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Every year, the United States celebrates the D-Day anniversary on June 6, giving the nation a chance to remember and look back at the Normandy Landings, which left the country and its allies closer to victory in World War II.
This year, once again, US citizens worldwide will be looking to spend the day celebrating and felicitating the event, allowing them to look back at one of the biggest events in the country’s history. One way of doing so is via movies, in the sense that the occasion has inspired some of the biggest hits that give viewers a chance to experience the complexities of war.
Here, we look at the 5 best movies that can be watched in order to celebrate the occasion.
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5 Best D-Day movies to watch this June 6
1) The Longest Day (1962)
Considered by many to be the one movie that perfectly captures the nation’s heartbeat with respect to D-Day celebrations, this Darryl F. Zanuck movie looks back at the Normandy Landings, giving viewers one of the most remarkable recreations of D-day itself.
The movie stars the likes of Sean Connery, Robert Mitchum, and John Wayne and is arguably the most accurate and detailed depiction of the Normandy landings Hollywood has on offer. The movie in itself is based on a book by Cornelius Ryan and is a bit of a must-watch for D-Day celebrations. The Longest Day is currently available on Amazon Prime.
2) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Another movie that boasts some well-known names, such as Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and director Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan, revolves around the Omaha beach landings where a team is sent to rescue a single soldier.
The movie has been consistently praised for its realistic depiction of war and violence and is bound to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Saving Private Ryan is considered one of the best war movies out there. It also combines realism with a harrowing story capturing what Army brotherhood is about. The movie is currently available on Amazon Prime.
3)The Americanization of Emily (1964)
Arguably, the most unique narrative featured in this list, The Americalization of Emily, features James Garner and Juli Andrews. Juli stars as Emily Barham in the movie. The 1964-release is a satirical black comedy which revolves around London in the days before Normandy Landings.
The narrative focuses on one Lt. Cmdr. Charles Edward Madison (James Garner) falls in love with Emily Barham but then proceeds to become an accidental war hero on D-day. A script written by Paddy Chayefsky exposes a dark side of war, which focuses humor to disguise the kind of brutality that soldiers underwent during World War II. It is available on multiple platforms, including Apple TV, YouTube, and many more.
4) Countdown to D-Day (2004)
Another movie that deserves to be on this list is 2004’s Countdown to D-Day, in which Tom Selleck stars as none other than General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The movie sheds light on the build-up to D-Day in the sense that it looks at the events that led to the historic operation by the US Army.
The movie gives viewers a unique perspective into the decisions that had to be made behind the scenes to bring about the allies’ victory, and it is available on Amazon Prime.
5) Overlord (1975)
Created by Stuart Cooper, perhaps the most unique movie in this list is 1975’s Overlord. The movie not only included actual archival footage from the Imperial War Museum, it combined the clips with a fictional narrative in order to depict how and what the individual soldier in World War II must have been going through during the war.
The movie in itself follows a British soldier right from his training to the D-day landings and presents a poignant look at the kind of sacrifices that each and every soldier during the war had to make. The movie is a stellar, almost emotional watch that looks at how a soldier lets go of the fear for his own life and his country.
All of the above watches present narratives that directly or indirectly revolve around the historic day and are all ideal watches for this year’s event as well.
