The Longest Day

The Longest Day (1962) is a sprawling war drama you can watch online on iFILM. Nearly three hours of screen time go to a single twenty-four hours: the morning the Allies stormed the Normandy coast.

The film refuses a single hero. It cuts from American paratroopers to British glider crews, from the French Resistance to the German command posts where Rommel insists the invaders must be broken right at the waterline or not at all. Germans speak German, the French speak French — a bold choice for a Hollywood epic of its era. The cast is a wall of stars: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, and a young Sean Connery in a small part.

Producer Darryl Zanuck ran three units and three directors to capture the landings by land, sea and air at once, with thousands of extras and real hardware on the beaches. It won two Academy Awards, for cinematography and special effects, and still sets the standard for putting June 6, 1944 on screen. Stream The Longest Day (1962) online on iFILM.