She saw the U.S. Army staff car, but it really began to sink in when she saw her local pastor or priest in the vehicle. She still had no clue that she had lost three sons. What a toll. Of all the reactions that I've seen of this movie Toni got it. Perfectly.
It was interesting that General of the Army ( 5 stars ) George C. Marshall - Chief of Staff of the United States Army authorized the mission to save Private Ryan.
The German that shot the Captain, the one that Upham shoots at the end, was the same soldier that the Captain let go after Wade was killed at the radar site.
The fact that Ryans wife at the end of the movie asks about Captain Miller as if she doesnt recognise the name suggesting Ryans gone his whole life without telling anyone the story 😢
My father never spoke of his time in Europe during the War. I know he fought. I know he went back as a Parrot Trooper during the Korean War. I know he had PTSD. I know he struggled with alcohol. I know he drank himself to death. He also raised and got me educated and I’m a physician. So there’s that.
Those blimps were called "barrage balloons". They were attached to ships by a wire which prevented enemy planes from being able to strafe down on the ships. A plane would get his wing sheered off if he hit the wire or the balloon would be pulled into it which often had an explosive attached and detonate when it hit the aircraft.
@@popculturallychallenged Barrage balloons were a common sight over English cities soon after Nazi Germany began bombing during the Blitz, for the same reasons as stated above. The RAF had a division called "Balloon Command". They were effective at discouraging pilots from low level attacks.
The Barrage Balloons unit was an all Black American unit. They displayed unparalleled bravery because they had to remain on the beach, exposed to enemy fire for several days until the entire area was secured. They have been erased from history by the Army and Hollywood. It was disappointing that this movie, released in the late 1990s overlooked this unit. The movies and Army official films intentionally have never shown the over 2,000 Black American troops who took part in the initial assault at Omaha Beach.
Now this couple do reaction video's the right way. They actually watch the movie and not talk the entire time during the movie. I don't like most of these reaction videos from other people because they don't really watch it and lose the essence of the film experience. You guys do it great! You guys are normal, rare these days lol. Keep it up!
My first day working for the VA over 20 years ago they took us to the director's conference room and showed us a shortened version of the Normandy landing scene (the beginning). Then the lights came up, and the hospital director, Mr Pennington walked in and began, "These are the people we serve...". And that began my career serving the US veteran.
@@aryansigrid it's not propoganda. That opening scene has been described as one of the more acurate depictions of D-Day. Many veterans that were there have said this
As a disabled Veteran all I can say is it’s a damn shame every VAMC doesn’t approach our Healthcare in this manner. NEVER allow “Universal Healthcare” to become a reality here in our Nation as the VA is exactly that and, it Sucks in a way nobody enjoys.
@@cavscout62 It's the same with healthcare for British veterans. Illegal economic migrants get treated better than we do. As a disabled veterans, like yourself, I find it deplorable how we are treated.
Well said, Lawrence. It's sad to hear the ungrateful idiots in America that don't remember the sacrifices and hate all the traditional values that America was founded on.
@@banzi403you are a disgrace to this nation and the free world in general. As a partially disabled combat veteran of the United States Navy, people like you make me ashamed of what our nation has become.
@@Cliffster420 first i'm Canadian, not american. Second, my dad was a paratrooper on d day, who actually captured a bridge, fought a tank and met monty. So in my eyes a movie about gi joe capturing a bridge too far on the longest day by wiping out a platoon of ss tiger tanks, is not only commical but flat out insulting.
“They’re, like, running to get murdered.” This is why we celebrate D Day still, and remember those who walked into certain doom bravely. It was a turning point in the war, sheer will and courage to take that beach.
@@mattinakynen6139 to my knowledge taking the beaches on D-day was the turning point cause it was when USA invaded german occupied france & got into the fight....what battle was the turn around in your mind?
@@mattinakynen6139 the turning point for the Russians was earlier, not for the rest of the Allies. Germany still had a firm stranglehold on almost all of Europe at this point and having lost footing in Africa was fighting as desperately and ferociously as ever. The Normandy landings are EASILY the most important series of invasions for the Allies the entire war as it was the starting point for the pushback of the nazis back into Germany. It’s not a question of patriotism, it wasn’t only the Americans at d day. It’s a matter of reality. The soviets played the long game with the nazis and only found success through the sole fact they had more bodies and supplies to throw away.
Current army, former infantry, degree in Russian history. The turning point is largely accepted as the German defeat at Stalingrad in conjunction with the failed attempt to seize the oil resources in the southern caucuses, and the broader Russian counteroffensive. Normandy was the turning point on the western front, but only considered the nail in the coffin of an already losing German war effort. Keep in mind, this occurred in 1944, only a year prior to defeat. They’d been losing ground heavily since 1942
@@popculturallychallenged I would suggest The Best Years of Our Lives, best picture of 1946, about veterans returning from World War II. It's as relevant today as it was then. And you'll need a box of tissue as well.
" Captain Ron ", " Summer Rental ", " Topkapi ", " The Crimson Pirate ", " All at Sea ", " The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox " , " Brewster's Millions ".
The soldiers who surrender are not Germans, they are Czechs, I am Polish and I understand what they say, that they are Czechs and they didn't kill anyone. Many people from Central and Eastern Europe were forced to serve in the Wehrmacht. For refusing, their families were sent to concentration camps.
The two German guys that were trying to surrender( ohh i washed for supper) were actually saying dont shoot we're polish! They were forced to fight for the German infantry
Some vetrans of the D-day 48:42 invasion were so disturbed by how real the landing scene was that they couldn't watch the rest of the movie and left the theater
The Greatest Generation. The men on those landing boasts knew what they would be facing when the door drops - and yet they did - it had to be done, not to conquer but Liberate peoples of Europe from the most evil tyranny the world had never seen before. Many of the scenes were taken from interviews with survivors of the Landings, relating their experiences. Everyone sacrificed to rid the world of the Axis Powers' tyranny- families at home sacrificed so much too. So many women worked building everything "the boys" would need. This movie is the best "reality" of WWII ever. My dad was in the Navy during WWII training boys loading/unloading armaments from aircraft carrier based planes. I would hope you would watch "We Were Soldiers" - the most "reality" movie of the Vietnam War - where my husband served. Never forget.
Lest We Forget In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. I know this from WWI but it fits all wars
I'm pretty sure, of all the stuff happening that day, putting a finger in a mouth, or sharing a piece of gum, is the least disgusting thing that happened to them.
The opening scene with the landing on Omaha beach is the most powerful start to a movie I have ever seen. I once read that vets of that assault said that it was exactly like THAT. And that scene in the end, when we see Ryan age to the man he is now, standing over the captains grave asking him if he did ok still brings tears to my eyes. This is a reason why this movie gets the accolades it does.
What many D-Day Veterans said was this was both the most realistic depiction of the landing, but is still wildly inaccurate. According to them the water needed more blood in it and they didn't have nearly enough dead bodies on the beach. Amazing what those 18-21 year old kids were able to accomplish to try to ensure our freedom and Republic.
The German soldier who stabbed and killed Private Reiben was dressed in a Waffen SS uniform. The German soldier they let go and who shot Captain Miller was credited as "Steamboat Willie" and was wearing a Wehrmacht uniform. And it's terribly confusing that the two actors look alike, I think it took me 20 years to even notice. But you clearly see the SS on his collars during the fight and when he passes Upham on the stairs.
Toni This is why surviving vets of D-Day walked out of theaters when this movie came out during invasion scene. One vet stated only difference is the smell of death and gunpowder.
As of 1978, flamethrowers are illegal in combat stated by the Pentagon. Most of civilized countries considered them to be illegal too according to the United Nation Convention of Prohibited Weapons.
Thoses Blimps are so called "Barrage Balloons" and they were used against enemy planes - thats why there are so many of them. They form a barrier, so planes would have problems flying through them. Additionally, there were explosives attached to the cables - if a plane cut the cable with its wings, it triggered a little bomb (a bit complicated to explain how it actually works) - but ye, thats what most of these balloons are for. There were also some who carried radio antennas and that could carry a person, to scout the area.
Barrage balloons in a zone like that had the additional benefit of forcing any strafing aircraft to fly above them, so the offshore vessels don't have to essentially fire on their own troops on the beach.
My dad was a 20 year old boy from Cambridge Springs Pennsylvania who landed on Normandy as an engineer...he didn't know crap of the larger world...only on two occasions did he briefly talk about his experience...the only two times I ever saw my father cry.
Am I the only one who notices that when they show the picture of the four Brothers very briefly as the mother is walking to the front door there is a shadow over three of the four!! My guess is that the one not in the shadow would be Jimmy the survivor!!
My dad was in the 29th Division on Omaha Beach. I'm glad he missed seeing this movie. He was wounded three times but not on the beach. One thing he told me was that the men were so sea sick they couldn't wait to get off the boats.
@@popculturallychallenged It was made by HBO. So, I'm not sure if it's available online or not. I have a DVD from back in the day. I have seen maybe 2 or 3 others react to it. So they must have got it somehow.
@@popculturallychallenged Well, if you can get to it, I'll make sure to watch. Even if you can't get to it at this late date, there's always later. I know I'll be busy tomorrow. I spend the day putting flags on veteran's graves most of the day. Or till my back goes out anyway. . I hope you and your loved ones have a good weekend.
