My FIRST TIME Watching SAVING PRIVATE RYAN Left Me SPEECHLESS

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  • Опубліковано 23 чер 2022
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  • @alexhefnerstvmovievault
    @alexhefnerstvmovievault  Рік тому +584

    Sorry guys. Basically this entire reaction is me saying “oh my God” and having my mouth wide open! Unbelievable movie 🤯
    Winner is the person who counts how many “oh my God”s there are.

    • @Weapon01
      @Weapon01 Рік тому +12

      You'll love watching "Hamburger Hill".
      We'll get you watch that one day.

    • @ajclements4627
      @ajclements4627 Рік тому +30

      Fury is a real good film, as is Letters from Iwo Jima.

    • @irishrebel7616
      @irishrebel7616 Рік тому +24

      6,384,296? 😂

    • @lawrenceallen8096
      @lawrenceallen8096 Рік тому +13

      I don't know why, but every time I see that German begging for his life, and the American soldier getting that knife through his heart, I get nauseous. All that killing and only murder: Upham murdering that German at the end. He murdered that German for revenge, for killing Captain Miller. Everyone else was killing under orders. And think: how did we feel when he did murder him? Moral dilemmas in this film? You bet!

    • @dillongreen4845
      @dillongreen4845 Рік тому +32

      Schindlers List is a must watch, another great WW2 movie also directed by Steven Spielberg.

  • @HalfBloodPrincess437
    @HalfBloodPrincess437 Рік тому +541

    “Earn this” wasn’t just for Pvt Ryan…….it was for all of us. We need to Earn what those men and women gave their lives for.

    • @rc59191
      @rc59191 Рік тому +6

      I was only an Airman for a few years before Crohns Disease ruined my military career. Kills me that I haven't been able to do more my life has always felt like there's a hole in it.

    • @Beezer1742
      @Beezer1742 Рік тому

      @O d V with the military, or with the way our government the military?

    • @drapdv
      @drapdv Рік тому +5

      That’s actually a great way of looking at it

    • @jtough7499
      @jtough7499 Рік тому +12

      And we are failing them now.

    • @jtough7499
      @jtough7499 Рік тому +1

      @O d V no. Why would I do that?

  • @tracerjames51
    @tracerjames51 Рік тому +197

    The D-Day scene is so accurate, some veterans who were there, had to leave the theater. The only criticism they had was there wasn't enough bodies

    • @beano_burrito
      @beano_burrito 10 місяців тому +18

      They also said the smell.

    • @elliotrathmell8063
      @elliotrathmell8063 5 місяців тому +12

      Boat traps were also the wrong way round apparently

  • @blacksheep_edge1412
    @blacksheep_edge1412 Рік тому +286

    The ending of this movie kills me. Every time. Seeing that old man begging his wife to tell him he's a good man. . . Can't stop the tears.

    • @willcollis8316
      @willcollis8316 Рік тому +15

      You'd have to be a sociopath to not feel that scene

    • @thetinpin
      @thetinpin Рік тому +11

      Same here. It doesn't matter if it's a clip of the end or I've just watched the entire movie... it always destroys me.

    • @Shikoku360-trolling-the-scum
      @Shikoku360-trolling-the-scum 4 місяці тому

      If you enjoyed this movie, I'd recommend you watch the adult film "Saving Ryan's Privates", it's fantastic! Along with these other great flicks;
      "Batman and Throbbin"
      "Forest Hump"
      "Edward Pnis Hands" and many more

  • @zacharyharwell351
    @zacharyharwell351 Рік тому +416

    As many people as there are who give the character shit, Upham is the Everyman character of the movie. He's the touchstone for the millions of people who haven't been in combat, or even to boot camp. I understand the frustration people feel but in reality that's probably 95% of us if we had been suddenly thrown into this situation with Upham's experience

    • @vc6596
      @vc6596 Рік тому

      F that. Upham is a pos

    • @doogieboi3252
      @doogieboi3252 Рік тому +28

      As someone who has never been in combat and probably never will be, I think it’s insulting to veterans for me to even speak my opinion on what I think it would be like

    • @tru47agent
      @tru47agent Рік тому +6

      I totally agree I felt the fear he was emitting, it flight or fight and 90% of everyday Americans is taking flight including me I'm not staying around bullets flying and shut blowing up and it's not being a coward it's being smart

    • @rtmis1
      @rtmis1 9 місяців тому +14

      I just wonder how many actual ww2 veterans would be so quick to label him a coward. Nobody knows what they would do in that situation unless they actually live it. Nobody.

    • @supahfly2106
      @supahfly2106 6 місяців тому +20

      ​@@rtmis1not many, my grandfather's were both WWll vets mom's dad was in the Pacific theatre, Dad's father landed on Nebraska beach. The guys in this movie landed on Omaha beach which was the most heavily defended. N e way, they both told me, and I saw, and felt it myself being a combat veteran myself now. Basic training forces a lot of the flight tendencies out of you, but not all. Sometimes a crippling fear will overtake you, you want to move with every fiber of your being, but you simply can't. Some can overcome it, some can't. No shame in being human. If you survive it, learn from it, and force yourself to perceiver. Seeing your friends as well as enemies killed, and mutilated scars you no matter how tough externally you are. I don't mention specifics, because to do that is to put myself back there. I've seen guys freeze like him one time, and the next they're the first ones to jump into action. I've frozen myself. The ones you should feel bad for are the ones that show no emotion, or internalize it. Those are the men that usually eventually take their own lives, or worse take other life unnecessarily then their own. There's being born hard, and there's being irreparably broken. I'm a fourth generation veteran my family has fought in every modern war. My hope is that our service and sacrifice spares my son's from having to go to war. My greatest fear in our current climate is that our next war will be fought in our yard. That would mean that we have learned absolutely nothing from history. Me personally, I didn't fight for a party, or a president, I fought for the idea that we are all Americans, whether you share my politics or don't, at the same time. I don't care if you're left, or right. Progressive, or maga. If mine are threatened, I will answer with swift, merciless, and unforgiving rage. Hope y'all have a nice day. My eyes are never dry watching this movie.

  • @JD-bl9wj
    @JD-bl9wj Рік тому +1588

    I would highly recommend the show band of brothers. Made by Spielberg and Tom Hanks, it's based on the real story of the soldiers of Easy Company and their journey through WW2.

    • @johnbigdaddyross2158
      @johnbigdaddyross2158 Рік тому +56

      Must watch and a lesson in leadership

    • @3Kings_Industries
      @3Kings_Industries Рік тому +49

      100% encourage you to watch the series BAND OF BROTHERS. The story of Easy Company went on to influence military policy.

    • @03scottwarren
      @03scottwarren Рік тому +18

      This comment has a jillion likes.

    • @Werewolf914
      @Werewolf914 Рік тому +5

      I love that show the cast is great and I love that they started (or was it ended?) Every episode talking to the real Soldiers

    • @arqHHM
      @arqHHM Рік тому +16

      Band of Brothers is a 💯 must watch! Right up there with this movie.

  • @rondanakamura2655
    @rondanakamura2655 Рік тому +286

    I had a dear friend who fought in WWII. The way he told it, most people resigned themselves to the idea that if it was your time, it was your time. There was nothing more you could do about it, so you should do what you trained to do in hopes that your duty might save some of your friends. He came home. He suffered considerably with survivor's guilt, though I doubt he ever called it that. He tried to live as good a life as possible to honor those friends, family, and community members who didn't make it home. He died at 95.

    • @dters9
      @dters9 Рік тому +10

      God Bless Your Friend.

