GERG-2 Review of The Long Day's Dying

The Long Day's Dying (1968)

Watched it many times

[9/10 · 24 November 2022]

I first saw this decades ago, so long I cannot remember whether it was on tv or in a cinema. It struck me as a powerful, well written, well acted and entirely plausible film about men in war, the sort of people who take no especial joy in killing but are in a situation where learned skills have value and they are proud of them. I especially like the inner voice commentary, the understanding between them when in action even when they have been bickering ill-temperedly moments before. It is a BIG film in many ways, even though the action is on a small scale and tightly controlled. It all feels real. (I speak as a military history enthusiast who has no actual experience at all).

I've watched this on a regular basis - when I have been able to find it (most recently on Amazon Prime) many times since. It's one of those films that I can just watch a random ten-fifteen minutes of and still feel I am getting a full experience.

The critics who dismissed it back in the late 60s totally missed the point of this film - it is not "stale, self-important and tough...No characterization...One for the English antiwar cheapshot satire brigadestale" at all - thing of the complete opposite of those criticisms by a now-forgotten US commentator and you have some of the flavour of the film.

I would poay good money for a dvd copy but as far as I know it has never had a release. Incredible.