Saving Private Ryan | First Time Watching War Movie! | Movie REACTION!

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

It isn't WWII, but "Glory" is a wonderful Civil War film---well written, great acting and a good mix of action and character arcs

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

yes!!!

[@eddiecollison]

Double yes!!

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

I agree.Denzel Washington is outstanding in that film.

[@mozans1876]

On my top 10 movies of all time list. Denzel was amazing in it.

[@caseymoe816]

Great film. And Glory won Best Picture (while nominated, SPR lost out to Shakespeare In Love in 1999. Ridiculous).

[@kel5423]

Blackhawk Down (true story), Hacksaw Ridge (true story), 13 Hours (true story), We Were Soldiers (true story)...

[@markcole5108]

The end of We Were Soldiers was not remotely accurate though. The movie was good until that point.

[@dougnicholas1856]

Patton (true story)

[@nammis77]

All very good films. Also Platoon, The Siege of Jadotville, Lone Survivor.

[@andrewpatch5027]

You have to chuck in 'Tears Of The Sun'

[@Ima-c6t]

" All quiet on the western front " partly true story

[@nebulonwarrior]

"The cemetery in the beginning of Saving Private Ryan is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France: The cemetery is the largest allied burial ground in Normandy and honors American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II. It's located on the site of the former Saint Laurent battlefield cemetery and covers 172.5 acres. The cemetery contains 9,388 gravesites, including those of two of the Niland brothers, who may have inspired the character Private Ryan."

[@justinhephner2117]

A note on the "surrendering" "Germans" - They WERE in German uniforms but they were speaking Czech saying "We are not German, we are Czech, we didnt kill anyone" - spielberg did this to give a nod to the 1000's of Czechs that were "impressed" into German service on the Atlantic Wall.

[@wddaww]

this comment

[@banzi403]

Check out police videos. The bad guy rarely says yup i shot that guy i'm guilty. No shortage of non germans that jumped on the nazi band wagon when they were winning

[@severeign2987]

For WW1 the film ‘1917’ is a compelling watch.

[@TheIronDuke9]

Also, All Quiet On The Western Front (2022) is an excellent WW1 film

[@heyheyjk-la]

Such an amazing film and I really hope they do watch it.

[@SparksDrinker]

“We’re not here to do the decent thing, we’re here to follow fucking orders!” The most cold blooded line Tom Hanks delivered in any of his movies.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

Hello, almost all of Hank's lines in " The Lady Killers (2004) " were cold blooded.

[@jasonrusso9808]

Nah, just about any line in Road to Perdition.

[@SparksDrinker]

@ name two

[@caneanddawgfan4life]

He says Band of Brothers was hard to watch sometimes. Saving Private Ryan-“Hold my beer.”

[@theascendunt9960]

If Band of Brothers is intense, he should check out The Pacific.

[@JeffLoomis-f1e]

Hacksaw Ridge- true story, love story, entirely different perspective on going to war...

[@CrazyLife2112]

Paladin

[@olbenny4027]

I will never understand people thinking that movie is anything other then an embarrassment.

[@CrazyLife2112]

@@olbenny4027 Oh come now it's not that bad lol. It's not like Michael Bay's "2 Guys a Girl and a Sneak Attack".

[@buddystewart2020]

Pretty inaccurate in a lot of places but still, it is a good movie.

[@idiot_city5444]

Good movie but also super over the top at many points. Thin Red Line is waaay better Pacific Theatre film

[@saaamember97]

All of those "balloons" on the beach, that you asked about, are called "barrage balloons." They are sent aloft and tethered to a stationary object. They have thick steel guy-wires holding them in place. They are used to prevent enemy aircraft from flying low along the beach and shooting at troops.

[@DavidAugustine-lc4cj]

The Thin Red Line, it's a Masterpiece! It's about the WW2 US soldiers fighting the Pacific against the Japanese! Most people know of The War in Europe like Private Ryan, but the War in the Pacific fighting from island to island against the Japanese who were dug in, and would never surrender was something else! It's where they raised the famous statue of American Flag on the Island of IWO JIMA!! My jaw was on the floor during some battie scenes! It's VERY realistic! 😮

[@chrismalik1579]

It was good but no masterpiece. It's not on the level of saving private ryan

[@chrislittle2797]

Amazing film. So different to SPR but equally as good.

[@kenlawton1531]

Agreed, TTRL Is a masterpiece, people who say it's not clearly don't understand it.

[@chrisfofficial]

​@@chrismalik1579The Thin Red Line is the better film, or at least a thinking man's film, deeper, poetic, philosophical and with better themes like existence and man vs. nature.

[@xtremejay2000]

"Schindler's List" is a must. "Fury" is amazing.

[@Pete-p4l]

Absolutely

[@heyheyjk-la]

Yeah, "Schindler's List" is a perfect bookend to this film and to Spielberg's filmography, in general. It shows what we there in Europe fighting for. Well, sort of. The US certainly didn't really get involved to try and stop the Holocaust until we got bombed by Japan at Pearl Harbor (but don't bother watching that movie) but SL might be Spielberg's ultimate masterpiece, and certainly on of his most personal given his Jewish heritage.

[@StinkyGreenBud]

Fury is garbage.

[@haraldisdead]

Fury is good. Schindlers List is pure propaganda.

[@jasonrusso9808]

Except that disgusting twisted dinner party they had where the scumbags ate jealous so they start disrespecting the women. Fcking grotesque behavior. Charming party, it's a pity I wasn't invited. I would have loved to have, corrected them.

[@k3n12ock]

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN inspired Spielberg and Hanks to create Band of Brothers. As for suggestions, I personally think WE WERE SOLDIERS starring Mel Gibson is a great war movie

[@phillipridgway8317]

Band of Brothers was made fairly soon after this movie, while they still had the experts, uniforms, sets and equipment gathered together.

[@zachgardner2546]

Indeed, We Were Soldiers is criminally underrated.

[@ener11454]

It was him apologizing for how ridiculous everything after the first scene of this movie was from a realism standpoint.

[@p.d.stanhope7088]

The Royal Canadian Army participated on Juno Beach part of the Normandy Invasion. Canadian Actor James Doohan (Played Scotty on Star Trek) was a veteran.

[@iambecomepaul]

Cheers, Canada. We remember you at Juno beach. Thanks for being family with us.

[@winnipegartist]

Thanks for the nod! =)

[@Bubble-GuyEh]

yes, thank you for the nod sir 🇨🇦👍

[@jasonm8017]

Thank you sir. Remembrance Day here yesterday which I believe coincides with your Memorial Day

[@scottb3034]

@@jasonm8017 Veterans Day is November 11th in the US. Memorial Day is at the end of May.

[@jasonm8017]

@ thank you, I regrettably mixed those up

[@rmlb36]

All my uncles were either at Omaha beach, in the 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagles) of in the Merchant Marines at sea. My dad was in California preparing to go ashore in Japan but they dropped the atomic bomb so the war was over. My uncle Paul was a short Italian who landed at Omaha Beach and his landing craft was short so he jumped out and sank to the bottom. a tall friend from Iowa pulled him out and saved his life. That friend later got shot in the head by a sniper. My Uncle Johnny was in the 82nd then 101st Airborne. He was stuck at Bastogne during Christmas of 1944. This was the Greatest Generation and Spielberg showed all the true emotions of that these men and their families felt.