    • @mimikurtz2162
      @mimikurtz2162 Рік тому +9

      My father was British infantry and fought from D Day+7 until the German surrender. He said that during the battle of Caen he accepted that none of his unit would survive the war, and wherever they went their purpose was simply to kill as many Germans as possible before dying.
      When he came home a year after the war ended, he had changed from a young hard-as-nails budding gangster to a responsible, law abiding family man. But he never lost his pathological hatred of Germans until he died in 2005.

    • @mikem1765
      @mikem1765 Рік тому +3

      My grandfather was a farmer in Holland. He was captured and interred in a POW camp for half a year until the Nazis released him to keep farming due to their dwindling supplies. When he arrived home and called out to my grandmother she actually fainted. She thought she was hearing the dead. My father was born in Canada a few short years after his father immigrated here.
      There exists only one photo of that generation of my family and my own meeting. My grandpa Berts wife who fainted, Dora, holding my older brother as a newborn baby. She died the year after. I wish I had met them.

    • @gd3369
      @gd3369 Рік тому +2

      i think initially the men that went, went to get away, for the adventure ... they really had no idea what they were getting themselves in for ... but when they got dropped into the meat grinder it all became clear. and i believe that a lot thought they are dead already (it's just a matter of time ) ... and they fought on not just to survive but for their brothers next to them ... and they were all afraid but they focused on the mission and for their brothers, and that's how they dealt with their fear ...
      but what do i know .. i am just some guy on the internet ...

    • @gd3369
      @gd3369 Рік тому +1

      @@mikem1765 very interesting story Mike ... thanks for sharing

  • @themachine3490
    @themachine3490 Рік тому +66

    My Grandad was a medic on Omaha Beach. I never knew that until I was in my late teens. He never talked about it. Only time I ever seen where he talked about it was he was interviewed in the late 80's by a local Newspaper that was doing a feature about D-Day. After hearing what he went through, I realized why he never talked about it. Also, that was probably the reason he was a heavy drinker most of his later life.

  • @migiplayz91
    @migiplayz91 Рік тому +80

    No matter how many times I see this movie, the medic's death hurt me the most. Made my cry ugly tears
    What's also painful that most of these soldiers just graduated high school, they're still practically kids.

    • @sopwithpuppy
      @sopwithpuppy Рік тому +6

      There's a song (by Paul Hardcastle - "19" I think) about the Vietnam war that contains a short sound grab, played in the background. "In WW2, the average age of the combat soldier was 26. In Vietnam, he was 19".

    • @trevinormandy14520
      @trevinormandy14520 5 місяців тому +1

      if all your buddies are signing up to go overseas and you’re too young, like 16, or 17 you lie about your age you falsify your ID, knowing that almost 80 years ago it was a lot easier to do that than today. I live in Normandy. I’ve been many times to American military cemetery that you see in this movie…. When going to national military cemetery in Arlington national cemetery in Washington DC. You have the soldiers who died in all the wars of the United States the date of death and date of birth.
      on the graves in Normandy you only have the dates of death …makes you wonder doesn’t it?

    • @grandpallama
      @grandpallama Місяць тому

      There were certainly plenty of that age, but the average age of the American soldier was mid-20s. Most of the men here are clearly no longer teenagers.

  • @bunniebee2475
    @bunniebee2475 Рік тому +157

    My Marine son recently became a veteran and the relief I felt that day, knowing I would never have a knock at my door with such horrible news, was indescribable.

    • @grayplob8988
      @grayplob8988 Рік тому +8

      That's wonderful. Best wishes to you both x

    • @versecontro4898
      @versecontro4898 Рік тому +4

      Glad to hear your son made it home and best wishes, prayers, and luck to him for his service

    • @Number0neSon
      @Number0neSon Рік тому +1

      I'm very happy for you!

    • @valerienorton4371
      @valerienorton4371 5 місяців тому

      My daughter did 2 stints in Afghanistan and the one she hated the most the Yugoslavian war. The British Army Review (BAR) has published a Special Report on ‘The Yugoslav Wars’.
      a special report chronicles the brutal conflicts that took place in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo after the break up of the former republic of Yugoslavia.
      That one line makes me go cold she never talks about it much whereas Afghan double she got on with, I wrote to her constantly and her replies I've kept all these years. So pleased for you that your son is home and after 22 yrs as is my daughter, immeasurably proud of her so thankful she's now like me a Veteran.

  • @psychobetha
    @psychobetha Рік тому +136

    as a veteran myself, i can’t hate Upham like some people do. i feel sorry for him. he froze because mentally he just couldn’t handle it. it’s very likely he didn’t sign up and was drafted, and ended up in a situation he never imagined. some people just aren’t made for combat 😕

    • @agp11001
      @agp11001 Рік тому +26

      Indeed. Very probably drafted, rear echelon postings for his whole time in the army, probably "stormed" the beach in the back of a truck carrying the whole map service guys and their stuff, and less than 48 hours later comes toe to toe with SS troops and a fucking Tiger. Honestly, I guess a lot of way tougher guys might have ended up frozen in place.

    • @pelicanofpunishment6
      @pelicanofpunishment6 Рік тому +8

      That's one thing I learned from an autobiography of a British sniper in Iraq back in 2004. They had a guy that, even when they encountered the enemy, never fired a single shot. At the time, they were of course, pissed off with him. But after the fact, even if you sign up, not everyone is suited to putting their life on the line and taking lives. And let's face it, most people would likely be the same. At least at first.

    • @The_Real_Frisbee
      @The_Real_Frisbee Рік тому +4

      @@pelicanofpunishment6 Are you talking about Sniper One? I read that book when I was going through basic/AIT. Absolutely loved it.

    • @pelicanofpunishment6
      @pelicanofpunishment6 Рік тому +4

      @@The_Real_Frisbee That's the one. Absolutely fantastic Autobiography. Love how well it's written and how it captures the drama of what it was like when the OMS kicked off.

    • @hansgerber8654
      @hansgerber8654 5 місяців тому +3

      fear is one of the strongest forces affecting poeple. Some people shut completely down when faced with exeistencial fear ... I can't blame him either despite how frustrating he was to watch

  • @Chris-zv5fu
    @Chris-zv5fu Рік тому +21

    The way I shuddered when he talked about Upham and said “I feel like he’s gonna come in clutch later”. Literally the most unclutch character I’ve ever seen in a movie or tv show lol

  • @justsomebody-1665
    @justsomebody-1665 4 місяці тому +5

    When he said "I bet he's gonna come in clutch later" talking about Upham,
    all I could think was "This isnt that kind of movie"

  • @DannyRobalino
    @DannyRobalino Рік тому +146

    36:38 I think most of us had the same frustrated reaction to Upham at first, and it’s not until we are done with the movie we realized he was paralyzed with fear, he was physically incapable of moving, a condition called Emotional Paralysis, which makes sense since he goes from a desk job to the horrors of war in a very short time span. War is just horrible.

    • @reservoirdude92
      @reservoirdude92 Рік тому +8

      That's why it's so puzzling to me that so many people after watching it, even some previously or currently involved in the military, don't understand that. You'd think they're aware of something like that taking hold of you.

    • @yaze3316
      @yaze3316 Рік тому +5

      @@reservoirdude92 thats the funny thing about perceptions and concepts. It will dictate how we understand our problems. If we all had a similar problem, the results would hardly be the same. Because of the context of our life and experiences that will change how we view and think about the world are always going to be unique to us alone. Maybe these guys that are judging Upham do know about emotional paralysis and that everyone isnt made for war. They still are not wrong, by definition Upham was a coward for those moments. And its a statement not a judgment.

    • @stevonwhite8933
      @stevonwhite8933 Рік тому

      @@yaze3316 To be clear, war for centuries the way we fight now with armed weapons of mass destruction, that can burn you, shoot you out the sky, beam you from the sea, and kill you up close, blow you to blood and bits, etc is something we humans aren’t made for.
      *You don’t leave war, you survive war.*
      That is no truer statement than, wars from a century ago to the present.

