The Longest Day vs Saving Private Ryan. Which do you prefer?

[Ranger514]

My Dad, a WWII medic, had tears in his eyes during the landing and beachead scenes in SPR. I never saw him get emotional over any other war movie. I think that both movies were products of their times. TLD was more of an unemotional overview of D Day, whereas SPR focused on a fictional event highlighting the personal costs of modern warfare. I recently read Ambrose's "Citizen Soldier," which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the GI's perspective of the war in Europe.

 

[jdlii]

Given the respective time periods in which each were made, they represent the two of the best films to depict the events of 6-6-44 from different perspectives.

Regardless of which one is deemed "better", I can't help but to think of the personal sacrifice exhibited.

 

[judge]

They were both excellent, however I will never forget "A Bridge Too Far" - one of the best I've ever seen.

 

[AZretired]

The Longest Day is a true story told in black & white because they di use some actual war footage. Saving Private Ryan was a great movie but it is a sensationalized telling of a somewhat true story. While both are great movies, they are generations apart.

TLD is a Classic not dated. Would you call Casablanca dated?

 

[Bkreutz]

I enjoy The Longest Day, one of the reasons is that the German subtitles are very often not a very good translation. Since I've always been able to use either one I often wonder what people who don't know German think of the plot when the subtitles say something completely different. Saving Private Ryan was a bit uncomfortable, little too close to the real thing for this old grunt.

 

[rog8732]

Which is better ? I just don't watch them in the same way.

I will say this.
Perhaps the most poignant scene I recall from a movie; is in Saving Private Ryan; when the Army car, in it's dull O D paint, winds down that long country lane to the anxious soldier's mother.

She already knows what it is for; and when the soldier bearing the news steps out of the car,with an accompanying priest, mom just folds up and slumps away.

Sadly,my WWII Pop had passed away before movies were treated to the more realistic battle scenes of war.
Far as I recall, he never went to a war movie; certainly never one after 1945.
I would not have wanted for him to see many of the scenes of S P R. Some of his memories; plagued him enough.

 

[Texas Star]

Both are excellent, although I don't like Spielberg as a director. I can't say why here. I can say, I hope, that he misportrayed those Rangers, making them seem more like reluctant draftees.

TLD does show war on a wide scale, but in individual vignettes. Those scenes were based on actual experiences, and some of the actors were vets of the invasion. I especially liked Richard Burton's downed Spitfire pilot who shot the German with his Webley .455, and waited for rescue, with a ruined leg.

SPR has the advantage of color and the terrific beach landing scene. I think it impressed the horror of Omaha Beach on the audience and they deserved to know what those men endured.

 

[johnnyflake]

The TLD was good, but nothing special. It tried to cover far too many aspects of what was happening on D-Day. Too many Cameo Rolls by big name actors, with far too little time spent on the different scenarios.

SPR was based on one topic, with a lot of Reality Special Effects! A few big name actors as well, and a story based on reality. It was a far better movie IMHO!!!

 

[lrrifleman]

I have mixed emotions about these two movies. As a historian and a teacher, I like "The Longest Day", because it gives a reasonable overview of D Day, and I would be able (in the early part of my career) to use it to teach about D Day and it's significance.

I have attempted to watch "Saving Private Ryan" three or four times, and I can barely make it to the half way point. The special effects are great, it is just that they are too realistic for me. Having been caught in a cross fire is not fun, and "Ryan" just triggers my PTSD.

I realize that some people see it as the best movie ever. For me, being raised on movies and such that didn't include excessive, gratuitous levels of blood and gore, I tend to find the graphic movies a little too much.

 

[loknload]

I like The Longest Day for the movie it was when it was made, and how it was made and the cast,,, does this make sense?
From modern movie filmdom I really like Saving Private Ryan I believe due to the truism of reality and the special effects that make it what it is.

Another great WWII film that I really like and enjoy is,,, A Bridge Too Far

 

[Rockrivr1]

I've watched both many times and each has it's own merits. Overall though I would say that SPR is the better film. It's realism, and at times gut wrenching scenes, had more of an effect then TLD.

I seen SPR in a packed theater and there were many WWII veterans in attendance. When the movie was over there was nothing but utter silence from everyone who was walking out. I seen several older gentlemen leaving visibly upset and a few were crying as we left. It was an experience I will never forget. I didn't see TLD in the theater, but I don't think it has the same impact.

 

[Comrad]

The Longest Day, saw it when it first came out in a real full size movie theater. Still have the program.

Honorable mention for Bridge On The River Kwai.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

The Longest Day...I have THE ALBUM!

