This is your official obligatory "You MUST see Band of Brothers" comment. It's a 10 hour Saving Private Ryan in quality. Hanks and Spielberg were just beginning with this masterpiece. They trolled us so hard by the eye fade in the intro making us think Private Ryan was Captain Miller. Well played. There are a million things I could say and corrections to be made but I won't. It can and will speak for itself.
Also, Ryan is assigned to 1st of the 506th P.I.R. “Band of Brothers” centers on the 101st AIRBORNE, 2nd Battalion of the 506th P.I.R., so Ryan was with the 101st AIRBORNE and was in the same drop. Even though Saving Private Ryan is a fictional movie, Band of Brothers is a true story that Hanks and Spielberg tied together .
I’ve never watched Band of Brothers and I was in the Curahee Battalion before it was disbanded a couple years back. Not the same unit though. It didn’t exist anymore.
I think it's important to have movies like this to understand that war is not something to glorify, it's not a game, and it's not fun. It's incredibly violent, traumatic and in the survivors often creates trauma that can persist through generations. We can/should respect the soldiers who gave their lives so we could live relatively comfortable lives free of tyranny, but we should not aspire to warfare.
I've seen some people comment that they should have made a bigger scene out of that. Personally I think they did just the right shot with her. She conveyed so much despair just with her movement in those few seconds. Leaving the rest of her reaction to our imagination made it far worse for the viewer in my opinion than seeing a longer emotional scene.
The studio held early screenings of this film for WWII vets, and many left in tears after the opening scene because of how realistic it was. Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor to play the role, but Good Will Hunting was released while this was being filmed and Damon ended up becoming a big star.
The only difference was as my grandfather put it (who was in the 116th, first wave on Omaha) the only realistic thing was these are all grown men, very few there on the beach were over 20 except officers. It was all kids
When Nathan Fillion was confused as the wrong Ryan, you wondered what are the odds. When I was in the army and was transferred to another company I met Cpl Christopher R Wilson. That was funny because I was Cpl Christopher R Wilson. Only difference was he was Robert and I was Richard.
I’m sure that sort of thing happens all the time. When I was in High School, there were six other guys, just in my grade, that had the same first name as me. So if any of us had a class together, the teacher would have to either use our last name as well, or use one’s full name and the other’s chosen name.
Sounds like the confusion over Pvt Blithe in Band of Brothers. Blithe attended the 1st reunion (1946) but no others. By coincidence many of Easy Company personnel were from Pennsylvania, Blithe included. In 1948 2 members of Easy Company, residents of Pennsylvania, saw a death notice that said Albert Blythe-notice the different spelling-of Pennsylvania and a former Private in the 101st Airborne, 506 PIR had died from lingering wounds he had received in Normandy. They mistakenly assumed that it was their fellow Easy Company member so they attended the funeral. At the next Easy Company reunion they reported to the company that Blithe was dead. 50 years later, still believing that Blithe died in 1948 they informed Ambrose for his book. The bad info was put in the book and then on TV since the mini-series was based on the book. After the miniseries came out is when Blithe’s family challenged the information. So there were 2 Albert Blithe/Blythe’s from Pennsylvania who were members of the 101st Airborne, 506 PIR. Different Companies and different Regiments though.
Germans did not typically target medics. That being said in the confusion of battle (fog of war) medics were sometimes hit by rifle men and machine gunners by accident. Also artillerymen and mortar teams could not exclude hitting medics because they were not targeting individual men but were firing on a certain area.
I have do disagree, medics were targeted because if they saved a life he could come back to fight. Germany did not follow the rules of war and neither did we in some cases.
@@billpimentel-vm6cu It definitely happened on both sides but there is still plenty of historical evidence that it was not typical. The reasons are complicated when coming from German perspective since they treated the enemy based on how the enemy treated them and on racial biases. The western allies mostly obeyed the Geneva convention. The Germans usually returned the favor for that reason and did not consider Americans, British or Canadians to be inferior. Another great example is both Western allies and thee Germans treated POW's in accordance with the Geneva convention. On the other hand the Germans considered the Slavs of Russia to be subhuman and therefore routinely killed medics and POW's. There is a youtube video of a Russian WWII POW meeting with 60 minutes from sometime in the 1980's where he described being in the Oder river concentration camp. He stated the Russians and Americans were separated by a fence and only survived because the Americans threw some of there food over the fence. He went on to explain that the American POW's were provided the Geneva convention required rations and the Russians were only given one bowl of turnip soup a day. It's worth a watch because 60 minutes actually finds the American that did so and reunites them.
@@billpimentel-vm6cu that's where you're wrong, you'd be inclined not to kill an enemy medic, because if you lost a battle it's their medics who would heal your wounded (before taking them prisoner). If you kill medics and doctors no one will survive
My father is beneath one of those crosses, and I still remember the officer kneeling in front of my mother and handing her his folded flag, his salute to my fathers coffin, and my mothers tears. To him I say, Dad, you were a good man.
This generation saved the world, then came home, rolled up their sleeves, and rebuilt the world we now enjoy today. Those heroes are fading off day by day. We owe them everything.
I think so many people forget that... This was the generation that experienced the Spanish Flu, went through over a decade of the Great Depression as children and teenagers, that saw the entire world plunge into the most devastating war in history and then to come back and help rebuild the world once more. There has never been a greater generation of people then the Greatest Generation.
BBBAAHHHH...FACTS!!.. funny part is today's generation shits on those before them WHILE enjoying the privileges those boys and men sacrificed for.. pathetic in every sense of the word..🇺🇸✌️🫡
@@MasterManto and then... wokeism and "there are 27 different genres..." imagine how they feel...they saved the WORLD for US, just to see how some mad elites want to make it a patethic rainbowland now
Saved the world from what exactly? To defeat one jew-hating mass murderer we allied with an even worse jew-hating mass murderer in Stalin. The result was the death of 40 million whites, the fall of the British Empire, half of Eurasia becoming enslaved under communism and the dawn of nuclear weaponry. Not to mention the rise of the EU and subsequent flooding of third worlders into our countries. Now we're all addicted to drugs and fast food and argue about how many genders there are. The world is currently fucked. Whatever we were "saved" from, I'd much rather be experiencing that right now.
"Saving Private Ryan" is the best anti-war film ever made, in my opinion. It shows the soldiers' point of view in honest and brutal detail. The soldiers, most of whom were very young men, weren't there to be John Wayne charging up the hill like a superhero. No parades, no nights of revelry. They weren't there to be best buddies with everyone. They were there to do their jobs and win the war, even if they didn't want to be there. They were thrown into a meat grinder and were expected to deal with it. It's no wonder that so many soldiers came home with so many emotional issues. They had just escaped a living Hell.
The average age of U. S. combat personnel during WW II was 26 years-old. This war was fought by men. Vietnam War average age of U S. combat personnel was 22 years-old.
They didn't just die to save Ryan they died protecting the bridge. Key bridges had to be held or destroyed to keep German reinforcements from joining the fight.
But that was historically inaccurate. The Germans never sent of their panzer units into the Cotentin Peninsula. They sent them to Caen (and the film mocks the British and Canadians around Caen).
@@lyndoncmp5751 Rummel is a fictional town invented for the movie. My point was to say that Miller and the men that perished with him died in the Battle for Normandy. There are quite a few things to criticize about this movie but overall it does a great job depicting what the D-day landing on Omaha Beach and the Battle for Normandy were like. Our freedom is paid for by men and women that put lives on the line.
@@lyndoncmp5751 No shit it was historically inaccurate, it's historical fiction. The film doesn't mock anyone around Caen, you're so butthurt it's amazing. I'll take the words of people who were actually there thanks.
@@samithonjames370 I have no idea why people want movies to be "historically accurate"... go watch a fucking documentary about WWII, there are about 5 billion of them and I should know, my dad has watched them all to the point that I'm asking him "Is there anything you don't know about this war? Why are you watching them? You know more than the narrator" Seriously, people don't get the difference between a movie and a documentary... and it's sad cause you have to be really brick brained to not get it
For many of us, our first clue that Hollywood wasn't just flawed but FUBAR was when "Saving Private Ryan" lost out for Best Picture to "Shakespeare In Love". Still beyond disturbing.
It's amazing how movies affect you differently throughout your life. When I saw this in theaters as a teenager, I thought this was an amazing action movie, but the historical impact and loss of human life was lost on me. I've watched it numerous times throughout the years and it becomes more brutal and heart-wrenching every time. “Tell me I have led a good life. Tell me I'm a good man.” As an adult, I can't watch this scene without breaking down. I wonder this about myself and hope I can achieve it one day. What a monumental film.
Miller asking Ryan to '...Earn this. Earn it...' is also Spielberg pleading with us as individuals, to cherish and keep safe all of that generation's sacrifices, to rid the world of tyranny and dictatorships for everyone's freedom.
The story of the Sullivan Brothers aboard the U.S.S. Juneau actually happened. Although Discouraged to serve on the same ship, The Brother said it was the only way they'd enlist. After their Deaths, a bill was passed forbidding Family members from serving in the same combat units or aboard the same ships. KIA: Killed in Action... FUBAR is still used today.
Did you ever see the movie The Fighting Sullivan's? Great Movie! (even with some propaganda) It was filmed during WWII. I almost wish that they would remake that one since we do actually know now what happened. And it would be filmed in color.
I'm from Iowa, and the Sullivan brothers were from Waterloo, Iowa. They were five brothers who all died on the USS Juneau at the naval battle of Guadalcanal.