    • @Roach_Dogg_JR
      @Roach_Dogg_JR Рік тому

      Everyone is always mad at Yohan and I’m just like “wow that’s exactly what I would do.”

    • @MyronZhao
      @MyronZhao 8 місяців тому +1

      @@yaze3316 yep, he definitely was a coward. Even until the end when he killed that German but still let everyone else off the hook. I don't care what anyone says, the guy made every wrong decision that led to the death of almost the entire squad.

  • @kevinwheesysouthward9295
    @kevinwheesysouthward9295 Рік тому +85

    My mother was one of the women who typed the letter’s informing the parents of the loss of a soldier during WWII. My dad fought in the pacific. He never shared any of his experiences. He only told me where he was. Guadalcanal, Okinawa, and Guam were some of the places he “visited”. They truly were the “Greatest Generation”.

    • @geoffharper8650
      @geoffharper8650 5 місяців тому

      And now Trump is destroying everything they fought for .

    • @j.m.w.5064
      @j.m.w.5064 5 місяців тому

      Why? The average age of the later drafts was 18. So there where a lot of sixteenyearolds. So your nation sent children to the slaughter in a warvthat wasn't theirs.
      And in Iraq they killed hundreds of thousands based on a lie in order to find a scapegoat for 9/11.
      And all you guys say ust great and thank you for your service.
      Critical thinking never became your strong suit. So even a sad film like this serves as a template for hooray-patriotism and jingoism. Fantastic. 🙄

    • @mikaeljohnledet1060
      @mikaeljohnledet1060 5 днів тому

      "Hard times makes strong men. Strong men makes good times. Good times makes weak men. Weak men makes hard times." I agree with you on "the greatest generation", but it also kinda explains why everything is turning out the way it has today. lol!

  • @dreal500
    @dreal500 Рік тому +6

    Tom hanks crying in this film was one of the most touching film scenes i have ever watched. What a great actor.

  • @francisgdavis
    @francisgdavis Рік тому +31

    I was serving in the Army at Fort Riley when this movie came out. Some friends and I watched it at the theater but later my comand took a training day and had the entire unit go and see it. Thank you to all my brothers and sisters who have served and are currently serving.

    • @zacharybell6762
      @zacharybell6762 3 місяці тому

      had to take the time to actually write a comment to this as I'm currently stationed there with two weeks left. five years of service have come to an end right here in Junction city. made a vow my career wouldn't end on this installation, but such is life.

  • @jacksonrr007
    @jacksonrr007 Рік тому +106

    My Grandpa 'Clyde' was in the 'Battle of the Bulge' as a tank commander. He told me a few horrific stories that even his wife didn't even know. 'War is Hell' he would say. This movie was the only movie he and I ever saw together in the theater. He agreed everything was realistic and when those planes came in at the end he shouted 'Angels on our shoulders'. I'll never forget that.

    • @fritzkaraldo8452
      @fritzkaraldo8452 Рік тому +12

      I do live 15 miles away from Hürtgenwald.
      There is an amazing documentary about this battle called "You enter germany".

    • @marcstein2510
      @marcstein2510 Рік тому +11

      My grandpa was in the wehrmacht and my father told me that in the 50s and 60s he would still scream in his sleeps during some nights, destroying lamps on near his bed while reliving nightmares.

    • @J9D1T189
      @J9D1T189 Рік тому +12

      Clint thats a nice story about your grandpa. thanks for sharing.
      And Marc, I feel bad for your grandpa's suffering. He must have seen/regreted some terrible things as a German soldier. I hope he found peace.

    • @gd3369
      @gd3369 Рік тому +1

      amazing story ... thanks Clint for sharing ... those people were something special ... greatest generation ...

    • @grant4360
      @grant4360 Місяць тому

      My mom had a friend named Walter. He was German and served as a tank battallion commander during the war. He deserves a movie.

  • @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH
    @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH Рік тому +154

    3:26 - 4:09 When Steven Spielberg and his production researched what happens to you in battle, and what one experiences in war, they purposefully constructed the scene to portray it as accurately as they could (the ringing in the ears; the weird slo-motion feel, etc). What you're seeing here is one of the closest portrayals of what a soldier experiences in battle. It's mind-boggling.

    • @alexhefnerstvmovievault
      @alexhefnerstvmovievault  Рік тому +39

      That is so insane! It makes me happy the production team goes that far in depth but it is also absolutely heartbreaking people went through that

    • @lordmortarius538
      @lordmortarius538 Рік тому +38

      @@alexhefnerstvmovievault They had a special screening for WW2 vets and during the D-Day scene many of them got up and left. Spielberg went out to ask them if they didn't like the scene and found them in tears and hugging each other, the PTSD was so bad because it was so accurate. They said the only thing missing was the smell of blood and diesel, and there were a lot more bodies. The beaches of Normandy were stained red for weeks afterwards with all the blood.

    • @StephenCameron
      @StephenCameron Рік тому +12

      Yeah, when I saw the dead fish on the beach along with the soldiers' bodies, I couldn't help but imagine that they interviewed a bunch of veterans, and one casually remarked about the dead fish, and someone jotted that down, and then there they were, dead fish and dead soldiers on the beach, right there in the movie.

    • @MrHws5mp
      @MrHws5mp Рік тому +18

      @@alexhefnerstvmovievault The only big inaccuracy in the beach landing scene is that the real thing went on for 5 hours, not 20 mins. Just grok that for a minute...

    • @Gantali9305
      @Gantali9305 Рік тому +8

      @@MrHws5mp That and the solders getting shot under water. In reality water would slow the bullet down to a stop after a meter or so.

  • @thetinpin
    @thetinpin Рік тому +20

    Visiting Arlington National Cemetery and witnessing the seemingly endless white parallel grave markers is one of the most moving things I have ever experienced. I was 14 in 1998 when I visited, but the image in my memory is as clear as if it was yesterday.
    There are over 400,000 American military veterans buried there. I wish I could individually thank them all for their service to our country.
    God bless you veterans!

  • @wandererthewolf
    @wandererthewolf Рік тому +10

    Hey Alex, as a veteran who was overseas, this movie hits hard. The part where Cpt was saying he was a school teacher and felt further from home with each shot, I feel that. I was a musician before the army and since deploying haven't touched an instrument in over a decade. I served as a mortuary affairs specialist for 10 years. Been out for almost three years now and just haven't been able to mentally leave that part of my life behind. I think that's why I waited so long to watch this reaction of yours. I knew it would drag up memories and feelings. But all in all, thank you for reacting to this masterpiece and providing an escape from the day to day. Keep it up.

  • @SirPaladin
    @SirPaladin Рік тому +231

    The Omaha Beach sequence was apparently so well done it gave veterans in the audience flashbacks & PTSD...

    • @alexhefnerstvmovievault
      @alexhefnerstvmovievault  Рік тому +55

      I believe that 100%

    • @mctuble
      @mctuble Рік тому +36

      And many of them couldn't finish the movie and walked out. Not saying I blame them.

    • @asaventurasderobson
      @asaventurasderobson Рік тому +33

      I believe they have flashbacks and anxiety attacks. But PTSD is what they already had, not something the movie gave them.

    • @3Kings_Industries
      @3Kings_Industries Рік тому +9

      Went to see this in theaters, as a senior in high school. The beach scene made me puke into the popcorn. I had to wait a few weeks before returning to finish the film.