 

[rwsmith]

If you ask me.....

...both were dang good movies and they need to make more like them, whether or not one might be a little more realistic or entertaining than another.

 

[model70hunter]

I guess I'm late to the party, several did say TLD was a big overview of the "DAY". Where SPR was set at squad level and many scenes were down and dirty personal with the enemy.

Someone mentioned the knife scene, what bothered me was the boy crying on the stairs instead of shooting the ememy to save his friend.

I am sure some froze in battle but this bit of realism did not set well with me. Then he later shot the guy. Big whoop, his buddy was gone.

Other than the tank scene I did like the movie, it moved along and one felt like you were with them.

My Dad was in the first beach invasion, North Africa. He and General Clark chased Rommel around. He saw lots of combat. By the time we were ready to hit Sicily we had too many POWS to safely guard there. Dad's company was an MP Company. They had been used as infanmtry, forward scouts, snipers and many other details.

I never saw him watch a war movie, I think he thought most were too fake as I heard him say about one that was on late night TV.

He never missed Combat nor Rat Patrol.

He told me of Jeep scouting and forward observer/scout/find Rommel things.

When Rat Patrol was on Dad was in a different zone, I don't think he would have heard us yell at him. Watching it let Dad be 20 again.

When we hunted or fished Dad had 2 WW2 surplus canteens with him. Why Dad I asked. He said after they secured the beach and pushed back the French who had joined the Axis they did lots of marching, actually sleeping while they walked, never had enough water. They often had to brush Camel dung aside at a waddy to fill their canteens. He never went anywhere without fresh clean water. I gave one of the WW2 canteens to my son after he did Desert Storm, he asked me for it. He fished and hunted with Dad a lot, he said as a young boy he remembered him and his Grandpa drinking from the canteen. He also said getting water was tough at times during the Storm. Must be an Africa thing.

Maybe Vets who have been there see the fakery and relive painful times.

I was in LE long enough that most Cop shows seem fake and I don't watch them. My wife is an RN and she hates DR/Nurse/Hospital shows, too much fakery.


In summary I liked SPR and Rat Patrol.

 

[BUFF]

I have both, TLD on VHS. I tossed a coin and watched TLD on Memorial Day after I got in. Great movie from the Hollywood of the time. Huge cast. Some of the worst over-acting John Wayne ever did. And he wasn't the only one. On D-Day, I don't think too many Naval officers sitting in ships off the Normandy coast were waxing philosophically about history and their place in it.

Both excellent films.

No, I'm not hating on John Wayne. He was just too old for his part (as were many others). I watched "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" tonight and it was a far better performance from the Duke.

 

[hoosierone]

Could never watch Bridge too Far with grandsons due to James Caan threatening the Dr. (I'll blow your F%$#@ head off") and Elliott Gould saying "S^&* when the Germans blew a bridge just as he was coming to it.

Two unnecessary profanities in an otherwise excellent movie.

 

[the ringo kid]

SPR. More time spent on fewer characters. An interesting moral dilemma built into the script.

And it confirms what everyone already suspected- that a 1911 can blow up a tank!

I could've done with less violence, but I also understand the attempt at realism.

I HAD the still of the scene you described but, gave it away years ago. I MIGHT still have one of Ryan carrying a bazooka?

 

[the ringo kid]

I never had to land on a beach,but watching Saving Private Ryan,just looked so real. I don't think i've ever seen The Longest Day.If I have i've forgotten it. I forget lots of things these days.

One of these days ill get around to forcing ((asking)) someone to post all my stills from TLD. Ive got around 16 combat stills.

 

[the ringo kid]

SPR by a narrow margin. LD was good at the historical level, while SPR was at the squad/personal level. However, LD did have a number of veterans in its ranks of actors, albeit some twenty plus years older than the actual participants at the time. I read someplace that Richard Todd, who played Maj. John Howard (Pegasus Bridge), was a young Capt with the 5th Bridage, 1st Paras who reinforced Howard's unit later that morning. I find that interesting that an actor played the part of the CO to whom he was attached.

TLD did have quite a few actuals who were in that film. One was Hans-Christian Bleth who portrayed Major Werner Pluskat. He had been in D Day as a member of the 352nd Infantry Division. The guy who played GFM Gerd von Rundstedt, did closely resembled the field marshal, but Blech looked nothing like Pluskat. they also had a real Knights Cross Recipient in the movie. Not sure of his characters name? but in life--he was Til Kiwi. Others did look passable for actuals--like the guy who portrayed Ike.