Who saw Saving Private Ryan in the cinema? (spoilers obviously)

i recommend everyone to watch "the longest day" as well .... and if anyone can find the colour version i'll buy them a beer :D ( on dvd that is ) :P
 
This is one film I wish I could have seen at the cinema, just for the atmosphere.

Is the german guy that stabs the other guy at the end in the hand to hand combat scene, the same german guy they let go earlier on in the film, when they raided the MG42 nest?

No, though that is the one that Upham shoots after the planes arrive and the Americans take things back.
 
Anyone know what the large puffs of white/grey smoke that comes from the Germans who are shot while running out of the bunker at the beginning is? Or is it just over-zealous squibs?
 
Scared or not, you still go up there and help a friend whos being stabbed slowly in the heart.

No. The point of his role in the film was that he was never intended to fight. I'd say to you to put yourself in his shoes and see how you react, but you're suspended so nevermind then!

I saw this in the cinema and i lost count of how many people were in tears at that scene, some even left. At the time, that was one of the most shocking pieces of cinema i had ever seen, still is.
 
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Watched it last night, can't remember ever flinching at a stab scene... very very good movie though however imo it doesn't come close to band of brothers. I nearly shed a tear with that and the snow mortar scene really hit home!
 
One of the best war films ive ever seen. The part where Barry pepper shoots the german sniper through the scope is one ive seen in a few other films. Sniper with Tom berenger being one i can remember off hand. A bit of homage to gunnery sergeant Carlos hathcock, who performed this extraordinary type of shot in vietnam.
 
No, though that is the one that Upham shoots after the planes arrive and the Americans take things back.

It is the same german they release that stabs the jew, hence why he doesn't kill Upham after sticking it to the man and walking down the stairs.

Upham finally nuts up and shoots him in the end.
 
the thing that people forget is that at this stage of the war, a lot of the american soldiers were just kids with no experience. Kids who volunteered to get some european women and kill some nazis.

They trained them as best they could, but nothing could prepare them for what was going to happen on D day and the ensuing weeks.

Many of them had never had any real experience in wars, and lots of the experienced officers and infantry the americans had in WWI had long since retired early and gone into early employment as a result of the neutrality acts of the 30s. They had plenty of experienced soldiers, but they hadn't trained for years and were out of practice.

The scene were upham wimps out is typical of the sort of thing that happens when you send kids to war.

Of course, a year or two later these kids had grown into men and hardened soldiers through many months of experience in france and belgium, but saving private ryan is set in the first few days after D Day.
 
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I'll check the cast list later. I am certain that you're wrong.
Heh, when I read what you posted I was sure you were wrong, was going to go back and watch it again to be sure. As said, he sees Upham and ignores him because I think it was him that said to release him rather than kill him?
 
Heh, when I read what you posted I was sure you were wrong, was going to go back and watch it again to be sure. As said, he sees Upham and ignores him because I think it was him that said to release him rather than kill him?

He just ignores him because he isn't a threat.

Anyway. The above link has side by side comparisons and lots of detail. They are clearly not the same guy.
 
the thing that people forget is that at this stage of the war, a lot of the american soldiers were just kids with no experience. Kids who volunteered to get some european women and kill some nazis.

They trained them as best they could, but nothing could prepare them for what was going to happen on D day and the ensuing weeks.

Many of them had never had any real experience in wars, and lots of the experienced officers and infantry the americans had in WWI had long since retired early and gone into early employment as a result of the neutrality acts of the 30s. They had plenty of experienced soldiers, but they hadn't trained for years and were out of practice.

The scene were upham wimps out is typical of the sort of thing that happens when you send kids to war.

Of course, a year or two later these kids had grown into men and hardened soldiers through many months of experience in france and belgium, but saving private ryan is set in the first few days after D Day.
Good point, of the us units that landed on d-day, only a few had taken part in combat operations prior to the invasion. The rangers and the 1st infantry division had fought in north africa sicily and italy, as did the 82nd airborne division. The other units that landed (4th inf div, utah beach, 29th inf div, omaha beach, 101st airborne) were experiencing their first combat operations of the war.
 
At the end, after the planes attack the tanks, when upham orders the remaining germans to surrender, the shaven headed guy recognises upham, then calls his name. Upham proceeds to shoot him before turning the others loose. Just checked on the blu ray version and the guy who stabs mellish is wearing a different tunic, (ss collar boards), but the fella who upham shoots is wearing a tunic with army collar boards. Strange though why upham shoots him now after doing so much to save him at the machine gun pill box earlier in the film.
 
At the end, after the planes attack the tanks, when upham orders the remaining germans to surrender, the shaven headed guy recognises upham, then calls his name. Upham proceeds to shoot him before turning the others loose. Just checked on the blu ray version and the guy who stabs mellish is wearing a different tunic, (ss collar boards), but the fella who upham shoots is wearing a tunic with army collar boards. Strange though why upham shoots him now after doing so much to save him at the machine gun pill box earlier in the film.


I think he saves him at the MG nest because of his idealism and innocence of the barbarities of war. Like many who haven't experienced the brutality of war up close, he probably still thinks warfare is flecked by chivalry. Then, after seeing how disturbing and dog-eat-dog it really is on the frontline (and seeing the Landser in question shoot Hanks) he either feels a sense of personal betrayal or that he must dish out battlefield justice. Perhaps, it is also to assuage his guilt.
 
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