I did two tours in Iraq & one in Afghanistan and my father was in Vietnam. I can assure you they do not hold back from shooting medics that is an old wives tail for people who have never experienced combat
My grandfather's brother traded his rifle for a red cross. The regular german troops respected the cross, and the SS did not. Different people, different times.
Having served in 2 wars, the greatest thing I've ever heard was from my wife when she said to me "You're a good man" Ladies, please never hesitate to tell your man this. I PROMISE he'll never forget it and do everything within his power to give you the world.
Well, Evie. I had 3 brothers go to Vietnam. 1 was on a ship. The other 2 were in the rice paddy's. When the mail came to the house, my mother would never open the mail. She would wait til my father got home and he would open the mail. ALL THREE CAME HOME ALIVE, and with all their body parts. THANK GOD.
My Grandfather was an Army Colonel. Omaha beach, d-day. Not the initial waves but early enough that they were still mopping up resistance nearby and none ofbthe beach had been really cleaned up yet. Was involved in liberating many French villages. He wouldnt talk about it. At all. Until a few months before he died, to one cousin for a school project. The movie does its best to shock you at the start amd leave you feeling numb. It works. It tries to pull you into just having to disregard the horror at the time and try to process it as best you can later. Leaving you empty emotionally. Imagine that for months or years. As your daily life. There is a reason soldiers are so close knit with their units. And feel detached from public life often. This is why. No one who hasnt been there gets it. This movie was an extremely tiny taste.
Very happy to see the younger generation see this and get a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by the men who fought the war. Most everyone who sees this the first time is impacted by it like you were. Great reaction, thanks.
The opening scene Ryan goes to the grave of his brother, at the end he's at the grave of Capt. Miller's grave. His family is directly behind him at the first grave site, at the end, his family remains at a respectful distance, except for his wife who has no idea who Miller is. Ryan went home and never told anyone about that day in Ramell. WW II was fought by men; the average age of U. S. combat personnel was 26 years old. The SGT. in the assault boat wasn't putting food in his mouth, that was chewing tobacco. They were in very rough seas and it took hours for the soldiers to disembark the troop ships into the Higgins Boats. Not knowing when they would ever have a good cooked meal again, many of the soldiers ate a hearty breakfast before disembarking. The first group to load into the boats bobbed around in the water for several hours before heading toward the beach. Many get seasick during that time. The vomit wasn't the main problem, the blood in the boats created a psychological problem when the boats returned to bring more soldiers to the beach. In Vietnam, the average age of combat personnel was 22, not 19 as many people think. Also, the largest number of U. S. personnel killed in action in Vietnam those who enlisted not draftees. Spielberg researched small details, for instance, Pvt Jackson's right thumb has a black mark on it. That's actually a bruise that many U. S. riflemen had caused from getting their thumb caught in the loading mechanism from not locking the bolt back properly when loading/reloading the M1 Garand rifle. It was called "Garand thumb". Capt. Miller said he taught at Thomas Alva Edison High School. That's a Spielberg paying homage to Thomas Alva Edison High School in Philadelphia, PA. 54 former students from that school were killed in action in the Vietnam War, more than any other school in the nation. The Hitler Youth Knife is more literary liberty than fact. That knife is a hiking knife given to members of the Hitler Youth Corps, which was much like the Boy Scouts in training while being indoctrinated with the ideology of National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi). The only other group they were issued to were members of the SA. This knife was never part of a soldier of the Wehrmacht. As for the reaction of Carparzo and Mellish, it is highly unlikely an average G.I. would have known what that knife was and its symbolism. The matter of Mellish crying is also not likely as the Allies didn't find out about the fate of Jews in Europe until the first concentration camp was liberated April 4, 1945. The war in Europe ended May 7, 1945. So, following the real timeline, Mellish dies before the Allies knew anything about concentration and death camps. But, after-all, it is Hollywood. Saving Private Ryan is not based on the Sullivan brothers. Fritz Niland became the basis for Private Ryan. He was dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day and spent five days in the French countryside, eventually earning a Bronze star in combat for taking a French. Robert Rodat first came up with the plot in 1994 when he saw a monument in a cemetery in Tonawanda, New York. The monument was to the Niland Brothers - 4 young American men who fought in the Second World War. When three of the Nilands were reported killed, the surviving brother - Fritz - was sent home. This inspired Rodat to write his movie. There are 26 military cemeteries across Normandy, but the most famous and visited site is the poignant Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. In real life with the Nilands, it actually turned out later that another of the brothers was alive - he’d been held captive in a Burmese POW camp. Attempts to point out the "discrepancies" between the stories of Fritz Niland and James Ryan are often misguided, as Ryan is only based on Niland, and is not meant to be (or claimed to be) a completely accurate representation of him. The differences in the two stories seem to stem in part from the fact that the true story of Sergeant Niland and his brothers is often reported inaccurately. The character of Private James Ryan is a mixture of fact and fiction, with some of the fictional elements coming from the erroneous stories about the Niland brothers. The German credited as "Steamboat Willie" who was released by Capt. Miller is not the German who engaged and killed Pvt Stanley "Fish Mellish during hand-to-hand combat. "Steamboat Willie" was in the Heer (Army) of the Wehrmacht and the other was in the Waffen SS which was a paramilitary organization and not part of the Wehrmacht. Originally, the SS uniform differed from the Wehrmacht uniform-whereas the regular army wore field grey, the SS wore black, head to toe (although later the SS did adopt field grey and often wore camouflage pattern uniform. American troops were brown and they didn't wear jackboots. The lightning bolt SS insignia can be seen on the right collar lapel of the German as he passes Upham and reaches the bottom of the staircase. During the Battle at Ramelle, Upham became shell shocked and was unable to save a .30 cal team from a German soldier because he was too frozen with fear to do anything about it. He carried all the .30 caliber ammo at the battle of Ramelle, but was unable to do his job because he was always either pinned down or too afraid to move. He signified the loss of innocence in war and thought that soldiers could be civil, but he later succumbed to the evils of war and made up for his cowardice when he shot Steamboat Willie for killing Miller even after the latter had shown Willie mercy earlier. Not only did Upham represent the loss of innocence of war but he also symbolized the "Every-man". His illusion of neutrality faded when he finally had to pick and side and kill Steamboat Willie, his character revelation being how he finally understood the horrors of war. It became clear that Upham had turned into a hardened and true soldier because of the whole experience. Upham's rank was Tech 5 Corporal (E-5), that meant he was technician in a specialty area. His was maps and translator, he was not a combat infantryman and was never trained for front-line duty. Gunnery Sergent Hartman explained it this way in the movie Full Metal Jacket: "It is your killer instinct which must be harnessed if you expect to survive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. "The way the next of kin was notified of their loved one was killed in action during WW II was by Western Union telegram delivered by a bicycle riding messenger. If you were being notified of multiple deaths as was the case in this film, notification was done in-person by a military officer, usually from the same branch of service as the deceased when possible. That's why the mother upon seeing the officer exit the car momentarily froze knowing that meant at least 2 of her boys were either KIA or MIA, as the priest exits the car, she staggers and completely collapsed. Unfortunately, you didn't include that in your video presentation. That is one of the most important scenes in the movie. The mother speaks no lines in the movie, yet her breakdown brought a flood of tears form movie goers in theaters across the nation. Another important scene is it is clear from the few lines Ryan's wife speaks that she has never heard the name of Capt. John Miller, this means John has never spoken to her about what happened that day in Ramelle. What many missed is listening to Ryan speaking at the Miller's grave of how he thought about what those 8 men did for him every day was not guilt, but commitment. There are units assigned to recover, bury and mark graves. Usually these were temporary battlefield cemeteries. As hostilities moved farther away, a more permanent site would be selected, at the family's request, whenever possible, the remains would be returned to the United States. At the Normandy Cemetery Visitors Center, you'll find the following inscription: IF EVER PROOF WERE NEEDED THAT WE FOUGHT FOR A CAUSE AND NOT FOR CONQUEST, IT COULD BE FOUND IN THESE CEMETERIES. HERE WAS OUR ONLY CONQUEST: ALL WE ASKED … WAS ENOUGH … SOIL IN WHICH TO BURY OUR GALLANT DEAD.General Mark W. ClarkChairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1969-1984
Sure, sure, because when you are in the midle of the fire each other are very carrefully where they throw bullets. That sequence is just stupid. No medic will do that in the open field between bullets.
This part of the Geneva Conventions only came in the aftermath of WW2, prior to this the only protection for anything relating to medics in battle was from the Hague Convention of 1899 relating to the protection of marked hospital ships but also required hospital ships to treat the wounded and shipwrecked sailors of all belligerent parties. !!EDIT!!: This is actually completely false, my bad! Geneva Conventions of 1864 Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, Article 2 clearly states that all hospital and ambulance personnel will have the benefit of neutrality when on duty, and while there remain any wounded to be brought in or assisted.
@@voinyhelvetti Interestingly tho the precedent was long before Geneva, just more of a common decency liken to holding a door for someone. The idea of "hospital" always comes from hospitaller so any and all forms of medical treatment being fired upon historically is essentially sacrilegious levels of atrocity. (probably because nuns and such were mostly used any year before 1900)
@@MrDeadSignal I edited my comment because upon reading into it further it actually WAS a part of the very original geneva conventions of 1864 instead of being added in the post WW2 1949 convention
@@damagar8 That's right. Absolutely disgusting that it happened. You can thank Harvey Weinstein for that tragedy. Though, I believe it was in 2015 members of the Academy were asked about it & they said that given another opportunity, they would have voted for this.