[@rollomaughfling380]

For what it's worth, they were serving in a merchant marine (merchant navy), not "merchant marines" themselves. People working on a merchant-marine ship are "merchant mariners," or "merchant sailors." "Merchant marines" would refer to merchant navies from two or more countries. At any rate, bless their souls.

[@rmlb36]

@ during WW 2 Merchant Marines were actually considered part of the US Navy and got US Veteran status.

[@rollomaughfling380]

@@rmlb36 Ok, well, you're entirely missing the point, still referring to individuals as "merchant marines." I didn't say anything about their status as military in wartime.

[@Lugnut64052]

Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby is considered to be one of the purest examples of the English language every written.

[@rollomaughfling380]

[citation needed]

[@mikealvarez2322]

Barrage Balloons were used to protect ground troops from enemy aircraft that would come to strafe the beaches. These balloons had steel cables attached to them that presented a hazard to enemy aircraft.

[@stevemurakami4879]

Here are a few of my favourite war/military themed films: Pre WWI: Zulu; The Four Feathers (1939); Glory!; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Breaker Morant; The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936); The Red Badge of Courage (1951) WWI: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930); Gallipoli; Paths of Glory; Sergeant York WWII: Hacksaw Ridge; Das Boot; The Great Escape; The Dirty Dozen; Stalag 17; The Bridge on the River Kwai; The Battle of Britain; Letters From Iwo Jima; The Pacific (Band of Brothers type mini series); Patton; The Guns of Navarone; Where Eagles Dare; Enemy at the Gates; Memphis Belle Post WWII: We Were Soldiers; The Killing Fields; Pork Chop Hill; Black Hawk Down; Apocalypse Now OK, that's more than a few, but there are a lot of good films out there.

[@michaelstach5744]

Great list!

[@richardtaylor1652]

If you watch Letters from Iwo Jima then watch Flags of Our Fathers as they are supposed to be watched together; Flags of our Fathers tells the story of the battle of Iwo Jima from the US side and Letters from Iwo Jima is from the Japanese point of view. Both absolutely fantastic masterpieces by Clint Eastwood.

[@isabelsilva62023]

The soldier walks by Upham because he does not see him as a soldier, cowardice was unthinkable for the germans.

[@codymoe4986]

Eh, the same soldier was begging and pleading for his life, earlier in the movie. Turns out, according to this movie, cowardice was absolutely "thinkable" for a German soldier. Try again...

[@scottb3034]

@@codymoe4986 It is not in fact the same soldier. They just look kind of similar. Nice to have an attitude while in actuality being wrong. So.... try again.

[@glenryan8299]

@@codymoe4986 That is not the same soldier

[@bmxdoe]

​@@scottb3034I may be wrong but I think he's talking about the German who walks by Upham on the stairs. That guy is in fact the same soldier who was spared by Tom Hanks earlier and befriended by Upham. That is the same guy who shoots Tom Hanks on the bridge. Then it is the same guy who Upham executes after the Germans retreat and a few surrender. I don't know who you guys are talking about but that German guy recognizes Upham at the end, which is how it is confirmed to be the same guy

[@stephenwest6738]

​@@codymoe4986the soldier that walks by upham is not steamboat willie

[@edm240b9]

2:54 not chain guns, but MG42 belt fed machine guns. Chain guns are typically mounted on vehicles and use a chain-linked system to help cycle the weapon’s action (something like the M242 Bushmaster, which is mounted on Bradley IFVs that you see in Ukraine right now, is a chain gun). The MG42 was the standard infantry machine gun for the Germans in WWII. A weapon so effective that it is basically still being used today. It fires at an incredible 1,200-1,500 RPM. For context, most Allied machine guns fired around 500-600 RPM. No other infantry machine gun fired that fast. They were so effective that the Americans had to create specific training films to help soldiers deal with the sound of the weapon firing.

[@Odessa45]

"It's bark is worse than it's bite." LOL ok sure

[@petersimpson538]

I’ve seen this film maybe 20 times over the years and it still brings a tear to my eye 😢

[@1Vmiboy]

When Captain Miller says to Ryan, “Earn this…”, he’s talking to all of us who’ve benefited from their sacrifice

[@Zale-vj439]

Well said.

[@miller-joel]

It's a good thing he's not real and didn't live to see the current state of the world.

[@maplenutsreact]

I didn't catch that! Makes it an even more powerful moment.

[@a3sthetik]

Capt. Miller may be a fictional character, but there are still about 60,000 WWII veterans still alive. I can't imagine how they feel seeing things the way they are.

[@miller-joel]

@@a3sthetik And even if they are not around,, they have families. Did they die for nothing?

[@neilgriffiths6427]

I've been to the cemetery at the start/end, it's literally just a few hundred yards from the beach itself - it was an emotional and humbling experience.

[@andrewhelmer6853]

All this time I was thinking that was Arlington Cemetery (which I've been to). Thanks for the long over due correction!

[@idiot_city5444]

Went there with my dad when I was 10. Definitely a sight to see

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

I’m still amazed the Americans were able to take that beach.The Germans had all the advantages and only two US DD Sherman tanks were able to get onto the beach as so many were launched too far out and sank.Apparently some battleships were able to get in close and add firepower to take out some of the machine gun nests.The Canadians also had it pretty bad at Juno as well,but Omaha was the one that came close to being lost.I hope to do that trip to Normandy myself.After all the films and documentaries I’ve seen,I feel like I know the place!

[@bbwng54]

A Vietnam war movie thqt is a "hard watch" is "Platoon" (1986) with Charlie Sheen, Tom Bereneger, and Willem Dafoe, and directed by Oliver Stone It won 4 Oscars, including for Best Picture and Best Directing.

[@bbwng54]

And Oscar for Best Siund (since you mentioned it). You MUST see Schindler's List (Best picture Oscar by Spielberg); everyone needs to see this movie once in their lifetime.

[@oldmanlethal8714]

I came here to say this. "Platoon" is a must watch.

[@childlessdoggentleman746]

On many lists of most disturbing war films is "Come and See" (1985) which depicts the brutal Nazi occupation of Belarus during World War II.

[@steveg5933]

I was a Navy Corpsman (counterpart to Wade's Doc), I served 10 years, 8 with Marines. I saw this on a Tuesday afternoon. There were 12 of us. Myself, and 11 others, all veterans. At the end of the movies, the house lights went up. All of us had teary eyes. One old man stated the following- "As far as war movies go, that was the most accurate depiction I've ever seen . As for the ACTUAL D-Day, it didn't come close" His hat said it all- D-Day Survivor, Purple Heart. I have always deferred to his expert opinion. As bad as you think it was as shown in the movie, it was much, much worse. As accurate as it was, they simply could not show the reality of that day. The beach wasn't taken in 20 minutes, it took nearly 12 hours. The beach was nearly 500 yards wide thanks to a very low tide. There was literally no cover. All they could do was take whatever was thrown at them. While this was shown from the American sectors, Canadian, British & Commonwealth Nations were all present on those beaches.

[@johngray1009]

And then, after all that, the 2nd Ranger Battalion had to scale the 100 foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, under enemy fire, to remove the German artillery that wan't even there. The Greatest Generation indeed!

[@ronweber1402]

If I recall correctly the Canadians at Juno were landed at the right spot and the Naval barrage did a much better job of softening up the shore defences where the Americans at Omaha were landed in the wrong position and the Navy missed the shore defences and the shells hit too far inland so all of the German positions were more or less completely intact when the Americans hit the beach.

