Saving Private Ryan (1998) 🪖 ✦ First Time Watching Reaction ✦ The intensity & emotions are unreal...

[@kaiielle]

My makeup got DESTROYED during this movie LOL 😅 But what an experience. Thank you so much for watching and thank you again to everyone who has served! Here in Canada, In Flanders Fields is a poem that I think everyone knows some, or all of, as it is a symbol for soldiers who have died. ❤ In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Suggest more war movies for me here: forms.gle/XZVvZhfhwFzsDpRU9 All my other links you can find in the video description. ❤

[@sean---the-other-one]

Apt that the word you continued to use throughout was ‘intense’. Especially in your outro, and reinforced in your description when you posted the video. It is indeed an intense movie.

[@kaiielle]

@@sean---the-other-one No other word to describe it, really. Graphic, maybe.

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@kaiielle Definitely graphic at times. The intensity is almost constant. Spielberg is amazing. Jaws, Schindler’s List, Duel, etc. He knows how to grab you.

[@jerkinmcdikus6603]

I don't know why white women always cringe at the opening of the same most of time from what I hear a lot of younger white women and white women your age are quite happy when straight white men die..... Shouldn't you be cheering clapping and being happy

[@actaeon299]

In the US, veteran's will hand out poppies (fake) for donations. Usually American Legion, and Veteran's of Foreign Wars. But many people do not know that the poppy symbol came from this poem. Thank you for watching. And the "Earn it", applies to more than Upham. It applies to us all. (At least I think so, anyway.)

[@zosometalgod]

My father fought in this war! It is historically accurate! Private Ryan is a fictional character but it's based on the Sullivan Brothers who were all killed on their ship they served on! So this movie is spot on! I saw this back when it came out with my father and it really made him cry wich made me cry! My father passed away not to long after this movie came out love you dad and miss you!😢

[@noelfoley7359]

Actually, based on the story of the four Niland brothers, of Tonawanda, N.Y.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

It isn't based on the Sullivan brothers. They were all killed when the ship they were on was torpedoed. I believe it was 3 died when the ship sank, the other two died while in the ocean awaiting rescue.

[@crispy_338]

The line “tell me I’m a good man” always makes me cry without fail. Every time.

[@kaiielle]

That whole conversation was heartbreaking. 😭

[@jimmykarlsson2567]

Yess absolutely every time for me aswell. It's like he almost pleading to his wife

[@waynepurcell6058]

The ending of this movie and the ending of "Field of Dreams" are the only movies that have ever made my eyes water.

[@o.b.7217]

@@waynepurcell6058 And now? Want a cookie?

[@TheMyrmo]

@@o.b.7217 Seriously, tough guy? How badly to do want to embarassed in front of literally everyone?

[@alanjones5199]

I saw his in the cinema, when it finished nobody moved, we all just sat there, there was silence, silence and some sobbing, thank you for your reaction, I cry every time

[@keimahane]

I did as well, took awhile to want to get up, it was very powerful and horrifying to me as both of my Grandfathers fought in WWII and Korea. They never talked about it so all we knew was what we saw in WWII movies of the time, 70's / 80's, which never showed the true horror those men went through. This movie still makes me cry to this day, as I am 60 years old and cannot stop thinking of all those in my generation and the one after who had to go and fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, will we ever learn, I think we will not :(

[@ryanfeit1420]

This is one of the greatest movies ever made. Spielberg won a well deserved Oscar for Best Director. Great reaction!!

[@chuckhilleshiem6596]

I am a combat veteran ( Vietnam ) You can not possibly know the good you have just done. thank you for this and God bless you

[@kaiielle]

Thank you for your service and for watching! ❤️

[@digidv85]

Just want to add in case you weren't aware, the German soldier who fired the shot that mortally wounded Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) was the same person who was on the hill where Wade (Giovanni Ribisi) died that they let go before. His character name is never said in the movie afaik, but in the credits I've heard is listed as Steamboat Willie from the reference he made to Upham (Jeremy Davies). It's why he mentioned Upham's name just before getting executed as a pathetic means to appeal to him again.

[@kaiielle]

Yep, I understood all that when I watched it. Didn't have words for it, just tears/shock.

[@deanvavra5695]

What will you do with your second chance? Quite a contrast.

[@digidv85]

@@kaiielle Okay, cool. Wasn't sure so I simply wanted to point it out.

[@kaiielle]

@@digidv85 Yeah no worries! I appreciate it.

[@MrWCramer]

Now that you have watched Saving Private Ryan, you must review Band of Brothers, considered one of the best, if not the best, miniseries ever made. It is based on the book by Stephen Ambrose’s, Band of Brothers, which follows actual paratroopers from Easy Company, 101 Airborne Division, from training camp, to D-Day, an on to the end of the war. If you are like most viewers, you will laugh with them, cry for them, but most importantly, you will be affected by them, for the rest of your life. I enjoyed your review of Saving Private Ryan.

[@jerrykessler2478]

The D-Day scene was so realistic that it triggered PTSD in many veterans. The Veterans Administration set up hotlines to help them.

[@graciefolden2359]

Except for the part where bullets track straight underwater and kill people (not possible), sure it's realistic.

[@jerrykessler2478]

@@graciefolden2359 I had trouble with that, too... very unrealistic...

[@eviek3809]

I remember seeing this in the cinema when it came out. After the opening beach scene you could hear a pin drop. The only sound was sniffles and people tried to stifle their crying. This movie was nd continues to be a shocking reminder of the only certainty in warfare - you're either lucky or you're not.