In WWII a telegram was delivered for single deaths only, in cases where more than one family member was killed a chaplain was sent with military personnel. So Mrs. Ryan knew more than one of her boys was dead. Also, the Normandy invasion scene was so realistic, WWII Veterans who were at the premiere walked out of the theater. It was so hard on them the VA established a hotline for those WWII Vets who saw the movie and experience PTSD from it.
The scene with the mother was so sad! I can't imagine finding out a loved one died through a telegram either. That would be awful! 😭 I remember hearing something about the Vets walking out of the theater. That's so sad.
@Pop Culturally Challenged When my BIL died in Iraq, I took the phone call from my MIL (I was stationed in Virginia Beach, and both our families were in MD). After she got done telling me how he died, she asked if I could tell my wife or if she needed to do it. My wife was staring at me from the kitchen the whole time. I stood up, hung up the phone, and started to walk towards her. My wife and her brother were very close, and she could see the tears streaming down my face. She screamed, not Joe, not Joey please God not Joey, I barely caught before she hit the floor. Telling my wife her brother was not coming home is still the hardest thing I've ever done, and the most painful.
My dad (Nam vet) had to run out & was in the lobby with several vets from all different wars & they were just hyperventilating. Said it was the first war movie he's seen that captured all of it realistically.
One of THE WWII movies. Hanks and Spielberg.. What a cocktail. First time watching it, I stood in my armchair shouting at the television... Those feelings running down your spine...
In answer to Toni's question regarding the landing, the military knew the invasion was going to be very costly. This is because amphibious landings under fire are the deadliest activities one can do in combat. This is why militaries REALLY don't like to do them. However, in this instance, there was literally no way around it if the Allies wanted to retake Europe. The best they could do is give them the best chance of success by attacking where they did. The Allies even created a fictional Ghost Army under the command of General Patton in England. They did this because they knew the Germans rated him as one of our best fighting commanders. That kept a large number of German troops manning the stronger section of the Atlantic Wall opposite him. The Atlantic Wall in Normandy was also only partially completed, so it would be easier to breach.
As much as I enjoy witnessing Toni's genuine reactions and emotions, I did *NOT* ask for a reaction to this. Your reaction in the cemetery at the beginning before a single shot is fired made it clear this would be hard for you, thank you for your strength and perseverance.
Listening to hear go OHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHH over and over at every fight scene was the most beyond annoying thing I've ever heard. Some people out there never had a sense of reality their whole life holy shit.......
Spielberg interviewed hundreds of D Day veterans and got their memories of the landings. What is shown in the first half hour actually happened. Lots of veterans had to walk out when they watched it as it bought back so many memories.
To me one of the saddest lines in Vin Diesel's when he is asking someone to rewrite his letter. "It's to my dad...it's got blood on it." Gets me every time.
That old man you used to see hobbling around with a cane or walker? He was more bad ass than a lot of us ever could be. God bless those brave men who stormed that beach and fought and died for this great country.
Barry Pepper, who played Jackson the sniper, also plays Joe Galloway the reporter in"We Were Soldiers", one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers in "Flags of Our Fathers", and Ned Pepper in the 2010 remake of "True Grit"
Barry Pepper played Sgt Mike Strank in Flags of Our Fathers (he was killed shortly after the flag raising) and Joe Galloway, civilian AP journalist in We Were Soldiers.
When this movie came out, it was so accurate to what combat is/was really like that it had a warning/disclaimer for any military personnel watching. It’s still considered the most accurate depiction of World War II and storming the beaches of Normandy. All I know is that Toni has been promised comedies for quite a while. I think she is owed a comedy ASAP. Especially after an extremely powerful movie like this. 💙💙💙
It is by all accounts a very authentic depiction of combat, particularly the opening battle sequence but I wouldn't call it in any way true to history. Aside from the story and all of the characters being entirely fictional, after the Omaha Beach sequence it diverges completely from history. The town of Ramelle for example never existed, and the area along the Merderet river where it is supposed to be located was actually held by the 82nd Airborne, not the 101st as shown in the film. I don't know why they didn't just make Ryan a private in the 82nd Airborne. At least that would have been a nod to the men who actually fought in that area.
@@bluesrocker91 I never said the story was true to history. I literally said, as you reiterated in your first sentence that it’s an authentic depiction of combat when storming the beaches of Normandy. If the 82nd airborne were the ones who were there, then I agree, they should’ve changed Ryan to the 82nd airborne. But there’s a good chance that the only airborne widely known to normies is the 101st. That’s the only real logical reason I can see for changing it. If they want it to make it a true story of one of the incidents that inspired the story, they could’ve just made a movie about the Sullivan brothers. But a good World War II movie that is based on a true story with a phenomenal cast that not enough people react to is Monuments Men. And it shows how Matt Damon has grown, too.
@@gippywhite I didn't mean that as a criticism... Sorry if it came across like that. I was just adding my two cents that people should take the film as being only loosely based on history and not a depiction of what was actually going on in the days just after D-Day. The first time I saw the movie was actually in a high school history lesson, and it was presented to us as fact there. It wasn't until years later I found out how heavily fictionalised it is. Definitely agree about Monuments Men though... Excellent film about a fascinating but not widely known WWII story. John Goodman was great in it too.
My Dad was a landing craft operator (coxswain) on Dday in Normandy. He never talked about it but we knew. He never liked going to ocean beaches when we were kids. He was also in the North Africa and Italy campaigns.
At 27:51 you asked how they knew which side the people were on that they were shooting at. Any soldier back then could immediately identify enemy equipment. We can't see it here but the German markings would have been visible. To someone with a basic knowledge of enemy armored vehicles, the shape of a German half tracked vehicle would be obvious. Hope this helps. For what it's worth, my great uncle survived the D-Day landings but was KIA about 6 months after. He died while fighting against the 1st SS Panzer Division in Belgium.
@@popculturallychallenged You're welcome. The fighting in Belgium was just as ferocious as Normandy, it was so bad that the German general Joachim Peiper of the 1st SS Panzer Division had a nervous breakdown. My uncle is buried in Arkansas in a tiny cemetery in the middle of nowhere.
I think every veteran who's either lost a friend or someone in their unit feels the same way Pvt Ryan felt. Try to live up to the ideal those who were taken from us and our responsibility to "be a good man, and live a good life".
Just to let you know, it’s OK to cry as human beings we were not created to see, or observe such atrocities and war just FYI the men that come back are not the same that left, and we always have to remember and respect what they did in our behalf, and for the world, please take care and be safe. Thank you for sharing.🫶🏻❤️🤠
A common mistake in this movie is that reactors believe the German soldier shot by Cpl. Upham is the same soldier who passed him on the steps. It is not. Upham shot the soldier that Capt. Miller left walk after Wade’s death. The soldier on the steps has SS runes on his lapel, the shot German was regular Wehrmacht. Ironically the the Captain was killed by the man whose life that the captain saved. The soldier calls out Upham’s name just before he is shot. The only German that would know Upham’s name would be “Steamboat Willy”.
Upham killing that soldier at the end is fucking bad. Kills a POW who's just doing his job as a soldier and then lets ten POWs go to kill other Americans later. Fucking insane. Commits a war crime AND lets POWs go and people cheer. I'd beat the shit out of that guy.
My grandad served in the Warwickshire Regiment from 1943 to 1945, he wasn't part of the Normandy invasion but served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy....he never got to Germany because he was injured in Northern Italy...he then served in the Royal Corps of Signals and was sent to Palestine and was there from 1945 to 1947...I thank God that my grandad didn't see action in Normandy....I deeply respect my grandad and all the soldiers and servicemen and women who saw action in WW2, they gave up so much so that the world could be free and I sometimes feel now that we take these freedoms for granted...God bless them all!
"Nobody is protecting them." We tried shelling the Atlantic Wall, but the defenses were made of concrete; the worst injuries the Axis had from it was mostly concussions and a small amount of casualties. One tactic we learned in WWII is if you're underground and/or a secure bunker like the ones on the beach, you can survive a naval bombardment. The next thing we tried was bombing them with planes; the problem was between the sea fog and flak, a number of bombs missed. The only option left was for men to go in and storm the beaches, which is exactly what the defenses were prepared for; mines on the sand, machine gun turrets in pill boxes, and hedgehogs to prevent tanks from coming ashore. Bear in mind, these defenses were designed by the Desert Fox himself, Erwin Rommel. The price for freedom against tyranny has always been a high one.
Nazi General Erwin Rommel, knowing that the Allies will attempt an invasion in France sooner or later, wanted to improve the Omaha Beach defenses more. But Adolf Hitler didn't want to divert resources (Which was tied up with Nazi Germany's war with the Soviet Union) to them. So the D-Day Invasion could have been a lot worse for the Allies.
When the captain says "Earn this" it's for us all... We should all earn what those men fought and died for, we are all today enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice, never take that for granted?
My Dad was at Omaha. His engineering battalion were the ones that blew the hole in the sea wall. I know every year, June 6th in our household was referred to as D-Day. Dad was always pensive and never missed "The Longest Day." Dad passed away in 79 and I often wonder what his reaction to this movie would have been.
I remember this movie. When I watched it in theatre, there was 3 young and noisy teenager behind me. There were excited at the beginning. 15 minutes later, they weren't.