[@Solidaritas1]

And for as awful Omaha beach was, that level of death and despair (or worse) was basically a daily occurrence on the Eastern Front for almost the entire war.

[@pangkaji]

The beach was actually taken in roughly 4.5 hours. The first wave of landing forces hit Omaha beach at 0630 hours. 0830 hour landing was in force taking heavy casualties. 1000 hours, troops began regrouping into small units searching for beach exits. 1030 Hour, US units start to overwhelm german defences. By 1100 hours Major General Gerow, commander of V Corps, receives the first positive intelligence report to come from Omaha Beach. Spotters observe GIs advancing up the slope behind Easy Red and Easy Fox. The fortified house at Exit E-3 has fallen silent, and a destroyer is shelling Les Moulins. The report ends, “Things look better.” The situation at Omaha continues to gradually improve during the afternoon.

[@RealBLAlley]

I had never seen an entire theater audience sit in stunned silence for an extended period until the opening assault of this movie. For the rest the audience remained reserved because we had no idea when something bad would happen, or to whom. Steven Spielberg is the most versatile filmmaker we've ever seen, and one of the most prolific. He gave us Schindler's List and Jurassic Park in the same year (1993). For a very different take on WWII from him, check out 1941 (1979) War Film Recs: The Train 1964 The Great Escape 1963 Stalag 17 1953 The Hurt Locker 2008 The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 Das Boot 1981 The Dam Busters 1955 1917 2019 The Dirty Dozen 1967 The Pianist 2002 Hacksaw Ridge 2016

[@BouillaBased]

What the German soldier says to Mellish at the end of the knife fight is haunting. It almost makes me regret learning German. He says: "Give up, you don't stand a chance. Let's end this here. It will be easier for you, much easier. You'll see it will be over quickly."

[@gregorygant4242]

You know German ? Ehrlich ?

[@jabo109]

@@AlexanderWinterborn-r6p Lol butthurt much?

[@StevenJShow]

We Were Soldiers is among the best of the Vietnam war films. One of my personal favorites for how it depicts what a prolonged firefight looks like, and also bouncing between the war, and the toll it takes on the families at home. Based on the first engagements of American soldiers in Vietnam and Hal Moore's book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" (Hal Moore being the commander of the unit depicted in the film.) Honestly, you might really enjoy Tora! Tora! Tora! It's a World War 2 movie about Pearl Harbor and was filmed by both American and Japanese film crews. It's a little procedural, but it really depicts just how both sides saw the event. It's a classic. There's also other classics like The Longest Day, The Big Red One, Patton. Also, if you guys really enjoyed Band of Brothers, there's also its sidequel series "THe Pacific" which depicts the experience of Americans fighting against The Japanese.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

We Were Soldiers is typical Mel Gibson; great action movie, but laughably inaccurate. Having Col Moore as advisor didn't keep the nonsense out of the script, but still a good watch. My favorite Vietnam movie would be The Iron Triangle, as it presents the view from both sides. The Beast is an excellent movie about Soviets in Afghanistan, realistic except for the basic plot, but it puts good acting over just effects.

[@tommywalker3746]

"The longest day" is quite possibly the best war movie ever filmed

[@kirillsarioglo7822]

And also "Gone With the Wind", "Casablanca" and "Bridge over river Kwai" for sure.

[@BarabooTycoon]

Great reaction. Stalag 17 - The Dirty Dozen - The Great Escape - Bridge over the River Kwai are classics.

[@neilaslayer]

I highly HIGHLY recommend The Big Red One, (1980) A story of the Ist Infantry Brigade, WW2. It stars Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill (yes, that one) and Robert Carradine. Excellent Movie, and ends with the same experience feeling as the Band of Brothers.

[@nathanmeece9794]

The Big Red One is a particular favorite of mine. My father served in the 1st Infantry Division from the North African invasion through Sicily. He was then transferred to the 3rd Infantry Division as a replacement. So To Hell and Back is another favorite. Since it's about Audie Murphy the most decorated soldier of WW2 who also was in the 3rd Infantry Division.

[@neilaslayer]

@@nathanmeece9794 The scene on the beach of Saving Private Ryan where they blow the barbed wire was taken from The Big Red One, it would seem.

[@raymonddevera2796]

Flags of Our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood. At the Academy Awards Show Steven Spielberg said it best, "these were a bunch of 18,19 and 20 year olds and they saved the whole damn world."

[@rossmorton7002]

Letters From Iwo Jima is worth watching as well.

[@Marko-1966]

-Blackhawk down -A bridge too far - The outpost - 13 hours -12 strong -All quiet on the western front -Hamburger hill -platoon - hacksaw ridge - full metal jacket - Midway

[@kcfortes1]

1917 Act of valor Glory Courage under Fire And if you want to learn how Marines are in combat: Battle:LA (If you can look past the alien sh*t, it's some really good insight)

[@happyapple4269]

and Tropic Thunder.

[@iKvetch558]

It has been reported widely that it was while they were working together on Saving Private Ryan that Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg decided to work together on creating the Band of Brothers series...so you will experience a lot of similar visual and auditory styles between the two. Saving Private Ryan is incredibly realistic in most every way, with a very few exceptions...such as bullets not being able to kill you that far underwater, and flamethrowers not really exploding that way in 1944. One thing to know, pay no mind at all to that man who took off his helmet on the beach at 6:12 and then got shot in the head...that next shot would have killed him even if he had kept his helmet on. The helmets of WW2 would almost never stop a bullet, except under very very rare circumstances. The movie is not a true story, and it differs from the actual history of D-Day in many ways...but the basic plot is loosely based on the 4 Niland Brothers, one of whom served with the 101st Airborne Division. However, when 3 Nilands were reported dead, no mission was sent behind enemy lines to get the last brother, and it turned out that one brother that had been thought dead had actually only been captured. The 4th brother was found and notified by an Army Chaplain, and was sent home, but as far as the brothers none of what happened in this movie happened in real life. There really was a Company C of the 2nd Rangers that landed on Omaha Beach, but they were commanded by Captain Ralph Goranson, and they did not land quite where it was shown in the film. Probably the most important historical thing that Spielberg got wrong is that he had the boats that carried the Rangers to the beach being driven by Americans...they were not. On D-Day, the boats that carried the US Rangers to the beach were driven by UK sailors of the Royal Navy. There are many other things in the film that are not accurate to the real history of D-Day, but that one really fails to honor some of the men that fought and died at Omaha Beach, so it is definitely the one most worth noting. The location at the beginning with the French and US flags is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial...located in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Most of the US servicemen killed in the 2 and a half month long Normandy Campaign are buried in this cemetery...a total of 9388 burials.

