Critical Analysis of The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan

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This essay is a critical analysis that will explain the historical representation of two films that represent the World War Two Normandy Landings. The Normandy Landings took place on June 6, 1944 in France. The Normandy Landings also referred as D- Day, was an invasion by Allied forces on Normandy Beach by crossing by sea and air from English channel to Normandy Beach, which was captured by Nazi forces. The D-Day invasion is the largest war invasion by way of sea and air that included forces from twelve Allied countries. The objective was to reclaim Normandy from the Nazis and establish control over the area as the Germans were attempting to strengthen the position they had in Normandy, France . The general of the Allied forces Dwight E. Eisenhower planned and executed the massive invasion that was codenamed ‘Operation Overload’. Operation Overload involved that would involve transporting troops and supplies from the English Channel to Normandy Beach, this involved attacks from the air and troops on the ground . The Allies forces out number the Germans in Normandy and consequently reclaimed the area. The outcomes of this operation on D-Day ended with the Allied forces claiming Normandy from the Germans and in the process the loss of approximately 425,000 Allied and German soldiers. The invasions by the Allied forces were significant because it allowed access for the Allied forces to enter the border of Western Germany and fight against the Germans on their home turf. If D-Day had not occurred, the outcome for the war might have been different .
The films being assessed in the essay that both represent the events of the Normandy Landings are The Longest day a film released in 1962 and Saving Private Ryan a film released in 1998. T...

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...ents the perspectives of the war from both sides. It also is more accurate in telling the story in its entirety of the events that happened on D-Day. Saving Private Ryan only focuses only on a small number of American soldiers in the war and fails to present the entire story prior or after the Normandy Landings.
Despite representing the story of the D-Day invasion more accurately, the Longest Day lacks the more realistic nature of the effects war than Saving Private Ryan achieves (number of casualties, blood etc.). Saving Private Ryan shows soldiers who have lost body parts and that are covered in blood screaming in pain. The film also is more accurate in showing the number of Allied casualties on Normandy Beach. The Longest Day attempts to glorify the Allies in the film and doesn’t demonstration the accurate number of soldiers lying dead on the beach.
Conclusion

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