POW (Prisoner Of War) - KIA (Killed In Action) - MIA (Missing In Action) - MIAPD (Missing In Action Presumed Dead, (body not recovered)) - FUBAR (Fuc%ed Up Beyond All/Any Recognition/Repair) - SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fuc%ed UP). The German soldier in hand-to-hand combat with Mellish, is not "Steamboat Willie" who was at the machine gun nest earlier in the film. The one fighting Mellish is a member of the Waffen SS, while the other is a member of the German Wehrmacht.
56 years ago 2 United States marine captain's And my pastor came to tell my mother my brother Was killed in Vietnam.. He was 20 I was 9 years old. Remember the day I like it was yesterday a beautifulsunny Sunday afternoon. 🌹🙏🏻RIP 🙏🏻🌹
The movies opening scene depicting the storming of Omaha beach was so realistic that the Department of Veterans Affairs had to set up a hotline for WWII veterans who were experiencing PTSD systems as a result of seeing the movie and the hotline ended up getting overloaded. When it debuted, there were reports of Veterans leaving the theater in tears.
A known phenomenon - soldiers who are violently and mortally wounded will, sadly and pitifully, cry out for their mothers in what is often their final moments, as they experience what is often excruciating pain, clouded with panic and fear. They died defending our freedom. We all need to do what we can "earn it".
Didn’t Ryan already “earn it” when he refused to leave his post and stay back and fight? It caused the others to stay back also and assist in the fight.
One thing to note. That first Battalion to hit the beach that morning was the youngest Battalion in age put together. It was said that that was done on purpose. The young men would be fearless.
A sniper shooting another sniper in the eye through his scope is something that would sometimes happen. A sniper would usually catch a glint off an opposing scope and fire right at it.
There was a sniper during the Vietnam war that did it but they didn't believe him. His nickname was "white feather" due to a white feather he wore on his helmet.
Two things, the shot in the movie is impossible due to the bullet angle of the bullet drop. Second, Jackson wasn't a sniper. Only the German was the sniper.
The significance of the shaking hand was the effects of PTSD and mental anguish of War. The reason they demonstrated it a few times through the movie is so that you could notice that it was no longer shaking upon his death. That's why the camera lingered for a moment after he died showing his hand still.
There is a video called the fallen of world War II, that gives you the cost of everything involved with world War II in relation to human life. The Holocaust, and the dead both civilian and military for all the countries involved.
For those who do not know who the Sullivan brothers were that was mentioned. The Sullivan Brs. Were five brother in WWll that were serving on the same ship. That ship was sunk and all five were lost. After that happened the military would not let brothers serve together.
The hand shaking was the onset of PTSD, a condition that wasn't really looked into at the time. It's the movies way of making the viewer aware of Tom hanks deterioration because of his combat experiences.
Great reaction like always, love this masterpiece. My grandfather serve with Sergeant Frederick Niland in 501 company, Sergeant Frederick Niland was the inspiration for this movie he had 3 brothers that were killed in action. This movie is based on a book. Robert Rodat (screen writter) was first inspired to craft the narrative upon reading Stephen Ambrose’s nonfiction retrospective D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Rodat was fascinated by an honorary memorial dedicated to families who had lost multiple sons in the war. Rodat began writing Saving Private Ryan after studying the true story of Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland. Fritz Niland’s brothers Preston and Robert had enlisted for service, and his brother Edward had volunteered. In May 1944, Edward was shot down over Burma and presumed dead. In June, Robert was killed on D-Day and Preston was killed on Omaha Beach. Frederick had gone missing during the Normandy Invasion, and the U.S. Army commissioned him to be rescued and sent home. An army unit under chaplain Fr. Francis Sampson identified Frederick’s location and sent him back to his parents Michael and Augusta Niland. Frederick’s brother Edward was also discovered to be alive and was rescued from a Burmese POW camp and also returned home safely. The rescues were the result of the U.S. War Department’s “sole survivor” policy, which was adopted in 1942 after the four Sullivan brothers who served in the U.S. Navy had all been killed during the sinking of the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal. So, while Saving Private Ryan is unquestionably inspired by true events, the film's story of Captain Miller's risky mission to save one man is entirely fictional. And congrats for not mistaken some characters. A lot of reactors confuse the guy who was let go, and later shot Capt. Miller and then was shot by Upham, with the soldier who stabbed Mellish. They wore different uniforms: the prisoner who was released and later returned was regular Wehrmacht, and the guy who stabbed Mellish was SS, They chosen two actors for those roles that looked so similar they did that literally to tell the viewers that war is confusing. Steven Spielberg explained this. He most likely didn't kill Upham because he instantly recognized he wasn't a threat. Upham even takes his hands off of his gun and holds them up in surrender to the SS soldier. Not a lot of satisfaction in killing someone who's basically curled up in the fetal position. And Keep in mind, Upham was likely drafted for his translation skills, so he is A: not a volunteer, and B: not meant as a primary combatant. I don't blame him for freezing in that moment, no one knows how they'd react in a situation like that until they're actually in it. I like to think I'd do the right thing and go charging up those stairs to the rescue, but I could just as easily be shell-shocked in pants-shitting terror like he was. Our military today is an all volunteer service, no one is pressed into service like he was, so it's easier for people today to see his actions and just label him a dirty coward without understanding there is nuance to this story and that things were very different then. Soldiers today CHOOSE that life, he didn't, he just wanted to get back home without getting blood on his hands. Keep up the good work.
Important fact: the notification letters you seeing being typed up back in the USA were not being written by those women, they were merely being transcribed. They were hand written (usually) by the Soldier's unit commander (when they had a moment) and sent back to the US as part of the casualty notification process. A unit commander who lost several Soldiers in a fight would have to write all those letters - typically right after the battle (or as early as was possible) - a very heavy responsibility for someone who all ready had an enormous amount of responsibility.
If you liked this movie you should check out Band of Brothers, which is an HBO limited series. Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg produced it. It's really well done.
They brought some WW2 veterans in to watch this before it was released an they said it was to real for them to watch. Even the part where a dying soldier last words is mom or momma. They truly were the great generation. There was poems we would quote to justify why we were doing what we doing an why we were there. A bird will fall frozen dead on a bow an never feel sorry for itself.
The two guys surrendering in the beginning are pleading in Czech language, saying they have been forced to fight; Germany had occupied Czechia earlier. It's a nice little touch where the viewer's reaction depends on understanding of language, or subtitles, showing the unpredictable and spontaneous cruelty in war, where horrible things just happen, regardless of side.
Outstanding reaction video. 👍 📹 Would appreciate seeing you react to the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers" about the soldiers of "Easy Company" of the 101st Airborne Division in WW2. Where "Saving PVT Ryan" was a fictional storyline, "Band of Brothers" is the actual portrayal of the soldiers of Easy Company...... It's as accurate as the producers could get it. (Some aspects were inaccurate) The Veterans you'll see being interviewed before each episode are the actual Airborne soldiers of Easy Company
The Geneva Convention outlined the rules of "fair" warfare, there are also rules of engagement... Unfortunately, we're typically the only country that follows the rules.
The sniper shot through the lense into the eye seems like its something that is impossible and just for the movie but theres one documented case during the vietnam war of an american sniper taking out a vietnamese sniper exactly like that... and the only way it can happen is if the two snipers are looking directly at each other ... and one of the two takes the shot a second or two before the other one... which makes it a very very very rare thing... when two snipers are hunting each other and find each other at the same time. And as brutal as ww2 was, modern war with drones hunting soldiers 24/7 is much scarier.
"Wave 1" included the 29th Light Infantry Division. The 29th LID consisted of Army National Guard members from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. So, yes. Part time civilians and part time Army. They recieved a Presidential commendation after storming Normandy in that first wave, which is worn by anyone who becomes a part of the 29th.
Just for perspective: storming the beach wasn’t that „easy“ even though it already seemed hard in the movie at the beginning and all - but in reality not the first line breached through - thousands upon thousands died on that beach before even reaching the end of the beach / the first waves all died in the boats and couldn’t even step on sand first… it was pure horror, it is very realistic and cruel in the movie and it gets you nearly an image / a glance of what the soldiers lived through - but the reality was a thousand times more brutal - on that mission officially 65.700 man died / 18.000 went missing and 155.000 man were wounded - just to get a feeling on how many people gave it there all to be able to take that beach…
@@PhiL-zz6cuVery lightly based on real events. They didn't send any people to get the last of the brothers but immediately knew where he was and sent him home.
One thing often overlooked is when Ryan's wife asks him who Captain Miller was. That tells you that, like many war vets, he probably never spoke in detail about what he experienced.
Lol, I particularly enjoyed you trying to guess what KIA stood for... "Killed in Air?" I got a good chuckle, because I thought of what the other designations would be. "KIW - Killed in Water", "KID - Killed in Dirt" 😂😂😂
Evie, you have shown a very perceptive reaction to this movie. Many of your comments are very insightful and nuanced. I can't think of any specifics right now. thank you for watching this movie with us.
Great reaction beautiful ❤.... The scene where Ryan and Capt Miller were discussing remembering home .. Steven Spielberg asked Matt Damon to just make up a story about home ... That is what we get in the movie... 😢
Thank you so much for not censoring the gore and swearing. It makes it so much more intense and real. I feel like I’m watching it with you! Iv seen this movie a thousand times and I cried with you. Amazing reaction. Please don’t stop ❤️
A very sensitive reaction to this amazing film. It's worth noting that the average age of the men fighting in the allied armies was 26. Many of them were younger. My uncle's final flight in Bomber Command was in January 1944. He was 21. With one exception, the seven man crew of his plane were all under 25. It really puts things into perspective.