[@lordmortarius538]

My grandfather served as a sonar operator on the USS Niblack DD-424, a Gleaves class destroyer. They were tasked with convoy escort duty across the North Atlantic to ensure supplies reached the UK, and during one of their runs, another destroyer in their escort group was sunk by German U-boats, and they moved to rescue the surviving sailors as they abandoned ship. My family has recordings of the radio transmissions from that event and it is harrowing; explosions, screams, cries for help, the sound of tearing metal as the ship ripped apart whilst going down, and the terror that you could feel knowing that out there was a hunting wolf pack just waiting for another chance to leap in on another kill. After his service was done, he went on to build F6F Hellcats at the Ironworks, and then became the Fire Chief of his hometown fire station until he retired. Very proud of that man and what he accomplished, and I'm sad I didn't get to spend more meaningful time with him (he passed when I was 11, in 1991). The Greatest Generation, indeed.

[@kaiielle]

Thank you for sharing. 😊

[@williamjones6031]

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 really was a USS Sullivans(DD- 68) dedicated to the brothers lost on one ship. That's why all brother soldiers/sailors from one family can't be assigned to the same command. 5. I did 24 years in the US Navy. My favorite character is Private Jackson/sniper and my second favorite is Sargent Horvath. RIP Tom Sizemore😇 6. Sizemore also played Boxman in "Flight of the Intruder", a movie I'm in briefly.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

The U. S. Navy does not prevent siblings from serving aboard the same ship nor duty station. They can be randomly assigned or it can be done by request. My brother and I served aboard the same ship during the Vietnam War, we have no other siblings. The 5 Sullivan brothers served together, upon their request to do so. All 5 perished when their ship was torpedoed by the Japanese during WWII. There have been 2 ships named in their honor, USS The Sullivans (DD-537) a Fletcher class destroyer and currently USS The Sullivans (DDG -68) a Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer. This movie 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. 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.

[@williamjones6031]

@@Nomad-vv1gk I concur with most of that, but I know of brothers that all wanted to be together but were turned down. The reasoning behind that was the USS Sullivans reference.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

@@williamjones6031 The Navy does not prohibit siblings from serving together during time of war. Strange as it may seem, the "Sole surviving son" policy only is used during peace time...go figure. Upon request during time of war, siblings are permitted to serve aboard the same ship or submarine. As stated earlier, my brother and I served together during the Vietnam War.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

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.

[@custardflan]

My wife's uncle was captured storming the beach at Anzio in Italy. Never talked about it. My uncle was wounded parachuting into New Guinea. My dad served on a submarine. His cousin was shot down over Germany, captured and then escaped from a POW camp.

[@johnbrown8570]

The guy Tom Hanks tells to grab weapons wasn’t a medic but a typist/clerk for the 104th medical battalion. That’s why he had the typewriter. The actual medics and doctors have Red Cross armbands and insignias on their helmets. It’s cool that they included them in the movie since they were really there on Omaha beach as part of the 29th infantry division.

[@kaiielle]

Oh I totally missed that he had a typewriter. Thank you for clarifying!

[@UTU49]

Are you talking about Upham (Jeremy Davies)? I thought he was a map-maker and interpreter, but I might be remembering it wrong.

[@johnbrown8570]

@@UTU49 no I meant on Omaha beach when captain Miller tells the guy to “get rid of that crap. Grab yourselves some weapons”. That guys also a typist for the 29th division, but he’s part of the 104th medical battalion.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

What wasn't "cool" as you put it, was Spielberg failed to show any of the more than 2,000 Black American soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach that day. One, a medic, was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor during the battle. The 309th Battalion was an all Black American unit. Maybe Ron Desantis was involved in post-production.

[@johnbrown8570]

@@Nomad-vv1gk the 309th landed at Omaha beach in November of 1944 not June 6th when this movie takes place. screw Ron desantis. They didn’t storm the beach by that point, they just waded ashore or probably just walked off a ramp onto sand or floating dock at that point.

[@tommywalker3746]

Thanks for watching this with us old veterans

[@ckok7792]

I watched an interview of a german soldier who was one of the gunners at the beach. He said he was forced in that position. He explained how he was filled with fear seeing all the boats from the shoreline. He wanted to leave the beach before they arrived but was forced to stay. He said something like “they just kept coming and i kept killing them. I wanted them to stop coming so wouldn’t have to kill anymore but their bravery i hated it. All the people i killed that day, still haunts me.” I remember the man weeping as he shared that story. He was just another man whose life was ruined by Hitler.

[@DavidB-2268]

One note about Tom Hanks's character: the army often put teachers into command positions simply because they are used to keeping groups of individuals in order.

[@urborg74]

The appeal of watching reactions is the re-experiencing of watching these movies for the first time through the eyes of another. The emotions can hit just as hard or harder. Thank you for allowing us to experience this movie again.

[@kaiielle]

Thank you for watching!

[@dawnofthewalkers4915]

My grandfather served in ww2 and stormed the beaches of Normandy, my dad served in Vietnam and I served in Afghanistan. I didn’t come back the same and even with my service I still couldn’t imagine what they dealt with over there.

[@theshakyproject2971]

FUN FACT: The story Ryan tells about his brothers was completely improvised by Matt Damon. :)

[@kaiielle]

I love that!