For me, as a veterian of 10 years service, (74-84), it is refreshing to see 2 people that dont have a clue. What exactly do you think service people do ?...Sit on base and eat donuts? Living and dieng to accomplish our given mission is what we are trained to do. We all know we may very well die, but we have a mission to do and our thoughts, our blood and our death does not matter. None of us want to die. But it is because there are so many that will not serve we serve for our people, our country and our way of life. Think about those that will wear a uniform and try to understand the mind set they have. It is because of us that you live and have a life.
I've never cried from a movie or show or song, but some things get me damn close. Best example in this movie that almost gets me is when they take the letters to Ryan's mom near the beginning. Just imagine seeing the car coming, your heart would already drop and then to hear not only 1 of your sons died, but 3 of them.
My great uncle Frank and great uncle William were in the second wave on Omaha beach. They lived into their 90s. I will always be proud of their service.
I remember seeing this in the theater with my then girlfriend when it came out. After the movie I couldn't say a word on the way home, when we got home, I simply broke down and started crying.
Omaha Beach, during Operation Overlord, was the only landing zone that met fully prepared German defense. That's why US Army had over 2,000 casualties on that beach, on that day.
That is so sad.. I can't imagine what they went through. Just the 15 minute scene was a lot to take in. I can't imagine what it was like being there. 😢
The sniper near the beginning didn't shoot Caparzo again because he was trying to lure the others out to save him. It's a common tactic for snipers to wound, but not kill, an enemy soldier for this exact reason.
Captain Miller's instruction to Ryan of "Earn it" applies to every American. Every American should live a life worthy of the sacrifices of those brave American soldiers.
The sniper shot through the scope that they depicted was an actual event. Just not in WWII. Marine SSgt. Hathcock did this shot in Vietnam when the North Vietnamese Army sent their top sniper to hunt SSgt Hathcock. SSgt Hathcock won. Hollywood likes to put this in various movies now.
@@Bullock0099 This was in the book before wiki. He had his spotter with him. "One enemy sharpshooter came dangerously close to killing Hathcock in an intense battle near the firebase at Hill 55. In the final moments of the fight, the two snipers had each other in their sights, each man ready to end the other's life, but Hathcock was faster on the trigger. He put a bullet clean through the man's scope, killing him instantly."
The big balloons over the beach were called barrage balloons and they were to try and prevent German planes from strafing and dive bombing the landing zone...... Honestly knowing how intense the opening scene was I did not think Toni would make it through this whole movie.... Good job girl. You deserve to do some average rom-coms or drama movies for a bit now!!!!!
In the final battle of the movie, the german guy who killed one of the american soldiers with a knife and went right past Upham in the stairs is the same guy they decided to let go right in about the middle of the movie. He recognized Upham and let him live, which is why you hear he saying "Upham!" when they're surrendering, right before Upham makes up his mind shoots him.
No. The German soldier who killed the Jewish soldier IS NOT the German soldier the patrol let go earlier. HOWEVER the German soldier who shot Tom Hanks's character IS THE SAME SOLDIER who was released by the patrol earlier.
That's incorrect. The German who killed Mellish with the knife was an SS trooper - lightning bolt insignia on his uniform - and "Steamboat Willy," the one they let go earlier, was a regular Wehrmacht soldier, not a member of the SS. The horrible irony was that Captain Miller was shot by the very man whose life he had spared. That was why Upham killed him.
Soon as I saw you were reacting to this movies, my thoughts went out to Toni. I must say she handled it pretty good and managed to watch it all. Well done Toni. ❤️🤘🎸🎻🇦🇺
When this movie first came out I heard interviews with the survivors of this battle and they said this was the most accurate portrayal of what happened there on the beach that day!!
The military will only send men on missions that are strategically important to the war. One of the best war movies ever made. I remember watching it in the theaters with my than girlfriend when it came out. On the ride home I didn't say a word and when we got home, I totally broke down and stated crying.
As a prelude to the opening D-Day scenes, there's an excellent movie "Ike: Countdown To D-Day'' with Tom Selleck as Eisenhower as he and the small group of commanders plan for the Normandy invasion. Selleck is very good good in this role, the dialogue is excellent and shows the burden, the strain and the responsibility placed upon his shoulders. The movie encompasses the roles of Churchill, de Gaulle, Generals Bradley, Montgomery and others. Highly recommended even if you don't react to it.
De Gaulles role in the D Day landings....... Only 177 French Military personnel were involved ? The French Resistance contributed far far more than De Gaulle ever did !
This landing was D-Day (1944) and involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy. Semper Fi and God Bless our troops both living and dead
Toni: I'm not going to cry at all this time. Movie: * cracks knuckles and rolls up sleeves * Challenge accepted. When I saw that this had come up, I knew it was going to be a heck of a ride for the Missus. I'm glad she enjoyed it. 🙂 I _believe_ that the Ryan story is a fictionalized version of a real account, the Niland brothers--Bob, Edward, Fritz, and Preston. They'd be worth looking into, as the story naturally is more in-depth than can really be covered in a RUclips comment.
This movie starts and ends in a military cemetery. This particular cemetery is in Normandy, France, on the cliffs near the landing beaches for the D-Day invasion. It contains 9,800+ graves for Allied soldiers from the invasion beaches and fights for the cliffs. Sadly, there are two more cemeteries there, just as big. In total, approximately 30,000 allied soldiers died that day. In America, tomorrow is Memorial Day.......NEVER forget what they did for us.
Yes. The smell, and your hands being sticky with blood and not being able to get them clean until later. I still can't stand the feeling of my hands being greasy or sticky. People think I'm weird because I won't eat fried chicken and I eat pizza with a fork. That's why.
I have watched the movie quite a few times but l have been sitting in tears watching your wife's reactions. I belive Irish soldiers were used for the beach scene.
Those were barrage balloons. They were there to serve as obstacles to enemy planes that would be strafing the landing troops. And the reason no one was “protecting” the troops as they landed is because there was no one there to protect them. They were the first to land. They knew the soldiers in the half track were enemy because the half track was a German vehicle. The Allie’s didn’t have half tracks. Upham didn’t let the other Wehrmacht soldiers go after he shot the soldier who they had previously released after capturing him. He motioned for them to move and they moved. Upham finally understood what the soldiers who had been in action already knew.
This is one of a very few movies which many viewers and reactors have sworn never to watch again. It is brutal and heart wrenching. Hang in there Toni. How about next, a not so violent selection?
I think we're gonna try and watch some happier movies for a while. We don't want to put Toni through this kind of movie every week and we've still got several Band of Brothers episodes to go too.
@Pop Culturally Challenged ❤️. Not just Toni, ALL of us!! 😉 It's been pretty much all testosterone, ALL the time around here. Whether you choose to "react" or not, at least privately watch one or two that I mentioned in my second comment. (below). You'll be so glad you did. 💞✌️🎬
@Pop Culturally Challenged I think the very best movies are neither happy nor sad, rather films that invoke emotion from the viewer, as that viewer feels naturally. I don't think we need to be shocked or tickled by extremes in a film to draw our own personal and satisfying conclusions. These movies which encourage the viewer to invest their own personalities and emotion, don't alienate viewers who prefer a "happy" or "sad" movie experience, but allow every viewer to enjoy. JMHO. ✌️🎬
You MUST see " We were Soldiers" It is a movie directed and starred in by Mel Gibson. It is another movie that ranks right up here with this movie. One more would be "Fury" with Brad Pitt. I highly recommend both of these to be seen, if you haven't yet already. I can only say, you will not be disappointed. Great job both of you, and remember it's ok to cry. How can you not hold back the compassion that our brave soldiers deserve for sacrificing their lives, for our freedom and way of life.
I would highly recommend the classic war film The longest day, it gives a good overview of D-day from every perspective American, French, English and German and the timeline and decisions involved for when to go into Normandy. It's not perfectly accurate on every detail but it really shows the scale and significance of the invasion and what it meant for Europe and the world at the time. And it can be something of a comedy adventure seeing many famous actors in little cameos here and there through the film some in the hay day and some just starting out.
This movie is the closest depiction of what truly happened during the Invasion of Normandy and D-Day itself. The 101st and 82nd Airborne lost 30 percent of their men in the early morning hours due to misdrops, drowning and being blown out of the sky. The 29th Infantry Division suffered over 1,000 casualties in the first one hour of the attack. Over 2,900 men were killed on June 6, and over 10,000 killed overall in the weeks of the campaign. Watch this, along with Band of Brothers, and you will see what our grandfathers suffered during World War II, thus the reason they are referred to as The Greatest Generation.
The most heart wrenching moment in this movie is at the end when James Francis Ryan from Iowa asks his wife if he was a good man. If he’s lived a good life. 😭 * Side note: My grandfather and great uncles all served and came home alive. My grandfather fought in the Battle of The Bulge, Uncle Jack was in a German POW camp, uncle Bob was in a Japanese camp. Uncle Dick lost a leg… uncles Gerry and Bill had lifelong drinking problems and depression.
