As long as there have been movies, there have been war movies. The events of D-day were dramatic enough on their own, but that hasn't stopped Hollywood from having a go. Here is a sampler, with a lagniappe at the end from the world of gaming:

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war blockbuster Saving Private Ryan has a reputation for achieving a new level of accuracy in its depiction of the D-day invasion. Spielberg hired Paul Fussell, the veteran and critic, and second world war historian Stephen Ambrose as consultants. He used dozens of barrels of fake blood to color the water and hired amputees as actors. Men who had participated in the invasion of Normandy walked out of the film and told reporters things like “I should have never gone to see that damn movie” because of the memories it stirred.



Some viewers have pointed out lapses in the film’s historical fidelity. The German positions in the film are too well fortified and the machine gun fire is too sustained. There are too many anti-tank “hedgehogs” on the beach. The aircraft are missing. The invading troops are too bunched together. The water, despite the fake blood, is too blue.



Part of the scene is viewable after the 1:30 mark in this trailer:



Whatever its failings as a realistic depiction of the invasion of Normandy, Saving Private Ryan topped Hollywood’s previous efforts.

The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day, produced by Darryl F Zanuck and starring John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. Here’s the part where they take Pointe du Hoc:

The Americanization of Emily (1964)

The Americanization of Emily, directed by Arthur Hiller, starring Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas and James Garner and written by none other than Paddy Chayefsky. It mixes love and war.



Overlord (1975)

Overlord, directed by Stuart Cooper, starring Brian Stirner and Davyd Harries. “Overlord. The most haunting and hypnotic film to have been made about the war, and what it was like to fight it.” That tagline intones over footage of a couple in love dancing to light jazz. The drama of the beach invasion is portrayed with close-ups of soldiers’ faces as they prepare to leave their boats.

The Big Red One (1980)

The Big Red One, directed by Samuel Fuller, starring Lee Marvin and Mark Hamill. The title is taken from the nickname of the 1st Infantry Division. A director’s cut with 47 restored minutes screened at Cannes in 2004. Features soldiers crab-crawling through shallow water to take the beach. “The real glory of war – is surviving.”

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)

The Normandy invasion has been portrayed in no fewer than 11 different Call of Duty scenarios, according to a Wiki devoted to the game. On this mission, the gamer begins on a boat and uses binoculars to spot German machine gun positions. The action proceeds onto the beach and through some hostile inland topography.