[@MichaelPower212]

13:58 "What are those?" A comment made when seeing dirigibles floating above the ships. They are a means to guard the ships from dive bombing planes and strafing fighters. 24:39 "That's a crashed plane." Actually, it's a crashed glider. Many of them did break apart upon landing. There were some fatalities and injuries. However, many also landed intact. The 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions did you use some gliders, the British 6th Airborne Division, on the other side of the invasion area relied heavily on gliders. There is a well known firefight for the Pegasus bridge captured by the British in a coup de main by landing gliders next and near the bridge. 28:49 "I can use a little more morphine." Morphine had already been given to the medic Wade. Captain Miller, realizing Wade was dying, allowed another ampule of morphine to be administered, knowing that by doing so it will hasten Wade's death, albeit painlessly. 33:08 "Corporal Henderson Easy Company 501st." Each regiment of the 101st Airborne Division had three battalions and each battalion had three companies. Therefore, each regiment had nine companies from Able to Item. The 101st had four regiments: 501st, 502nd, 506th Parachute Infantry and the 327th Glider Infantry. Each of these regiments had an Easy Company for a total of four in the Division. The Easy Company you were thinking of from watching Band of Brothers was in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. As to a recommendation of more films in this genre, I suggest "We Were Soldiers." It takes place in Vietnam depicting the first large scale action between U.S. forces and the regular army of North Vietnam. One of the actors, Barry Pepper who played the role of Private Jackson the sniper, is in this film as a correspondent who finds himself in the chaos of battle. Mel Gibson had the lead role. Gibson also appears in a World War One film titled "Gallipoli" which I also recommend.

[@CaddyJim]

*"Omaha"* was the deadliest landing on *D-Day* the *US* other landing was named *"Utah"* but you *Canadians* played a part at landing *"Juno"* working with & between the two *British* landings *"Gold" & "Sword"*

[@TheMarcHicks]

As I recall reading somewhere, Omaha was the one landing that came closest to failing.

[@Stogie2112]

"Saving Private Ryan" is one of if not the best anti-war films ever made. It pulls no punches in showing the audience the brutal, horrible reality of warfare. Young men are thrown into a meat grinder, and those who survive it are forever changed - sometimes for the worse.

[@johndeaux3703]

This movie is cornball.

[@Stogie2112]

@@johndeaux3703 ... Thanks for stopping by.

[@ronweber1402]

@@johndeaux3703 Ooh, edgelord in the house showing us how cool he is.

[@GarrettJayChristian]

Spielberg was adamant that any sufficiently realistic war film is an anti-war film. Even still, there's an element of glorification through the reverence to its participants, perpetuating the "no such thing as an anti-war film" adage. Hell, even Full Metal Jacket, which is much bleaker and more cynical, precipitated significant spikes in military enlistment.

[@Stogie2112]

@@GarrettJayChristian ... I would say that any war film that shows soldiers being brave, unselfish and self-sacrificing could indeed inspire people to enlist. Perhaps it also happens in films with heroic police officers or rescue teams.

[@andrewcharles459]

That vehicle is a "kettenkraftrad" (lit. tracked utility bike), used for hauling supplies through the mud on the Russian front.

[@NeonSuperNovas]

They say there's no such thing as a non-wounded warrior. If they're not physically wounded, they're mentally wounded.

[@Trifler500]

Does that include those that don't see action?

[@Buskieboy]

When Wade the Medic is crying for his Mama, I cry. The very end makes me ugly cry every time, and I've watched this movie 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 carried that around with him for decades; never knowing if he was good enough. 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. The things they've seen. The things they've had to do. 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.

[@positivelynegative9149]

Generation Kill, HBO miniseries production, based on non-fiction book by embedded reporter Evan Wright. I was in U.S. Army for ten years and participated in OIF 2003-2004. Generation Kill, although dramatized in some ways and watered-down in other ways, is the most accurate depiction I've seen of military operations of that era; from how commands from up high trickle down to the bottom to how individual soldiers* interact with one another. *The show depicts Marines, which is a type of soldier, despite Marines insisting they aren't soldiers. Saying Marines aren't soldiers is like saying a particular type of automobile isn't an automobile because of how it's used. A semi or a Ferrari or a motorcycle are all automobiles. Marines are soldiers. 🤦‍♂️

[@pepsiman990]

When this movie first came out there were several accounts of WWII vets having PTSD flashbacks during the beach landing. Theaters started having counselor's setup in the lobbies for anyone who needed help.

[@eschiedler]

During the Napoleonic Wars and the tall-masted sailing ship era, "Master and Commander" with Russell Crowe and Paul Bethany is a great war movie and a respite from the mechanized nihilism of modern warfare.

[@davegnarlsson4344]

People don't understand a very simple truth about soldiers at war. No matter what mission you are on you are in danger of dying. Every mission contributes to winning the war. Saving one soldier is no more dangerous than any other mission. As Hanks says 'We are here to win the war.'

[@xabisombilini5440]

I know this is just a film but when I look at the opening sequence and the absolute carnage the wermacht inflicted on the western allies it is actually insane to think that Germans only designated 20% of their forces to the western front. When I start to think about what the soviets had to deal with, I get emotional a bit.

[@Gingycat100]

It was far more than 20% of the Heer at that stage of the war. Consistently more than 20% of the Luftwaffe & the Kreigsmarine throughout the war as well. How many U-boots did the Soviet's sink? The combined bomber offensive tied up 90% of the 88 & 128mm guns that could have gone to the Heer. It was a cooperative effort by all of us but the Soviet Union & now Russia have deliberately & consistently underplayed the efforts of the Western Allies.

[@xabisombilini5440]

@Gingycat100 have they, though? I mean, played down the West's contribution towards defeating the Germans? I feel like its the west that has downplayed the Soviet's sacrifice during ww2 for example we all know about the atrocities the Germans committed against the Jewish people, 6 million murdered but fewer people know about the 27 million people the Soviets lost. For sure, the Cold War has a lot to do with this. The West didn't want its citizens to be sympathetic towards the soviets. It's also why the Soviets committed atrocities against the Germans just before the war ended and in the immediate period after.

[@GaryTulacz]

Here's a weird tie-in between Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. Saving Private Ryan was inspired by the Niland brothers. Sgt. Bob Niland was killed on D-Day and Lt. Preston Niland was killed the next day in Normandy. Sgt. Edward Niland was listed as missing and presumed dead earlier in the year (he was actually in a Japanese POW camp). So the Army sent a team to get the fourth brother, Sgt. Frederick "Fritz" Niland of the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne to bring him home from Normandy. Like Private Ryan, when he was found, he tried to stay with his company, but was bought home anyway. As it turned out, Fritz Niland was best friends with Skip Muck of the Band of Brothers fame (he was the one who bragged about swimming across the Niagara River in episode 7) as they were both from Tonawanda, NY, as well as Don Malarky, Joe Toye and Chuck Grant from Easy Company from their Camp Toccoa days. They used to go out drinking together when they were in England before D-Day, as recounted in the book Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose.

[@daviddaniel7455]

Sargent York-1941 starring Gary Cooper a true story from WW1 Hello from North Carolina!

[@childlessdoggentleman746]

When I was stationed at Schoefield Barracks in Hawaii, I had to go through drownproofing. Part of the training involved going off the high dive while fully dressed with a backpack and rifle. This was to teach you how to avoid drowning. They also classified your strength as a swimmer. Non-swimmers splashed around in the kiddy pool side. Regular swimmers swam the length of Olympic size pool while wearing swimsuit. Being from Michigan of course I qualified strong swimmer which required swimming 5-laps in full BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform) with your weapon. They were nice enough to let you kick off your boots. I did it but it was not easy. after about 3-strokes, your uniform had soaked up all the water and arms felt like lead weights. The reward for exceling was when you were in the field and encountered a water crossing, you had to tow the non-swimmer across the obstacle.

