Search - D-Day, the Sixth of June on DVD

Entertaining

T. Davis | Solon Springs, WI | 06/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love this movie - always have. I guess I'm more interested in the entertainment value than combat scenes (after all, "From Here to Eternity" is considered a classic and there is only a very small amount of combat at the end in that one as well). Of course, I would probably like any movie that had Dana Wynter, Robert Taylor and Richard Todd in it. Do I think this movie is Academy Award worthy? Of course not, but this movie is reminiscent of the old Hollywood love stories that I have enjoyed so much throughout my life and it has a wonderful cast."

Waterloo Bridge it ain't

Trevor Willsmer | London, England | 01/21/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This 1956 effort is pure production line stuff given a CinemaScope and Stereophonic gloss, with the emphasis on romantic, rather than military, manoeuvres. Robert Taylor (understandably) loves Dana Wynter, who also (not so understandably) loves Richard Todd; Edmond O'Brien loves glory; and John Williams just hangs around the sidelines of both plot and frame as the quintessential old-world fogey. After much talk, guilt and plot contrivances, O'Brien loses his nerve, Taylor loses the girl and Todd loses even more. Waterloo Bridge it ain't.



Very much an American take on the invasion (although in fact it deals primarily with a diversionary raid), Taylor's arrogance and the screenplay's clumsy culture clashes do give off an unfortunate aura of seeing the British as a bunch of ingrates who couldn't tie their shoelaces without help from the Yanks that is less than endearing. Sample dialogue: "I don't go for them Limeys. They talk fast, but fight slow." The Home Guard too are singled out for contempt. The very few other British to make it into the film are of the "Cor, luvaduck guv'nor" variety, although, to be fair, even fewer Germans are on view - while not exactly a cheapie, the budget obviously didn't extend to more than five German uniforms.



Despite director Henry Koster's limited visual imagination - if there are three people in any given shot, you can bet he'll line them up left, right and centre without fail - and a total absence of close-ups so prevalent in early widescreen pictures, the old-fashioned CinemaScope is a virtue and one of the chief reasons for buying this: with little in the way of battle scenes and much mushy stuff, this is more one for undemanding romantics and readers of Harlequin romances than the Boys Own brigade.

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Title is very misleading 10%

Quentin Tarantino Fan | nowhere | 06/05/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I thought the Green Berets was bad, but this is just awful. The title thinks that this film will be a nice supplement to the D-day masterpiece The Longest Day and the ferocious opener of Saving Private Ryan. Heh, don't even bother. Only about the last ten minutes is reserved for a crappy recreation of point du hoc, portrayed much better in the aforementioned The Longest Day. Nope, it's apparently not about D-Day or one of it's main landing points (criticizers of SPR take notes. It's Omaha Beach depicted, NOT The Normandy Landings).



So what is this movie about? A _________ love triangle. _____________!!!!!!!!! Looked, it worked in Enemy at the Gates (probably because they didn't FOCUS on it), but this film's plot is godawful. It's predictable and cliched and doesn't work at all. Trust me on this one, if you are wondering if this movie is a war drama of any kind, please just leave the page right now. You are not missing this horrid z-grade script.



Even worse, it doesn't even look like a gritty realistic war picture. It's an ugly, technicolor work that looks as bright as Singin' in the Rain (before you go nuts, that's one of my favorite films), and after viewing grim black and white and war films with desaturated colors, this film seems even more coated and cheesy. Of course, the _______ sound design and the flat sounding soundtrack they used on old war films, making the film even more stagnated. The two leading actors are bland and wooden, and while the leading lady is pretty, she has as much charisma as a can of tuna. There's just not much to explain other than this movie is just awful.



It may just sound like I am throwing insults at this piece of crap, but god forbid, I mean all of them! This isn't a bitter rant, this film is really that bad. Fox War Classics? To think this is paired with the same label as the masterful The Thin Red Line shows how stupid Fox really is. Leave this movie in the bargain bin where it belongs. This is the kind of film you find at the dollar store.



PLOT-0/10

CHARACTERS-0/10

BATTLE SEQUENCES-2/10

DIRECTING AND STYLE 2/10"