As Allied forces neared Paris, the German general responsible for the city received instructions from Hitler to devise a strategy for its destruction. Luckily, General von Choltitz (played by Gert Fröbe) wasn't persuaded that demolition was the appropriate course of action given the impending defeat; he complied with the order, but without much enthusiasm. Simultaneously, members of the French Resistance, anticipating triumph, began formulating their own plans to take control of more and more areas in preparation for General George Patton’s arrival. Director René Clément gathered a remarkable group of actors, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, and Alain Delon – essentially a roster of prominent figures in French film, along with short appearances by Kirk Douglas and Glenn Ford. My main issue is the movie's rhythm; it’s not merely its length, just under three hours, but also that it attempts to recount the story in a fragmented way. The narrative jumps around in time and location too frequently for the plot to feel unified, and there are simply too many characters to follow easily – reminiscent of "The Longest Day" from 1962. It functions as an effective piece of propaganda, demonstrating that it was the French who accepted the Nazi surrender and were ready to transition into a civilian government once the Swastika was removed. As is often the case, history tends to be written by those on top, so I'm uncertain about its factual accuracy, but at least we know which side ultimately prevails.

Source on TMDB