[@ArmouredPhalanx]

I'm sure you'll get this a hundred times over, but I'll add to the chorus: 'Band of Brothers' is probably the best, and one of the most accurate pieces of media made about the second world war. It''s a limited series, and is based on a book written about the actual people and events involving one airborne company and their experiences in the war. It's the spiritual successor to SPR in that it was produced by Hanks and Spielberg following the popularity of the movie. 'A Bridge Too Far' is another movie worth watching, a bit older (70s vintage), but is once again about real events - namely Operation Market Garden (which also features in Band of Brothers). Kinda the SPR of its day in that it had a cavalcade of contemporary stars, a long run time, and high production values (for the era). As a fellow Canuck, I'll add 'The Devil's Brigade' as a recommendation. An even older movie (60s vintage), but it's one of the few Hollywood movies that prominently features Canadians. It's about the 1st Special Service Force, a joint US-Canadian commando regiment that was the ancestor of modern special forces in both countries. Again, based on real people, and real events... but it takes more liberties with the facts than the above movies, and is definitely a product of its time (dated effects), but it's fun and some CanCon. And finally, a completely fictional, but very fun action-heist-comedy-war movie - 'Kelly's Heroes'. 70s vintage, not remotely historical beyond the setting, but tons of fun.

[@jimmyc3755]

Actually Band of Brothers has quite a few historically inaccurate mistakes. The errors were mostly driven by what the Easy survivors could remember. Not actual historical data. Every episode has errors by the way. Ambrose did not research actual battle reports for the book, he just went with what the Easy vets told him. Band of Brothers is great I love it too, but it is not historically accurate by a long shot. I have one of the limited 1000 print Photo books of Easy Company that uses the photos Winter traded for. Came with a bunch of Easy autographs too. Band of Brothers is well done. You Missed - The Longest Day film. That has to be on any short list. It includes all 5 beaches.

[@ArmouredPhalanx]

@@jimmyc3755 I didn't say it was 100% accurate, it's still a fictionalized account. Like I said, real people, real events, good attention to historical details/tactics/etc. It's not a documentary, but compared to most other WW2 pop culture media, it's about as good as it gets.

[@shainewhite2781]

Nominated for 11 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Director Best Sound Editing Best Film Editing Best Sound Mixing Best Cinematography.

[@KoalaParty2000]

Absolutely robbery that Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture over this.

[@RebelOne610]

@@KoalaParty2000 If I'm remembering correctly, we have Harvey (The Rapist) Weinstein to thank for that.

[@sergeantbigmac]

One thing overlooked in the praise for this film is the sound design. Its really incredible and it set a new bar for immersive layered atmosphere.

[@martinlatour9311]

@@sergeantbigmac Especially in theater. Amazing experience

[@testfire3000]

@@sergeantbigmac Oh yeah, I remember seeing it in the theater. In the final battle as the German tanks make their approach you can see the very pebbles on the ground bouncing and shaking from the vibrations of these huge heavy machines and in the audience I swear I could feel it too. The sound design was shocking and so immersive, as you said. That is one aspect of the movie I will never forget.

[@creaturemonk]

Thank you for the little "disclaimer" after your intro. It means alot to me and I'm sure it means just the same if not more to all the other vets warching this.

[@salvadortinajero]

This is such a classic. When the sniper dude is talking about his mom and how he used to try to stay awake for her yet when he was awake and she would come home early and he would just lay there pretending to be asleep...and he knew all she wanted was to see if he was awake to talk to him...that always hits me. Also at the end, private Ryan asking his wife if he's lived a good life with tears in his eyes knowing all the lives that were lost and he survived.. Very emotional movie. I'm not really a war movie person but this movie is so heartfelt and and you don't necessarily have to be a soldier to relate to it. I just got home from work and saw that you uploaded this so it's time to relax with KL and enjoy another great reaction. Hopefully you don't tear up too much because then I will probably tear up a little lol.... Edit: ya I commented before watching your reaction. OK so it was the medic not the sniper that told that story, and the medic saying mama mama ma...and dying got me again...and just watching your reaction through out this...very emotional and realistic portrayal of war.

[@J4ME5_]

Spielberg's message... We all need to earn it, what they did for us.

[@ruego-qj7bt]

and so now he(Spielberg) along with his elitist, phony ''Tinseltown'' buddies(think, Damon and company) devote their political might and a portion of their considerable wealth accumulated largely on the backs of the working class - to leftist( Read: Marxist, socialist)''causes'' AKA the Demonrat Party/national socialism - which essentially is tantamount to spitting on the graves *of all those* that fell in the name of freedom *he purports to honor* with this production.

[@michaelconnor1542]

This is always a hard watch, but always fantastic. When this opened, many theaters had to have medics on hand. In places with few older people, some medics or their company leadership would station medics. Just in case veterans wanted to see the film. Many would come out in distress, but they wanted to see for themselves, that someone had finally made a movie. That did justice to what they had experienced.

[@brandonlong2788]

This will always be a special movie to me because it reminds me of my tutu who was a captain and served during WWII. He would never talk about it so this film is a crash course in the hell they had to endure. Glad you watched this one, never forget.

[@benprewitt4600]

1:35...it's less "unrealistic" than "allegorical." The real story it's based on is that of the Sullivan Brothers, a group of siblings who served on the USS Phoenix and all died when it was torpedoed. They're from Iowa, as am I...it's taught in schools here as a part of state history. There's a nod to it when Ryan mentions he's from "Peyton, Iowa." Thanks for sharing your reaction!

[@mrexists5400]

there's a ship named after them too

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

This movie is not based on the Sullivan Brothers. The Sullivans were Navy, in the Pacific theater of operations, served aboard the same ship and all 5 were killed in action when there ship was torpedoed. No part of that has anything to do with Saving Pvt. Ryan.

[@LlamaLlamaMamaJamaac]

I think you might be the first reactor I’ve seen mention the sound design in the D-Day scene! It’s brilliant!!

[@williamfinney6660]

This movie is great it gives you a good understanding of the horrors of war and what our servicemen went through so we can sleep soundly in our beds at night.