[@WillsonT011]

Another WW2 movie "Fury"(2014)

[@Dej24601]

A film about an unusual aspect of the war, based on actual soldiers and events is The Monuments Men (2014) directed by George Clooney. The Nazis not only wanted to eliminate people, but wanted to steal the cultural heritage of many nations and their public art, religious artifacts and other artistic objects, to take it for their own villas and put a lot in the Fuhrer Museum that was planned. The Monuments Men were specially trained experts in retrieving or protecting works of art, and returning them to the countries which owned them.

[@carbsix]

The Big Red One -Lee Marvin and Mark Hamill 💯

[@51tetra69]

God bless all the courageous veterans with nerves of steel who risked everything and sacrificed so much to protect our countries and preserve the freedoms we enjoy today! Tom Hank’s admonition to Private Ryan to “Earn this!” applies to each and every one of us. It reminds us of the great debt we owe to our nations’ war fighters because of the tremendous sacrifices they have made on our behalf. God bless all the souls - military and civilian - that we have lost in times of war! God bless America! God bless us all and grant us peace!

[@ccchhhrrriiisss100]

Another great WW2 film is THE THIN RED LINE. It's a haunting and beautiful film.

[@Dej24601]

An EXCELLENT film is the 1946 release of The Best Years of Our Lives. It won several Oscars and was one of the first films chosen to be part of the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry for its importance. It follows three veterans returning home. The director, and many crew and casts members were veterans and incorporated some of their personal experiences into the film. It is a quietly profound and powerful film. Highly recommended.

[@OBIWANCANOLI77]

Fury with Pitt and lots of others

[@thijsvandrenth5947]

Always good to see someone watch Saving Private Ryan for the first time. It is a tough movie to get through, but I believe it is an important one to have seen at least once. Off the top of my head two other war movies that greatly impressed me are 'We Were Soldiers' and 'Black Hawk Down'. Good luck with your journey to 40k subscribers!

[@StevenJShow]

5:47 A lot of people point this out, but as they're panning across Wade and the other medics working on the battalion surgeon, they take a barrage of gun fire, and the medic on the left side gets hit in the canteen. You see the water running out of his canteen and it turns red, you actually see him reaching down into his pants to put pressure on the wound. There are so many horrific little touches like that in this film, just slightly off center of focus, but take a lot of pre-planning to achieve in a realistic fashion. 8:46 It's one of those things this movie does that is subtle. They didn't subtitle any of the foreign dialogue. Those two were conscripts. Forced to fight by the Germans. A lot of people don't know this but the German Atlantic Wall defebses was actually understrength on D-Day, had the invasion been delayed any further, German Reinforcements would have been there and there would have been no chance for the allies to break through. A lot of the positions were held by young boys, older men, and conscripts from German occupied Poland, France, and Czech. The two that were surrendering were Czech, and they were basically saying "don't shoot we're not German, they made us fight."

[@BigGator5]

"Hell, these guys deserve to go home as much as I do. They've fought just as hard." "Is that what I'm supposed to tell your mother when she gets another folded American flag?" "You can tell her that when you found me, I was with the only brothers I had left. And that there was no way I was deserting them. I think she'd understand that." If you like this movie, might I suggest The Fighting Sullivans (1944) as well. You should react to Sullivan (1997) by Caroline's Spine in the same video, after the movie (the song will have more meaning after the movie). This is, of course, just a recommendation. Fun Fact: Selected as the opening film at the 55th Venice Film Festival in 1998. Casting Notes Fact: Steven Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Private Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor with an All-American look. He did not know Damon would win an Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997) and become an overnight star before the film was released. Irish Invasion Fact: The Omaha Beach scene cost $11 million to shoot, and involved up to 1,000 extras, some of whom were members of the Irish Army Reserve. Of those extras, 20-30 of them were amputees, issued with prosthetic limbs, to play soldiers who had their limbs blown off. Historical Fact: Upham's (Jeremy Davies) shoulder patch, a blue and grey "yin yang" symbol, identifies him as a member of the 29th U.S. Infantry Division. It symbolizes the fact that the division was composed of units from Virginia and Maryland, who fought on both sides of the American Civil War. Sonic Warfare Fact: Cinemas were instructed to turn up the volume when they showed the film, as the sound effects play such a crucial part in its overall effect. I remember this, because the theatre I was in had surround sound and that tank approaching came from EVERY speaker BEHIND me. I was having a small mental panic attack (I was 17 at the time and I just signed up to join the US Army, so cut me a little slack) leading to the final battle.

[@zzzkoszzz]

FURY (2014)

[@duanetelesha]

They did mention the Sullivans, five brothers enlisted and assigned to the USS Juneau, all died when the ship was sunk. Recommendations "Valkyrie", "Momuments Men" "Conspiracy" "Patton" "Tora Tora Tora" "Blackhawk Down" to name a few. Great reactions, two in a row I have watched. The opening and closing scene was the Normandy cemetery American section, there is a British and French sector.

[@crispy_338]

The Pacific is mandatory watching as well

[@bradrichert3966]

The sniper shot down the scope was a nod to Carlos Hathcock, an Army sniper in Vietnam, who actually made a shot like that. There was a book written on his life, and was a fascinating read.

[@RenfrewPrume]

When I was growing up in the 1960s, TV showed vast numbers of WWII movies, many of them made during the war. They did this, I think, as patriotic propaganda for the Vietnam War. I got completely burned out and stopped watching war movies. SPR was a rare exception, which I saw on TV a few years after it came out. I do think it is the best war movie ever in terms of its realism and its “earn this” theme of gratitude. I still feel a close connection to WWII. My father was one year too young for the fighting, but he was in the occupation of Japan in 1946. I had two uncles who went through the Italian campaign and survived into my adulthood. My mother’s first cousin was second day at Normandy, but therefore got moved to the front line for the horrendous Hedgerows battle and was among the troops cut off behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge. He had even more horrific experiences in the Korean War. He was very close to our family in his later years (his early 50s) because he was a bachelor living at the “Old Soldier’s Home” in Washington and often visited us. I attended his burial at Arlington National Cemetery when I was 12. I will recommend two war movies that others are unlikely to name: the original “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930), the first super-realistic war movie and a phenomenal directorial achievement, and “The Steel Helmet” (1951) a tremendous movie about the Korean War, highly regarded but never watched by reactors. Be the first!

[@Hiker1792]

You'll never ever ever ever forget that shot of the soldier looking for his arm. It's brilliantly shot because by the time your brain registers that he's looking for it, he finds it!

[@JohnBham]

The reason the weapons sound so real- especially in the beginning beach scenes- is because the sound guys got recording of the actual kinds of weapons being fired or detonated. They used original wartime recordings when available, and used preserved weapons when needed. An amazing film from first to last. (Note: the little halftrack/motorcycle is a real vehicle used by the Germans during the war; it's called- well the short name is 'Kettenkrad'- and it was used for towing light artillery and supply trailers and just an all-purpose hauler. A lot of them are still around in the hands of collectors and in museums. The German forestry service was using them at least as late as the late 80's when I was stationed there and had the opportunity to drive one!)

[@Dej24601]

If you are interested in the point of view in France, there is a 1969 French film titled “Army of Shadows” about the French Underground movement. The director had been involved in the underground and incorporated some of his feelings and experiences in the film.