When you think about it, these are men who have seen combat and have survived probably a handful, if not dozens of battles so you expect them to be hardened and desensitized to it all (yes, i know that for many D-Day might have been their first mission and some were still boys 18 and under in some cases) yet, when faced with certain death they revert back to being a child, seeking the comfort of their mother, in the same way you would call out to her after that first accident (cut, bump in the head, etc) and expect her to make it all better.
6:17 They were saying they weren't German and asking the Americans not to shoot. Germans sometimes forced people from other countries to fight for them.
"Tell me I've lived a good life. Tell me I'm a good man". James Ryan has lived his entire life just dealing with his memories just himself. Never told his wife. Never told his children. Just lived as good a life as he could. For the women out there, this is basic maledom. 90% of women need friends and support structure, 90% of average normal men just deal with things internally. We eventually vent, but mostly after everything is processed as much as we PERSONALLY can process it (and usually well and over with). James probably told his family a filtered version of this event a little after his cemetery visit. Decades after dealing with things himself. Men need the same support that women do, but just in a different way and on a different timescale. I once told my wife I needed her, but I didn't need her emotional help after my mother died. I just needed her to BE there, give me a hug, and tell me she loved me like normal. She did that and I was OK. That's all she needed to do. I'd already came to terms with my mother's impending death months before. Guys, most anyway, just have a relatively sturdy and internally thought-out emotional system.
The two German soldiers who were surrendering on the beach were pretty much saying "Don't shoot! We're Czezhs! We're not German!" People forget that many soldiers in the Third Reich were conscripted men and boys from different countries and many were forced to fight.
The guy on the beach shot in the helmet hurts like being hit with a hammer, so while many fault him he put his hand on his head to feel if he's bleeding. But we watched another guy they were working on get shot straight through the helmet killing him so we don't know if he would have survived had he kept the helmet on (but I agree he should have)
31:33 I looked up the lyrics of the song (had to find it in English 😁). There is a line that says "... you speak softly in my ears... ". I can't imagine the film editor caring much about matching the exact moment of the song with the line they wanted the character to translate. 🙂👍
The pvt. Ryan in the end of the Omaha beach assault was the first brother. The second one died on the adjacent Utah beach directly to the West of Omaha. The Third one died in New Guinea in the Pacific theater.
1. Many WWII vets left the theaters because the D-Day battle scenes were so realistic. 2. The German Captain Miller was talked into letting go is the same one that killed him. Upham finally put him down. 3. The story Ryan tells Miller about the last time he saw his brothers was made up by Matt Damon. He was told to say something interesting, so he did, and it was kept in the movie. 4. There was a USS Sullivans(DD- 68) dedicated to the brothers lost on one ship. 5. I did 24 years in the US Navy. Outstanding leadership skills to dampen the friction between Horvath and Reisen. 6. My favorite character is Private Jackson/sniper, and my second favorite is Sargent Horvath. RIP Tom Sizemore😇 7. Sizemore also played Boxman in "Flight of the Intruder". A movie I'm in briefly.
Wow reminds me how old this movie is not only do we see a young Tom Hanks and Matt Damon but to see a young Vin Diesel and Bryan Cranston that's crazy lol
I was a Medic and Medics go everywhere the during combat. Over 150,000 men landed on those beaches that day. The enemy tries to kill Officers and Medics first because the y are leaders and keep wounded men alive. Medics were #3 times more likely to be killed than infantrymen in combat. If the enemy shoots a soldier , they know a Medic will run out to save the wounded man so they shoot to wound and then wait to kill the Medic when he runs out to save the wounded man. W.I.A is Wounded in Action, K.I.A. is Killed in Action.
Good reaction video. I've seen some other reaction videos of this same movie and it seems that you showed the most heartfelt emotions about it compared to all the others.
The best war movie I've ever watched, a hard watch ,the first 10 minutes shocked me into the realisation of the chaos of combat... bless those who who went before us and died so we can live this life that we have now...
Regarding medical care in the field, I would say combat medics are absolutely vital, in the current conflict in Europe it can be hard to evacuate immediately as well, because the threat from e.g artillery and strike drones is so high, helicopters can't fly in either, so in cases like that medevac/casevac vehicles or stretcher bearers will just mean more casualties, so being able to keep someone alive for a long time(many hours), in harsh conditions and with a limited toolbox can be very important. Under the Geneva conventions medics are protected(medical facilities as well), combat medics(soldiers trained as medics who participate in the fight) are not, they are legitimate targets, as is e.g stretcher bearing soldiers.
To make the Animosity towards "Ryan" even more realistic, While Tom Hanks and his troop was in Field Training (living in Tents, eating MREs and doing heavy training), Ben got to stay home... And Tom and them were constantly reminded of this.
Thank you for a beautiful reaction, and for noticing details that I have never seen or heard mentioned before, even though I have seen this film quite a few times over the last 20 years. Blessings from Australia.
When Wade the Medic is crying for his Mama, I ugly cry. The very end makes me ugly cry every time, and I've watched this move a few dozen times. Older Ryan turns to his wife and says: Older James Ryan: "Tell me I have led a good life." Ryan's Wife: "What?" Older James Ryan: "Tell me I'm a good man." Ryan's Wife: "You are." He's carried that around with him for 70 years. Never knowing if he was good enough. Oh my God. That poor soul. Although he is a fictional version of many returning veterans of all wars; they all suffer much the same way. Survivors guilt; the horrors inflicted on their minds.
Interesting factoid: James Doohan, aka Scotty from Star Trek was with the Canadian army at Juno Beach. He and other survivors of D-Day gave Steven Spielberg an award for the most realistic portrayal of the landings in film. Also, he suffered (friendly fire)wounds, his right ring finger got shot off. Sometimes you can see it in his Star Trek TV and Movies. For some reason he was shy about the wound and would hide it the best he could. I think he should have been proud of the wound.
This is your official obligatory "You MUST see Band of Brothers" comment. It's a 10 hour Saving Private Ryan in quality. Hanks and Spielberg were just beginning with this masterpiece. They trolled us so hard by the eye fade in the intro making us think Private Ryan was Captain Miller. Well played. There are a million things I could say and corrections to be made but I won't. It can and will speak for itself.
Also, Ryan is assigned to 1st of the 506th P.I.R. “Band of Brothers” centers on the 101st AIRBORNE, 2nd Battalion of the 506th P.I.R., so Ryan was with the 101st AIRBORNE and was in the same drop. Even though Saving Private Ryan is a fictional movie, Band of Brothers is a true story that Hanks and Spielberg tied together .
@@bryanrhenderson6510 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is a fictional account of a real event like MASTERS AND COMMANDERS.
@@mikealvarez2322 yes. I know.
Obligatory The Pacific comment, also
I’ve never watched Band of Brothers and I was in the Curahee Battalion before it was disbanded a couple years back. Not the same unit though. It didn’t exist anymore.
I think it's important to have movies like this to understand that war is not something to glorify, it's not a game, and it's not fun. It's incredibly violent, traumatic and in the survivors often creates trauma that can persist through generations. We can/should respect the soldiers who gave their lives so we could live relatively comfortable lives free of tyranny, but we should not aspire to warfare.
Agreed... Unfortunately time goes by, generations can even pass by and it is forgotten how terrible war is. Then it all repeats again.
Every time I see Mrs. Ryan collapse on the porch, I lose it . . .
yeah... there are a lot of tough scenes in this movie but that one might be the hardest. 😢
I've seen some people comment that they should have made a bigger scene out of that. Personally I think they did just the right shot with her. She conveyed so much despair just with her movement in those few seconds. Leaving the rest of her reaction to our imagination made it far worse for the viewer in my opinion than seeing a longer emotional scene.
@@jamesh2401 Not having any dialogue made the scene much more powerful, IMHO . . .
When she takes that stagger step & her legs give out , it’s to real to life .
@@jamesh2401 absolutely. It was just enough.
Captain Miller's message to Ryan is for all of us. We all need to earn the sacrifices of past and present generations.
An overused copy-pasted cliche comment.
@paolorossi8470 An over used copy-paste cliche comment.
@@mikealvarez2322 Glad to know that you agree with me. 🤡
@paolorossi8470 Doesn't make it any less true. Statements become clichés because they endure, remain relevant.
@@martymcdermott67 It's not true though. History is written by the elites.
The studio held early screenings of this film for WWII vets, and many left in tears after the opening scene because of how realistic it was.
Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor to play the role, but Good Will Hunting was released while this was being filmed and Damon ended up becoming a big star.
Yes, Robin Williams actually introduced Matt Damon to Spielberg ,got the roll in that meeting.
The only difference was as my grandfather put it (who was in the 116th, first wave on Omaha) the only realistic thing was these are all grown men, very few there on the beach were over 20 except officers. It was all kids
When Nathan Fillion was confused as the wrong Ryan, you wondered what are the odds. When I was in the army and was transferred to another company I met Cpl Christopher R Wilson. That was funny because I was Cpl Christopher R Wilson. Only difference was he was Robert and I was Richard.
Were you two from the same state?
Did they switch to calling y'all Cpl Bob and Cpl Dick? 😄
I’m sure that sort of thing happens all the time. When I was in High School, there were six other guys, just in my grade, that had the same first name as me. So if any of us had a class together, the teacher would have to either use our last name as well, or use one’s full name and the other’s chosen name.