    • @whitelies8931
      @whitelies8931 Рік тому +26

      One veteran said that he actually smelled diesel gas during the opening scene and had to leave. Heavy stuff

  • @mwhyte1979
    @mwhyte1979 Рік тому +46

    While stationed in Germany I watched this movie in the base theater. Usually when it's a war film you'll hear military folks laughing and critiquing the mistakes that Hollywood gets wrong. This movie you could hear a pin drop from the moment the ramp dropped on the LCI " landing craft infantry" to the end of the movie.

  • @Hethan_Kyle
    @Hethan_Kyle Рік тому +14

    As a veteran, I can basically guarantee there is a huge amount of survival remorse in that beginning scene.

  • @jackmcfarlane7173
    @jackmcfarlane7173 Рік тому +34

    This is the first video of yours I've seen, but I'm glad you went into this movie with a respect for what's going on. Really could tell these were honest reactions, and it was definitely clear you got what the film was all about. Mad respect man.
    Some people in here have recommended Band of Brothers for you to watch next, and that series is seriously some of the best television I've ever seen, but I also wanna recommend you The Pacific (if you can stomach it). Both of those shows are very honest looks into the second world war based on the accounts of real people, and they're masterfully done. All the best man!

    • @traviscarrier1342
      @traviscarrier1342 4 місяці тому +1

      I've watched both of those series. Band of Brothers is amazing. The Pacific is amazing as well but alot darker. I'd recommend them both

    • @jackmcfarlane7173
      @jackmcfarlane7173 4 місяці тому +1

      @@traviscarrier1342 yeah The Pacific is really a story about one of the epochal tragedies of human history. It is not for the faint of heart but it's a very important story that needed to be told

  • @marke8323
    @marke8323 Рік тому +132

    I served in the Army during the "Cold War", and after war games in West Germany I stopped at a WW1 American military cemetery in Belgium, the grounds were immaculate, all of the grave markers in perfect symmetry. I knew no one there, had no direct connection to any of the fallen and cried like a 10 year old girl.

    • @MrSchmaaz
      @MrSchmaaz Рік тому +7

      I joined the Army in 1987, turned 21 in basic training. Spent 2 years in Germany, went to Ft. Hood, Desert Sheild and Desert Storm. 2003-04, downtown Baghdad. None of it is good.

    • @zulawoo
      @zulawoo Рік тому +10

      There's a military graveyard in my town for the British, and one a few miles over for German soldiers. The only graveyard in our country of that kind. Both are impeccably clean. There's always flowers. Even those German soldiers mostly were normal guys, sent into hell. Treat all the fallen soldiers with respect.

    • @chairmanofthebored6860
      @chairmanofthebored6860 Рік тому +11

      I spent 6 years of my life in active war zones. Didn't feel a thing until I got back home. Then it hit. That's how it goes.

    • @marke8323
      @marke8323 Рік тому +7

      @@chairmanofthebored6860 I hope you will find your Peace...

    • @elmorientez3787
      @elmorientez3787 Рік тому

      @@zulawoo It's one if the things a lot of people don't realise - there were obviously radical sociopaths in the German Army - the SS being the obvious ones, but a large chunk of German forces in WWII were conscripts from occupied countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia etc. Those guys didn't have a choice and didnt want to be there either.

  • @johnfranke8321
    @johnfranke8321 Рік тому +48

    I saw saving private Ryan in the theatres five times. The first time was for me. The other four was to watch the crowd.
    The fifth time I watched, the theatre was filled with vets, mostly Shriners.
    After the movie ended I was able to see there reactions between each other. That moment will always stick out to me. There were tears and hugs and stories and I got to see it. I felt I was a fly on the wall to something special.
    The tickets were worth it.

  • @Kratos58gt
    @Kratos58gt Рік тому +1

    A late fact. Upham's character is supposed to represent all of the countries that saw the sign's of what Hilter was doing before the War started. Examples before the War like, when Hilter began re-militarizing Germany, re-militarizing the Rhineland (which was de-militarized after World War 1) and occupying small countries. Larger countries (mainly France and Great Britain) did nothing to stop what was going on.
    These are portrayed in the movie by Upham when he was watching them storm the radar site and he just watched. When they captured the German soldier he fought to have the German released and not killed (you can hear him saying thank you to the Captain for letting him go). And finally when he was slowly walking up the stairs as Mellish was being attacked, he again did nothing to help save Mellish.

  • @FukyurTvest
    @FukyurTvest Рік тому +14

    Asking his wife to tell him he lived a good life and is a good man really makes you think that such a question has more meaning behind it than anyone will ever know. It gives a sense of what some people go through or have gone through to even have to ask that question.

  • @samratcliffe5253
    @samratcliffe5253 Рік тому +86

    Upham was an excellent character. Really highlighted that inevitably not everyone will be capable of war, and conscripting those who aren't into combat situations can cost lives. Love you Alex, let's raise a glass for peace.

    • @josefsieffen18
      @josefsieffen18 Рік тому +14

      Kind of crazy that Upham went on to play Balder in God of War. Crazy good actor.

  • @rangerscloud
    @rangerscloud Рік тому +56

    The first battle scene of Omaha Beach was condensed into like half an hour but the real battle lasted over 8 hrs and over 3000 american soldiers died in the battle. D Day was a much larger scale than just the beach landings as there is a miniseries done by Spielberg and Hanks called Band of Brothers that follows some of the paratroopers that landed in Normandy the night/morning before.
    To answer the question about the rifles each soldier had, Capt Miller had the Thompson sub machine gun, Sgt Horvath had a Carbine rifle (M1 or M12 Carbine), Rieben had a BAR-Browning Automatic Rifle, Jackson had an M1903 Springfield sniper rifle and the rest had M1 Garand rifle's.

    • @johnbuck3374
      @johnbuck3374 Рік тому +5

      Horvath also pulled a 1911 on Rieban

    • @rangerscloud
      @rangerscloud Рік тому +1

      @@johnbuck3374 yeah, that’s the pistol later on. He had asked about the rifles they had

    • @lukestark3
      @lukestark3 Рік тому +2

      M1903 😍 I fired one years ago and wow. Just. Wow.

    • @lobotomizedjellyfish2171
      @lobotomizedjellyfish2171 Рік тому +2

      My Grandfather was one of the pilots that flew the paratroopers to drop in the night before.

    • @dallasyap3064
      @dallasyap3064 Рік тому

      Actually the battle at Omaha was 5 hours+ not 8 hours. The paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines prior to the invasion also went wrong, many were misdropped to other areas rather than their designated drop zones. I also heard that it was quite scary for some of them bcoz machine gun bullets and anti-aircraft rounds were flying into the air while they are parachuting down.

  • @sandwiched
    @sandwiched Рік тому +6

    My grandfather, Irving Cohen, was a GI. I wish I remembered the details better, but I believe he was awarded a medal for bravery during WW2. An ammo truck caught fire in camp, so he drove it off a cliff, jumping out of the cabin before it went over. RIP Grandpa... see you again someday. ❤

  • @saschak9907
    @saschak9907 3 місяці тому +3

    20 years ago, a lightning bolt struck next to me and the bang was so loud that I heard nothing for 1-2 minutes, then for about a quarter of an hour little and muffled and for about 2 weeks slightly muffled, like after the disco. This was illustrated here with these quiet scenes, after a bomb explosion, where only a faint tinitus sound could be heard!

  • @texantompaine4509
    @texantompaine4509 Рік тому +43

    When the medic says "smell that leg there, find out if it's south of cheese," he is getting the other's opinion on whether or not the wound is significantly infected. Due to limited supplies, they triage the wounded so infection could be the difference between cleaning & closing or amputating. So if it's "south of cheese" it's more pungent than cheese and significantly infected.
    If you ever have experience with large, serious, traumatic injuries (and I hope you don't) there's no mistaking the smell of infection - usually like a very oderous cheese or almonds or something like that.

