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Subject: A review of the movie IKE: Countdown to D-Day

(Thur., Sept. 14, 2006)

(approx. 845 words, 2 pages)

Not many good movies out these days, in recent years at least. Narnia was a quality production, no doubt, but generally we seem to be going through something of a dry spell in movie making, with perhaps one glaring exception: IKE: Countdown to D-Day

This was a low budget (no cast of thousands, here) but extremely well-done production of the story of the months, weeks, days, and then hours leading up to D-Day, June 6, 1944, when the Allies landed on the coast of France in Normandy to liberate Europe from the Nazis in World War II.  "Ike" is, of course, Eisenhower's nickname, and the script, acting, and character portrayal are all outstanding. The famous British General Montgomery and the American General Patton are both well-portrayed in their somewhat quirky personalities, a little over-emphasized no doubt to make the point, and Churchill and De Gaulle seem to return to life and to the movie set to play out their parts once again, but the star performance is, of course, by Tom Selleck as Eisenhower.

Not long before the great invasion, Eisenhower says to Bedell Smith, who is his chief of staff, "I'll most likely live to see it [this war] over," and General Smith responds, "But... this war is still your burden, and the rest of us, we're just supporting cast... If it is any comfort, so far, General Eisenhower, you are giving one hell of a great performance." And indeed he was, and he continued to do so, even in the White House, years later. Churchill even says of the coming Allied invasion, "Shoulder the whole burden alone to the end, is it? ... You make the manly choice. I admire it. All the same between we two, surely God himself must tremble at the task that lies before you. And it is God's work you do, Ike. We hold all our lives in your hands."  To which Eisenhower wisely responds, "If I do God's work, then He will be at my side, and I cannot fail, although candidly, God has not been much help with De Gaulle." (De Gaulle and the French in this movie remind me of the official Roman Catholic Church a bit, never quite ready to be a team player in the larger cause, but always ready to share in the benefits of the Body's larger victories?)

At another point, Omar Bradley, America's top general under Eisenhower, says to "Ike" of the coming battle, "Ours is not to reason why," to which Eisenhower responds, "Of course it is, we're the generals." Even the King and Queen of England get into the act at a briefing on the coming invasion, and they turn in equally fine performances as well. Finally, the weather man turns in a great and centrally important performance as anyone familiar with D-Day knows so well! Eisenhower wanted "probabilities" for rain and storms! Apparently that was, at the time, a new idea in weather forecasts. And, finally, endless sweet young British gals keep the movie from bogging down entirely with military matters. All so well done.

Will we ever see such a cast of characters on the stage of history, again? Maybe, but presumably not in our lifetimes? The war against radical Islam, in truth, though quite serious, has not yet reached the scope or certainly depths of depravity and danger we saw in World War II. Today we have a bunch of guys running around with turbans on their heads wanting to blow up themselves and the whole world of non-believers because God told them to! This is really a bit silly when you get right down to it? Does anyone take these religious nutcases seriously? Hardly? But the Nazis and Imperial Japan were another matter altogether... They were hardly stuck in the 8th, 9th or 10th century with apparent religious delusions!

The D-Day invasion force was on a scale we can hardly even imagine today and was presumably the largest history will ever see, and it was brilliantly planned and assembled by many, no doubt, but ultimately led by Eisenhower. And, further, never in the history of man have so many been fooled by so few? The Germans had no idea what was about to hit them. Just after the final order to "go" had been given, Eisenhower says of his own role in the invasion, "One minute I'm exactly what Churchill described, the most powerful man in history, now the order is given... I'm just audience, front row center to be sure, but a corporeal on Juno (beach), a private on Utah (beach), they're the ones who will effect the outcome, not me... It's up to them now..."