Now is the right time to bring movies about D-Day to your attention. This year, it will be the 70th anniversary of Operation Overload – also known as D-Day, aka the Normandy Landings (although this part of the scheme was specifically known as Operation Neptune). D-Day - June 6th, 1944 – saw 160,000 allied troops initially cross the channel (followed by 3 million more) to begin the serious and major offensive against the Nazi occupying forces that would eventually lead to the end of the Second World War. It is important to remember the sacrifices made by the fighting men and women of WWII on such an anniversary, and the easiest way do this is to plug in some movies about D-Day.
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Saving Private Ryan
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
I couldn’t imagine any other film topping the list of movies about D-Day. Steven Spielberg directed a masterpiece that humanized war in a way no previous movie ever had. Despite the backdrop of the very human story, the horrors of war are not shied away from and we are left in no doubt of the dangers and risks faced – even if we can never imagine the true terror. This has to be the pinnacle of war movies.
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The Longest Day
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
Before Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day was considered to be the seminal movie about D-Day. Featuring probably the longest list of A-list stars ever, The Longest Day tells the story of the invasion from both the allied and German perspectives. There’s also some interesting humorous touches – the scene with the Frenchman who sees the start of the landings is so heartwarming. It’s nowhere near as graphic as Saving Private Ryan but it doesn’t suffer from being in black and white.
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D-Day the Sixth of June
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
Hollywood wouldn’t be Hollywood if it didn’t inject some romance into movies about D-Day. But why not? People fall in love in war time. Some beautiful love stories come out of war time. In this one, two officers fall in love with the same woman – one soldier is American, one British and their two lives connect during the Normandy landings. iTunes describes this film as, “D-Day The Sixth of June is a moving story of courage and sacrifice both on and off the battlefield,” and I couldn’t say it any better.
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Where Eagles Dare
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
This is a slightly different angle on D-Day, as the focus is not on the invasion itself. Pitching together screen heavyweights Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, their mission is to rescue an American General who has been captured by the Germans. Maybe a normal casualty of war? Not so! This general just happens to be very much in the know about Operation Overlord and he must be rescued before he can be tortured into spilling the beans. This film has one of the most quoted lines from war movies too – Broadsword calling Danny Boy!
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Ike: Countdown to D-Day
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
If you’ve only ever seen Tom Selleck with his trademark mustache as Magnum P.I. or Dr. Richard Burke, you won’t recognize him as Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces, and future US President Dwight D Eisenhower. Countdown to D-Day is a fascinating insight into the plans for Operation Overlord, and the relationship between Ike and Churchill in the 90 days leading up to June 6th, 1944.
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Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
The Americanization of Emily
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
Did you imagine you’d find a comedy among the movies about D-Day? That is exactly what this movie is. Starring James Garner as Lieutenant Commander Charlie Madison with Julie Andrews as his love interest, the darkly satirical story is of an attempted PR coup for the American navy on D-Day. Will Madison become the intentional first casualty on Omaha Beach on D-Day?
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Band of Brothers
On iTunes at: itunes.apple.com
It would have been too hard to ignore this very respected series. While Band of Brothers is a series, not a movie, episodes 2 and 3 are pretty much dedicated to D-Day, just before, during and directly after. These two episodes provide a little insight into the actions of troops who were already in France before the invasion force arrived.
Bonus entry:
I wanted to include this but have been unable to find a trailer or a DVD link. Practically all movies about D-Day focus on American and British troops and it’s easy to forget the other allied soldiers that played equally important roles. In Desperate Battle tells the story of the Normandy landings from the Canadian point of view.
2014 not only sees the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, but it is also the centenary of the start of World War I. It’s important that we remember how many people – troops and civilians – died in these global conflicts. I have just one military connection in my family – a cousin in army intelligence – but I never underestimate the value of our troops at home and overseas. I do hope that if you don’t feel like watching any of these movies about D-Day, you will spare a thought for armed forces personnel past and present, today 6th June 2014. Do you have any stories to share?