Sounds like the confusion over Pvt Blithe in Band of Brothers.
Blithe attended the 1st reunion (1946) but no others. By coincidence many of Easy Company personnel were from Pennsylvania, Blithe included.
In 1948 2 members of Easy Company, residents of Pennsylvania, saw a death notice that said Albert Blythe-notice the different spelling-of Pennsylvania and a former Private in the 101st Airborne, 506 PIR had died from lingering wounds he had received in Normandy. They mistakenly assumed that it was their fellow Easy Company member so they attended the funeral. At the next Easy Company reunion they reported to the company that Blithe was dead.
50 years later, still believing that Blithe died in 1948 they informed Ambrose for his book. The bad info was put in the book and then on TV since the mini-series was based on the book. After the miniseries came out is when Blithe’s family challenged the information.
So there were 2 Albert Blithe/Blythe’s from Pennsylvania who were members of the 101st Airborne, 506 PIR. Different Companies and different Regiments though.
Germans did not typically target medics. That being said in the confusion of battle (fog of war) medics were sometimes hit by rifle men and machine gunners by accident. Also artillerymen and mortar teams could not exclude hitting medics because they were not targeting individual men but were firing on a certain area.
I have do disagree, medics were targeted because if they saved a life he could come back to fight. Germany did not follow the rules of war and neither did we in some cases.
Not true, both Germans and especially Japanese routinely killed medics.
@@billpimentel-vm6cu It definitely happened on both sides but there is still plenty of historical evidence that it was not typical. The reasons are complicated when coming from German perspective since they treated the enemy based on how the enemy treated them and on racial biases. The western allies mostly obeyed the Geneva convention. The Germans usually returned the favor for that reason and did not consider Americans, British or Canadians to be inferior. Another great example is both Western allies and thee Germans treated POW's in accordance with the Geneva convention. On the other hand the Germans considered the Slavs of Russia to be subhuman and therefore routinely killed medics and POW's. There is a youtube video of a Russian WWII POW meeting with 60 minutes from sometime in the 1980's where he described being in the Oder river concentration camp. He stated the Russians and Americans were separated by a fence and only survived because the Americans threw some of there food over the fence. He went on to explain that the American POW's were provided the Geneva convention required rations and the Russians were only given one bowl of turnip soup a day. It's worth a watch because 60 minutes actually finds the American that did so and reunites them.
@@billpimentel-vm6cu that's where you're wrong, you'd be inclined not to kill an enemy medic, because if you lost a battle it's their medics who would heal your wounded (before taking them prisoner).
If you kill medics and doctors no one will survive
Germans were definitely humane toward enemy medics/corpsmen than the Japanese were
The temporary deafness Captain Miller experienced is called temporary acoustical deafness caused by a sudden loud noise.
My father is beneath one of those crosses, and I still remember the officer kneeling in front of my mother and handing her his folded flag, his salute to my fathers coffin, and my mothers tears. To him I say, Dad, you were a good man.
This generation saved the world, then came home, rolled up their sleeves, and rebuilt the world we now enjoy today. Those heroes are fading off day by day. We owe them everything.
I think so many people forget that...
This was the generation that experienced the Spanish Flu, went through over a decade of the Great Depression as children and teenagers, that saw the entire world plunge into the most devastating war in history and then to come back and help rebuild the world once more.
There has never been a greater generation of people then the Greatest Generation.
BBBAAHHHH...FACTS!!.. funny part is today's generation shits on those before them WHILE enjoying the privileges those boys and men sacrificed for.. pathetic in every sense of the word..🇺🇸✌️🫡
@@MasterManto and then... wokeism and "there are 27 different genres..." imagine how they feel...they saved the WORLD for US, just to see how some mad elites want to make it a patethic rainbowland now
Saved the world from what exactly? To defeat one jew-hating mass murderer we allied with an even worse jew-hating mass murderer in Stalin. The result was the death of 40 million whites, the fall of the British Empire, half of Eurasia becoming enslaved under communism and the dawn of nuclear weaponry. Not to mention the rise of the EU and subsequent flooding of third worlders into our countries. Now we're all addicted to drugs and fast food and argue about how many genders there are. The world is currently fucked. Whatever we were "saved" from, I'd much rather be experiencing that right now.
We do...thanks for putting into words the emotion I always feel with this....masterpiece...
"Saving Private Ryan" is the best anti-war film ever made, in my opinion. It shows the soldiers' point of view in honest and brutal detail.
The soldiers, most of whom were very young men, weren't there to be John Wayne charging up the hill like a superhero. No parades, no nights of revelry. They weren't there to be best buddies with everyone. They were there to do their jobs and win the war, even if they didn't want to be there. They were thrown into a meat grinder and were expected to deal with it.
It's no wonder that so many soldiers came home with so many emotional issues. They had just escaped a living Hell.
Zulu is far better at doing that.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Not really.
I suggest you watch “ come and see “.
@@lyndoncmp5751LOL
The average age of U. S. combat personnel during WW II was 26 years-old. This war was fought by men. Vietnam War average age of U S. combat personnel was 22 years-old.
R.I.P. Jay Bowman KIA Normandy France. 101st Airborne. Killed by sniper. 18 years old. Buried in Chicago. My dad's cousin. My dad was 82nd Airborne.
They didn't just die to save Ryan they died protecting the bridge. Key bridges had to be held or destroyed to keep German reinforcements from joining the fight.
But that was historically inaccurate. The Germans never sent of their panzer units into the Cotentin Peninsula. They sent them to Caen (and the film mocks the British and Canadians around Caen).
@@lyndoncmp5751 Rummel is a fictional town invented for the movie. My point was to say that Miller and the men that perished with him died in the Battle for Normandy. There are quite a few things to criticize about this movie but overall it does a great job depicting what the D-day landing on Omaha Beach and the Battle for Normandy were like. Our freedom is paid for by men and women that put lives on the line.
@@lyndoncmp5751 No shit it was historically inaccurate, it's historical fiction. The film doesn't mock anyone around Caen, you're so butthurt it's amazing. I'll take the words of people who were actually there thanks.
@@lyndoncmp5751 I bet you're fun at parties.
@@samithonjames370 I have no idea why people want movies to be "historically accurate"... go watch a fucking documentary about WWII, there are about 5 billion of them and I should know, my dad has watched them all to the point that I'm asking him "Is there anything you don't know about this war? Why are you watching them? You know more than the narrator"
Seriously, people don't get the difference between a movie and a documentary... and it's sad cause you have to be really brick brained to not get it
For many of us, our first clue that Hollywood wasn't just flawed but FUBAR was when "Saving Private Ryan" lost out for Best Picture to "Shakespeare In Love". Still beyond disturbing.
That floored me as well. Quit paying much attention to the Oscars over the next few years afterward.
“You can tell by some actors that they’re not gonna die”
Aaha…ahahahahahaha! 😂😂😂
😰😅
Not funny 😡😡😡😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬🤬
@@andreagresser7848 uh…ok
Wait! Just stop, JUST STOP!
With that cast who would you pick that you thought wasn't gonna die ?
It's amazing how movies affect you differently throughout your life. When I saw this in theaters as a teenager, I thought this was an amazing action movie, but the historical impact and loss of human life was lost on me. I've watched it numerous times throughout the years and it becomes more brutal and heart-wrenching every time.
“Tell me I have led a good life. Tell me I'm a good man.” As an adult, I can't watch this scene without breaking down. I wonder this about myself and hope I can achieve it one day.
What a monumental film.
It's just an american propaganda movie.
Miller asking Ryan to '...Earn this. Earn it...' is also Spielberg pleading with us as individuals, to cherish and keep safe all of that generation's sacrifices, to rid the world of tyranny and dictatorships for everyone's freedom.
@@SnakeP1tPoetry Thanks for sharing, comrade.
@@barbadosslim Bad guys won WW2
@@SnakeP1tPoetry Okay, Donald Trump; that is enough out of you!
The story of the Sullivan Brothers aboard the U.S.S. Juneau actually happened. Although Discouraged to serve on the same ship, The Brother said it was the only way they'd enlist. After their Deaths, a bill was passed forbidding Family members from serving in the same combat units or aboard the same ships.
KIA: Killed in Action... FUBAR is still used today.
Did you ever see the movie The Fighting Sullivan's? Great Movie! (even with some propaganda) It was filmed during WWII. I almost wish that they would remake that one since we do actually know now what happened. And it would be filmed in color.
FUBAR means fucked up beyond all recognition.
And I think she was wondering what KIA stood for, Killed in action
I'm from Iowa, and the Sullivan brothers were from Waterloo, Iowa. They were five brothers who all died on the USS Juneau at the naval battle of Guadalcanal.
I did two tours in Iraq & one in Afghanistan and my father was in Vietnam. I can assure you they do not hold back from shooting medics that is an old wives tail for people who have never experienced combat
My grandfather's brother traded his rifle for a red cross. The regular german troops respected the cross, and the SS did not. Different people, different times.
Having served in 2 wars, the greatest thing I've ever heard was from my wife when she said to me "You're a good man" Ladies, please never hesitate to tell your man this. I PROMISE he'll never forget it and do everything within his power to give you the world.
"Tell her I was with the only brothers I have left" As a combat vet this hits me harder than anything in this movie.
Well, Evie. I had 3 brothers go to Vietnam. 1 was on a ship. The other 2 were in the rice paddy's. When the mail came to the house, my mother would never open the mail. She would wait til my father got home and he would open the mail. ALL THREE CAME HOME ALIVE, and with all their body parts. THANK GOD.