    • @beano_burrito
      @beano_burrito 10 місяців тому

      Kind of smells like death. That never leaves your sinuses.

  • @ericbehanna1702
    @ericbehanna1702 Рік тому +22

    Fun fact: Matt Damon's story about his brothers was completely improvised.

  • @georgio2k
    @georgio2k 3 місяці тому +2

    i love how empathetic alex is in movies such as Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump and Shawshank Redemption, just shows what kind of person you are, Alex you are my favourite youtuber for this reason, you're probably not going to see this but i love you man, so much

  • @bigsofty1977
    @bigsofty1977 5 місяців тому +1

    I was in Baghdad/Fuliujah for 17 months straight Feb 2003-July 2004. War changed me. People became like seeing a dead squirrel on the street. You feel bad for it, but you keep going on about your day. I almost died 13 times, to include gun fire, mortars, a road side bomb, a rocket propelled grenade and i.e.d's. Part of me never came home. I watched soldiers get blown up in front of me. Then about a week later on my way into Fuliujah, I was hit by a roadside bomb and didn't die, it just shook me a bit. 20 years later, and it still feels like I just left. I still see their faces, I still think of my Conrad's lost to the war, and I still feel guilty for making it home. Sometimes I just cry to myself. I mourn for the losses of both sides and I also mourn for the piece of myself that I'll never get back. Part of me died there. Part of me Is still there. No matter how much time passes, I still feel guilt, remorse, and grief. The war never ends.

  • @billwebb1320
    @billwebb1320 Рік тому +28

    I saw this the day before it opened at a special screening for veterans in Greenville, SC. There were 25 WW2 vets in the theater. 5 American, 1 Canadian, and amazingly 1 German who were there. After the movie these 7 men were embraced by every man and woman in the room.

  • @educatedlaziness3268
    @educatedlaziness3268 Рік тому +22

    Something I always point out when I see someone reacting to this movie, at the beginning, the two men who get gunned down trying to surrender are speaking in Czech, the translation isn't exact but what they're saying is "please, we had no choice, they have our families", a practice the Germans had was forcing soldiers of conquered nations to fight for them holding their families hostage

  • @trevorsmith9162
    @trevorsmith9162 Рік тому +3

    Alex you said what guns are those...The Captain has an M1 Thompson - Jackson has an M1903 Springfield - Sgt Mike has an M1 carbine - Reiben has an 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle - everybody else has an M1 Garand.

  • @Realsovietholyman
    @Realsovietholyman 4 місяці тому +1

    I went to theaters and saw this with my dad , It was the first time i saw him cry... Now that im older and understand how precious life is war movies make me cry too.
    Both my Grandfather and Great Uncle were part of D-Day in France, Gpa was an American GI and my GU was a Canadian Sgt.
    M1 Garand with most, 1903 Springfield for the US Sniper , M1 Carbine for the Sgt , Thompson submachine gun M1A1 for Capt Miller , Browning automatic rifle (BAR) for the one guy.

  • @davidgreene805
    @davidgreene805 Рік тому +96

    About Upham - there's the fight/flight response that everyone knows about, but there's also a 3rd thing the body can do which is feeeze. In humans this isn't generally 'playing dead' like some animals do, but can be basically what happened to Upham. Also since he wasn't combat experienced it was possibly the first time it happened to him, but over time he could have got past it.

    • @viikmaqic
      @viikmaqic Рік тому +7

      Ive seen people freeze and shake uncontrollably with fear

    • @spacecadet35
      @spacecadet35 Рік тому

      I always wonder if this character was named after Charles Upham. If so, then it is the exact opposite of the real person.

    • @xvomthemadd5910
      @xvomthemadd5910 Рік тому

      Upham is just a cowered

    • @baronfriday989
      @baronfriday989 Рік тому +3

      He didn't just lack combat experience, he literally never got combat training.

    • @onlythena9927
      @onlythena9927 Рік тому +4

      @@baronfriday989 No one:
      Normal Soldier: Don't know who/enemy name, don't care
      Upham: The first blood/kill is someone he know 💀 (at least he get some combat experience for that)

  • @jeremyharris6055
    @jeremyharris6055 Рік тому +45

    One of my favorite stories about the making of this film.
    The entire crew had to go through a basic training type boot camp. All except for Matt Damon. He was allowed to skip it. Spielberg did that because the soldiers were supposed to be resentful to Ryan when they found him. So he made sure to kick their butts for the entire boot camp, knowing Damon didn't have to do any of it so they actually were angry with him when they got to filming that part lol.

    • @SwampthingDUK
      @SwampthingDUK Рік тому +7

      It was Dale Dye who put them through the boot camp, they were also tired and hungry with little sleep as well to give the haggard look

  • @crigarsha
    @crigarsha Рік тому +2

    32:28
    "i love how calm Captain is"
    You just answered your own question about what the big deal about Tom Hanks' hand shaking half the movie.
    The men need to see that he is calm and that his nerves aren't shot to hell.
    That fear and anxiety will permeate through the rest of the unit if you see your leader not being able to keep it together.
    Great reaction. I ran out of fingers and toes to count your "OMG's"....lol.

  • @davidcopple8071
    @davidcopple8071 8 місяців тому +1

    I'm sixty years old. I knew several world War two veterans who were still alive when this movie came out. Many of them went to see it. But few were able to stay for the whole movie. To a one, they all told me that the Movie was so realistic that they began experiencing flashbacks. And the emotions were just too strong. I myself was in the Army. I was a Combat MP. And I was good friends with many veterans. From WWII , KOREA, Vietnam, and finally Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I'm glad to see the emotions that this movie caused in you. That by itself tells me, that although you can never grasp what it's like to put your life on the line for your country, you at least understand the sacrifice and valor it takes to do so. And I and every other veteran appreciates that. Too many citizens just don't even consider it and take all their freedoms for granted.
    Freedom is never free. It's paid for in blood, sweat and tears of brave Men who paid it's price so that others may live under it's protections.

  • @catmanduu66
    @catmanduu66 Рік тому +53

    My dad and uncles were in WWII and I was a Marine and I can't watch this movie or even this reaction without tearing up. I currently work a VA hospital and if you want to know war effects people this is it. Within the last ten years we have gotten tons of Vietnam vets who are finally seeking help. I've talked with many in group therapy. The reason they getting help only now is because they are retiring and there is no place to get away from it anymore. I'm from Michigan and so most of these guys worked at auto plants. They talk about bad relationships with kids and wives because they worked every chance they could. Stayed late, did overtime, weekends anything to avoid having to deal with the trauma they felt. The younger people we are trying to get in now from more recent wars and they are the same way they avoid everything not to talk about it. I work with a few guys who were there and only a few will talk about it. Even then it's mostly about how hot is was and not the real stuff they need to talk about. If you have a vet in your family be there for them and cherish them.

    • @DRiveraNat20
      @DRiveraNat20 Рік тому

      In a similar vein, PTSD is why Frodo couldn't stay in the Shire (from LotR). He just wasn't able to live in the idyllic Shire anymore. Tolkien saw many of his friends die in battle and it influenced his writing.

  • @ThunderTaco206
    @ThunderTaco206 Рік тому +14

    I fought in Iraq many years ago. While I was deployed my mother came home from work to find two soldiers in Class A's walking up to her door. She immediately panicked, sure she was about to hear that I'd been killed. I'd already been wounded a few months earlier, and she'd been a wreck ever since. When she started breaking down and crying as she approached them, one of them noticed the blue star in her living room window and realized what she thought was happening. Turns out they were on their way to an event in a nearby neighborhood and had gotten lost. They were just going to knock on her door and ask for directions. She still talks about that to this day, nearly fifteen years later.

