From Military.com:
“Remember D-Day With One of These
7 Must-See Movies”
June 6 marks the 75th anniversary
of the Allied D-Day landings at Normandy. One of the greatest days in military
history has long been one of the greatest inspirations for Hollywood
filmmakers. Here's a list of must-see D-Day movies, including a couple that
most everyone has seen and a few you may have never heard of before.
1. Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg directed this
WWII classic about a daring mission behind enemy lines to rescue Pvt. James
Ryan, whose three brothers have already been killed during the war. There are
probably still a million different stories to tell about D-Day, but Steven
Spielberg's 1998 classic is such a great movie that not many are likely to try.
"Saving Private Ryan" might just be the greatest Best Picture nominee
to get robbed of an Oscar (even though Spielberg won a well-deserved Best Director
award). "Saving Private Ryan" was like a bolt of lightning because it
introduced at least a couple of generations to the sacrifices made by Americans
(and Allied troops) to defeat the Axis during World War II. Millions who served
were able to enjoy the thanks of a grateful nation in their later years largely
because this movie educated young people about their sacrifices and bravery. "Saving
Private Ryan" is not available on any streaming services right now, but
you can rent or buy a digital copy from Amazon, iTunes or Vudu. It's also
available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs.
2. The Longest Day
Producer Daryl F. Zanuck set out
to create the greatest movie ever made with 1962's "The Longest Day."
At a moment when filmmakers were luring viewers to theaters with wide-screen
color spectaculars, Zanuck insisted on making a black-and-white movie because
that's how he (and most everyone else) experienced newsreel footage of the
actual war. True to its title, the movie is three hours long and is loaded with
a who's who of male action stars of the era: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry
Fonda, Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger and a cast of thousands. "The Longest
Day" defined WWII for a generation of moviegoers, and it's found a new
generation of fans through its many, many showings on Turner Classic Movies. You
can see it on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday, June 6, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
That's the lead slot for the channel, and this showing will feature an
introduction with host Ben Mankiewicz and Rob Citino, Samuel Zemurray Stone
Senior Historian at the National World War II Museum. You can rent or buy a
digital copy from Amazon, iTunes or Vudu, and it's available on DVD or Blu-ray.
3. Overlord (1975)
"Overlord" got
extensive support from Britain's Imperial War Museum for a movie that follows
one British soldier from recruitment to his landing on D-Day. Director Stuart
Cooper and cinematographer John Alcott match their footage to historical
footage from 1944 and use it to create a highly personal perspective that aims
to capture the fog of war. Consider this one to be mirror image of "The
Longest Day." It follows that movie on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday,
June 6, at 11:15 p.m. Eastern and will also feature an introduction from host
Ben Mankiewicz and Rob Citino. "Overlord" is streaming on the new
Criterion Collection app. You can also rent or buy "Overlord" from
Amazon or iTunes or get it on DVD or Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.
4. Screaming Eagles
This 1956 movie tells the story
of a 101st Airborne Division unit that parachutes into France on D-Day. They
miss their target and must fight their way back to join the rest of
"D" Company to hold a bridge. The movie was shot in black-and-white
and features a mostly unknown young cast that includes future stars Paul Burke
("Naked City"), Martin Milner ("Adam 12") and Robert Blake
("Baretta.") This movie is a rarity, not available to stream or on
DVD. You can see it on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday, June 6, at 7:30 a.m.
Eastern. Set your DVR.
5. Breakthrough
This 1950 movie is notable
because it's the big D-Day movie, and the filmmakers were able to get their
hands on a ton of both German and Allied film footage to tell their stories.
Otherwise, the movie was shot entirely in California at Fort Ord, with Monterey
subbing for Omaha Beach. There are obviously better D-Day movies out there, but
this is the one made closest to the actual event for an audience who had strong
memories of June 6, 1944. This movie is another rarity, not available to
stream, but you can buy it on a Warner Archive DVD. You can see it on Turner
Classic Movies on Thursday, June 6, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Set your DVR.
6. The Big Red One
Director Samuel Fuller was a
World War II veteran who served as a rifleman with the U.S. 1st Infantry
Division. His 1980 movie "The Big Red One," starring Lee Marvin, Mark
Hamill and Robert Carradine, tracks his actual wartime service and includes a
compelling sequence on Omaha Beach. Though it was hacked to bits by the studio
for its initial 113-minute release, film historian Richard Schickel used
Fuller's script notes to create a 162-minute "reconstruction" in
2004. Fuller, known for noir like "Pickup on South Street" and a
string of gritty low-budget war movies in the 1950s, is either the sleaziest
art filmmaker or the artiest schockmaster of all time, depending on your
perspective. You can buy or rent the (still very good) theatrical cut on
Amazon, iTunes or Vudu. If you want to see the reconstruction, you'll have to
track down a DVD or a Blu-ray (which includes the reconstruction as a bonus
DVD).
7. 36 Hours
In this 1965 spy movie, James
Garner plays Maj. Jefferson Pike, an Army intelligence officer captured by the
Germans in Lisbon just days before D-Day. The crafty Germans attempt to use the
same tricks that worked so well for the IMF in "Mission Impossible:
Fallout," but Garner catches onto their game. After an attempted escape,
the Germans continue to work Pike and finally manage to confuse him about what
day it is, getting the intel they need. A weather delay (which really happened)
pushes back the invasion and discredits the intel. OK, so this is not a real
D-Day movie. It's a '60s spy flick that's using D-Day as the plot hook for some
espionage mind games. You can see it on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday, June
6, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern or buy or rent it on Amazon, iTunes or Vudu. Plus, it's
available on Blu-ray and DVD from the Warner Archive collection.
^ I have seen all of these movies
except for “Breakthrough” but I am it ready to DVR on TCM. All the other movies
I have seen and are good war movies that show the different sides (the good and
bad) of what it must be like to be in battle. ^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.