My uncle Tom was a bomber pilot shot down somewhere over the Pacific. He died a hero as he held the flaming plane steady, allowing most of his crew to parachute out, and he was flying (and on fire) as the plane blew up. My aunt never remarried., but as a doctor she put in 40 years with the Veteran's Admin hospitals. My dad volunteered a year and a half before Pearl Harbor and was promoted to be a senior Navigational Instructor. My uncle Vin was a supply truck driver. Mom worked with the USO. They all did their part. In fact virtually all of the adult men and women I knew as a child did something in the War. (One of the local Deli owners had tattoos on his arm from the Concentration Camp)
15:42 "...the balloons..." First off: I love your channel, thank you for keeping it going! The balloons are what's called "barrage balloons" and they're used to keep German fighters away: the ropes keeping the balloons from floating away are made of coiled wire, so if a plane were to try and fly low enough to strafe the beach, it would run right into the wire and probably rip it's wing off. Thanks for the time!
"Hell, these guys deserve to go home as much as I do. They've fought just as hard." "Is that what I'm supposed to tell your mother when she gets another folded American flag?" "You can tell her that when you found me, I was with the only brothers I had left. And that there was no way I was deserting them. I think she'd understand that." If you like this movie, might I suggest The Fighting Sullivans (1944) as well. You should react to Sullivan (1997) by Caroline's Spine in the same video, after the movie (the song will have more meaning after the movie). This is, of course, just a recommendation. Fun Fact: Steven Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Private Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor with an All-American look. He did not know Damon would win an Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997) and become an overnight star before the film was released. Irish Invasion Fact: The Omaha Beach scene cost $11 million to shoot, and involved up to 1,000 extras, some of whom were members of the Irish Army Reserve. Of those extras, 20-30 of them were amputees, issued with prosthetic limbs, to play soldiers who had their limbs blown off. Historical Fact: Upham's (Jeremy Davies) shoulder patch, a blue and grey "yin yang" symbol, identifies him as a member of the 29th U.S. Infantry Division. It symbolizes the fact that the division was composed of units from Virginia and Maryland, who fought on both sides of the American Civil War. Sonic Warfare Fact: Cinemas were instructed to up the volume when they showed the film, as the sound effects play such a crucial part in its overall effect. I remember this, because the theatre I was had surround sound and that tank approaching came from EVERY speaker. I was having a small mental panic attack (I was 17 at the time and I just signed up to join the US Army, so cut me a little slack) leading to the final battle.
i kind of want to want to make my teenage daughter watch the start of this, just to understand something about how horrible war is. my grandfather had two bronze stars, but he never told anyone in the family anything about the war (i heard he might have talked to other vets)
Make those pieces of sh*t on the U.S. "women's" Soccer Team and that monster in the WNBA that Biden Crime Family Boss, Usurper Joe 'the Big Guy' exchanged for a Russian Spy we had in custody - watch this. It'll make no difference but make their ingrate asses watch it anyway, over and over again along with listening to first-hand accounts from the men who were actually there and a part of the real life battle
I'm an old man now. I am a combat soldier who know the hell of war. I want to thank the 2 of you for making this history stay alive. I'd hate to think that we Soldiers, sailors, Airmen and Marine did all this just for future entertainment. Ma'am, thank you for struggling through this intense movie showing the hell of it for all future generations. Love you both for doing this. Dan MSGT US ARMY RETIRED
The German Soldier who killed Capt. Miller was NOT, The German Soldier who stabbed Fish. It was The Blindfolded German who Oppum talked Capt Miller into letting go.
@@popculturallychallenged Both wore SS Fallschirmjaeger (Paratrooper) smocks, and were buzz cut, but, The one that stabbed Fish was a bit more muscular and chiseled in his features.
Guts are spilled everywhere and the sea turns red of blood and she is disgusted by him takin a gum from his friends mouth. LOL
Well that’s kinda gross, right? 😳 -Toni
The scene where the inform Mrs. Ryan of the deaths of her sons is one of the most powerful I have ever seen. With no dialogue.
She saw the U.S. Army staff car, but it really began to sink in when she saw her local pastor or priest in the vehicle. She still had no clue that she had lost three sons. What a toll. Of all the reactions that I've seen of this movie Toni got it. Perfectly.
It was interesting that General of the Army ( 5 stars ) George C. Marshall - Chief of Staff of the United States Army authorized the mission to save Private Ryan.
@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710 Except that he wasn't a 5 star yet.
@@dallasyap3064 You are correct, George C. Marshall was not promoted to the rank of General of the Army until December 16, 1944
Yes, that was an incredibly moving scene! 😢
The German that shot the Captain, the one that Upham shoots at the end, was the same soldier that the Captain let go after Wade was killed at the radar site.
Thank you for saving me from having to post about that...I wonder how many people will try to say you are wrong.
I see a lot of people think that the German guy that had the knife fight and walks past upham on the stairs is the guy they let go.
…who is a different guy than the one who stabbed Mellish and then passed Upham
Thanks! I noticed that when I was editing the reaction! Can't believe we didn't notice at the time!
and is definitely not the same guy who killed Melish
The guy who shot Tom Hanks wasn't the guy fighting upstairs. He was the guy that Tom Hanks let go earlier in the film.
great Reaction! Love the emotion x
Thanks! I can't believe I didn't notice that at first!
It's easily missed there's a lot going on! Best War Film of all time in my opinion. @@popculturallychallenged
The fact that Ryans wife at the end of the movie asks about Captain Miller as if she doesnt recognise the name suggesting Ryans gone his whole life without telling anyone the story 😢
I've heard a lot of the guys who went through that never talked about it with their families.
My father never spoke of his time in Europe during the War. I know he fought. I know he went back as a Parrot Trooper during the Korean War. I know he had PTSD. I know he struggled with alcohol. I know he drank himself to death. He also raised and got me educated and I’m a physician. So there’s that.
@@vblake530530how are you doing as a physician nowadays?
Those blimps were called "barrage balloons". They were attached to ships by a wire which prevented enemy planes from being able to strafe down on the ships. A plane would get his wing sheered off if he hit the wire or the balloon would be pulled into it which often had an explosive attached and detonate when it hit the aircraft.
Thanks!
I'm just watching this and this is a question I've had as a youth, as an amateur historian: Excellent explanation 👏
@@EthanBSide thank you :)
@@popculturallychallenged Barrage balloons were a common sight over English cities soon after Nazi Germany began bombing during the Blitz, for the same reasons as stated above. The RAF had a division called "Balloon Command". They were effective at discouraging pilots from low level attacks.
The Barrage Balloons unit was an all Black American unit. They displayed unparalleled bravery because they had to remain on the beach, exposed to enemy fire for several days until the entire area was secured. They have been erased from history by the Army and Hollywood. It was disappointing that this movie, released in the late 1990s overlooked this unit. The movies and Army official films intentionally have never shown the over 2,000 Black American troops who took part in the initial assault at Omaha Beach.
Now this couple do reaction video's the right way. They actually watch the movie and not talk the entire time during the movie. I don't like most of these reaction videos from other people because they don't really watch it and lose the essence of the film experience. You guys do it great! You guys are normal, rare these days lol. Keep it up!
That's so sweet @brandonbrooks898!! Thank you for watching with us. - Toni 🤓
My first day working for the VA over 20 years ago they took us to the director's conference room and showed us a shortened version of the Normandy landing scene (the beginning). Then the lights came up, and the hospital director, Mr Pennington walked in and began, "These are the people we serve...". And that began my career serving the US veteran.
Oh wow! What a powerful way to deliver the message!
@@popculturallychallenged Yeah, what better way to push one's propaganda!
@@aryansigrid it's not propoganda. That opening scene has been described as one of the more acurate depictions of D-Day. Many veterans that were there have said this
As a disabled Veteran all I can say is it’s a damn shame every VAMC doesn’t approach our Healthcare in this manner. NEVER allow “Universal Healthcare” to become a reality here in our Nation as the VA is exactly that and, it Sucks in a way nobody enjoys.
@@cavscout62 It's the same with healthcare for British veterans. Illegal economic migrants get treated better than we do. As a disabled veterans, like yourself, I find it deplorable how we are treated.
This movie is a tear jurker. But for a Memorial weekend it gives pride and remembrance of so many sacrifices made to keep this nation free...
fake movie about fake people doing fake things. You and I have very different concept of remembering.
Well said, Lawrence. It's sad to hear the ungrateful idiots in America that don't remember the sacrifices and hate all the traditional values that America was founded on.
@@banzi403you are a disgrace to this nation and the free world in general. As a partially disabled combat veteran of the United States Navy, people like you make me ashamed of what our nation has become.
@@Cliffster420 first i'm Canadian, not american. Second, my dad was a paratrooper on d day, who actually captured a bridge, fought a tank and met monty. So in my eyes a movie about gi joe capturing a bridge too far on the longest day by wiping out a platoon of ss tiger tanks, is not only commical but flat out insulting.
@@Cliffster420 is stolen valour the traditional american value you speak of?
“They’re, like, running to get murdered.”
This is why we celebrate D Day still, and remember those who walked into certain doom bravely. It was a turning point in the war, sheer will and courage to take that beach.
I think they will be the bravest men I have ever seen!! - Toni
Turning point of the war happened much earlier in the eastern front. You can be patriotic but just keep realities of history in mind.
@@mattinakynen6139 to my knowledge taking the beaches on D-day was the turning point cause it was when USA invaded german occupied france & got into the fight....what battle was the turn around in your mind?