    • @traderbychoice7560
      @traderbychoice7560 Рік тому +2

      I hope you realized you were used like many other young men to go to a private war for the rich to get even richer.

    • @realburglazofficial2613
      @realburglazofficial2613 Рік тому +9

      @@traderbychoice7560 we do, we don’t like to be reminded of it. Especially by people who _weren’t_ sent to a private war to make the rich even richer.

    • @adamburdick6542
      @adamburdick6542 Рік тому

      @@traderbychoice7560 show some respect for those who served to keep you free and able to sit there and flap your ignorant jaw like that.

  • @MrTazzmaniac1
    @MrTazzmaniac1 3 місяці тому

    I just watched your reaction to one of my favorite movies of all time. The first time I saw this movie was in August 1999 when I first arrived in the United Kingdom at my second base in the Air Force. Needless to say, 6 months later, I deployed to the desert. As an Air Force and Army veteran, and now 46 years of age, I want to say thank you for your true genuineness to not just this movie but to all of your movies. You really do bring a brighter side to all of the chaos and craziness to this world. Thank you for what you do and how you continue to reach people of all walks of life.

  • @jennaragsdale5593
    @jennaragsdale5593 Місяць тому

    My husband is military and was deployed. He said this movie is one of the most accurate portrays of actual war he's ever seen. This is one of his favorites, this and full metal jacket

  • @ninjaphobos
    @ninjaphobos Рік тому +15

    "So many people lost their lives, so many people were killed from the war, and even the people that came home, the War still killed them..."
    Storytime: My grandfather was in Northern Europe during WWII (not D-Day, he was sent over in the waves of men afterward) and did two tours in Korea during the Korean War. My dad has worked a regular day job most of his life, but finally living out his dream to make an album of original music. One of his songs is about my grandfather (and other veterans) who struggle after returning home. No joke, the lyrics to the last verse are,
    "My father was a warrior, killed but left alive.
    He came home, but he didn't survive.
    Captured by the nightmare,
    We call the American Dream,
    and I don't know if he ever got free.
    Did he ever get free?"
    The PTSD the survivors dealt with (and modern veterans still deal with) was absolutely soul-crushing.

    • @stephencaveney4840
      @stephencaveney4840 6 місяців тому +1

      The short piece of lyrics you shared instantly brought tears to my eyes. So true they are. Veterans nowadays and past vets have never been appreciated. If they were they would the serious aftercare after being through some serious and mental situations. Not a vet but like you my grandfather was in pacific during ww2.

    • @ninjaphobos
      @ninjaphobos 6 місяців тому

      @@stephencaveney4840 Thank you for the comment. So many people are touched by war, whether directly or indirectly (by relatives). We owe it to each other to be kind and seek understanding, and, ultimately, to seek freedom for our veterans.

  • @charlestruppi7793
    @charlestruppi7793 Рік тому +21

    The opening landings scene, when Hanks’ character stops hearing and looks around at all these different scenes (the guy licking up his arm, the flamethrower getting blown up, etc) were stories told to Spielberg from vets who were actually there and any specific memories they had that day. Didn’t all happen in one spot like that, but they are accurate anecdotes for the landings in general along the 5 Normandy beaches.

  • @saltymisfit6566
    @saltymisfit6566 7 місяців тому +2

    This opening scene hits so hard. Reading a story one time of where they invited WWII come preview the movie before it was released to the public and they said that in the first 5 minutes of them they actually had to get up and leave. That you had 80 90 year old men we're just in tears walking out of the theater at the opening moments

  • @robertparker6280
    @robertparker6280 Рік тому +2

    Wanna know how accurate that opening was? A Vet was there, saw this movie, and all he said about that scene "All it was missing was the smell".

  • @GamingHarryYT
    @GamingHarryYT Рік тому +67

    The dude who had the grenade go off by his ear is Opie from Sons of Anarchy! And Beta from Walking Dead

    • @dawnburris6412
      @dawnburris6412 Рік тому +5

      What?!?! I knew he was Beta, but I didn’t know he was Opie!! 🤯

    • @Werewolf914
      @Werewolf914 Рік тому +3

      I didn't recognize him he's so young in this movie I love Sons of Anarchy and Walking Dead

    • @gregall2178
      @gregall2178 Рік тому +4

      @Scott Allen Ryan Hurst.... aka Gerry Bertier

    • @JBjopa8
      @JBjopa8 Рік тому +2

      @@dawnburris6412 yes he will always be Opie for me!! My favorite character ever 😎❤️

    • @peterjackson6011
      @peterjackson6011 Рік тому +2

      And the voice of Thor in the upcoming video game God of War: Ragnarok.

  • @Cerridwen7777
    @Cerridwen7777 Рік тому +30

    The thing that gets me about Upham is that he was afraid to kill. I'm sure he was afraid to die, sure, but his breakdown came when he realized that he would have had to kill to save Mellish. Wasn't until Steamboat Willie killed Captain Miller that his heart hardened enough for him to do what needed to be done.

    • @fishinman539
      @fishinman539 Рік тому

      Dudes a coward!

    • @cirrustate8674
      @cirrustate8674 Рік тому +13

      @@fishinman539 He's a human being.

    • @remyazharyyosef1811
      @remyazharyyosef1811 Рік тому +10

      @@fishinman539 It's easy for us to say that because to us we're only seeing him from the audience's perspective. But in real life, it's a different story.

    • @remyazharyyosef1811
      @remyazharyyosef1811 Рік тому +2

      I got to admit. I would be him. I was in the Forces once and just to be in training alone is daunting. I cannot imagine to be deployed in such a situation.

    • @fishinman539
      @fishinman539 Рік тому +1

      @@cirrustate8674 so was every other soldier fighting lol

  • @johnlove3461
    @johnlove3461 Рік тому

    Hey Alex. Appreciate your reaction to the movie. This one is a wild roller coaster of a film. Seen it probably ten or twenty times since it released in 1998.
    Appreciate your raw emotion regarding death and the violence and confusion that is combat. I served in the Army from 2017-2021 in a Armor Unit. I was on the M1A2 SepV2/V3 Abrams Tank.
    That whole experience watching this film growing up and listening to the stories from my father, uncles and grandparents that have served in previous Wars really paints a picture that freedom and the price of living in a free world is so very costly a sacrifice. Leaving home to a conflict where you step off into the unknown is such a surreal and eye opening experience.
    one of the stories that really stuck with me was from my dad listening to his dad talk about his Vietnam experiences in the Navy while attached as a Corpsman to a Seal platoon in the 1960s/70s.
    My grandfather was never a Seal but he earned his trident just through the sheer valor and self sacrifice when he went down in several different chopper crashes during his time in Vietnam, one such incident was over the Laos border. Pilots both killed, most of his small unit was flung from the chopper as it was crashing. My grandfather was knocked out from the crash came to and his entire platoon was dead besides him. He suffered a bayonet wound to his upper chest by a Vietcong guerilla or North Vietnamese soldier sticking him. Thinking he was dead, he awoke patched himself up and then proceeded to pick up all his platoon mates corpses off the ground and from what little details we know; he carried them to a safe spot and then crawled his way back to friendly lines just to get another chopper to come pick up everyone's bodies from that wrecked helicopter. Incredibly surreal experiences. Hardly talked about it when he got home, never took his shirt off either. He would only talk about what happened when he got drunk, and even that was a rare occurrence. My grandmother actually had a little tape recorder of my grandfather and his other navy buddies in Saigon during the Tet Offensive in 1968. He was on top of a hospital or embassy or some such building; drunk as a skunk watching the marines on the ground fight it out with attacking guerilla forces, seeing the Red and green tracer fire flying back and forth as hes drinking beer and smoking. just hanging out on a rooftop.
    Incredibly sobering experiences that i hope; paint some sort of picture as to the sacrifice and struggles that veterans come home with.
    he was a short man 5'2" lived a long life, passed away in 2002 from lung cancer.
    I have not had the privilege of serving in a Combat Zone; even though i was in a Combat MOS i was a 19Kilo - M1A2 Abrams Crewman. - I did see my fair share of fucked up shit; seen people die in training accidents, been to one too many funerals for my unit. Even though we're not actively engaged in a combat zone currently there is still so much danger and risk involved with just training. We have had people die from Vehicle roll over's. Suicide, drunk driving, impaired driving from sleep. Like i had a friend of mine lose his fingers in California at the National training center when the Hatch on the tank came swinging down after hitting a ditch and making his hand into a pile of mincemeat.
    Its a really sobering experience being in the military and experiencing the loss and sheer emotional turmoil that is associated with just being exposed to everything that could go wrong. I actually have hearing loss and suffered a TBI from when the Main gun of the Tank went off during an offensive engagement - i was driving and my hatch popped open due to a faulty locking mechanism. and i could not hear anything; so just dealing with that has been interesting to say the least. But there are a lot more people messed up way more than me; especially combat vets. i cant respect them enough. -
    Thank you again Alex for reacting to this movie. it really sets the tone for initiating a conversation about traumatic experiences and the loss you feel in combat and being in the military. Appreciate you brother.

