invasion. — Mark Walker
Title: The Longest Day (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Sales Rank: 1607 in DVD
Actor: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum
Director: Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck, Ken Annakin
Studio: 20th Century Fox, 2006-05-23, Theatrical Release: 1962-10-04
Format: Black & White, Widescreen, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 2.35:1
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), German (Original Language)
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 178 minutes
Item Dimensions: 0.4 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches, 0.25 pounds
- D Day Invasion of Europe
- A well told story of the events leading to the Invasion of Europe in June of 1944. Acting, for the most part, is excellent. Even in black and white background scenes appear authentic. Some of the acting, such as John Wayne and Richard Burton's, is a little iffy in places. They both look tired and a little out of place. Overall, an excellent film that dramatizes… More reviews
- Leadership on the global scale
- As a retired army officer and an adjunct history professor I thought it was important to review what I consider the best war movies depicting the challenges of leadership and the command of men.
"The Longest Day" is one of the best movies showing how important it is for subordinate leaders to see the mission through when the plan falters from the start.… More reviews
- A Classic - Easily The Finest Battle Oriented Epic Ever Made
- The Longest Day is easily one of the finest epic movies ever made, probably the best epic war film ever made (well, one that focuses on battles), and easily outclasses all other old fashioned war movies. One heck of a picture, the film is still stunning today, thanks to amazing cinematography, detail, and a balanced look between the… More reviews
- D-DAY!
- June 6, 1944!
Truly "The Longest Day"!
3,000 dead on the beaches and fields of Northern France to liberate Europe from the Nazis!
This is the day people in the U.S. have basically forgotten but not in Europe!
Thank God for that.
I remember and honor those men everyday! More reviews
- Great!
- I've seen The Longest Day dozens of times, but this Blu-ray was like seeing it for the first time. I don't know how it's possible to convert and old movie like this to Blu-ray, but they've done an excellent job!… More reviews