My mom was born in London 1930, she survived The Blitz and joined the Royal Army after the war, god bless the greatest generation.
Royal Army? No such thing. Hmmm. Royal Air Force, Royal Navy but the British Army.
Just saying.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Thank You Captain Corrector
Fuck the greatest generation. You can't be great if you abuse your children with a belt.
My Grandfather was an Army Colonel. Omaha beach, d-day. Not the initial waves but early enough that they were still mopping up resistance nearby and none ofbthe beach had been really cleaned up yet. Was involved in liberating many French villages. He wouldnt talk about it. At all. Until a few months before he died, to one cousin for a school project.
The movie does its best to shock you at the start amd leave you feeling numb. It works. It tries to pull you into just having to disregard the horror at the time and try to process it as best you can later. Leaving you empty emotionally. Imagine that for months or years. As your daily life. There is a reason soldiers are so close knit with their units. And feel detached from public life often. This is why. No one who hasnt been there gets it. This movie was an extremely tiny taste.
"Just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel" were the best words said in the whole movie.
Thank you for recognizing that. Rarely mentioned, and maybe meant as a prophecy of his fate.
Very happy to see the younger generation see this and get a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by the men who fought the war. Most everyone who sees this the first time is impacted by it like you were.
Great reaction, thanks.
When the Captain tells Ryan "Earn this" on the bridge, that's probably meant for the audience too.
You were wiping your eyes with a tissue when they focused on *Captain Millers* hand which was No longer shaking, which was symbolic of his death
The opening scene Ryan goes to the grave of his brother, at the end he's at the grave of Capt. Miller's grave. His family is directly behind him at the first grave site, at the end, his family remains at a respectful distance, except for his wife who has no idea who Miller is. Ryan went home and never told anyone about that day in Ramell. WW II was fought by men; the average age of U. S. combat personnel was 26 years old. The SGT. in the assault boat wasn't putting food in his mouth, that was chewing tobacco. They were in very rough seas and it took hours for the soldiers to disembark the troop ships into the Higgins Boats. Not knowing when they would ever have a good cooked meal again, many of the soldiers ate a hearty breakfast before disembarking. The first group to load into the boats bobbed around in the water for several hours before heading toward the beach. Many get seasick during that time. The vomit wasn't the main problem, the blood in the boats created a psychological problem when the boats returned to bring more soldiers to the beach. In Vietnam, the average age of combat personnel was 22, not 19 as many people think. Also, the largest number of U. S. personnel killed in action in Vietnam those who enlisted not draftees.
Spielberg researched small details, for instance, Pvt Jackson's right thumb has a black mark on it. That's actually a bruise that many U. S. riflemen had caused from getting their thumb caught in the loading mechanism from not locking the bolt back properly when loading/reloading the M1 Garand rifle. It was called "Garand thumb".
Capt. Miller said he taught at Thomas Alva Edison High School. That's a Spielberg paying homage to Thomas Alva Edison High School in Philadelphia, PA. 54 former students from that school were killed in action in the Vietnam War, more than any other school in the nation.
The Hitler Youth Knife is more literary liberty than fact. That knife is a hiking knife given to members of the Hitler Youth Corps, which was much like the Boy Scouts in training while being indoctrinated with the ideology of National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi). The only other group they were issued to were members of the SA. This knife was never part of a soldier of the Wehrmacht. As for the reaction of Carparzo and Mellish, it is highly unlikely an average G.I. would have known what that knife was and its symbolism. The matter of Mellish crying is also not likely as the Allies didn't find out about the fate of Jews in Europe until the first concentration camp was liberated April 4, 1945. The war in Europe ended May 7, 1945. So, following the real timeline, Mellish dies before the Allies knew anything about concentration and death camps. But, after-all, it is Hollywood.
Saving Private Ryan is not based on the Sullivan brothers. Fritz Niland became the basis for Private Ryan. He was dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day and spent five days in the French countryside, eventually earning a Bronze star in combat for taking a French. Robert Rodat first came up with the plot in 1994 when he saw a monument in a cemetery in Tonawanda, New York. The monument was to the Niland Brothers - 4 young American men who fought in the Second World War. When three of the Nilands were reported killed, the surviving brother - Fritz - was sent home. This inspired Rodat to write his movie.
There are 26 military cemeteries across Normandy, but the most famous and visited site is the poignant Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. In real life with the Nilands, it actually turned out later that another of the brothers was alive - he’d been held captive in a Burmese POW camp. Attempts to point out the "discrepancies" between the stories of Fritz Niland and James Ryan are often misguided, as Ryan is only based on Niland, and is not meant to be (or claimed to be) a completely accurate representation of him. The differences in the two stories seem to stem in part from the fact that the true story of Sergeant Niland and his brothers is often reported inaccurately. The character of Private James Ryan is a mixture of fact and fiction, with some of the fictional elements coming from the erroneous stories about the Niland brothers.
The German credited as "Steamboat Willie" who was released by Capt. Miller is not the German who engaged and killed Pvt Stanley "Fish Mellish during hand-to-hand combat. "Steamboat Willie" was in the Heer (Army) of the Wehrmacht and the other was in the Waffen SS which was a paramilitary organization and not part of the Wehrmacht. Originally, the SS uniform differed from the Wehrmacht uniform-whereas the regular army wore field grey, the SS wore black, head to toe (although later the SS did adopt field grey and often wore camouflage pattern uniform. American troops were brown and they didn't wear jackboots. The lightning bolt SS insignia can be seen on the right collar lapel of the German as he passes Upham and reaches the bottom of the staircase. During the Battle at Ramelle, Upham became shell shocked and was unable to save a .30 cal team from a German soldier because he was too frozen with fear to do anything about it. He carried all the .30 caliber ammo at the battle of Ramelle, but was unable to do his job because he was always either pinned down or too afraid to move. He signified the loss of innocence in war and thought that soldiers could be civil, but he later succumbed to the evils of war and made up for his cowardice when he shot Steamboat Willie for killing Miller even after the latter had shown Willie mercy earlier. Not only did Upham represent the loss of innocence of war but he also symbolized the "Every-man". His illusion of neutrality faded when he finally had to pick and side and kill Steamboat Willie, his character revelation being how he finally understood the horrors of war. It became clear that Upham had turned into a hardened and true soldier because of the whole experience. Upham's rank was Tech 5 Corporal (E-5), that meant he was technician in a specialty area. His was maps and translator, he was not a combat infantryman and was never trained for front-line duty. Gunnery Sergent Hartman explained it this way in the movie Full Metal Jacket: "It is your killer instinct which must be harnessed if you expect to survive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill.
"The way the next of kin was notified of their loved one was killed in action during WW II was by Western Union telegram delivered by a bicycle riding messenger. If you were being notified of multiple deaths as was the case in this film, notification was done in-person by a military officer, usually from the same branch of service as the deceased when possible. That's why the mother upon seeing the officer exit the car momentarily froze knowing that meant at least 2 of her boys were either KIA or MIA, as the priest exits the car, she staggers and completely collapsed. Unfortunately, you didn't include that in your video presentation. That is one of the most important scenes in the movie. The mother speaks no lines in the movie, yet her breakdown brought a flood of tears form movie goers in theaters across the nation. Another important scene is it is clear from the few lines Ryan's wife speaks that she has never heard the name of Capt. John Miller, this means John has never spoken to her about what happened that day in Ramelle. What many missed is listening to Ryan speaking at the Miller's grave of how he thought about what those 8 men did for him every day was not guilt, but commitment.
There are units assigned to recover, bury and mark graves. Usually these were temporary battlefield cemeteries. As hostilities moved farther away, a more permanent site would be selected, at the family's request, whenever possible, the remains would be returned to the United States. At the Normandy Cemetery Visitors Center, you'll find the following inscription: IF EVER PROOF WERE NEEDED THAT WE FOUGHT FOR A CAUSE AND NOT FOR CONQUEST, IT COULD BE FOUND IN THESE CEMETERIES. HERE WAS OUR ONLY CONQUEST: ALL WE ASKED … WAS ENOUGH … SOIL IN WHICH TO BURY OUR GALLANT DEAD.General Mark W. ClarkChairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1969-1984
Heroes are not Marvel characters in a suit. Heroes are our fathers and grandfathers from our own families.
"Earn this" is spoken not just for Ryan, but for everyone watching this movie.
According to the Geneva Convention , a doctor or medic is not to be shot, but it was seldom honored
Western armies would in fact follow this rule more often than not.
Sure, sure, because when you are in the midle of the fire each other are very carrefully where they throw bullets. That sequence is just stupid. No medic will do that in the open field between bullets.
This part of the Geneva Conventions only came in the aftermath of WW2, prior to this the only protection for anything relating to medics in battle was from the Hague Convention of 1899 relating to the protection of marked hospital ships but also required hospital ships to treat the wounded and shipwrecked sailors of all belligerent parties. !!EDIT!!: This is actually completely false, my bad! Geneva Conventions of 1864 Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, Article 2 clearly states that all hospital and ambulance personnel will have the benefit of neutrality when on duty, and while there remain any wounded to be brought in or assisted.
@@voinyhelvetti Interestingly tho the precedent was long before Geneva, just more of a common decency liken to holding a door for someone. The idea of "hospital" always comes from hospitaller so any and all forms of medical treatment being fired upon historically is essentially sacrilegious levels of atrocity. (probably because nuns and such were mostly used any year before 1900)
@@MrDeadSignal I edited my comment because upon reading into it further it actually WAS a part of the very original geneva conventions of 1864 instead of being added in the post WW2 1949 convention
Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture but won for
Best Director
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Cinematography
Don't forget, it lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love.