  • @stephenlackey5852
    @stephenlackey5852 Рік тому

    That was actually quite a beautiful metaphor you made between the raindrops and the distant bullets😌🙏

  • @jamessimmons1486
    @jamessimmons1486 Рік тому +20

    I saw this in the theater, and when the credits started you could hear a pin drop. Very few if any left until the end of the credits. When the list of cast members started everyone stood and gave a standing ovation. Some of the older men and even younger ones even saluted the cast. The movie and the response was epic. Nothing I've seen before or since can compare.

  • @DojiJoji
    @DojiJoji Рік тому +3

    Next movie should be “the Shawshank Redemption”
    Since you’ve just watched a movie behemoth like “Saving Private Ryan” do yourself a favour and follow it up with another one of the best movies ever committed to film.
    Great video as always my man

  • @MarkLitchfield
    @MarkLitchfield Рік тому +2

    I was stationed in Germany for a joint warfighter exercise when this movie came out on post. The theater was packed with U.S., French, German and British soldiers and marines. Normally when a theater empties, there's lots of chatter. There was not so much as a cough during the entire showing and as the theater emptied, it was pure silence, all of us looking at each other with tears and respect.

  • @TheNotedHero
    @TheNotedHero 3 місяці тому +1

    I remember this movie finally helping me understand why my grandfather never wanted to talk about his experiences fighting in WW2.

  • @craigwhip
    @craigwhip Рік тому +24

    Even though this movie is loosely based on a true story, I would recommend "Hacksaw Ridge", it is the true story of Desmond Doss, a combat medic who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, as a conscientious objector who never fired a weapon during the battle of Okinawa.

  • @ToxicDover
    @ToxicDover Рік тому +32

    I was 12 when this came out in theaters and still remember sitting through it the first time, and my small mind was absolutely blown. This movie single handedly sparked a huge interest in WW2 era history for me. An absolute masterpiece.

    • @deckzone3000
      @deckzone3000 Рік тому +1

      Irresponsible parents letting a 12 year old watch this.

    • @DontbeaGoof
      @DontbeaGoof Рік тому +1

      @@deckzone3000 This was real. It actually happened. I was exposed to this at around the same age and it put into perspective for the first time just how much was sacrificed for our freedoms. It made me abhor violence, and cherish life.

    • @DarthVader-rd5qh
      @DarthVader-rd5qh Рік тому

      @@deckzone3000 Irresponsible?

    • @deckzone3000
      @deckzone3000 Рік тому

      @@DontbeaGoof There's a lot of real things that small kids don't need to see.

  • @Lemoncake34567
    @Lemoncake34567 5 місяців тому

    Saving Private Ryan and Pacific are the two cinematic experiences I have always used for setting up all my surround sound systems. They’re simply masterpieces.

  • @KevinLyda
    @KevinLyda Рік тому

    I'm 51. My dad was born in 1930. About a month before he died I asked him what it was like growing up in this time. He told me a story about his dad who had served in WWI.
    He'd just listened to the news on the radio. It was sometime in the summer of 1941. And my dad remembered him sitting out on the back porch and crying. It was clear what was coming. It was clear what was happening and what would happen to millions of young men.
    I remember commenting that nothing like that had really happened in my life. We had this conversation in July 2001.
    Don't wish for big history. You might get it!

  • @namelessandsouless1
    @namelessandsouless1 Рік тому +25

    I've seen this movie many times before and I'm always left speechless and with tears in my eyes from it. The acting, the directing, the cinematography. It's all on point to create one of the very best war movies out there.

  • @remyazharyyosef1811
    @remyazharyyosef1811 Рік тому +16

    The first time I saw this movie in the theater I was practically paralyzed at the end. I couldn't move from my seat. I still recall several audiences teared up. What makes this movie effective is that it sure makes us feel humbled and appreciative of what little things we have. Even though we have no luxury whatsoever, we're lucky in a way that we're still living and we owe it to them in a way.
    May they rest in peace.

  • @joshuavanderbeck4334
    @joshuavanderbeck4334 Рік тому

    One cool piece of info was during filming they put all of the actors through a mini boot camp where they were trained (very hard). Matt Damon was left out of that training to create a real animosity between the others.
    Also on another note, for the premiere they had Normandy veterans in the theatre. During the beach scene many of them had to leave due to how realistic and true to life the scene was.

  • @TamaHawkLive
    @TamaHawkLive 2 місяці тому

    This movie is one of those experiences where it starts off bleak and never gives you a chance to recover mentally all the way to credits. It really was masterful story telling on Spielbergs part.

  • @crystalj2941
    @crystalj2941 Рік тому +6

    the scene where Matt damen and tom Hanks are sitting down talking and Matt is talking about his brothers and laughing. was completely improvised by Damen.

  • @robertmolton6761
    @robertmolton6761 Рік тому +22

    I seen this for the first time in theatres sitting on the front row no less and that D-Day scene ... DUDE, that sh*t blew me away. I was NOT ready. 😳

    • @alexhefnerstvmovievault
      @alexhefnerstvmovievault  Рік тому +4

      I wasn’t either bro! Holy shit! FRONT ROW?!?! My gosh that’s insane

    • @rondanakamura2655
      @rondanakamura2655 Рік тому +7

      I was 2/3 of the way to the back of the theater and found myself with my fists near my chin, shaking uncontrollably, not having blinked for minutes on end. I cried so hard at the realization that family members had endured such things. They NEVER talked about combat. My heart aches for them and every young person thrown into a hell like that even now.

    • @brudnick39
      @brudnick39 Рік тому +1

      @@alexhefnerstvmovievault Yeah...same here, saw it first day it came out...though I was not in the front row...I think it was the first time I wished I had brought tissues to a movie. For my part, I start to choke up as soon as I see the first grave marker in the Normandy American Cemetery whenever I watch this movie. ✌
      Oh, and Alex...do not be too upset about that soldier that took off his helmet at 5:45 even if he had been wearing it, that bullet would have gone right through. Helmets in WW2 could not stop bullets except under pretty rare circumstances...there are several film shots before that one that clearly show bullets going right through the helmets. In fact, if you watch it back, you will note that the reason that guy took off his helmet in the first place, was to look at the two holes that the first shot had just made as it went though his helmet TWICE but somehow managed to not his his head inside it. 💯✌

    • @DocRaunchy
      @DocRaunchy Рік тому +3

      I second that. Almost had been too late. Got the last ticket and just made it smack dead in the middle of the front row to the faded image of the flag. And then all hell broke loose. Without a doubt one of the best movies EVER.

