The Longest Day Baked Cinema Review

The Longest Day (Rated G)

I have seen countless war films, and few capture the essence of war quite as well as The Longest Day. This ensemble focuses on D-Day June 6th, 1944 and we see the day play out from all sides; and unlike many films of the day, this actually shows all sides of the war in a fairly neutral manner. Nazi's are easy to hate which sadly means that instead of being portrayed as real characters; what we get instead are simply cartoon cutouts. I am not suggesting that Nazi's should be shown in an overly sympathetic light, but it is disingenuous to historical context to just show Nazi's as "Storm Troopers". This was an enormously ambitious production in its time, with a production spanning the globe and three directors, in fact, it would still be just as ambitious if it was made today.

Yet a film like this is such a product of it's time that it could only have been made in 1962. This is not just due to the film's legendary cast, but by the film's entire production design which is still incredibly impressive to this day. There was no such thing as digital effects when this film was made, which does mean some of the film's effects can look especially dated; yet there is something about seeing these kind of "old-school practical effects" that is consistently charming and endlessly enduring. There is also something to say for black and white cinematography, it really seems to be a lost art. So many shots in this film are not only exciting, but visually stunning as well.

There is so much to say about the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking; so many films of the day could be viewed silently and still be captivating based on the wondrous images alone. This was a time when everything put to screen mattered, this is something totally lost in most of today's films. You can take so many still images from this film and they look simply dazzling. This is classic visual artistry at it's absolute best, and what makes this film even more special in this way; is the simple fact that so few World War II films look like this.

There are so many black and white World War II films, yet few of them are as packed to the brim as The Longest Day is.  There is just so much going on in this film with its expert direction and pacing that even at it's nearly three-hour running time, your never left bored and it's over long before you'd like it to be. Which is something I can rarely say about films of this length. While it may seem slow moving to start with for some; the slow burn nature of the first fifty minutes really ratchets up the tension and suspense, it also perfectly captures how the men must have felt waiting for the go to begin the operation.

There is no shortage of action once things get started, and the action scenes are among some of the most impressive of it's or anytime. Things get started off with a hair-raising  glider landing, and the capture of a key objective which includes a very exciting gun battle. It is worth noting that the action scenes are very realistic in terms of the tactics used, while there are a few scenes that may appear slightly laughable, this is mostly a result of the time in which the film was made. One scene in particular which I am sure was incredibly tense and shocking upon release, will be hard for some modern viewers to take seriously.

I am also sure most people will have noticed that the film is rated G, which does not make one think gritty war film and while the film does lack blood and gore; it does effectively capture the essence of what war is. This film does not glamorize or promote war, yet war can be exciting, it can be terrifying, there are moments of humor even in our darkest times and war is often just as random as it is cruel. It is no easy feat to capture the terror of war when you could not show graphic images like the opening of Saving Private Ryan; as a matter of fact, I think blood and gore may be the cheap way of showing the terror of war.

One of the film's most astounding sequences is one of the airborne unit's failed landings, instead of landing in a safe area they land in a town full of Nazis just waiting to execute each paratrooper as they land.We see the entire scene from the point of view of a paratrooper who's left dangling on a cathedral bell tower by his parachute. We watch with a bird's eye view of the city square full of Nazis happily mowing down the allied forces. This scene is one of the most powerful in the entire film, as we watch the paratrooper played by Red Button's reactions to his situation; his performance in this scene is extraordinary. He perfectly captures how someone must feel in that situation, his reactions feel totally genuine and you can't help but feel compelled to watch it all unfold.

One of the film's other highlights is one of the most impressive long shot's in any film, we see allied forces taking a town with an incredible tracking shot. We see the action unfold from the sky in one shot, one take, with no digital effects. What you see in that scene is simply incredible. This film is just so captivating that you can never take your eyes off screen; it is a testament to classic cinema these films can not be replicated. You have an all-star cast that can not be beaten, and an incredible score that perfectly supplements what were seeing on screen.

This is without a doubt one of the best war films of all time, and the incredible depiction of D-Day is truly remarkable. While many of the war pictures from this era do feel very dated, The Longest Day holds up and has stood the test of time better than any other of it's kind. I am sure many younger film fans will unfavorably compare the Normandy landing scene to the blood bath in Saving Private Ryan, and that film's opening is incredible and one that is hard to beat. The Normandy landing scene in this film does not necessarily top the visceral on-screen action of Saving Private Ryan, but it is just as entertaining and this film gives a much clearer view of what happened on D-Day.