@@damagar8 That's right. Absolutely disgusting that it happened. You can thank Harvey Weinstein for that tragedy. Though, I believe it was in 2015 members of the Academy were asked about it & they said that given another opportunity, they would have voted for this.
POW (Prisoner Of War) - KIA (Killed In Action) - MIA (Missing In Action) - MIAPD (Missing In Action Presumed Dead, (body not recovered)) - FUBAR (Fuc%ed Up Beyond All/Any Recognition/Repair) - SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fuc%ed UP). The German soldier in hand-to-hand combat with Mellish, is not "Steamboat Willie" who was at the machine gun nest earlier in the film. The one fighting Mellish is a member of the Waffen SS, while the other is a member of the German Wehrmacht.
Most western armies would not shoot at medics, generally. Still an incredibly dangerous job of course.
Germany didnt. Soviet and their evil allied did all the time
56 years ago 2 United States marine captain's And my pastor came to tell my mother my brother Was killed in Vietnam.. He was 20 I was 9 years old. Remember the day I like it was yesterday a beautifulsunny Sunday afternoon.
🌹🙏🏻RIP 🙏🏻🌹
You should watch Hacksaw ridge. It's based on a true story
YESSSS!!!
What's a sticky bomb , its in the name ! he he . So is KIA.
The most important line in this movie is: "What were their names?"
The movies opening scene depicting the storming of Omaha beach was so realistic that the Department of Veterans Affairs had to set up a hotline for WWII veterans who were experiencing PTSD systems as a result of seeing the movie and the hotline ended up getting overloaded.
When it debuted, there were reports of Veterans leaving the theater in tears.
Saving Private Ryan. Fury. Hacksaw Ridge. Band of Brothers. The Pacific. Masters of the Air. All must watch.
A known phenomenon - soldiers who are violently and mortally wounded will, sadly and pitifully, cry out for their mothers in what is often their final moments, as they experience what is often excruciating pain, clouded with panic and fear. They died defending our freedom. We all need to do what we can "earn it".
Didn’t Ryan already “earn it” when he refused to leave his post and stay back and fight? It caused the others to stay back also and assist in the fight.
One thing to note. That first Battalion to hit the beach that morning was the youngest Battalion in age put together. It was said that that was done on purpose. The young men would be fearless.
yeah I read that as well man, the vets from WW1 knew
As a Vietnam Vet. We were Soldiers Once depicts a true experience in Vietnam....Mel Gibson stars in it
A sniper shooting another sniper in the eye through his scope is something that would sometimes happen. A sniper would usually catch a glint off an opposing scope and fire right at it.
There was a sniper during the Vietnam war that did it but they didn't believe him. His nickname was "white feather" due to a white feather he wore on his helmet.
Two things, the shot in the movie is impossible due to the bullet angle of the bullet drop.
Second, Jackson wasn't a sniper. Only the German was the sniper.
The significance of the shaking hand was the effects of PTSD and mental anguish of War. The reason they demonstrated it a few times through the movie is so that you could notice that it was no longer shaking upon his death. That's why the camera lingered for a moment after he died showing his hand still.
There is a video called the fallen of world War II, that gives you the cost of everything involved with world War II in relation to human life. The Holocaust, and the dead both civilian and military for all the countries involved.
For those who do not know who the Sullivan brothers were that was mentioned. The Sullivan Brs. Were five brother in WWll that were serving on the same ship. That ship was sunk and all five were lost. After that happened the military would not let brothers serve together.
The hand shaking was the onset of PTSD, a condition that wasn't really looked into at the time. It's the movies way of making the viewer aware of Tom hanks deterioration because of his combat experiences.
Everyone has forgotten about one of Hanks' best early films, "Nothing in Common"
Great reaction like always, love this masterpiece. My grandfather serve with Sergeant Frederick Niland in 501 company, Sergeant Frederick Niland was the inspiration for this movie he had 3 brothers that were killed in action. This movie is based on a book. Robert Rodat (screen writter) was first inspired to craft the narrative upon reading Stephen Ambrose’s nonfiction retrospective D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Rodat was fascinated by an honorary memorial dedicated to families who had lost multiple sons in the war. Rodat began writing Saving Private Ryan after studying the true story of Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland. Fritz Niland’s brothers Preston and Robert had enlisted for service, and his brother Edward had volunteered.
In May 1944, Edward was shot down over Burma and presumed dead. In June, Robert was killed on D-Day and Preston was killed on Omaha Beach. Frederick had gone missing during the Normandy Invasion, and the U.S. Army commissioned him to be rescued and sent home. An army unit under chaplain Fr. Francis Sampson identified Frederick’s location and sent him back to his parents Michael and Augusta Niland. Frederick’s brother Edward was also discovered to be alive and was rescued from a Burmese POW camp and also returned home safely.
The rescues were the result of the U.S. War Department’s “sole survivor” policy, which was adopted in 1942 after the four Sullivan brothers who served in the U.S. Navy had all been killed during the sinking of the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal. So, while Saving Private Ryan is unquestionably inspired by true events, the film's story of Captain Miller's risky mission to save one man is entirely fictional.
And congrats for not mistaken some characters. A lot of reactors confuse the guy who was let go, and later shot Capt. Miller and then was shot by Upham, with the soldier who stabbed Mellish. They wore different uniforms: the prisoner who was released and later returned was regular Wehrmacht, and the guy who stabbed Mellish was SS, They chosen two actors for those roles that looked so similar they did that literally to tell the viewers that war is confusing. Steven Spielberg explained this.
He most likely didn't kill Upham because he instantly recognized he wasn't a threat. Upham even takes his hands off of his gun and holds them up in surrender to the SS soldier. Not a lot of satisfaction in killing someone who's basically curled up in the fetal position. And Keep in mind, Upham was likely drafted for his translation skills, so he is A: not a volunteer, and B: not meant as a primary combatant. I don't blame him for freezing in that moment, no one knows how they'd react in a situation like that until they're actually in it. I like to think I'd do the right thing and go charging up those stairs to the rescue, but I could just as easily be shell-shocked in pants-shitting terror like he was.
Our military today is an all volunteer service, no one is pressed into service like he was, so it's easier for people today to see his actions and just label him a dirty coward without understanding there is nuance to this story and that things were very different then. Soldiers today CHOOSE that life, he didn't, he just wanted to get back home without getting blood on his hands. Keep up the good work.
I was in the USAF in the mid 1960s. I was never in combat so I don't what I would do if I was in Upham's shoes.
Important fact: the notification letters you seeing being typed up back in the USA were not being written by those women, they were merely being transcribed. They were hand written (usually) by the Soldier's unit commander (when they had a moment) and sent back to the US as part of the casualty notification process. A unit commander who lost several Soldiers in a fight would have to write all those letters - typically right after the battle (or as early as was possible) - a very heavy responsibility for someone who all ready had an enormous amount of responsibility.
If you liked this movie you should check out Band of Brothers, which is an HBO limited series. Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg produced it. It's really well done.
Except Episode 4, which is very inaccurate and highly insulting to the British tank unit (44th Royal Tank Regiment).
@@lyndoncmp5751 yes, like all adaptations there are inaccuracies, but overall it's very well done.
In fact, Tom Hanks' son, Colin Hanks, plays a lieutenant in the second half of the series.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Lighten up, Francis. It was just a movie.
They brought some WW2 veterans in to watch this before it was released an they said it was to real for them to watch. Even the part where a dying soldier last words is mom or momma. They truly were the great generation. There was poems we would quote to justify why we were doing what we doing an why we were there. A bird will fall frozen dead on a bow an never feel sorry for itself.
The two guys surrendering in the beginning are pleading in Czech language, saying they have been forced to fight; Germany had occupied Czechia earlier. It's a nice little touch where the viewer's reaction depends on understanding of language, or subtitles, showing the unpredictable and spontaneous cruelty in war, where horrible things just happen, regardless of side.
Outstanding reaction video. 👍 📹
Would appreciate seeing you react to the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers" about the soldiers of "Easy Company" of the 101st Airborne Division in WW2. Where "Saving PVT Ryan" was a fictional storyline, "Band of Brothers" is the actual portrayal of the soldiers of Easy Company...... It's as accurate as the producers could get it. (Some aspects were inaccurate) The Veterans you'll see being interviewed before each episode are the actual Airborne soldiers of Easy Company
The Geneva Convention outlined the rules of "fair" warfare, there are also rules of engagement...
Unfortunately, we're typically the only country that follows the rules.
The sniper shot through the lense into the eye seems like its something that is impossible and just for the movie but theres one documented case during the vietnam war of an american sniper taking out a vietnamese sniper exactly like that... and the only way it can happen is if the two snipers are looking directly at each other ... and one of the two takes the shot a second or two before the other one... which makes it a very very very rare thing... when two snipers are hunting each other and find each other at the same time. And as brutal as ww2 was, modern war with drones hunting soldiers 24/7 is much scarier.
Carlos Hathcock, USMC I think.
@@matthewfike4491 Correct. In fact, that shot was the inspiration for that scene.
@@matthewfike4491 "White feather" :)
"Wave 1" included the 29th Light Infantry Division. The 29th LID consisted of Army National Guard members from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. So, yes. Part time civilians and part time Army. They recieved a Presidential commendation after storming Normandy in that first wave, which is worn by anyone who becomes a part of the 29th.
