Since today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day, I'd just like to hear some of your thoughts about what films and/or documentaries that come to mind. For me, to this day, I can't stop thinking about the knot in my gut that Saving Private Ryan left after that tremendous beach scene. Still haunts and fascinates me to this day...

Saving Private Ryan
The Longest Day
Overlord
The Big Red One

But the best of all IMHO was Saving Private Ryan. When it first came out it totally re-invented the War movie, even though it was criticized for only showing it from the American point of view, with no mention of The British or Canadians that also took part.

But although I'm British, I personally feel the story was about a particular group of American soldiers and their mission and was not offended.

Rad14

THE LONGEST DAY is a great historical epic. And, unlike PRIVATE RYAN, it's based on fact. You can be moved and stimulated and entertained and actually learn something about WWII in the process. After INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS comes out, I bet we'll find that PRIVATE RYAN has more in common with it than it does with LONGEST DAY.

I've had Overlord sitting on my shelf, unwatched, for quite some time. No better time than now to give it a spin.


Of course, I must mention Band of Brothers. The miniseries covers much more than just D-Day but I think the first few parts (1 and 2?) cover D-Day pretty well...and hell, it's always a good time to give that series another viewing.

I still remember walking out of the theatre after seeing Saving Private Ryan for the first time. My gut was in a knot and I was in shock...well almost. One of the most powerful opening sequence in movie history. To partially feel what those soldiers went through was just gutwrenching.

I remember going into the theater, I had no idea just how graphic the movie was going to be, I too was in shock by the end.

Walking out of SPR, I remember an elderly man stepped into the aisle in front of me and he was crying. I can only assume he was a WWII vet and the movie had to be at least a little realistic to create such a reaction from him. Seeing that moved me almost as much as the film itself.

That was my experience at the theater as well....much of the audience were of that era. And i've never met anyone in person who didn't like the movie. The only negative comments I've seen have come from right here.

while i really liked SPR, what disturbed me the most was the baby crying through the first half and the little kids in the theater.

Saving Private Ryan was the last movie I have been where it had that effect on people. We all walked out and there was just dead silence, it was such a powerful movie, and I remember thinking how brave those guys were, and it was good that our generation would never forget what they did. You read about in the History books, you see all the documentaries, but the first 25 minutes of that movie are incredible, and Spielberg should be commended.

I love The Longest Day the best because of the older actors mainly,
but as already been mentioned Saving Private Ryans opening beach scenes
remains the most horrorific of any war film to date.

No, it's not a D-Day film per se, but it bears mentioning.

Snow Falling On Cedars has a very harrowing sequence highlighting a young American soldier on D-Day. It's all done in flashes, with nothing to really tell us how or why he's there - he just knows he's in water, wounded, and washes up on the beach to see fellow dead soldiers already half-buried in the beach, the tide smoothing the sand around them. The action's all over for him as quickly as it's begun.

I thought that was a brilliant way to show one particular soldier's viewpoint.

The level of gore and violence in SPR shocked me as a kid. It started my obsession with war imagery, and better understanding of history behind it. Kudos Spielberg!

Saviing Private Ryan seems so real

Also the Longest Day

Actually just watched the last episode of Band of Brothers....such a powerful series. I could watch that once a year easily.

Saving Private Ryan is also an intense flick....

IMO The two best D-Day Films best are:

The Longest Day

Saving Private Ryan

I love the entire War movie genre. Longest Day is an excellent movie which I watch repeatedly, however it's age shows. A lot of waving the arms; "c'mon follow me". Guys who stood up and waved their arms at that battle were dead in seconds. I would say Longest Day is more factual but less realistic than Saving Private Ryan. SPR raiesed the bar on realism for all war films since.

Big Red 1, although another older movie is a favorite of mine as well. It also has a good D-Day scene.

Band Of Brothers reminded us that chaos and death were everywhere, not just the beach. Hundreds if not thousands died in the invasion that were not on the beach.


We can become so focused on present day struggles we should not forget the 400,000 plus dead in WWII, the 36,000 plus in Korea, and the 65,000 plus in Vietnam. Whether you are a dove or a hawk we owe these generations everything for the freedoms we have today.

I just started re-watching BoB again, finished pt.1 "Curahee". Thanks for the reminder.

I guess I'm having trouble getting the joke but the D-Day invasion set to Benny Hill music doesn't do anything for me.

Yeah...it's just stupid.

Anyway...I don't think we're ever going to be able to see a film, involving D-Day, as strongly as that one. It unnerves me to this day...the camera work in it just makes a fellow soldier in it. Pushed around, seeing people literally blow up, get shot, etc...it just seemed so real. Spielberg was in the zone with that scene. NOTHING in the whole film tops that scene. It's my favorite war scene as well.

I almost didn't believe these numbers I had to go check. We've become so used to modern warfare and "shock and awe" precision bombing that it's hard to imagine American military casualties reaching more than 5000 in a single war nowadays.

I would also recommend Ike: Countdown to D-Day.

Tom Selleck does an excellent job as Ike, and the film let's you see the pressures he was under leading up to the decision to launch the invasion.

Yeah I noticed that too, but in truth it does stumble a bit in the second half.

Those first 10-20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan was just riveting.