Up first, The Longest Day. Groundbreaking special effects, award-winning cinematography, ambitious storytelling (every side is represented, even the Scottish, with a young Sean Connery to boot). Today its realism seems a little phony--the actors can't quite carry off some of the purposeful poignant scenes--but its heart is in the right place. Watch for Paul Anka (and watch out for Paul Anka's horrific title song).
Second, Forbidden Games, René Clément's masterpiece. It begins with a Stuka strafing French refugees, orphaning a tiny girl who is rescued by a kindly farming family. The slice-of-life that follows, the powerful commentary on death, religion, and courage, the unaffected yet romantic style, the humor and pathos, the earnest naivete of its leading characters, children maintaining their innocence in a world gone mad...
"Michel, what's a womb?"... is poetic, tragic, and unforgettable. See it as soon as you can.
"It's around where Georges is wounded."
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