@@mattinakynen6139 the turning point for the Russians was earlier, not for the rest of the Allies. Germany still had a firm stranglehold on almost all of Europe at this point and having lost footing in Africa was fighting as desperately and ferociously as ever. The Normandy landings are EASILY the most important series of invasions for the Allies the entire war as it was the starting point for the pushback of the nazis back into Germany.
It’s not a question of patriotism, it wasn’t only the Americans at d day. It’s a matter of reality. The soviets played the long game with the nazis and only found success through the sole fact they had more bodies and supplies to throw away.
Current army, former infantry, degree in Russian history. The turning point is largely accepted as the German defeat at Stalingrad in conjunction with the failed attempt to seize the oil resources in the southern caucuses, and the broader Russian counteroffensive. Normandy was the turning point on the western front, but only considered the nail in the coffin of an already losing German war effort. Keep in mind, this occurred in 1944, only a year prior to defeat. They’d been losing ground heavily since 1942
- "Isn't that Denzel Washington?...." lmao
BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I'm not sure where that came from.... my brain was definitely not functioning. 🤣 - Toni
@@popculturallychallenged that was so fucking funny
You guys deserve to watch a comedy after this one.
We're planning on it. 😂
@@popculturallychallenged I would suggest The Best Years of Our Lives, best picture of 1946, about veterans returning from World War II. It's as relevant today as it was then. And you'll need a box of tissue as well.
You could watch another Spielberg take on the war, "1941."
" Captain Ron ", " Summer Rental ", " Topkapi ", " The Crimson Pirate ", " All at Sea ", " The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox " , " Brewster's Millions ".
White Chicks
The soldiers who surrender are not Germans, they are Czechs, I am Polish and I understand what they say, that they are Czechs and they didn't kill anyone. Many people from Central and Eastern Europe were forced to serve in the Wehrmacht. For refusing, their families were sent to concentration camps.
The two German guys that were trying to surrender( ohh i washed for supper) were actually saying dont shoot we're polish! They were forced to fight for the German infantry
That's so sad. 😢
Some vetrans of the D-day 48:42 invasion were so disturbed by how real the landing scene was that they couldn't watch the rest of the movie and left the theater
The Greatest Generation. The men on those landing boasts knew what they would be facing when the door drops - and yet they did - it had to be done, not to conquer but Liberate peoples of Europe from the most evil tyranny the world had never seen before. Many of the scenes were taken from interviews with survivors of the Landings, relating their experiences. Everyone sacrificed to rid the world of the Axis Powers' tyranny- families at home sacrificed so much too. So many women worked building everything "the boys" would need. This movie is the best "reality" of WWII ever. My dad was in the Navy during WWII training boys loading/unloading armaments from aircraft carrier based planes. I would hope you would watch "We Were Soldiers" - the most "reality" movie of the Vietnam War - where my husband served. Never forget.
Imagine how many mothers had to go through the same terrible sorrow of losing sons. War sucks! We have to appreciate the sacrifices these men made.
I can't even imagine going through that. 😢
Thier sacrifice and the families
Peace is better than war. In peace, children bury their parents while in war parents bury their children. - Herodotus
Omaha beach 1000 killed/hour😮
Lest We Forget
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
I know this from WWI but it fits all wars
Massive destruction and death and Toni grossed out by the finger in the mouth. LOL. I love it! Great reaction!
there's a line, even in war 🙂
Germs can kill too!
I thought that was hilarious too! 😂 -David
@@YoureMrLebowski apparently that's the line drawn! LOL
I'm pretty sure, of all the stuff happening that day, putting a finger in a mouth, or sharing a piece of gum, is the least disgusting thing that happened to them.
The opening scene with the landing on Omaha beach is the most powerful start to a movie I have ever seen. I once read that vets of that assault said that it was exactly like THAT. And that scene in the end, when we see Ryan age to the man he is now, standing over the captains grave asking him if he did ok still brings tears to my eyes. This is a reason why this movie gets the accolades it does.
I agree, this movie is incredible!
It(the portrayal) was 'child's play' when compared to the real thing.
@@tommyriam8320 Guarantee it
Better get tissues. Massage and manicure won’t help😢😊❤
What many D-Day Veterans said was this was both the most realistic depiction of the landing, but is still wildly inaccurate. According to them the water needed more blood in it and they didn't have nearly enough dead bodies on the beach. Amazing what those 18-21 year old kids were able to accomplish to try to ensure our freedom and Republic.
Steven Spielbergs message is simple. This is the sacrifice that was made. Have you earned it?..
I don’t think I have or will ever repay all the sacrifice made for our freedom. - Toni 🥹
The German soldier who stabbed and killed Private Reiben was dressed in a Waffen SS uniform. The German soldier they let go and who shot Captain Miller was credited as "Steamboat Willie" and was wearing a Wehrmacht uniform. And it's terribly confusing that the two actors look alike, I think it took me 20 years to even notice. But you clearly see the SS on his collars during the fight and when he passes Upham on the stairs.
I can't believe I didn't notice that until I was editing the reaction!
The perfect movie to watch around the Memorial Day weekend. This is what so many gave for our freedom. Please remember this!!
I won't be able to forget now. I also think everyone should watch it at least once to not take things for granted. - Toni
Toni
This is why surviving vets of D-Day walked out of theaters when this movie came out during invasion scene. One vet stated only difference is the smell of death and gunpowder.
As of 1978, flamethrowers are illegal in combat stated by the Pentagon. Most of civilized countries considered them to be illegal too according to the United Nation Convention of Prohibited Weapons.
During the D-Day Invasion, Allies had standing orders not to acquire POW's until areas are secured.
Those soldiers talking to ours were Polish Conscripts forced by the Germans.
Thank you for all of the great information!
Thoses Blimps are so called "Barrage Balloons" and they were used against enemy planes - thats why there are so many of them. They form a barrier, so planes would have problems flying through them. Additionally, there were explosives attached to the cables - if a plane cut the cable with its wings, it triggered a little bomb (a bit complicated to explain how it actually works) - but ye, thats what most of these balloons are for.
There were also some who carried radio antennas and that could carry a person, to scout the area.
Thanks! 😃
dangling chains too.
Barrage balloons in a zone like that had the additional benefit of forcing any strafing aircraft to fly above them, so the offshore vessels don't have to essentially fire on their own troops on the beach.
Think of them as floating landmines.
@@dirkbsilver9260 Oh yes, I've seen those in the toilet too.
Toni: "Oh, my throat is in my throat"
David: "That's where it's supposed to be"
Hehehe
🤣. I can't get my thoughts out when under stress!! - Toni
I love that she said she was going to try not to cry and knew she’d cry at the scene with older Ryan at the cemetery in the beginning
I don't know why she even bothers trying to hold it in. 😂
My dad was a 20 year old boy from Cambridge Springs Pennsylvania who landed on Normandy as an engineer...he didn't know crap of the larger world...only on two occasions did he briefly talk about his experience...the only two times I ever saw my father cry.
Mrs. Ryan had a banner with 4 blue stars. That indicates that she has 4 sons in the war. She will now get a new one with 3 gold stars and 1 blue.
😭
Am I the only one who notices that when they show the picture of the four Brothers very briefly as the mother is walking to the front door there is a shadow over three of the four!! My guess is that the one not in the shadow would be Jimmy the survivor!!
My dad was in the 29th Division on Omaha Beach. I'm glad he missed seeing this movie. He was wounded three times but not on the beach. One thing he told me was that the men were so sea sick they couldn't wait to get off the boats.
Oh that's terrible. I'm so sorry he had to experience that. - Toni 😢
Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon is also an excellent movie for people to watch for Memorial Day weekend.
Thanks for the suggestion! 😃
@@popculturallychallenged It was made by HBO. So, I'm not sure if it's available online or not. I have a DVD from back in the day.
I have seen maybe 2 or 3 others react to it. So they must have got it somehow.
@@actaeon299 It's actually on HBO Max! 😃
@@popculturallychallenged Well, if you can get to it, I'll make sure to watch.
Even if you can't get to it at this late date, there's always later.
I know I'll be busy tomorrow. I spend the day putting flags on veteran's graves most of the day. Or till my back goes out anyway.
.
I hope you and your loved ones have a good weekend.
In WWII a telegram was delivered for single deaths only, in cases where more than one family member was killed a chaplain was sent with military personnel. So Mrs. Ryan knew more than one of her boys was dead.
Also, the Normandy invasion scene was so realistic, WWII Veterans who were at the premiere walked out of the theater. It was so hard on them the VA established a hotline for those WWII Vets who saw the movie and experience PTSD from it.
The scene with the mother was so sad! I can't imagine finding out a loved one died through a telegram either. That would be awful! 😭 I remember hearing something about the Vets walking out of the theater. That's so sad.
@Pop Culturally Challenged When my BIL died in Iraq, I took the phone call from my MIL (I was stationed in Virginia Beach, and both our families were in MD).
After she got done telling me how he died, she asked if I could tell my wife or if she needed to do it. My wife was staring at me from the kitchen the whole time.
I stood up, hung up the phone, and started to walk towards her. My wife and her brother were very close, and she could see the tears streaming down my face. She screamed, not Joe, not Joey please God not Joey, I barely caught before she hit the floor.