[@chada7094]

Hi. Hands down the most emotional reaction I've seen to this movie, which ironically was on AMC last night. Such a hard but important movie to watch. I use to own this movie on VHS way back. As a Canadian I am grateful for all those who served and serve. Thank you s aren't enough.

[@kaiielle]

They really aren't enough, no. 😔 Thank you for watching!

[@ralphwiggum6385]

🇨🇦🤘

[@Corndog642]

There have been plenty of war movies that show the brutality of war. But this one has moments that show some of the true damage to bodies. In one scene the utter obliteration of a body. This one shows how and why “war is hell”. Unforgettable. For a more introspective war movie consider watching The Thin Red Line. Others: Platoon Hamburger Hill Full Metal Jacket I served in the US Marines and fought in Desert Storm. 🇺🇸

[@kaiielle]

Thank you for your service.

[@edm240b9]

This is one of the few movies where they went the extra mile to record the actual weapons firing live ammunition and used those sound effects in post production. And as someone who has fired all of the American and German small arms in this film, I can say the sounds are spot on accurate.

[@jaggyjagg74]

great reaction Kaiiele. I appreciated it. Sorry you don't remember this in history books, but in my scholastic career, they taught us all about this war and what led up to it. thanks for your candor in watching this awesome movie that honors our great veterans. Thank you.

[@ujohnlynch2341]

The opening scene is D-Day, the beginning of the Allied forces kicking the Nazis out of France, whom they'd invaded and occupied a few years earlier. When it was in the theater, WW2 vets who had been in the D-Day invasion would break down crying as it was the first real depiction of what D-Day was actually like. By the way, the sniper who shoots the Vin Diesel character is played by Kevin Costner.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Costner?? Where is heaven's name did you pick up THAT piece of baloney?

[@iKvetch558]

Sorry if anybody already said any of this... Saving Private Ryan is incredibly realistic in most every way, with a very few exceptions...such as bullets not being able to kill you more than a few inches underwater. One thing to know, pay no mind at all to that man who took off his helmet at 6:03 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 to get the last brother, and it turned out that one brother that had been thought dead had actually only been captured. 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.✌

[@reececoventree9849]

Hacksaw Ridge is another WWII movie more than worth watching. It is based on true events. The story of Desmond Doss. He was amazing!

[@namco003]

Not on purpose, but I just realized, most of the reactor channels I frequent are Candian. Cinebinge, Octkrool, Botch Guy(wrestling), Jen Murray, Inika Chung, You, Popcorn in Bed(Canadian, lives in the US)and for good measure, while he doesn't do movie/tv reactions, Dr Chris Raynor. Glad to see you react to this one. I think this is the movie that started my reactor channel rabbit hole a few years ago. While I don't know if you've seen it, NO TIME SOON after this movie, so save some tears for Schindlers List.

[@joek468]

I remember first seeing Giovanni Ribisi ( I think he was like 13-15 years old maybe and I think he went by Vonny Ribisi or something) he was a friend of Bud Bundy's on an early episdoe of Married With Children. I remember thinking this kid isn't gonna go to far in the biz, I know I saw him in other things after that too. but seeing him in here his last scene I was like wow that was a good performance. One of my fav scenes as far as performance in this movie

[@stevensauer8539]

For a lot of people this is THE war movie. And the opening sequence is legendary. So realistic in its portrayal of D-Day that old vets watching it had to leave the theater because the memories it elicited were too much. It's a tragedy that this lost the Best Picture Oscar to Shakespeare In Love. I saw one of the Mel Gibson war movies on your list, We Were Soldiers (Viet Nam). It's excellent, and for a movie very true to history, but I also recommend his two others, plus the one he directed but did not act in, as they are all excellent in one way or another. The other two are Braveheart (Scottish Revolution) and The Patriot (American Revolution), and the one he directed was Hacksaw Ridge (WWII, Pacific Theater).

[@stevensauer8539]

@anonymousone6075 I don't know why you felt the need to bring this up, but you sure glossed over a lot of details, like that those DD tanks (Dual-Drive or Donald Duck, depending on who you ask) tended to get swamped and sink if the waters were at all rough. Omaha had a bunch of them, but conditions were bad and most that were launched amphibiously sank. Omaha did get tank support, but only once the remaining LCTs made it all the way to the beach. But other beaches had their "floating tank" problems. A number were lost, and on Juno, the 8th Canadian Brigade suffered heavy losses because rough seas prevented the landing of their DD tanks. Over on Gold, many tanks were destroyed by German anti-tank guns because conditions required they wait until they were close to shore to launch. I'm not sure why you chose to disparage the heroes that stormed the beaches that day, especially with that "murica" bit, but it was in extremely poor taste.

[@vishnu79]

