The Longest Day/Patton/Tora! Tora! Tora! John Wayne 2006 DVD Top-quality

Triple bill of classic World War II dramas. In ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) an all-star international cast headed by John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Henry Fonda retells the events of the Allied Landings in Normandy in 1944. Events are seen from various points of view, including the Germans’, in an epic and spectacular style. Along with the 43 international stars, the film used 23,000 Allied troops and, despite costing over $10 million to make, it has now become one of the most successful films of its genre. ‘Patton’ (1969) chronicles the life and times of America’s most famous modern general, George Patton (George C. Scott). The film focuses on Patton’s controversial exploits during the Second World War, where he eventually gave up command of the Seventh Army after slapping a soldier and accusing him of being a coward. Patton was highly successful in his campaigns over North Africa, Sicily and parts of Europe. Scott won an Oscar for his performance but didn’t accept it, and the film won a further six Academy Awards. ‘Tora! Tora! Tora!’ (1970) is a blockbuster covering Japan’s 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. Told from the perspective of both the Japanese and the Americans, it draws upon the talents of four different directors – including Richard Fleischer and Kinji Fukasuku – and, at a cost of $25 million, was one of the most expensive movies ever made. The film won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.