The Longest Day (1962)

In 20th Century-Fox studio chief/producer Darryl F. Zanuck's semi-documentary war epic, with over three dozen international stars (including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Sean Connery, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Richard Burton, etc.) and three directors (Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki):

• the recreation of the Allied invasion of Normandy Beach (D-Day, June 6, 1944) from five separate invasion points, with sweeping B/W Cinemascopic views of the assault as the various Allied troops left their gunships and advanced onto the beachhead

Allied Invasion of Normandy - D-Day

• the spectacular POV sequence of the beach being hit by strafing gunfire from Luftwaffe planes
• the U.S. Ranger Assault Group's ascent up the 100 foot tall steep cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, in order to take over German fortifications and artillery
• the counter-attack sequence of US 505th group of infantry paratroopers parachuting into Sainte-Mère-Église, where one of the soldiers, Pvt. John Steele (Red Buttons) - who was caught in a high church steeple, watched in horror as his fellow paratroopers were gunned down on the ground by the Germans when they landed