Best Movies About D-Day

Today is D-Day. Well it was, sixty nine years ago on this day, when the allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in order to execute what would become one of the greatest military operations in history.

When it comes to European front during World War II, there are few battles that could be deemed as decisive for the final outcome of the war. One of them is the Battle of Stalingrad. Marked by constant close-quarters combat and lack of regard for military and civilian casualties, it is among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. The heavy losses inflicted on the German army make it arguably the most strategically decisive battle of the whole war. Which leads us to the second large battle on the Eastern front - the Battle of Kursk which would be one of the greatest armored clashes ever and would give momentum to the Soviet counteroffensive.

The third operation is the D-Day Landings, or the Normandy landings, code named Operation Neptune. Part of the larger Operation Overlord, D-Day marked the beginning of western allies' counteroffensive and the end of Nazi rule in Europe.

Many movies were made about these - and other - battles of WWII, and here are only some of them, dedicated to D-Day.

Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004)

It's hard to imagine Tom Selleck as a mustache-less supreme commander of allied forces, but somehow he pulled it off.

The main emphasis in this movie is Gen. Eisenhower and the difficult decisions he had to make while dealing with the varied personalities of his subordinates, including U.S. Gen. George S. Patton, British Gen. Bernard Montgomery and French resistance leader - Gen. Charles De Gaulle, as well as making some hard political decisions, and all that while being in direct conflict with the weather conditions. Not to mention the Germans...

The Longest Day (1962)

The D-DAY events, told both from both the Allied as well as the German side. It is a cult war movie with some of the greatest movie start of that time in it.

The Big Red One (1980)

A sergeant and his soldiers do their best to survive the second world war. From North Africa, Sicily, and then on to Omaha Beach at the start of the Battle of Normandy as they are sent from one battle to another over and over.

Red Ball Express (1952)

Red Ball Express is a World War II movie based on the real Red Ball Express convoys that supplied allied forces after the Normandy Landings on D-Day.

Moving forward with the invasion of France, in August 1944 Gen. Patton led his Third army so far toward Paris that it is nearly impossible for it to be supplied. To keep the momentum of the operation, an elite military truck route is established by the Allied HQ, called Red Ball Express. One platoon of this convoy faces increasingly dangerous missions, including German resistance, minefields, and even private enmities.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Saving Private Ryan is one of the best movies in 1998. The movie was awarded with five Oscars and many more international awards. It is one of the best war movies made in the last twenty years. When it comes to realism in war movies it doesn`t get any better than this. Saving Private Ryan set new standards for realism in war movies. 

Soon after the D-day, a small unit of US soldiers are sent on a mission to retrieve pvt. James Ryan whose four brothers were killed in action.

Band of Brothers (2001)

Granted, this is not a feature length film, but this Spielberg/Hanks short series about the fictional Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division and their mission in WWII Europe from Operation Overlord (Normandy Landing) through V-J Day is arguably one of the - or possibly THE - best depiction of war, whether be it on the small or on the silver screen.