[@bazzman666]

"Hacksaw Ridge", "Fury" and "1917" (the latter is a WWI movie, shot to feel like its in one take, incredibly immersive)

[@DavidMaloney-p1p]

Hacksaw Ridge, Glory, We were Soldiers

[@Jetz316]

Hacksaw Ridge is my favorite war movie. Saving Private Ryan Is my second favorite. Used to be first favorite obviously.

[@ChrisVillagomez]

Mellish was also crying because where he was didn't really set in until he saw a knife given to members of Hitler's child army, children who were taught to hate innocent people like himself. Molotov Cocktails are still so effective against armored vehicles that when Ukraine were holding back the Russians in 2022, they used them to GREAT effect against Russian vehicles inside urban areas (source: easily accessible footage of it everywhere)

[@lordmortarius538]

The guns in the bunkers were MG42s, nicknamed "Hitler's Buzzsaw" by the Allies for the sound it made when firing, and that it had nearly twice the fire rate of the comparable American B.A.R. and the British Bren gun. They could also fire almost continuously since they had stored spare barrels in the bunkers with them to switch out when overheated. The big metal X's are called Czech Hedghogs, anti-armor obstacles to prevent tanks from maneuvering, and to rip the bottoms out of the landing boats at high tide. They're modern versions of caltrops. The medics on the beach were trying to save that one guy because he was the company surgeon, and they knew without him that many more troops would die from wounds that only he could treat. Combat helmets then were just hard hats to protect from explosion debris. They were not bulletproof in the slightest and that one guy got EXTREMELY lucky that that one shot hit at such an angle to be deflected. The long tubes they call for to open a hole in the defenses are called Bangalore Torpedoes, explosive charges that can clear anti-infantry groundwork such as barbed wire and low berms instantly. The film understates just what the beach looked like afterwards: the sands were stained red with blood for weeks afterwards. The fake "blimps" being flown over the beach are called barrage balloons, whose purpose was to bear aloft heavy steel cables to protect ground troops/camps from aerial assaults. If a fighter came in for a strafing run, they ran the risk of their wings striking the cables, tearing them off and crashing the plane (some cables were fitted with explosive charges on the ends so when they were torn up out of the ground and struck the fuselage it'd explode). The two men surrendering that couldn't be understood were Czech conscripts, saying that they hadn't killed anyone, they were intentionally missing shots. The German army conscripted a lot of men from occupied territories to match the growing Allied presence in Europe. If the limb smelled "south of cheese" (meaning sour/rotten), it was gangrenous and would have to be amputated immediately to prevent sepsis. When Wade found out where he got shot, he knew he was dead, a liver shot out in the field away from a surgeon was not survivable, and he knew that, which is why he asked for morphine. "One to see heaven, two to go there" was the common saying for administering morphine to soldiers with no hope of survival. Many young men were drafted at this time, especially if they had special skills like Upham's translation ability, and those with a college education were sent straight to officer training. I hate how a lot of people react to Upham during the last battle with scorn and hatred, as if they understand what it's like to be in the middle of a battle. No one knows how they'll react in that situation until they're in it. I'd like to think I'd charge bravely up those stairs to the rescue, but I could just as easily freeze in pants-shitting terror, and so could you. So could anyone. The film is inspired by the real life Sullivan brothers, who served in the US Navy, all five of them on the cruiser USS Juneau, which was sunk with all hands at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Their deaths led to the War Dept. adopting the Sole Survivor policy shortly thereafter which prevented all of a family's siblings from serving during wartime if they had previously lost family in war. The Navy commissioned two destroyers, both named the USS The Sullivans, with the motto "We stick together". My grandfather was a sonar officer on the USS Niblack, DD-424, detailed to supply convoy escort duty to Britain in the North Atlantic. My family has audio recording of comms during a U-boat attack on another destroyer that they sailed to assist, and just hearing the explosions, the gunfire, and the screams is harrowing. He went on to build F6F Hellcats at the Grumman Ironworks, and then Fire Chief of his town until he passed. Very proud of that man.

[@Ernwaldo]

Excellent. You guys have such superb & genuine reactions, intellectually & emotionally, to everything of your content that I have watched. Love you & your work. Thank you for sharing all with us.

[@maplenutsreact]

Aww, thank you so much for your kind words! ❤

[@Ernwaldo]

@ All my pleasure. You deserve the accolades. Again, thanks for the content!

[@texasps91]

The german didn't show mercy, he knew Upam could have saved his buddies but was too scared to go up there and face the enemy. To the german, Upam was no threat and not worth wasting ammo on. The plan was for air bombardment to take out those pillboxes prior the Normandy landing, but somehow the co-ordinates related to the air power got sent wrong and the bombardment took place too far inland which resulted losing thousands of men in the beach landing. Actually the Normandy landing lasted around 8 hours. My dad was on the USS Frankford who provided covering artillery when a soldier came up out of a disabled tank and signaled pointing up toward the German pillbox up the hill. The soldiers were pinned down and had already lost so many and were unable to try to advance as they would have lost way too many more. He went back inside his tank and radioed the co-ordinates to my dads ship. My dad was one of the sailors at the 5 silo guns. They used the co-ordinates and took out the pill box so the soldiers could advance up the hill. The Frankford's captain ordered the ship to move toward the beach going parallel so close the soldiers thought they would run aground and risk being totally destroyed. Other destroyers followed suit. General Bradley and General Nimitz were seriously considering calling off the landing due to the immense loss of life, but because of what the Navy Destroyers accomplished it went forward and was a success. There are articles about how the Navy saved the landing. So proud of my dad, he's been gone 30 years and I still miss him.

[@1Tankmarine]

Who is General Nimitz? There was an Admiral Nimitz in the Pacific. Anyways, I think you meant General Eisenhower.

[@Mange070]

At 4:00 ....no they did not expect this. Omaha Beach ( and the most western part of Gold Beach ) was defended by units of the german 352 infantry division, an experienced army division.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

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. The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion was the only unit that stormed the beaches on D-Day that was made up entirely of Black Americans. They displayed unmatched bravery during the 48 hours it took to secure the beaches. Members of 320th, unlike the other units, had to remain on the beaches with no relief units, exposed to continuous enemy fire during the 2 days it took to secure the area. Because they were Black, the photographers never show them in the photos taken on the beaches that day. All shots showing the barrage balloons are taken at far away distances.The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion served for almost 150 days in France following the invasion. They continued flying their balloons over the beaches and eventually a portion flew over the port of Cherbourg before the worsening weather in October prevented ships from landing any more supplies. 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. 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

[@williamjones6031]

1. Many WWII vets left the theaters because the D-Day battle scenes were so realistic. 2. Impressive cast.🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 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/management 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.

[@davidwagnon8168]

The Pacific series continues with the Japan side of World War II. Also done by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

[@skyhawksailor8736]

I believe Saving Private Ryan was the first Hanks/Spielberg collaboration. This caused them to work together and do Band of Brothers followed by The Pacific and now Masters of the Air. I have not seen Masters of the Air yet, but consider the other three Spielberg/Hanks works it will be amazing. I highly recommend you watch them. One of the best movies is the true story of Desmond Doss called Hacksaw Ridge. This movie has so much meaning to me because of my Dad. Desmond Doss was an Army Medic, my Dad was a Navy Corpsman with the Marines and both were in the Battle of Okinawa. This movie is so emotional and inspiring. Other good movies based on WWII are The Fighting Sullivans. The General and his officers talk about the Sullivan brothers while talking about getting Ryan back. There are two good Clint Eastwood movies (Producer). Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers. These two movies are based on the Battle of Iwo Jima, one from the Japanese Perspective the other from the American Perspective. Tora, Tora, Tora is another good movie, it is about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and ends at the Battle of Midway, which was the turning point in the war in the Pacific. Just a suggestion from a Navy Vet who served for 41 years 45 days.