@@stevensauer8539 There were a few other reasons Omaha was the worst as well. Unlike the other landing areas, Omaha beach was bounded by cliffs on both sides, and Pointe Du Hoc also provided direct line of sight for German forward artillery spotters as well as a superior forward firing position for most of the beach. The tide was higher than anticipated, and the sloping topography of the beach meant that many of the obstacles further out in the water (along with a light barrage of sea mines, surprisingly) could not be cleared, and led to many of the landing ships being unable to close to the beach as planned. Many of the landing barges also got hung up on these as they came in as well, leading them to be destroyed. Unlike the other beaches, the German resistance at Omaha was particularly fierce and well organized. The other beaches reported that their landings had established themselves well by 5-7pm local time, with most of the German resistance crumbling after having the strongpoints along the forward positions breached. At Omaha, however, the Germans retreated in good order even after the strongpoints were breached, and proved particularly hard to dislodge, especially around Colleville-sur-Mer and Cabourg, where retreating German formations managed to entrench themselves and form a pocket, and hold out for many hours. The Germans also managed to create a sort of improvised line from Les Moulins up to Sant-Laurent-sur-Mer, which held (in parts) until almost all the next day. The German artillery support at Omaha was also far superior, at least in the opening stages, likely due to the absolutely excellent commanding position that Pointe Du Hoc provided until the American Rangers managed to clear it. Most of the German records recovered after the war are fragmentary mostly due to the destruction (both collateral from the bombing of Berlin and deliberately done by the Germans towards the end) of Wehrmacht records, however, what is known is that the German 352nd Infantry Div was made up of a mix of Eastern Front veterans and Ost volunteers, with a leavening of conscripts and young recruits thrown in to fill out their numbers. It is also known that the German general, Dietrich Kraiss, was a WWI veteran, well experienced, and well liked by his men. He'd also been picked by Rommel to defend the Bayeux Zone, which is where most of the D-Day actions took place. It is believed that 2nd Batt-GR 914, 2nd Batt-GR 916, and 1st and 3rd Batts-GR 915 were more heavily leavened with Eastern Front veterans and the Ost volunteers, whereas, the reserve battalions, such as 1st Batt-GR 916, was more heavily leavened with conscripts and as such were directed to reinforce Gold Beach. It is also known that General Kraiss had somehow managed to keep most of the 726th Infantry Regiment assigned to his sector as well, even though their "parent" Division (716th Infantry Division) was moved to the Caen Zone in the months prior to D-Day and would face the British at Gold Beach. In summation. The forces arrayed by the Germans at Omaha Beach were well organized, well-led, and were heavier than anticipated, especially when compared to the formations on either side of them. The commanding General had even managed to somehow get almost an entire regiment of infantry from a neighboring Division assigned to his own. Sea conditions were poor and combined with the beach topography meant that the landing would be faced with unclearable obstacles and support forces that were available at the other, more accessible, beaches were unable to be used at Omaha. In addition, topographical features such as Pointe Du Hoc provided the Germans defending Omaha superior positions which they capitalized upon very well, most likely because their Division had a heavy leavening of Eastern Front veterans, who had experience with static defensive positions and knew how to maximize their effectiveness. Lastly, the German artillery support at Omaha was far and away superior, in both accuracy and effectiveness, to the support received by the German forces facing the landings at the other beaches, again, likely due to the effectiveness and experience of General Kraiss. Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword were tough nuts to crack, no doubt about it, but Omaha was a death-trap, and was deliberately so. Omaha Beach and Gold Beach were basically the two centre-most of the landing zones, and Gold Beach was almost perfectly located on the boundary between the German Divisional lines, between 716th Division, and 352nd Division, and remember, the 716th was missing almost an entire infantry regiment, thanks to General Kraiss.

[@WerewolfReaper]

Platoon is an amazing vietnsm war movie written and directed by Oliver Stone who actually served in Vietnam. Won best picture too with a stacked young cast.

[@zmarko]

I totally agree, and I hope she reacts to that film someday.

[@kennyfmt510]

Your face after the guy blew up with the sticky bomb lmao

[@RebelGaming4U]

I dont understand how you dont have atleast 100k subscribers now. Ive enjoyed your reactions. We all have to start somewhere. Keep doing what you do.

[@kaiielle]

Thanks so much! Every reactor grows at a different speed. I'm not too concerned. But maybe one day I'll get 100k. 😊

[@RebelGaming4U]

@@kaiielle yes it will resonate with the public eventually. Have you seen John Wick a chapter 4 yet? Full of action for sure.

[@thegorn68]

If anyone reading this visits New Orleans in the future, I highly recommend visiting the National WWII Museum there. There's an exhibit show called "Beyond All Boundaries" in 4D that is awesome and is narrated by Tom Hanks. It really makes you appreciate the Greatest Generation even more and what they went through. I was weeping at the end. Torn between being grateful for what that generation went through and ashamed at how spoiled we have it now.

[@actaeon299]

When I have a bad day, I think of what these soldiers/airmen/sailors went through. Maybe my day wasn't that bad after all.

[@johndoeski1267]

Excellent reaction. You are right. It is not an easy movie to watch, and it leaves you emotionally drained. I needed several hours of recovery after the first time I watched it.

[@orangeandblackattack]

I love the fact you already knew what FUBAR means. We said it often in the 80s too.

[@curtquinlan9870]

I love this movie; arguably the best war movie ever made. The beach landings at the beginning of the film is based on actual events, known as "D-day." It is also factual that the airborne paratroopers had miss drops all over Normandy and many of the paratroopers were scattered behind enemy lines.

[@Istanbul0687]

This is one of the few reactions that gives a very empathetic reaction to Upham when he's on the stairs, and that to me is quite refreshing! For some reason I have this theory that you can tell a lot about someone's personality about their reaction to THAT scene (of course you need the buildup). People will either look at him with abject disgust and loathing, or a deep empathy and understanding for that man. And for me it's a shame that there's not enough of the latter.

[@kaiielle]

I've had a lot of comments on this reaction where people were upset with me for feeling bad for Upham, which probably doesn't surprise you. 😂 I'm glad you understand!

[@existential_sad_boi]

I definitely have a complicated relationship with this movie just based on how a lot of western war films are, but regardless i still watch it over and over. The score is so powerful as well. Surprised you didnt see Schindler's List until 11th grade! Over here in New Brunswick we were given it in grade 8

[@kaiielle]

Oh dang, 8th grade! That's so interesting. I'm not sure *why* it wasn't until 11th grade. Just how the curriculum was back when I was in school.