Just for perspective: storming the beach wasn’t that „easy“ even though it already seemed hard in the movie at the beginning and all - but in reality not the first line breached through - thousands upon thousands died on that beach before even reaching the end of the beach / the first waves all died in the boats and couldn’t even step on sand first… it was pure horror, it is very realistic and cruel in the movie and it gets you nearly an image / a glance of what the soldiers lived through - but the reality was a thousand times more brutal - on that mission officially 65.700 man died / 18.000 went missing and 155.000 man were wounded - just to get a feeling on how many people gave it there all to be able to take that beach…
Edit: this is based on a true story, only difference is those 4 brothers aren’t named Ryan in real life but Niland
@@PhiL-zz6cuVery lightly based on real events. They didn't send any people to get the last of the brothers but immediately knew where he was and sent him home.
the average age of a rifleman on D-day was 19 - look around at the nineteen year-olds you know
I grew up watching this since I was a toddler I'm 25 now. I used to fall asleep to this as a kid
One thing often overlooked is when Ryan's wife asks him who Captain Miller was. That tells you that, like many war vets, he probably never spoke in detail about what he experienced.
Lol, I particularly enjoyed you trying to guess what KIA stood for... "Killed in Air?" I got a good chuckle, because I thought of what the other designations would be. "KIW - Killed in Water", "KID - Killed in Dirt" 😂😂😂
Evie, you have shown a very perceptive reaction to this movie. Many of your comments are very insightful and nuanced. I can't think of any specifics right now. thank you for watching this movie with us.
"Are the medics off limits?" On paper, yes. In practice, that red cross is literally a target on your head begging for someone to pick you out.
The guy carrying his own arm on the beach was clearly in shock.
Great reaction beautiful ❤.... The scene where Ryan and Capt Miller were discussing remembering home .. Steven Spielberg asked Matt Damon to just make up a story about home ... That is what we get in the movie... 😢
" your injuries are not service related" 😂
the closest a normal citizen will witness to being in combat
Upham losing his humanity in this movie always get to me, it's SO good.
Thank you so much for not censoring the gore and swearing. It makes it so much more intense and real. I feel like I’m watching it with you! Iv seen this movie a thousand times and I cried with you. Amazing reaction. Please don’t stop ❤️
Impressively, Ryan's (Damon's) story that he told to Tom Hanks about the girl back home was completely improvised.
A very sensitive reaction to this amazing film. It's worth noting that the average age of the men fighting in the allied armies was 26. Many of them were younger. My uncle's final flight in Bomber Command was in January 1944. He was 21. With one exception, the seven man crew of his plane were all under 25. It really puts things into perspective.
One my great-uncles was killed in Normandy when Canadians landed on Juno beach on the morning of June 6th 1944.
When you think about it, these are men who have seen combat and have survived probably a handful, if not dozens of battles so you expect them to be hardened and desensitized to it all (yes, i know that for many D-Day might have been their first mission and some were still boys 18 and under in some cases) yet, when faced with certain death they revert back to being a child, seeking the comfort of their mother, in the same way you would call out to her after that first accident (cut, bump in the head, etc) and expect her to make it all better.
6:17 They were saying they weren't German and asking the Americans not to shoot. Germans sometimes forced people from other countries to fight for them.
Yep, They were Czech's.
"You know when you see some actors that they're not going to die"...😅
"Tell me I've lived a good life. Tell me I'm a good man". James Ryan has lived his entire life just dealing with his memories just himself. Never told his wife. Never told his children. Just lived as good a life as he could. For the women out there, this is basic maledom. 90% of women need friends and support structure, 90% of average normal men just deal with things internally. We eventually vent, but mostly after everything is processed as much as we PERSONALLY can process it (and usually well and over with).
James probably told his family a filtered version of this event a little after his cemetery visit. Decades after dealing with things himself. Men need the same support that women do, but just in a different way and on a different timescale.
I once told my wife I needed her, but I didn't need her emotional help after my mother died. I just needed her to BE there, give me a hug, and tell me she loved me like normal. She did that and I was OK. That's all she needed to do. I'd already came to terms with my mother's impending death months before. Guys, most anyway, just have a relatively sturdy and internally thought-out emotional system.
The two German soldiers who were surrendering on the beach were pretty much saying "Don't shoot! We're Czezhs! We're not German!" People forget that many soldiers in the Third Reich were conscripted men and boys from different countries and many were forced to fight.
You did an amazing and honest reaction. I loved it.
The guy on the beach shot in the helmet hurts like being hit with a hammer, so while many fault him he put his hand on his head to feel if he's bleeding. But we watched another guy they were working on get shot straight through the helmet killing him so we don't know if he would have survived had he kept the helmet on (but I agree he should have)
31:33 I looked up the lyrics of the song (had to find it in English 😁). There is a line that says "... you speak softly in my ears... ".
I can't imagine the film editor caring much about matching the exact moment of the song with the line they wanted the character to translate. 🙂👍
I don't think I knew you had a baby, Evie. A very belated congratulations!
Love the caption telling yourself to shut up. That was adorable.
He just turned one!! Thank you☺️
@@eviereacts That's wonderful!
The pvt. Ryan in the end of the Omaha beach assault was the first brother. The second one died on the adjacent Utah beach directly to the West of Omaha. The Third one died in New Guinea in the Pacific theater.
1. Many WWII vets left the theaters because the D-Day battle scenes were so realistic.
2. The German Captain Miller was talked into letting go is the same one that killed him. Upham finally put him down.
3. The story Ryan tells Miller about the last time he saw his brothers was made up by Matt Damon. He was told to say something interesting, so he did, and it was kept in the movie.
4. There was a USS Sullivans(DD- 68) dedicated to the brothers lost on one ship.
5. I did 24 years in the US Navy. Outstanding leadership skills to dampen the friction between Horvath and Reisen.
6. My favorite character is Private Jackson/sniper, and my second favorite is Sargent Horvath. RIP Tom Sizemore😇
7. Sizemore also played Boxman in "Flight of the Intruder". A movie I'm in briefly.
Pvt Jackson wasn't a sniper. The US army didn't have snipers in WW2.
@@IanJenn356094 He calls himself one when he's talking about taking out Hitler
Wow reminds me how old this movie is not only do we see a young Tom Hanks and Matt Damon but to see a young Vin Diesel and Bryan Cranston that's crazy lol
“FUBAR” F**ked up beyond all recognition
You did a pretty good reaction and breakdown. Emotional response goes back and forth throughout the film. You did good.
Jackson is the reason I will replay Sniper Elite 1-5 over and over again(plus they are really good games)
I was a Medic and Medics go everywhere the during combat. Over 150,000 men landed on those beaches that day. The enemy tries to kill Officers and Medics first because the y are leaders and keep wounded men alive. Medics were #3 times more likely to be killed than infantrymen in combat. If the enemy shoots a soldier , they know a Medic will run out to save the wounded man so they shoot to wound and then wait to kill the Medic when he runs out to save the wounded man.
W.I.A is Wounded in Action, K.I.A. is Killed in Action.
Good reaction video. I've seen some other reaction videos of this same movie and it seems that you showed the most heartfelt emotions about it compared to all the others.
The best war movie I've ever watched, a hard watch ,the first 10 minutes shocked me into the realisation of the chaos of combat... bless those who who went before us and died so we can live this life that we have now...
Regarding medical care in the field, I would say combat medics are absolutely vital, in the current conflict in Europe it can be hard to evacuate immediately as well, because the threat from e.g artillery and strike drones is so high, helicopters can't fly in either, so in cases like that medevac/casevac vehicles or stretcher bearers will just mean more casualties, so being able to keep someone alive for a long time(many hours), in harsh conditions and with a limited toolbox can be very important.
Under the Geneva conventions medics are protected(medical facilities as well), combat medics(soldiers trained as medics who participate in the fight) are not, they are legitimate targets, as is e.g stretcher bearing soldiers.
To make the Animosity towards "Ryan" even more realistic, While Tom Hanks and his troop was in Field Training (living in Tents, eating MREs and doing heavy training), Ben got to stay home... And Tom and them were constantly reminded of this.
Who is Ben?
Thank you for a beautiful reaction, and for noticing details that I have never seen or heard mentioned before, even though I have seen this film quite a few times over the last 20 years. Blessings from Australia.
My favorite part is when Vin saves everyone by going over that quarter mile bridge in a 6 second run to stop the German approach
When Wade the Medic is crying for his Mama, I ugly cry.
The very end makes me ugly cry every time, and I've watched this move a few dozen times.
Older Ryan turns to his wife and says:
Older James Ryan: "Tell me I have led a good life."
Ryan's Wife: "What?"
Older James Ryan: "Tell me I'm a good man."
Ryan's Wife: "You are."
He's carried that around with him for 70 years. Never knowing if he was good enough. Oh my God. That poor soul. Although he is a fictional version of many returning veterans of all wars; they all suffer much the same way. Survivors
guilt; the horrors inflicted on their minds.
Interesting factoid:
James Doohan, aka Scotty from Star Trek was with the Canadian army at Juno Beach. He and other survivors of D-Day gave Steven Spielberg an award for the most realistic portrayal of the landings in film.
Also, he suffered (friendly fire)wounds, his right ring finger got shot off. Sometimes you can see it in his Star Trek TV and Movies. For some reason he was shy about the wound and would hide it the best he could. I think he should have been proud of the wound.
Greatest war movie ever made in my opinion. Hard watch, especially the first part, but such a great movie.
Many veterans of WW2 had to leave the theater, because it was so real.