Movies to watch for the 70th anniversary of D-Day
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Sizemore and Tom Hanks in scene from movie "Saving Private Ryan." (AP)
D-Day was one of the key historical events of the 20th century — but because of the sheer scale of the Allied troops landing on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago on Friday, only a handful of movies and TV projects have taken it on. Here they are:
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
Steven Spielberg graphically depicted the carnage in the D-Day landings in the unforgettable opening sequence of this film, which is mostly about a mission behind enemy lines to find a surviving soldier, whose three brothers have perished in combat. Winner of five Oscars, but was robbed of Best Picture by “Shakespeare in Love."
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‘The Longest Day’ (1962)
A sweeping and meticulous re-creation of the chronology of the invasion provides roles of varying quality for an international all-star cast headed by Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Sean Connery. It was a huge hit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
Spielberg and his “Private Ryan" star, Tom Hanks, produced this acclaimed 10-hour HBO miniseries that follows a parachute infantry regiment through their training to their nighttime jump into occupied Normandy.
‘The Big Red One’ (1980)
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Sam Fuller’s epic follows an infantry division led by Lee Marvin through from battles in North Africa and Sicily to D-Day. In 2004, 44 minutes cut from original theatrical version were restored. It recently debuted on Blu-ray.
'Overlord’ (1975)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With a British view of D-Day as seen through the eyes of a young soldier (Brian Stirner), it incorporates archival footage of the actual battle. It was recently issued on Blu-ray.
‘Ike: Countdown to D-Day’ (2004)
Tom Selleck ditches his mustache to play the future president during the 90 days leading up to the invasion in this TV movie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}‘D-Day the Sixth of June’ (1956)
Twelve years after D-Day, Hollywood’s first depiction came in a 14-minute sequence at the end of this CinemaScope romance, which was devoted mostly to a triangle involving an American captain (Robert Taylor), his commander (Richard Todd) and the woman (Dana Wynter) whom they both love.