[@maplenutsreact]

Oh my gosh, 41 years and 45 days! We really appreciate you, and your movie suggestions ❤❤❤

[@childlessdoggentleman746]

The two greatest films cross genre: Casablanca (1942) WWII Africa, Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (1954) set in 1586 in Japan's Sengoku period (technically not a war film but has all the trappings.)

[@8AFM4]

A great movie about Soldiers and sacrifice is “Taking Chance”. It was required viewing for me when I was in my Captain’s career course in the Army.

[@Dej24601]

One of the most difficult films you might ever watch is actually an anime feature about Japanese civilians - Grave of the Fireflies (1988.) Many people think it is one of the greatest war films ever made, but know that they will only watch it one time. The musical score is incredible.

[@JimFinley11]

Thank you for watching this and sharing your reaction. This is one of the greatest war movies - one of the greatest movies, period - ever made. This and 'Schindler's List' may be Spielberg's finest works. 'Saving Private Ryan' is partially based on a real situation. There was a family, the Nilands, with four sons in the military, and their mother did get that news about three of them at once. The differences are that the fourth brother, the one they sent home, was in a unit adjacent to the landing beach, so all they had to do to find him was send a chaplain over to escort him back to the beach and then back to Britain. Another difference was that the brother lost in New Guinea turned out to be missing but not dead. He survived the war and made it home too. The fourth son, the one played by Matt Damon, was in the unit portrayed in 'Band of Brothers,' the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. You asked about the blimp-like balloons over the beach when Captain Miller went to get Corporal Upham. Those are a defense against low-flying aircraft. They are positioned so that any pilot who tried to strafe the beach or the ships would collide with the balloons' cables, destroying the plane. In the scene with the German sniper in the tower, when he was looking through his scope at Caparzo, he was seeing what direction Caparzo was looking because he knew there would be other Americans that Caparzo was talking to. He didn't shoot him again because he was using him as bait, hoping someone else would venture out of cover to help Caparzo. The crashed aircraft with the dead general inside it was a glider. A lot of the airborne troops came in on gliders rather than parachuting in. The Nazi soldier who stabbed Mellish was not the same one that the squad had blindfolded and let go. The one who killed Mellish was wearing an SS uniform. He turned his back on Upham going down the stairs as a gesture of contempt for this man who had just let a friend die. Upham would carry that guilt for the rest of his life. The one they let go did show up at the end - he was the one who actually shot Captain Miller, which is why Upham killed him. You asked for recommendations for more things to watch: 'The Pacific' is also a Spielberg/Hanks mini-series, about the Marines fighting against the Japanese army. Like Band of Brothers, the people it follows were real Marines, and some who were still alive at the time of filming were interviewed. Then they made 'Masters of the Air,' another mini-series, about the Army Air Corps servicemen flying bomber missions out of Britain over Nazi-occupied Europe. Once again, the main characters were real people. Tom Hanks starred in a movie called 'Greyhound, ' as the captain of a Navy destroyer escorting a convoy across the Atlantic and trying to protect the merchant ships from German submarines. My stepfather was in the Navy in World War II and that was what his ship did for quite a while. 'Fury' is good, but very bleak. It's one movie, about the crew of an American tank in Europe just before the end of World War II. Another brilliant cast. Clint Eastwood directed a pair of companion films about the battle of Iwo Jima, one focused on each side. 'Flags of Our Fathers' tells the story of the Americans, and 'Letters From Iwo Jima' is from the perspective of a Japanese soldier. 'A Bridge Too Far' is a good portrayal of Operation Market Garden, which was also shown in 'Band of Brothers' - 'A Bridge Too Far' covers that operation in detail from the points of view of several different units of the Allies and the Germans. Another older classic is 'Tora, Tora, Tora', about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor - as with the Clint Eastwood pair, it tells that story from both sides. An American film crew shot the part of the movie that's about the U.S. Navy, and a Japanse crew shot the segments depicting the Japanese fleet. 'Midway' (2019) depicts that Pacific battle extremely well, and also depicts the Pearl Harbor attack at its beginning. I wouldn't bother with either the 1976 'Midway' or 'Pearl Harbor' from 2001. The former is dramatic but not as faithful to history, and the latter is schlock, focused mostly on three fictional characters having experiences that no one actually had. 'Blackhawk Down' is excellent - it portrays a real event that happened in Somalia during our humanitarian intervention there. Directed by Ridley Scott, and has a stellar cast. 'Cross of Iron' from 1977 is a good portrayal of a neglected subject, the fight between the German and Soviet armies on the Eastern Front in World War II. I'll echo the post of johannesvalterdivizzini1523 in recommending 'Glory', a classic about the U.S. Civil War. '1917' is excellent, a film about World War I. 'Breaker Morant' is an old one but very good, about British soldiers in South Africa around the end of the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century. 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' is, according to one military historian, the most accurate portrayal of Napoleonic-era naval warfare between sailing ships ever filmed, and it's well-written and directed with great performances by a very strong cast led by Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. In a different vein, you would probably enjoy Ken Burns' documentary mini-series about the American Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War. They are beautifully made and are classics, with a lot of depth and societal context as well as the content about the wars themselves. For that matter, the Ken Burns documentaries on other subjects are great too, from 'Jazz' (the history of jazz music) to 'The U.S. and the Holocaust' to 'Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies' to 'The Dust Bowl.' I just found your channel and subscribed - watching you two react to things is nice. You look as if you're about midway between my two kids and my oldest grandson in age - I'll be 66 this week - and it's interesting to see the impressions of these events through the fresh eyes of people who are at least a generation younger, probably more like two. Thanks again, and Semper Fidelis. (This week was the 249th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps, in which I served from 1976 to 1996 - I can vouch for how miserable it is to be in the field when it's constantly raining and being cold and wet all the time. I was in the infantry for the first part of my career. I can also vouch for the accuracy of that trick of using the mortar rounds without the mortar: it works. The fuse of the mortar round has two safeties. One is an external wire connected to a cotter pin that you pull off just before you drop it down the tube. The other is inertial, inside the fuse, a weight hanging on a wire that snaps with the jolt of the round firing. Slamming the base of the round against something hard will also snap that wire and let the round arm itself.) Thanks again. Sorry for rambling on at such length, but I wanted to recommend the good movies I could think of and offer explanations of some of the details in this film.

[@andystewart581]

The sniper shot was a scope thru scope shot. It actually occurred in the Vietnam war. Staff Sargent Carlos Hathcock a Marine top sniper was being hunted by the North Vietnamese's top sniper. They matched up. Sargent Hathcock came home. Movies: "Taking Chance", also a true story. Would be a great view for Memorial Day.

[@johngray1009]

Yes, it happened, but Hathcock had the 'high ground" when he took his shot. Gravity and physics would make Jackson's scope-shot dynamically impossible. Looked great for Hollywood purposes though. Just one of the few minor errors in an otherwise great and well shot movie.