Telling my wife her brother was not coming home is still the hardest thing I've ever done, and the most painful.
Apparently the only thing missing was the stench.
My dad (Nam vet) had to run out & was in the lobby with several vets from all different wars & they were just hyperventilating. Said it was the first war movie he's seen that captured all of it realistically.
The blimps are there to deter low flying enemy fighter planes. The steel cable attached to the blimp can sheer a wing clean off if hit
One of THE WWII movies. Hanks and Spielberg.. What a cocktail. First time watching it, I stood in my armchair shouting at the television... Those feelings running down your spine...
In answer to Toni's question regarding the landing, the military knew the invasion was going to be very costly. This is because amphibious landings under fire are the deadliest activities one can do in combat. This is why militaries REALLY don't like to do them. However, in this instance, there was literally no way around it if the Allies wanted to retake Europe. The best they could do is give them the best chance of success by attacking where they did. The Allies even created a fictional Ghost Army under the command of General Patton in England. They did this because they knew the Germans rated him as one of our best fighting commanders. That kept a large number of German troops manning the stronger section of the Atlantic Wall opposite him. The Atlantic Wall in Normandy was also only partially completed, so it would be easier to breach.
As much as I enjoy witnessing Toni's genuine reactions and emotions, I did *NOT* ask for a reaction to this.
Your reaction in the cemetery at the beginning before a single shot is fired made it clear this would be hard for you, thank you for your strength and perseverance.
Thank you! This is a movie I think is important too see. It was very hard to watch but I'm glad I watched it. 🥰 -Toni
jow - I have watched SPR and B of B and many reviews many times.
Her reactions are so genuine and appropriate that I blew thru a ton of Kleenex also.
@@stevejette2329 - She's a reason to keep returning.
@@jowbloe3673 Yes, seems that way.
Listening to hear go OHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHH over and over at every fight scene was the most beyond annoying thing I've ever heard. Some people out there never had a sense of reality their whole life holy shit.......
Spielberg interviewed hundreds of D Day veterans and got their memories of the landings. What is shown in the first half hour actually happened. Lots of veterans had to walk out when they watched it as it bought back so many memories.
I remember hearing that vets had to leave the theater because it was so intense. I can only imagine how hard this must have been for them. 😢
To me one of the saddest lines in Vin Diesel's when he is asking someone to rewrite his letter. "It's to my dad...it's got blood on it." Gets me every time.
I didn't realize that's what he was saying. so that makes alot of sense why the soldier was re-writing it for him. - Toni
That old man you used to see hobbling around with a cane or walker? He was more bad ass than a lot of us ever could be. God bless those brave men who stormed that beach and fought and died for this great country.
Agreed!
54:13 “The Count of Monte Cristo” from 2002 starring Jim Caviezel
Thanks for the suggestion!
Barry Pepper, who played Jackson the sniper, also plays Joe Galloway the reporter in"We Were Soldiers", one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers in "Flags of Our Fathers", and Ned Pepper in the 2010 remake of "True Grit"
Cool! We'll have to take a look at those someday!
Barry Pepper played Sgt Mike Strank in Flags of Our Fathers (he was killed shortly after the flag raising) and Joe Galloway, civilian AP journalist in We Were Soldiers.
When this movie came out, it was so accurate to what combat is/was really like that it had a warning/disclaimer for any military personnel watching. It’s still considered the most accurate depiction of World War II and storming the beaches of Normandy. All I know is that Toni has been promised comedies for quite a while. I think she is owed a comedy ASAP. Especially after an extremely powerful movie like this. 💙💙💙
I think so too! We just watched one tonight actually. 😃
@@popculturallychallenged Thank goodness!!! 😅
It is by all accounts a very authentic depiction of combat, particularly the opening battle sequence but I wouldn't call it in any way true to history. Aside from the story and all of the characters being entirely fictional, after the Omaha Beach sequence it diverges completely from history.
The town of Ramelle for example never existed, and the area along the Merderet river where it is supposed to be located was actually held by the 82nd Airborne, not the 101st as shown in the film. I don't know why they didn't just make Ryan a private in the 82nd Airborne. At least that would have been a nod to the men who actually fought in that area.
@@bluesrocker91 I never said the story was true to history. I literally said, as you reiterated in your first sentence that it’s an authentic depiction of combat when storming the beaches of Normandy. If the 82nd airborne were the ones who were there, then I agree, they should’ve changed Ryan to the 82nd airborne. But there’s a good chance that the only airborne widely known to normies is the 101st. That’s the only real logical reason I can see for changing it. If they want it to make it a true story of one of the incidents that inspired the story, they could’ve just made a movie about the Sullivan brothers. But a good World War II movie that is based on a true story with a phenomenal cast that not enough people react to is Monuments Men. And it shows how Matt Damon has grown, too.
@@gippywhite I didn't mean that as a criticism... Sorry if it came across like that. I was just adding my two cents that people should take the film as being only loosely based on history and not a depiction of what was actually going on in the days just after D-Day. The first time I saw the movie was actually in a high school history lesson, and it was presented to us as fact there. It wasn't until years later I found out how heavily fictionalised it is.
Definitely agree about Monuments Men though... Excellent film about a fascinating but not widely known WWII story. John Goodman was great in it too.
My Dad was a landing craft operator (coxswain) on Dday in Normandy. He never talked about it but we knew. He never liked going to ocean beaches when we were kids.
He was also in the North Africa and Italy campaigns.
Oh wow! I can't imagine how hard that must have been for him!
At 27:51 you asked how they knew which side the people were on that they were shooting at. Any soldier back then could immediately identify enemy equipment. We can't see it here but the German markings would have been visible. To someone with a basic knowledge of enemy armored vehicles, the shape of a German half tracked vehicle would be obvious. Hope this helps. For what it's worth, my great uncle survived the D-Day landings but was KIA about 6 months after. He died while fighting against the 1st SS Panzer Division in Belgium.
Thanks for the info! That is so sad! 😢
@@popculturallychallenged You're welcome. The fighting in Belgium was just as ferocious as Normandy, it was so bad that the German general Joachim Peiper of the 1st SS Panzer Division had a nervous breakdown. My uncle is buried in Arkansas in a tiny cemetery in the middle of nowhere.
I think every veteran who's either lost a friend or someone in their unit feels the same way Pvt Ryan felt. Try to live up to the ideal those who were taken from us and our responsibility to "be a good man, and live a good life".
Well said. A huge THANK YOU to those veterans and their families. - Toni 😔
What a sweetheart of a lady. Toni, your empathy and emotion get me every time.
Thank you so much!
Just to let you know, it’s OK to cry as human beings we were not created to see, or observe such atrocities and war just FYI the men that come back are not the same that left, and we always have to remember and respect what they did in our behalf, and for the world, please take care and be safe. Thank you for sharing.🫶🏻❤️🤠
A common mistake in this movie is that reactors believe the German soldier shot by Cpl. Upham is the same soldier who passed him on the steps. It is not. Upham shot the soldier that Capt. Miller left walk after Wade’s death. The soldier on the steps has SS runes on his lapel, the shot German was regular Wehrmacht. Ironically the the Captain was killed by the man whose life that the captain saved. The soldier calls out Upham’s name just before he is shot. The only German that would know Upham’s name would be “Steamboat Willy”.
Upham killing that soldier at the end is fucking bad. Kills a POW who's just doing his job as a soldier and then lets ten POWs go to kill other Americans later. Fucking insane. Commits a war crime AND lets POWs go and people cheer. I'd beat the shit out of that guy.
Wrong! You are totally wrong
@@flashgordon10001 no you are.
i noticed that when I was editing the reaction! Can't believe we didn't notice that at the time!
@@flashgordon10001 It's the guy Miller let go. He knew Upham's name.
My grandad served in the Warwickshire Regiment from 1943 to 1945, he wasn't part of the Normandy invasion but served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy....he never got to Germany because he was injured in Northern Italy...he then served in the Royal Corps of Signals and was sent to Palestine and was there from 1945 to 1947...I thank God that my grandad didn't see action in Normandy....I deeply respect my grandad and all the soldiers and servicemen and women who saw action in WW2, they gave up so much so that the world could be free and I sometimes feel now that we take these freedoms for granted...God bless them all!
Your Grandfather sounds like an incredible man!
The Blimps are there to help prevent strafing runs by Enemy aircraft. Cutting the wings of any aircraft in addition the AA fire in the area.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain that to me. A few have mentioned it and it totally makes sense. - Toni 🥰
"Nobody is protecting them." We tried shelling the Atlantic Wall, but the defenses were made of concrete; the worst injuries the Axis had from it was mostly concussions and a small amount of casualties. One tactic we learned in WWII is if you're underground and/or a secure bunker like the ones on the beach, you can survive a naval bombardment. The next thing we tried was bombing them with planes; the problem was between the sea fog and flak, a number of bombs missed. The only option left was for men to go in and storm the beaches, which is exactly what the defenses were prepared for; mines on the sand, machine gun turrets in pill boxes, and hedgehogs to prevent tanks from coming ashore. Bear in mind, these defenses were designed by the Desert Fox himself, Erwin Rommel.
The price for freedom against tyranny has always been a high one.
Thanks for the info!