[@poolhall9632]

This movie is filled with young actors whose careers were catapulted by this performance. Vin Diesel, Barry pepper, Giovanni Ribisi… They are surrounded by some very well-established actors like Tom Hanks, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Matt Damon, Tom Sizmore and Douglas farina.

[@jasonirwin4799]

IIRC Matt Damon was a nobody when he was cast as Ryan. He shot to fame with Good Will Hunting which I believe came out after casting but before release of SPR.

[@gmabostic]

@@jasonirwin4799You are correct. 😊

[@poolhall9632]

@@jasonirwin4799 excellent work. I didn’t think about exactly when those films came out but it seems to me that Matt Damon was a known entity when Private Ryan came out so that makes total sense. Ty!

[@Red_Finn]

"Let me get this Goddamn hitchhiker out of my boot." One of my favorite lines. 😂

[@hebber1961]

Upham did everything wrong. Pushed to let the enemy go. Didn't help his buddy in need. Let the enemy walk by him. Shot the prisoner on his own personal decision and let 6 enemy run off when help was a few feet away.

[@kaiielle]

Yep, I can see why people don't like him. Thanks for sharing!

[@dabe1971]

This. This is why we remember.

[@mariotovar951]

Have only seen my dad break down in tears for a movie once, yep-this one.

[@BogeyDopeYT]

I’d suggest you watch Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Both awesome series done by Hanks and Spielberg. Both accurate down to soldiers real names. Both very informative about both theaters of American involvement in WW2.

[@jasonirwin4799]

Yes. BoB was based on the book written by one of the real life characters of the show and Pacific is based on a few books and articles written by a few of the featured Marines as well.

[@rangerscloud]

@@jasonirwin4799 The book Band of brothers was written by Stephen Ambrose, a war historian. He did not serve in Easy Company or the 101st Airborne. The book was made from different memoirs of survivors put together.

[@jasonirwin4799]

@@rangerscloud I was under the impression it was written WITH a member of Easy Company (that I won't disclose for spoiler reasons) and Ambrose pretty much ghost-writing, but you are correct. I did more research and Ambrose wrote it with the notes and letters from the Soldiers and circulated drafts among the survivors for fact-checking. There was a documentary about the show I watched that talked about the unnamed survivor checking with another survivor (name also withheld) to ensure survivor #2 was okay with some of the stuff they would say about him in the book/show. That lead me to believe survivor #1 co-wrote the book. My mistake.

[@thetr00per30]

"Earn it" was not meant just for James, it was meant for the viewer as well. All of us owe them a debt and should do our level best to try and be the best people we can be.

[@jasonmiller4586]

Wow.. I've watched a great many of your reactions now and have never seen you so upset. Tugged at the old heart strings. Quality film, even better reaction. X

[@Harv72b]

The scene didn't make your KZbin cut & I'm sure somebody else has already pointed this out, but in case they haven't...the two "Germans" who were shot while trying to surrender at the end of the beach landing sequence were actually speaking in Czech, saying "We are Czechs, we did not shoot anybody!". The Germans pressed many men from occupied territories into military service during the war, particularly near the end. It's a sad little Easter Egg that Spielberg put into the film. The only aspect of this film which was inaccurate from an historic perspective is the plot of the movie itself: for exactly the reasons pointed out at the beginning, the US Army would never have dispatched a squad of soldiers to wander around the countryside during a huge invasion with the entire war hanging in the balance just to find one other soldier, no matter how noble the cause. There were indeed some instances of multiple brothers dying close together during the war, but in no case was a mission even close to this one seriously considered. There isn't a proper poppy emoji, but this Hibiscus is close enough: 🌺 That's about as close to military emojis as this ex-Army guy wants to get. 😁

[@glennhernandez7338]

There was at least one instance during WW2 that the army actually sent people to search for one soldier to bring back home because his brothers died. I can’t actually remember what his name was. Unfortunately, he was so guilt ridden for being “saved” that he didn’t lived his life well after he got back home.

[@Harv72b]

@@glennhernandez7338 You're probably thinking of Fritz Niland, who had three brothers "killed" in 1944, two of them in Normandy (the other brother, who was presumed killed in Burma, was eventually liberated from a POW camp & lived until 1984). Fritz was indeed sent back to the US due to his brothers' status, but there was no rescue mission sent out after him; in fact, Niland only discovered his other brothers' fates when he linked up with the 82nd Airborne to visit his brother Bob only to be told he had been killed in action nine days after the fact. Fritz would marry after the war & have two daughters, building a career as an oral surgeon. He died in 1983, at his home in San Francisco.

[@davidward9737]

K im very proud of you. Just so impactful. You cried i cried. You are amazing

[@skyhawksailor8736]

The Bixby letter the General cites from memory is considered President Lincoln's greatest writing. They also talk about the five Sullivan Brothers who were killed on the USS Juneau during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Certainly a very piece of writing by Lincoln, but no, certainly the finest was the Gettysburg Address.

[@rollotomassi6232]

Great reaction and the editing was one of the best I've seen.

[@kaiielle]

Thank you for saying this! I feel like it's one of my best edits on the whole channel so far. 😊

[@Peter-pj4zj]

The only thing that I wish I knew about this movie is, did private Ryan ever invent the longer lasting light bulb? The world May never know.😅

[@Slay3K]

One of my favorite movies of all time. The way they did the beach scenes was really impressive, in terms of how it was shot specifically to create the intensity and grit they wanted to represent the experience. Playing with frame rates and shooting at angles that match what documentary filmmakers shot while on the beach during the invasion. Just wild, but really cool to look into. Glad to see you got to watch this, despite the intensity! Can't recommend Band of Brothers enough if you want to dive deeper into this, so good! The Pacific is similar in quality, but focused on the eastern front. It has a very different feel, but that side of the war is much lesser known. Unrelated to WW2, Blackhawk Down and We Were Soldiers are also an experience.

