D-Day Anniversary...
Jun. 3rd, 2004 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
motodraconisWith the 60th Anniversary of D-Day coming up this weekend, I was reminded of a certain film that I've added to my growing list of things I'd like to buy someday when I have a bit of spare cash, The Longest Day.
Odd, since I'm not a fan of war or war films, but for some reason I love this particular film. Perhaps it's because it's not so much a true "oh the glory of War, the heroism blah blah" war film, but more a collection of personal experiences and perspectives, tweaked perhaps, exaggerated for film on occasion, but based on true-life experiences. Three different directors were used to create perspectives from the english-speaking allies, the French and the Germans. Everybody speaks their own language, which I really enjoy, since I speak French and know a smattering of German, I get to pick up little colloquial turns of phrase that make me grin. For a war film, there seems to be a remarkable amount of humour woven into the story, dark, quirky humour, odd weirdness (dummy parachute troops that explode on impact with the ground, like something ot of Q's laboratory.)
There's the suspense as the build up to D-Day begins, coded messages for the French resistance, wondering if everyone will get to complete a tangled web of alloted tasks.
Moments of pathos too...
Two american soldiers on a ship bound for Normandy, one is talking at length to his comrade, about his girl back home, who he thinks has found another man. He pours out his heart before wandering off. At which point, another soldier goes up to the listening soldier, who all the while had nodded and listened intently.
"Who was that guy?"
"No idea" says the listener soldier, "never met him before in my life."
The parachutist caught on the spire of the church at St Mere Eglise, watching helplessly as his entire group are massacred before his eyes, bells ringing, soldiers and civilians running about in utter confusion.
Strange moments...
As a group of the Free-French army are cornered in the middle of a town, gunfire and shells exploding all around them, there is a moment of dumbstruck amazement at the sight of a line of nuns walking calmly and purposefully through the shelling to the bombed out building where the french are sheltering. "Get back" shouts the French commander, to which the Mother Superior replies "All these sisters are trained nurses, we're staying here to tend the wounded."
The German officer trying to dial through to Berlin.
"We need the Panzer divisions now!.
"Only the Fuhrer can order to release the Panzers, he's gone to bed."
"Well wake him up!!!"
"He's taken a sleeping pill and given orders not to be woken up under any circumstances."
"Well wake him up, we need those Panzers"
"No one dares wake him"
No Panzers....
There are loads more funny and tragic, (or funny/tragic) moments to recount, and my quotes are not exact, (and are pretty poor at articulating the film itself) and even if I did list them all, you'd probably still be at a loss as to why I love this old, black and white, war film.
Odd, since I'm not a fan of war or war films, but for some reason I love this particular film. Perhaps it's because it's not so much a true "oh the glory of War, the heroism blah blah" war film, but more a collection of personal experiences and perspectives, tweaked perhaps, exaggerated for film on occasion, but based on true-life experiences. Three different directors were used to create perspectives from the english-speaking allies, the French and the Germans. Everybody speaks their own language, which I really enjoy, since I speak French and know a smattering of German, I get to pick up little colloquial turns of phrase that make me grin. For a war film, there seems to be a remarkable amount of humour woven into the story, dark, quirky humour, odd weirdness (dummy parachute troops that explode on impact with the ground, like something ot of Q's laboratory.)
There's the suspense as the build up to D-Day begins, coded messages for the French resistance, wondering if everyone will get to complete a tangled web of alloted tasks.
Moments of pathos too...
Two american soldiers on a ship bound for Normandy, one is talking at length to his comrade, about his girl back home, who he thinks has found another man. He pours out his heart before wandering off. At which point, another soldier goes up to the listening soldier, who all the while had nodded and listened intently.
"Who was that guy?"
"No idea" says the listener soldier, "never met him before in my life."
The parachutist caught on the spire of the church at St Mere Eglise, watching helplessly as his entire group are massacred before his eyes, bells ringing, soldiers and civilians running about in utter confusion.
Strange moments...
As a group of the Free-French army are cornered in the middle of a town, gunfire and shells exploding all around them, there is a moment of dumbstruck amazement at the sight of a line of nuns walking calmly and purposefully through the shelling to the bombed out building where the french are sheltering. "Get back" shouts the French commander, to which the Mother Superior replies "All these sisters are trained nurses, we're staying here to tend the wounded."
The German officer trying to dial through to Berlin.
"We need the Panzer divisions now!.
"Only the Fuhrer can order to release the Panzers, he's gone to bed."
"Well wake him up!!!"
"He's taken a sleeping pill and given orders not to be woken up under any circumstances."
"Well wake him up, we need those Panzers"
"No one dares wake him"
No Panzers....
There are loads more funny and tragic, (or funny/tragic) moments to recount, and my quotes are not exact, (and are pretty poor at articulating the film itself) and even if I did list them all, you'd probably still be at a loss as to why I love this old, black and white, war film.