[@ronweber1402]

@@johngray1009 He was also only about 100yds. away from the rival sniper so it would have been an almost flat trajectory. They were both in deep jungle and Hathcock only found the guy because he saw the reflective glint from the other guy's scope and shot at it, crazy.

[@johngray1009]

@@ronweber1402 Hmm, interesting. Didn't lnow that. Thanks for sharing.

[@scenxad]

List of "Must See" war films= 1-1977 A Bridge Too Far. 2- 1989 Glory. 3-1986 Platoon. 4-1993 Stalingrad. 5-1998 The Thin Red Line. 6-1985 Come and See. 7-2001 Black Hawk Down.8-1966 The Battle of Algiers. 9-1981 Gallipoli . 10-2019 1917. 11-no particular version they are all good- All quiet on the western front.

[@LlamaLlamaMamaJamaac]

HACK. SAW. RIDGE!! Incredible story of someone who was SO MUCH MORE badass in real life, amazing acting, stunning score, and some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen

[@wilshade]

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" is the definitive movie about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It presents the perspectives of both sides. Many of its action scenes have been used in many WW2 movies long after its release.

[@joepaskowski9091]

Great reaction guy! I saw this in the theater when it was first released….thst opening scene on the beaches of Normandy was so intense. Every person in was shocked…loud gasps, cries, tears,…it was a very difficult few minutes.

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Yep same here,1998.That opening on Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach was absolutely incredible and the cinema I was in was so quiet as that battle took place.I remember watching a documentary on the BBC that year and GIs saying it was the most realistic depiction of the landings they’d seen.One GI said the film THE LONGEST DAY, got it so wrong,saying that they didn’t come off the landing craft howling like banshees! British landing boat driver,Jimmy Green,who took GIs into Omaha beach tells us how virtually every GI on his boat was hit and he was in tears telling us.Those machine gun nests on the bluffs with those MG 42s,Hitlers buzzsaws,did horrific damage to the first couple of waves of American soldiers that landed.

[@Gunnar001]

@@DerekHarrison-d5d To be fair, even this opening scene was far from historically accurate. There's plenty wrong.

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

@@Gunnar001Film makers have always done this Gunnar.Creative licensing they call it.If you want to see a war movie filled with inaccuracies,watch the 1965 film,THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.Even Eisenhower criticised it! Just enjoy it for what it was,a cracking war movie and a great story.And more importantly,the reactors enjoyed it which this is all about.

[@david-j1r9m]

I've watched so many reactions to this movie and I think Chandra was the first person who I saw who immediately recognized that the German was the same one they had released. Great job Chandra!

[@leewaffe3]

@33:11 So to avoid confusion for you both, When Corporal Henderson refers to Easy Company he also added 501st. This was a different regiment from Easy Company in Band of Brothers which was part of the 506th PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment). @40:20 The vehicle their using for baiting the Germans is called the Kettenkrad, a hybrid tracked Motorcycle built for the German paratroopers to be delivered by aircraft it was highly maneuverable even in hilly or mountainous terrain it could pully a good load of trailers and could carry 2 men with the driver. It is fun to drive, some exist today in running condition including a couple in France, UK, and USA. It was also later used by the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, to tow German aircraft including the first combat Jets the ME-262 before take off. Near the end of the war the Luftwaffe was so starved of fuel by the allied bombing campaigns that the Jets had to be towed from their parking spots to the Runway for flight since they had to use every drop of fuel they could get.

[@mjtribby6328]

I am so glad you finally had an opportunity to see this great film. It is one of the most moving films I have ever experienced. Great reaction and I look forward to what is next for the two of you. We Were Soldiers and Windtalkers are two great movies to see. There are many more, two many to mention.

[@dwill123]

You must see the movie "Patton" (WW2). This movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards at the 1971 ceremony, winning seven awards (including Best Picture and Best Actor). FYI this movie is almost three hours long.

[@HerbertTwack]

WW1 - 1917 (obviously) 2019, Lawrence of Arabia 1962, They Shall Not Grow Old 2018, All Quiet in the Western Front 1930. WW2 - Operation Mincemeet 2021, The Guns of Navarone 1961, Ice Cold in Alex 1968, Dunkirk 2017, Battle of the River Plate 1956, Valkyrie 2008, Das Boot 1981, Come and See 1985, The Great Escape 1963. Post WW - 2 - The Dark of the Sun 1968, Battle of Algiers 1966, Platoon 1986, Apocalypse Now 1979, Entebbe 2018, Six Days 2017, Blood Diamond 2006. I could list dozens more (and I might, as they come to mind), but that's a start😁

[@GordoFunk555]

The fact that Private Ryan’s wife didn’t know who Captain Miller was, shows that he probably never spoke of him or the circumstances of what happened to his family. Pretty powerful stuff.

[@mrhorrorgaming6909]

I have to remember that alot of people don't know much about the military lingo and stuff but they didn't run through a minefield on the beach. When he's talking about their losses and all the Mines, it's been 3 days since the beach scene. They've been on other missions since

[@blakewalker84120]

2:00 "What the heck are murder holes?" This transport boat will hit the beach and the front will open, making a ramp down to the beach. But that means the front is open to the German machine guns, thus making the front of the boat a "murder hole". Which is exactly what you see happening in the movie a moment later. This comment by Capt. Miller shows that he, and his men, knew how dangerous this would be.

[@benschultz1784]

There's also "murder holes" in the beach defenses, basically hidden positions in the trenchlines where a person could pop up from seemingly out of nowhere and surprise the enemy.

[@John-ws2zr]

Also, A Bridge too Far (1977) is a classic WWII movie about the bridge at Ramelle, and the battle for that bridge. It's a famous battle

[@flak8882]

Fury is even grittier than this, very cinematic with a great cast. The Thin Red Line takes place in the Pacific Theatre and has its own vibe, well worth seeing.

[@stevesilsby9668]

For different takes on military and/or war: "Midway" -- WW2 Epic Pacific Navy battle "M*A*S*H" -- Dramedy: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea (the movie,that inspired the TV series) "Private Benjamin" -- Dramedy: a woman experiences basic training "Stripes" -- Comedy: Bil Murray in cold war antics of getting through basic training "G.I. Jane" -- Drama: first female trainee in the US Navy's elite SEAL selection process

[@mikealvarez2322]

Towards the end of the battle scene on Omaha Beach you see some barrage balloons in the distance. How did they get there? ANSWER, they were placed there by the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion that landed with the rest of the men on Omaha and other beaches. The 320th was made up of Black soldiers (they used to use the word colored) and they have never been represented in any movie about D-day that I've ever seen. As the 320th approached Omaha one of the landing crafts hit a mine killing and wounding several of the men. One of the more seriously wounded was Medic Waverly Woodson. He had shrapnel wounds in his back and groin yet as soon as he hit the beach he began treating the wounded. Not only did he treat Black soldiers but also White soldiers that needed help. After treating his own wounds he set up a temporary field hospital. With bullets flying all around him and artillery/mortar shells going off he continued to help all the wounded. On 2 separate occasions he pulled 3 wounded men from the water who would have drowned if not for Waverly. He had to apply artificial resuscitation to keep them alive. After many hours of helping wounded men he finally collased from exhaustion and blood loss. The Army estimated that he treated some 200+ men. For his actions Woodson was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross, American's second highest award for courage under fire. IMO he should have been awarded The Medal of Honor. I wish Speilberg had at least shown the 320th if only briefly.