Nazi General Erwin Rommel, knowing that the Allies will attempt an invasion in France sooner or later, wanted to improve the Omaha Beach defenses more. But Adolf Hitler didn't want to divert resources (Which was tied up with Nazi Germany's war with the Soviet Union) to them. So the D-Day Invasion could have been a lot worse for the Allies.
31:57 in the theater, you could feel the rumble of the tank in your bones far before you could hear it. it was unnerving
Oh wow! This must have been an incredible experience in theaters!
When the captain says "Earn this" it's for us all... We should all earn what those men fought and died for, we are all today enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice, never take that for granted?
Agreed! 👍
My Dad was at Omaha. His engineering battalion were the ones that blew the hole in the sea wall. I know every year, June 6th in our household was referred to as D-Day. Dad was always pensive and never missed "The Longest Day." Dad passed away in 79 and I often wonder what his reaction to this movie would have been.
Your dad sounds like he was a good man! I can’t imagine what he dealt with over the years after the war. 😢
I remember this movie. When I watched it in theatre, there was 3 young and noisy teenager behind me. There were excited at the beginning. 15 minutes later, they weren't.
I can see how the first 15 minutes could quiet people up. 😢
For me, as a veterian of 10 years service, (74-84), it is refreshing to see 2 people that dont have a clue. What exactly do you think service people do ?...Sit on base and eat donuts? Living and dieng to accomplish our given mission is what we are trained to do. We all know we may very well die, but we have a mission to do and our thoughts, our blood and our death does not matter. None of us want to die. But it is because there are so many that will not serve we serve for our people, our country and our way of life. Think about those that will wear a uniform and try to understand the mind set they have. It is because of us that you live and have a life.
Thank you for your service!
0:27 "chillin' like a villian." 😁
Toni channeling 90's Pop Culture! 😎 Actually, that may even be the 80's. 😂
Anybody that watched this movie and didn't cry is a brick wall. I cry everytime I watch this movie. So I was right along with you Toni.
Me too! Every time!
Thank you! I'm glad I'm not alone! 😃
I've never cried from a movie or show or song, but some things get me damn close. Best example in this movie that almost gets me is when they take the letters to Ryan's mom near the beginning. Just imagine seeing the car coming, your heart would already drop and then to hear not only 1 of your sons died, but 3 of them.
Not only is this the greatest war movie of all time but it's in my top 5, if not 3 greatest movies of all time.
It is a great movie!
My great uncle Frank and great uncle William were in the second wave on Omaha beach. They lived into their 90s. I will always be proud of their service.
I remember seeing this in the theater with my then girlfriend when it came out. After the movie I couldn't say a word on the way home, when we got home, I simply broke down and started crying.
Barrage balloons, to prevent low flying enemy aircraft from firing on ground troops.
Additional info: The cables that secured the balloons could knock out a plane that attempted to fly under the ballons.
Cool! Thanks for the info!
David is a smart man, I really enjoyed his and his wife's reaction this is one of the better reaction channels
Thank you so much!
@@popculturallychallenged Pleasure brother.
Omaha Beach, during Operation Overlord, was the only landing zone that met fully prepared German defense. That's why US Army had over 2,000 casualties on that beach, on that day.
That is so sad.. I can't imagine what they went through. Just the 15 minute scene was a lot to take in. I can't imagine what it was like being there. 😢
The sniper near the beginning didn't shoot Caparzo again because he was trying to lure the others out to save him. It's a common tactic for snipers to wound, but not kill, an enemy soldier for this exact reason.
Thanks for the info!
Captain Miller's instruction to Ryan of "Earn it" applies to every American. Every American should live a life worthy of the sacrifices of those brave American soldiers.
Good point!
how about Rocky (1976)?
It's definitely on our list!
The sniper shot through the scope that they depicted was an actual event. Just not in WWII. Marine SSgt. Hathcock did this shot in Vietnam when the North Vietnamese Army sent their top sniper to hunt SSgt Hathcock. SSgt Hathcock won. Hollywood likes to put this in various movies now.
Never happened. Physics makes that impossible. At that distance, bullets are landing on the targets from above.
@@Bullock0099 This was in the book before wiki. He had his spotter with him. "One enemy sharpshooter came dangerously close to killing Hathcock in an intense battle near the firebase at Hill 55. In the final moments of the fight, the two snipers had each other in their sights, each man ready to end the other's life, but Hathcock was faster on the trigger. He put a bullet clean through the man's scope, killing him instantly."
Wow! That's crazy! What a shot!
The big balloons over the beach were called barrage balloons and they were to try and prevent German planes from strafing and dive bombing the landing zone...... Honestly knowing how intense the opening scene was I did not think Toni would make it through this whole movie.... Good job girl. You deserve to do some average rom-coms or drama movies for a bit now!!!!!
Thank you! We've got some good movies on the calendar planned. 😃
The blimps over the ships are a protection against low flying enemy planes.
In the final battle of the movie, the german guy who killed one of the american soldiers with a knife and went right past Upham in the stairs is the same guy they decided to let go right in about the middle of the movie. He recognized Upham and let him live, which is why you hear he saying "Upham!" when they're surrendering, right before Upham makes up his mind shoots him.
I can't believe I didn't notice that until I was editing this video!
No. The German soldier who killed the Jewish soldier IS NOT the German soldier the patrol let go earlier. HOWEVER the German soldier who shot Tom Hanks's character IS THE SAME SOLDIER who was released by the patrol earlier.
That's incorrect. The German who killed Mellish with the knife was an SS trooper - lightning bolt insignia on his uniform - and "Steamboat Willy," the one they let go earlier, was a regular Wehrmacht soldier, not a member of the SS. The horrible irony was that Captain Miller was shot by the very man whose life he had spared. That was why Upham killed him.
Soon as I saw you were reacting to this movies, my thoughts went out to Toni. I must say she handled it pretty good and managed to watch it all. Well done Toni. ❤️🤘🎸🎻🇦🇺
Thank you @Steven Hopwood!! I tried to be strong but did't work out to well... It was a great movie! - Toni
lol@ toni putting down the tissues when they figure out it's the wrong ryan
😂
When this movie first came out I heard interviews with the survivors of this battle and they said this was the most accurate portrayal of what happened there on the beach that day!!
I believe it!
internet myth
The military will only send men on missions that are strategically important to the war. One of the best war movies ever made. I remember watching it in the theaters with my than girlfriend when it came out. On the ride home I didn't say a word and when we got home, I totally broke down and stated crying.
No, the German soldier that killed Hank's character was the one he let go earlier, when the medic died.
I can't believe I didn't realize that until I was editing this video!
As a prelude to the opening D-Day scenes, there's an excellent movie "Ike: Countdown To D-Day'' with Tom Selleck as Eisenhower as he and the small group of commanders plan for the Normandy invasion. Selleck is very good good in this role, the dialogue is excellent and shows the burden, the strain and the responsibility placed upon his shoulders. The movie encompasses the roles of Churchill, de Gaulle, Generals Bradley, Montgomery and others. Highly recommended even if you don't react to it.
Thanks! We may have to check it out!
Good movie, even if the actors playing Montgomery and Patton are miscast.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Perhaps, but the overall gravitas can't be beat.
De Gaulles role in the D Day landings....... Only 177 French Military personnel were involved ? The French Resistance contributed far far more than De Gaulle ever did !
@@dusty4835 I do like the film. I have it on DVD.
Thanks, to the greatest generation. And thanks to you guys for keeping this history alive.
They were amazing..... Thank you for watching with us. - Toni
Great reaction fine people. I think the hardest emotional part of the movie is when Mrs Ryan gets the visit. It’s heart wrenching.
Thanks! That scene was so hard to watch!
'heart _rending_ ' _guts_ 'wrench'
This landing was D-Day (1944) and involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy. Semper Fi and God Bless our troops both living and dead
Well said!
The reason the soldiers on the Higgins boats were throwing up was due in part to the big breakfast they were served.
Really?? or was it a chain reaction to the nerves and the boat rocking? Are you pulling my leg? 😜 ☺️ - Toni
Toni: I'm not going to cry at all this time.
Movie: * cracks knuckles and rolls up sleeves * Challenge accepted.
When I saw that this had come up, I knew it was going to be a heck of a ride for the Missus. I'm glad she enjoyed it. 🙂
I _believe_ that the Ryan story is a fictionalized version of a real account, the Niland brothers--Bob, Edward, Fritz, and Preston. They'd be worth looking into, as the story naturally is more in-depth than can really be covered in a RUclips comment.
It definitely was a heck of a ride but I'm glad I've seen it! 😢
This movie starts and ends in a military cemetery. This particular cemetery is in Normandy, France, on the cliffs near the landing beaches for the D-Day invasion. It contains 9,800+ graves for Allied soldiers from the invasion beaches and fights for the cliffs. Sadly, there are two more cemeteries there, just as big. In total, approximately 30,000 allied soldiers died that day.
In America, tomorrow is Memorial Day.......NEVER forget what they did for us.
That is so sad. 😭
The opening scene is the closest to real combat in a movie you'll ever see
That was so intense! 😢
@@popculturallychallenged many veterans of D- day have said this is one of the most accurate depictions
@@tawogtrailers some of them said the only thing missing was more bodys
Fully agree. The only thing missing are the smells. Something you never forget.