[@kaiielle]

Thanks Slay!

[@sigcrazy7]

We Were Soldiers is impressive because it intermixes what was happening with the wives in real-time with the story, as it really happened. We often focus solely on the soldier’s experience, while glossing over the anguish of the families left behind. SPR touched it a little when it showed Mrs Ryan on the porch being approached by the Chaplin, but We Were Soldiers showes the wives’ experience in much greater detail, and creates audience empathy with the soldier’s families. I spent some time in uniform, and was called up for war. At the time, I was a little scared, but also somewhat excited. I didn’t even consider my family’s feelings. Now, thirty years later, I have come to realize that sending one of my sons to war would be far worse than going myself. I would rather face all the privations and vicissitudes of war, and even pay with my life, than have one of my children do the same. Giving one’s life in battle is the penultimate sacrifice. Giving one’s child is the ultimate sacrifice.

[@Ceractucus]

Kaiielle now time to relax with a wonderful feel good movie like Grave of the Fireflies. (Just kidding, please DON'T) at least not until you are ready for something even sadder. But DO watch Singing in the Rain, Princess Bride, Juno or Hot Fuzz as they are feel good movies. Fantastic reaction and I am very happy to sub and give you a thumbs up too of course. (Come people we can all do that!). Best wishes! I look forward to watching the rest of your reactions.

[@rookielicence1212]

Great reaction 😊 you even got me with your reaction to the sniper being taken out by tank

[@schnubbel76]

Wanna give you a hug. This movie is a tough one. Destroys me as well every time.

[@DESooner333]

I highly recommend a reaction to an HBO series that Tom Banks and Steven Spielberg teamed up to produce immediately after this film. It's1 season, 10 episodes and is called 'Band of Brothers', which tells the story of Ryan's unit throughout the war.

[@ADR.1993]

Tom Banks is excellent.

[@gerathb4961]

imho some of the best TV ever made, and ushered in the current age of premium television (high budget, top teir writing, performances etc). Just to be clear Ryan is a fictional character from B (baker) company, while B.O.B. follows the real E (easy) company, Based on real people, that for narrative purposes it has to take some liberties, but gets it about as right as u can hope for.

[@canadian__ninja]

Fun fact, while it is still entirely fiction, one of the paratroopers that linked up with the right Pvt. Ryan is from the Band of Brothers company, Easy.

[@DESooner333]

I have a very sensitive autocorrect.

[@Ernwaldo]

@@canadian__ninja If you’re talking about the first guy that spoke to Miller, he wasn’t in the same company as the soldiers in Band Of Brothers. The guy in this film says he’s in Easy Company, 501st (Regiment). The guys in Band of Brothers were in the 506th. Ryan was in the 506th, but Baker Company of the 1st Battalion.

[@James-zg2nl]

From the perspective of a veteran the best war movies are: Danger Close (Australian) The Out Post (American) They are both highly accurate historically but more importantly for me, they get the bond between warriors right. There is no closer bond between humans than brothers in arms (or sisters). “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”.

[@kmvoss]

Lol @ the meme reveal at the end. :) Great reaction.

[@zeldangerous]

Great reaction! Intense movie. Lots to discuss and think on after. Brilliant everything. I watch before bed and then have oatmeal for brainwords trying to leave a comment. 😆

[@jonjohns65]

🪖Thanks for watching this. Spielberg is a master. The invasion of France to liberate them, and bring the battle towards Germany has been studied ad nauseum. And for a couple generations, everyone knew someone who was there...

[@iKvetch558]

At around 21:35 you make a really astute observation...you talk about Miller and his group being on a "mini objective." Since Miller had been assigned a special mission from so high up in the chain of command...George Marshall was second in line to only the President in military matters, effectively...Miller's standard order would have been to specifically AVOID anything that might jeopardize the completion of his assignment. Attacking the machine gun was a bad mistake, and a violation of Miller's orders...and if he had lived and Ryan had not, he would likely have been court martialed. But it is clear why Spielberg chose to have the attack take place...Wade's death is one of the central dramatic points of the whole plot.

[@kaiielle]

Thanks for explaining this! That does make me see that scene a bit differently now. But I agree, the dramatics of a story like this are important to keep people interested and Wade's death was a very emotional moment.

[@elwoodblues5864]

One of my favorite Spielberg and war movies. Loved your reaction

[@evacombs9720]

There is a running joke asking how much money has been spent trying to rescue Matt Damon.

[@xara31]

I watched this during a re-release. I went alone, after getting back, knowing what would come. I cried like a 9yr old girl with a skinned knee.

[@uiformtitan1970]

"Did you know that during the screening of 'Saving Private Ryan,' actual World War II veterans attended the movie? The film's depiction of the D-Day invasion was so realistic that it brought back vivid memories for these veterans. In fact, some of them had to leave the theater because the scenes were so powerful that they could almost smell the blood, gunfire, and oil, just like they did during the war."

[@ironman20740]

We Were Soldiers and this movie are suppose to be the best representation of what war was really like. Band of Brothers is an amazing series to watch.

[@snookyookum]

It was the Sullivan brothers. Five brothers who were all killed the same day when a ship they were on was sunk. Due to this event, and maybe a couple others, military policy was eventually changed so that all siblings in a family cannot serve and those that do cannot be posted in the same place.

