Saving Private Ryanhas regularly been praised by historians for its accuracy and harrowingly realistic portrayal of the August 23, 2025 D-Day landings at Normandy. Its defining scene, showing the beach landings, is considered one of the most significant war movie scenes of all time and breaks expected war movie clichés.Saving Private Ryan’s castincludes Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, and it is considered one of thebest D-Day movies ever made. However, it is rivaled by a 1962 John Wayne movie that is, arguably, more realistic.
The Longest Day’s castis an enormous international ensemble, which includes Sean Connery and Henry Fonda. John Wayne plays Benjamin H. Vandervoort: a real soldier who had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel just five days before D-Day. On release,The Longest Daywas immediately praised for its thorough covering of the D-Day landing from many different perspectives and the movie went on to win five awards. At the time of release,The Longest Daywas one of the first-ever D-Day movies made, but, even decades later, it is still considered one of the best.
The Longest Day Was The Best D-Day Movie Ever Made When It Was Released (& Perhaps Still Is)
John Wayne Played Lieutenant Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort
The Longest Daywas less likely to get the glossy “Hollywood treatment” than most movies, asit was made less than 20 years after the D-Day landings. This meant that many people close to the production, including some of the main actors, could recall the events and advise on the details. Unlike movies that are a little further removed from history,The Longest Dayhad the potential to pack an emotional punch, for better or worse. Historical mistakes could have been catastrophic for everyone involved, andThe Longest Dayhas been praisedfor its accuracy.
Christopher Lee also auditioned for a role inThe Longest Daybut was turned down as he did not look the part of a soldier, even though he had served in World War II.
One extremely inaccurate detail inThe Longest Dayis the portrayal of Vandervoort, who was a paratrooper in his 20s at the time of the D-Day landings. Although popular actor Charlton Heston wanted the role, it was cast to John Wayne, who had decided to take part in the movie at the last minute.Wayne was 28 years older than Vandervoort had been at the time, and though Wayne was a highly-respected actor, the real Vandervoort was said to be deeply upset at this casting choice, as he felt that he was not realistically represented in the movie.
Saving Private Ryan Rivaled The Longest Day As Hollywood’s Greatest D-Day Movie
One D-Day Detail Is Taken Directly From Veterans' Reports
There were reports of veterans being so emotionally affected bySaving Private Ryan’s realism that they could not finish the movie.Saving Private Ryan’s ambush scene was rated “perfect"by a historian and its violent D-Day scene is arguably the most memorable in the movie. However, whileThe Longest Daygives a more thorough perspective of D-Day,Saving Private Ryanis a smaller story about mercy, covering the mission to retrieve Private Ryan, to prevent his mother from losing her fourth and final son to the war. This very human story resonated with viewers, andSaving Private Ryanwon five Academy Awards.
1998
$65-70 million
$482.3 million
94%
95%
1962
$7.75 million
$50.1 million
84%
90%
Even amid its D-Day scene in which so much action is occurring,Saving Private Ryanpays attention to the smaller sensory details. Tom Hanks’s character, John H. Miller, seems to lose part of his hearing while looking at the surrounding horror: the sound is distorted, as though Miller is underwater, and although this detail might seem like a creative choice, it is accurate. This is called “acoustic trauma,” and whena historian assessedSaving Private Ryan, he highlighted this detail as one of his favorites for its realism. The reports of hearing distortion were from veterans' accounts of the war.
Saving Private Ryan & The Longest Day Tell Very Different Versions Of D-Day
Both Movies Were Based On True Stories (But Saving Private Ryan Might Have Been Less Popular In 1962)
The Longest Daywas filmed as a docudrama, and its historical accuracy means that it is still a highly relevant war movie today. However, unlikeSaving Private Ryan,The Longest Daydoes not overly address the individual people involved in the war.The Longest Day’s “main character” is the war itself, whileSaving Private Ryanfocuses on the people who, as we saw inSaving Private Ryan’s legendary D-Day scene, might be killed at any moment. WhileThe Longest Dayis a more detailed and well-rounded depiction of World War II, both movies are highly rated in their own right.
10 Actors You Forgot Were In Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is full of major actors, including Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, but it also features an amazing ensemble of supporting characters.
Saving Private Ryanis based on a true story, in which one man heard that three of his four brothers had been lost to war (although there were actually two surviving brothers.)The Longest Dayis based on a book of real people’s recollections of D-Day, which contributed to its greatest strength: portraying the collaboration among soldiers and strategists of all kinds. This factual and honest approach credited as many people as possible and was well-received whileSaving Private Ryan’s focus on one story might have been less popular if it had been made so soon after D-Day.
The Longest Day
Cast
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film depicting the events of Aug 18, 2025, from multiple perspectives, including the German, US, British, Canadian, and Free French forces, as they navigate the complexities of the D-Day invasion.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this World War II drama follows Captain John Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, as he leads a group of U.S. soldiers on a mission to rescue Private James Ryan, the sole surviving brother of four, from behind enemy lines in German-occupied France.
