15 Fascinating Facts About ‘Saving Private Ryan’

I agree with your choice of the Great Raid, another Dale Dye advised film. They shot the raid sequence as it was executed...the actors are actually executing the raid as Dale Dye taught them. Benjamin Bratt was awesome as Mucie, especially the bad ass, standing, aimed shots from the 1903 during the diversionary attack.

I respectfully disagree on the Thin Red Line. They tried the Longest Day cameo formula. The story was just too scattered. The one exception I would say was the assault of the fortifications sequence by John Cusack's character.

I realize, certainly, what you explained, I was just interested especially in seeing the second of the James Jones trilogy filmed at all. I realize the film was as you'd said, scattered, I also thought the assault on the Japanese headquarters, apart from the John Cusack part, with that unusual musical score mixed with that odd narrating voice, also, certainly, the equal of the Spielberg film. I know everyone yaks about the initial Omaha Beach sequence in the Spielberg film, I fathom that, and, I think, why, given the extent to which it was depicted. I also realize the great Raid was done under Dale dye, and that he was in the film depicting Lt Gen kreuger on Luzon. To me, any historical film should never be paraphrased; if he'd wanted to do a film depicting something along the line of the story of the niland Brothers, or other similar instances I'd read of, I just wish he'd done that, instead of completely fictionalizing the depiction to the extent he did. The fury film with Brad Pitt was another such example, though the acting was so good, I can allow for the fact that I'd read that combat tank vets from ww2 who saw it said the level of violence depicted got bad, I'd read in at least the case of one reviewer, albeit not quite that bad. If one takes the Quentin tarrantino film with Brad Pitt about the Jewish soldiers, I of course perceive what tarrantino was seeking to lampoon. However, there was a very real story about the real central participant in the real incident, who just passed away, with a very real effort to get him the MOH for his work as an odd agent, there was a quite good documentary on the true story on fairly recently. The unbroken film by Angelina Jolie about Louis zamperini was I think the equal of the great Raid, if only because it was done as accurately as it was, though I'd read his story was was so nearly perfectly documented that it essentially told itself, plkus, I'd read, he also, as I'd seen a documentary regarding, helped her depict it properly, I'd actually, I think, seen a C-SPAN program he was on once, I'm reasonably certain that was him on that show, as well, telling his story for C-SPAN. The dirty dozen film from the 60s with Lee Marvin I think, as with the great escape film with Steve McQueen, were, once again, too heavily fictionalized. If you haven't read them, though I'd imagine you likely have, get the filthy thirteen book on which the dirty dozen novel by e m nathanson was based, I'd gathered, and the escape factory by Lloyd r shoemaker. I do think the use of Donald pleasance to help with the great escape was quite helpful, being as he'd actually been a POW if you hadn't ever encountered that aspect, though once again I'd expect you'd have seen that as well. There was a very interesting, albeit somewhat fictionalized account of Maj John Dodge that relative inmsome fashion of Churchill, done by Christopher Reeves, about the search by the UK for the Germans for their war crimes involving the 50 allied aircrew lost during and or after the great escape. Also, the book by shoemaker if you haven't seen it, recounts the whole story of mis-x and mis-y, as well as mi9, by shoemaker, and explains exactly how mis-x and mis-y+y contributed to the actual Stalag lift iii escape, which the book by Paul brickhill never was allowed to go into back then, I'd gathered. The wooden horse, which was the real story on which the Steve McQueen character was based, about the blitz out using a vaulting horse, is also superb, if you've never read it, there was also a film about that done separately in the 1950#, I've been most eager to find it get also the one who got away, the true story of a German escapee from Canada before pearl harbor, who got away as a German POW of Canada, based on his autobiography, I think, written later on, the scene of him crossing one of the great lakes nearly half frozen as it was iced over is quite compelling. A bridge too far I thought quite good in places ,as was the longest day, I've read the Cornelius Ryan books, though I think both films had considerable limitations, and I think the use of John Wayne instead of charlton Heston as Lt Col Benjamin vandervoort was, to my mind, abysmal. The use of red buttons to depict the soldier actually caught in the church steeple in St maire eglise, and the female maquis heroine, also based on a true character, both of who did actually later appear on the TV show what's my line? were quite good, though once again, too heavily fictionalized for my tastes, though I realize the sensibilities of the period prevented any more accurate depiction, John Wayne being used most especially, and Ryan, I forgrtnhis first name, as Gen gavin, with that especially dumb sequence of the flickinwg of the light switches at the pre invasion briefing, I also thought absurd, though the recounting of specific names and instances like that of Maj John Howard is I realize why the film is so iconic now, certainly. I hope that was all of interest, I'd be most interested in any further thoughts, many thanks. I'd also thought to mention here, my wife's dad got a Bronze leading a minefield charge at the Moselle river during the battle of Nancy under Gen Patton, and my uncle, my dad's sister's husband, was in the 3118th signal SVC battalion, one of Gen Eisenhower's radio operators, he knew him and Gen Eisenhower remembered him very slightly. He personally helped send the Telex ofnthe German surrender at the little red schoolhouse at Reims Germany, he was actually there and knew Sgt Mickey Keogh and Capt Kay summersby, he saw Churchill, Marshall, Bradley, Spaatz and many of the others he was in the commo trailer at southwicj house near Eisenhower's trailer as depicted in the Tom selleck Ike film, I thought seeleck quite good as Ike, though taller, of course. Also, the actor who did Churchill nailed that in terms of physiognomy, and was far superior to the Churchill actor in the King's speech film, though I thought that a good recounting of the story of the elocutionist who aided George VI in any event. Many thanks, I must thought you might care to hear such details.

My uncle's unit, the 3118th alsomgot a Pres unit citation I've seen the endorsement by Gen Eisenhower. Also, my uncle swiped a flimsy of the Telex of the German surrender, he and my aunt displayed it every meml day, 4th of July, and vets day at their lcl library, my cousins their two boys, still have it in a safe deposit box. Also, I'd found later my uncle his unit comedian,as recounted in his unit newspaper, which I have copies of, I spoke with one of the 3118th mbrs who found them for us. And, when my uncle graduated Columbia Univ on the GI Bill after ww2 he was presented his diploma on the library steps there by Gen Eisenhower when he was president there before his election in 1952. Gen Eisenhower was quite started by my uncle, all the other ex ww2 vets getting diplomas were too terrified of the Gen to say anything, my uncle, however, yanked the Gen out of his reverie with an equally startlded aide, as my uncle reminded the Gen that he'd known my uncle, a SSgt, at the commo trailer adjoining southwick house before d day, the Gen did in fact momentarily remember him, my uncle said, amusingly, I just figured you'd get a kick out of that story, lol.