[@jimmyc3755]

To really get the total scope of WW2, if that is what you are after, you cannot ignore the movies about battles in the Pacific. Midway, In Harms Way, Iwo Jima, Flags of our fathers, Tora Tora Tora, Operation Pacific, and the John Ford documentary he filmed on Midway, during the actual attack, and With The Marines at Tarawa, where a Hollywood film crew landed with the Marines for the battle there. Using color 35mm film. These last two documentary movies Are 100% accurate. Ford was wounded as he was filming the attack, the film crew on Tarawa were wounded too. The film- With The Marines at Tarawa was not going to be shown to the Public. It was horrific, but showed how brutal the battles were against Japan. The director flew back to Washington DC and told President Roosevelt that the Marines who made those landings wanted the public to know why so many of their sons were dying in the Pacific. Roosevelt ordered that movie theaters show it. The Public was horrified in the US, but they also reacted by buying millions of war bonds to support the war in the Pacific. Both of these short documentaries, Midway and Tarawa won Oscars. Due to the shortage of metals during WWII their Oscars were made of plaster. Only receiving actual metal Oscars after the war. Ford (who was in the USA armed forces) was awarded the Medal of Honor too. The highest award you can receive in USA armed forces. The Longest Day is a must to see the entirety of D-Day.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

You left out Hacksaw Ridge, which was a powerful film about the Pacific War.

[@technopirate304]

8:34 This actor speaking is retired Marine Corps Captain Dale Dye Jr. He is the military consultant for this film and many other war films like Platoon. Captain Dye is a highly decorated Vietnam War vet. His company trained the actors in this film so that they would look and move like real soldiers of that period would. If you ever see him in a war film he is usually portraying an officer who is a supporting character. But you can also know that the producers are trying to show soldiers in a realistic and grounded manner.

[@epic_devvv]

The opening scene on Omaha beach on D-Day 1944 , 6thJune was one part of the movie they tried to get a real portrayal of.

[@micchaelsanders6286]

easily the greatest most realistic war film ever produced.

[@SilentBob731]

Excellent reaction to the greatest War Movie ever made (and one of the greatest movies in general, in my not-so-humble opinion). 19:50 Noice! You might be the first young Reactor I've watched who knew this bit. Also, I see lots of other cool stuff on this channel so...Subscribed. 👍✌❤

[@nothernmonkey8612]

R.I.P Treat Williams he died on Monday from a motorcycle crash he was 71 he starred in my favourite creature feature DEEP RISING a forgotten gem Jerry goldsmith did the musical score he's done everything star trek movies Rambo planet of the apes Tora Tora Tora total recall and the mummy. Stephen sommers directed DEEP RISING and the mummy it's got loads of actor's people will recognise plus at the end of the movie they wash up on skull island it's a pity they didn't do a sequel. Treat Williams also played the bad guy in the phantom movie

[@jasonirwin4799]

Sad to hear. I love Deep Rising. Williams was also great in a weird old campy 80s cop/zombie action/comedy with Joe Piscopo called Dead Heat.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

He also played the main character in the sequels to The Substitute. Totally worthy of filling Tom Berenger's shoes.

[@g3o5d]

Just watched TW in one of his earlier roles, "Hair", Vietnam era movie/musical. Great movie.

[@TheWindcrow]

10:15 Kai............I loved this response. It was made me tear up a little bit. =) Everyone should know the sacrifice and to as why we have what we have today.

[@jkhoover]

I actually got to watch this for free when it was first released. I was in the army jungle training in Panama, and we got to watch it in a theater there.

[@matbrooke8747]

Great movie I at one time was in the military out of high school for 10 years. I never was in combat but I did go to Saudi Arabia for a rotation. I was a sergeant in the Army running an operation center watching for studs so my favorite line thr sergeant says I'm wearing my pistol to work captain. Mine was be vigilant. When Upham froze I did not like him after, as I have been in the service and a police officer having the next man's back is your duty. I have always liked Tom Hanks.

[@67lionsoflisbon37]

Great reactions. Heartfelt. Masterpiece of a film but very sad. Saw it in the cinema when first released.

[@michaelwardle7633]

One thing that always struck me is how incongruous the Lincoln Letter speech after seeing the previous horrific scene. “Died gloriously on the field of battle” doesn’t at all describe the way people were slaughtering each other like animals. It’s beyond bizarre.

[@arraymac227]

In case no ones mentioned this: _Good Will Hunting_ was still in the future when this movie was made.

[@zmarko]

There was an Alt-rock band in the 90's called Caroline's Spine who had a song called "Sullivan", about the 5 Sullivan Brothers who were killed during WWII when their ship they were serving on sank (can't recall why). It's a great, lesser known song, and worth checking out.

[@swordmonkey6635]

A good companion movie to this is The Longest Day. It's a much older movie, but deals with the Normandy landings and how crazy and how easy it would've been to fail unless brave men stood up and sacrificed themselves by throwing themselves forward to let the brothers succeed.

[@RoadDoug]

Ok, you’ve hooked me. Sun and liked. Good reaction. Probably need a comedy or 2 to regroup.

[@keimahane]

Anyone who says this movie is not accurate is full of it and have obviously never watched every other movie about WWII. When this movie came out it was hailed as the MOST accurate depiction of that day ever put to film.

[@arraymac227]

Not enough reactors laugh at the 'longer lasting lightbulb.'

[@kaiielle]

With a movie like this, I feel like it's important to smile or laugh literally any chance the movie gives you the opportunity to!

[@jeffdege4786]

S. L. A. Marshall's article "First Wave at Omaha Beach" was published in The Atlantic, in 1960, and is available online, if you search for it.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

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.

[@wesburnett5309]

I seen this in the theater I was doing a review/report for arts/literature class it was my first proper movie review ever my senior year in high-school

[@dawnofthewalkers4915]

Lmao “mini objective” They’re on a side quest