Yes. The smell, and your hands being sticky with blood and not being able to get them clean until later. I still can't stand the feeling of my hands being greasy or sticky. People think I'm weird because I won't eat fried chicken and I eat pizza with a fork. That's why.
I have watched the movie quite a few times but l have been sitting in tears watching your wife's reactions. I belive Irish soldiers were used for the beach scene.
Those were barrage balloons. They were there to serve as obstacles to enemy planes that would be strafing the landing troops. And the reason no one was “protecting” the troops as they landed is because there was no one there to protect them. They were the first to land. They knew the soldiers in the half track were enemy because the half track was a German vehicle. The Allie’s didn’t have half tracks. Upham didn’t let the other Wehrmacht soldiers go after he shot the soldier who they had previously released after capturing him. He motioned for them to move and they moved. Upham finally understood what the soldiers who had been in action already knew.
Interesting @Max Sparks! Thank you for helping me out with some of my questions. 😃 - Toni
This is one of a very few movies which many viewers and reactors have sworn never to watch again. It is brutal and heart wrenching. Hang in there Toni.
How about next, a not so violent selection?
I think we're gonna try and watch some happier movies for a while. We don't want to put Toni through this kind of movie every week and we've still got several Band of Brothers episodes to go too.
@Pop Culturally Challenged ❤️. Not just Toni, ALL of us!! 😉 It's been pretty much all testosterone, ALL the time around here. Whether you choose to "react" or not, at least privately watch one or two that I mentioned in my second comment. (below). You'll be so glad you did. 💞✌️🎬
@Pop Culturally Challenged I think the very best movies are neither happy nor sad, rather films that invoke emotion from the viewer, as that viewer feels naturally. I don't think we need to be shocked or tickled by extremes in a film to draw our own personal and satisfying conclusions. These movies which encourage the viewer to invest their own personalities and emotion, don't alienate viewers who prefer a "happy" or "sad" movie experience, but allow every viewer to enjoy. JMHO. ✌️🎬
You MUST see " We were Soldiers" It is a movie directed and starred in by Mel Gibson.
It is another movie that ranks right up here with this movie. One more would be "Fury" with Brad Pitt. I highly recommend both of these to be seen, if you haven't yet already. I can only say, you will not be disappointed.
Great job both of you, and remember it's ok to cry. How can you not hold back the compassion that our brave soldiers deserve for sacrificing their lives, for our freedom and way of life.
Thank you for the recommendations! We are adding those to our list. - Toni 🥰
I would second the motion for both of them. both are intense. Especially Fury as it is somewhat "darker".
Also might I recommend, Hacksaw Ridge?
I would highly recommend the classic war film The longest day, it gives a good overview of D-day from every perspective American, French, English and German and the timeline and decisions involved for when to go into Normandy. It's not perfectly accurate on every detail but it really shows the scale and significance of the invasion and what it meant for Europe and the world at the time. And it can be something of a comedy adventure seeing many famous actors in little cameos here and there through the film some in the hay day and some just starting out.
Its a better film than this and more historically accurate.
Thanks for the suggestion!
The d day landing at the start of the film was filmed at curracloe beach Wexford Ireland
Cool! Thanks!
11:45 The 2 soldiers said: "Prosím, nestřílejte mě, nejsem Němec, jsem Čech, nikoho jsem nezabil!"
what translated says: "Please don't shoot me, I'm not German, I'm Czech, I didn't kill anyone!"
That makes the scene so much sadder knowing what was being said. 😢
This movie is the closest depiction of what truly happened during the Invasion of Normandy and D-Day itself. The 101st and 82nd Airborne lost 30 percent of their men in the early morning hours due to misdrops, drowning and being blown out of the sky. The 29th Infantry Division suffered over 1,000 casualties in the first one hour of the attack. Over 2,900 men were killed on June 6, and over 10,000 killed overall in the weeks of the campaign. Watch this, along with Band of Brothers, and you will see what our grandfathers suffered during World War II, thus the reason they are referred to as The Greatest Generation.
We watched Band of Brother on the channel and that was intense!
The most heart wrenching moment in this movie is at the end when James Francis Ryan from Iowa asks his wife if he was a good man. If he’s lived a good life. 😭
* Side note: My grandfather and great uncles all served and came home alive. My grandfather fought in the Battle of The Bulge, Uncle Jack was in a German POW camp, uncle Bob was in a Japanese camp. Uncle Dick lost a leg… uncles Gerry and Bill had lifelong drinking problems and depression.
That scene was incredibly powerful! That is incredible! We will keep your family in our thoughts today on Memorial Day. 🥰
My uncle Tom was a bomber pilot shot down somewhere over the Pacific. He died a hero as he held the flaming plane steady, allowing most of his crew to parachute out, and he was flying (and on fire) as the plane blew up. My aunt never remarried., but as a doctor she put in 40 years with the Veteran's Admin hospitals. My dad volunteered a year and a half before Pearl Harbor and was promoted to be a senior Navigational Instructor. My uncle Vin was a supply truck driver. Mom worked with the USO. They all did their part. In fact virtually all of the adult men and women I knew as a child did something in the War. (One of the local Deli owners had tattoos on his arm from the Concentration Camp)
I don't think the explosives care if it's in a clean sock or a stinky one. Just as long as it goes boom.
Good point! 😂
The German army was so deeply entrenched on that beach that even three days of heavy naval shelling couldn't dislodge them from their positions.
Good point!
@@popculturallychallenged Thanks. I like to help out whenever and wherever I can. All my best to both of you! 🤟
15:42 "...the balloons..."
First off: I love your channel, thank you for keeping it going!
The balloons are what's called "barrage balloons" and they're used to keep German fighters away: the ropes keeping the balloons from floating away are made of coiled wire, so if a plane were to try and fly low enough to strafe the beach, it would run right into the wire and probably rip it's wing off.
Thanks for the time!
Thank you!
"Hell, these guys deserve to go home as much as I do. They've fought just as hard."
"Is that what I'm supposed to tell your mother when she gets another folded American flag?"
"You can tell her that when you found me, I was with the only brothers I had left. And that there was no way I was deserting them. I think she'd understand that."
If you like this movie, might I suggest The Fighting Sullivans (1944) as well. You should react to Sullivan (1997) by Caroline's Spine in the same video, after the movie (the song will have more meaning after the movie). This is, of course, just a recommendation.
Fun Fact: Steven Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Private Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor with an All-American look. He did not know Damon would win an Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997) and become an overnight star before the film was released.
Irish Invasion Fact: The Omaha Beach scene cost $11 million to shoot, and involved up to 1,000 extras, some of whom were members of the Irish Army Reserve. Of those extras, 20-30 of them were amputees, issued with prosthetic limbs, to play soldiers who had their limbs blown off.
Historical Fact: Upham's (Jeremy Davies) shoulder patch, a blue and grey "yin yang" symbol, identifies him as a member of the 29th U.S. Infantry Division. It symbolizes the fact that the division was composed of units from Virginia and Maryland, who fought on both sides of the American Civil War.
Sonic Warfare Fact: Cinemas were instructed to up the volume when they showed the film, as the sound effects play such a crucial part in its overall effect. I remember this, because the theatre I was had surround sound and that tank approaching came from EVERY speaker. I was having a small mental panic attack (I was 17 at the time and I just signed up to join the US Army, so cut me a little slack) leading to the final battle.
I can only imagine what an experience this would have been in theaters! Thanks as always for the great info and for the suggestions! 😃
My pleasure as always.
Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍
i kind of want to want to make my teenage daughter watch the start of this, just to understand something about how horrible war is. my grandfather had two bronze stars, but he never told anyone in the family anything about the war (i heard he might have talked to other vets)
That's a good idea, make her appreciate her iPad. Most Veterans didn't talk to civilians about the War because they wouldn't get it.
Easier to talk to someone that understood, I get that.
We may show our kids this when they're older. It's hard to watch but I think it's important to know the sacrifices that people have made.
Make those pieces of sh*t on the U.S. "women's" Soccer Team and that monster in the WNBA that Biden Crime Family Boss, Usurper Joe 'the Big Guy' exchanged for a Russian Spy we had in custody - watch this. It'll make no difference but make their ingrate asses watch it anyway, over and over again along with listening to first-hand accounts from the men who were actually there and a part of the real life battle
The medic knew the exact dosage to kill himself. That's why he was so specific.
That was heartbreaking. 😢
@@popculturallychallenged the scene that gets me is the one where the mother gets the telegram. Imagine losing three children at one time.
I'm an old man now. I am a combat soldier who know the hell of war.
I want to thank the 2 of you for making this history stay alive. I'd hate to think that we Soldiers, sailors, Airmen and Marine did all this just for future entertainment.
Ma'am, thank you for struggling through this intense movie showing the hell of it for all future generations. Love you both for doing this.
Dan
MSGT US ARMY RETIRED
Thank you!
The German Soldier who killed Capt. Miller was NOT, The German Soldier who stabbed Fish. It was The Blindfolded German who Oppum talked Capt Miller into letting go.
I can’t believe I didn’t notice that when I watched it!
@@popculturallychallenged Both wore SS Fallschirmjaeger (Paratrooper) smocks, and were buzz cut, but, The one that stabbed Fish was a bit more muscular and chiseled in his features.