  • @tomcat8739
    @tomcat8739 Рік тому +8

    Great reaction Alex. Your humble reaction and gratitude goes along way towards showing respect for the generation they gave us everything we have. Line of the movie was Damon’s character saying tell her I was here with the only brothers I have left.THANK YOU TO ALL VETS

  • @KCJAM1
    @KCJAM1 Рік тому +1

    I wanted to help you out on a couple of your comments and questions. 1. The opening scene is fillmed exactly where these men fought and died, Normandy beach. That memorial is a sobering reminder of what the horrors of war are all about. The crosses and Star of David markers seem like they go on forever and that does not include the Wehrmacht casualties! 2. The rifles you asked about were the American M-1 Garand, which was the f1st semi-automatic rifle fielded as the main battle rifle for a major power. All the others fielded bolt-action rifles (one that requires that you actuate the bolt to eject and reload the weapon after each round is fired.)including the German Mauser K98, the British Lee Enfield, and the Russian Mosin Nagant. This was an incredibly important weapon in the war and it certainly played a massive role in the ultimate victory. You could simply keep pulling the trigger until the stripper clip that held 8 rounds was empty. No bolt action. No need to adjust your aim after moving the bolt, and much faster firing. It fired a full sized rifle round and it was a heavy bitch compared the the new M4's used now. The other gun you saw Vin Diesel using was the Browning BAR which was the squad light machine gun which is used on place of the modern SAW weapon used today. The infantry used tactics that worked well with these weapons and they were quite a bit different from the German Schützen squad tactic whic relied on Hitler's "chainsaw" (MG42 or MG34 for the Fallschirmjäger troops) to lay down a wall of suppresive fire while the riflemen flanked their oppenents where possible. the average squad infantryman in the US platoons had a better firepower even with the MG42 on the other side. 3. The clerk turned infantryman character's behavior was actually quite a bit more common than not as after the war and after the mass attack tactics used by the Chinese in Korea, the Army concluded that the average infantryman did not carry the fight to the enemy in almost 85% of the time. So we had 15% of the hard chargers really making the attacks. This number required new training menhods to change and through poop up silouette training by the Vietnam war we moved to 75% of the troops fighting.The aftereffects were horrific and PTSD started to really permeate the ranks were as prior the hindividuals that were "built' for compartmentalizing that is necessary to fight in a war didn't have as many problems when they came home.

  • @vernhoke7730
    @vernhoke7730 Рік тому +13

    As a Marine, when I watched this movie the opening sequence scared the shit out of me.
    While I never served in combat, our training during peacetime is as close as you can get. Short of getting shot or blown up, it's all there. The sights, sounds, smells are all there.
    I've served with a number of Marines who served in Nam and my old man, Army, was there during the Tet offensive in 1967-1968.

    • @eugenefarrell1002
      @eugenefarrell1002 Рік тому +4

      THE scene where all the landing craft are hitting the beaches was shot in Co Wexford Ireland and most of the extras were soldiers from the Irish army .. I read that an awful lot of GI vets who went to see it at the movies were moved to tears so realistic were the landing scenes which brought back so many memories to them ..

  • @MrRoboto81
    @MrRoboto81 Рік тому +1

    “Smelling the leg” was how medics would check for infection or to determine if a field dressing needed to be changed for leg wounds (or any wounds, for that matter). “South of cheese” was just a figure of speech meant to signify a gnarly odor (I’m assuming).

  • @Dude1971Dad
    @Dude1971Dad Рік тому +1

    That movie is IMO one of the best ever. What that generation did was incredible, born during and right after WWI, kids through teens during the great depression and then they defeated the Germans, Italians, and Japanese to win WWII and after that went to work in the 50's and BUILT lives for their families while creating and growing the middle class. Amazing people. that's why they are "the greatest generation"

  • @roflc0re
    @roflc0re Рік тому +27

    "Earn This" was also kind of Tom Hanks/ John Miller talking to us the viewers to Earn The freedom we got for what all the soldiers sacrificed to give us during WW2. Best WW2 movie ever made.
    My great grandfather served in WW2, fighting against the Soviet in Finland during the Finnish Winter War

    • @jaredrobbins4440
      @jaredrobbins4440 Рік тому +4

      Koti, uskonto, ja isänmaa! :) My Finnish relatives fought and died for the US in WW2, just one generation into citizenship. I’m so happy how similarly respectful the Finns still are for the sacrifices made in the Patriotic War!

    • @tonikaihola5408
      @tonikaihola5408 Рік тому +1

      @@jaredrobbins4440 I believe the Soviets and Russians call their WW2 actions “patriotic war”, in Finland we talk about Winter War and Continuation War.

    • @deckzone3000
      @deckzone3000 Рік тому

      America won their freedom in the Revolutionary War, not WW2.

  • @tramsey5682
    @tramsey5682 Рік тому +6

    this movie is a reminder of what it took to called the greatest generation. Tough times make tough men, tough men make easy times, easy times make weak men, weak men make tough times. Take a guess where we are in that cycle.

  • @sage0fthiccpaths656
    @sage0fthiccpaths656 Рік тому

    So just a couple things:
    The cemetery at the beginning is Arlighton. Tom Hanks is shaking due to Shellshock (known today as PTSD) along with the anticipation/terror of the operation. And when this first released in theatres, there were still some WWII veterans alive who went and saw it, several who had survived D-Day. By all accounts, this is one of the most accurate portrayals of D-Day, to the point where some of these veterans had flashbacks induced by the sound and visuals. It was also one of those movies that everyone wanted to be in, hence why there are so many prominent actors in minor roles.
    As far as I can tell from history textbooks, memoirs, documentaries, and other media, surviving D-Day came down to luck and sticking to training, though it seemed like it was mostly luck.

  • @austenbin4068
    @austenbin4068 Рік тому +10

    The crazy think about that opening scene, THat was about 30 minutes in movie time. In reality, they hit the beach at 6am and didn't get off the beach until 4 pm. They were stuck there for that long because they couldn't get through the obstacles on Omaha. Eisenhower nearly evacuated them and D-day would have failed.

  • @Chrysop1812
    @Chrysop1812 Рік тому +15

    My dad was in Vietnam. He was a Seabee. Most of my life he's never really talked about it and in moments when it came up and got serious, he always just had this distant pained look in his eyes he never really had to say much of anything I knew it was bad. However, he's always loved to talk about the guys he served with and the shenanigans they'd get up to, his young silly Cassanova moments, and all the travel ya know the good stuff in between. He enlisted at 17 and stands by that choice to this day. I'm proud of him always will be, and when I think about how the troops who made it back my dad included were treated with such disrespect and hatefulness it makes me sick. They didn't deserve that. Every war EVER fought in the history of the world has been brutal and disturbing no one ever really gets away unscathed, but they do what they feel they have to, to survive to succeed and they should be appreciated for that. People I think have come to see that more over the years and when someone sees my dad and recognizes that he's served and they come over to him and ask to shake his hand and thank him, I can't tell just how much that means to me and I'm sure to him. It hits hard and the pride and bittersweetness I feel knowing that he's earned that, and that it wasn't easy I just thank God he made it home and that he's my dad. Hope you're well Alex, take care man.

  • @youngjesus5768
    @youngjesus5768 Рік тому

    My father was on Omaha Beach one section over. He came in before the main assault under cover of dark with the engineer Corp. They were supposed to clear all those land obstacles but the Germans were up and waiting for em. We took him to see this when it came out and I asked him how realistic the opening scene was. He said "that's about as close as I've ever seen it done but it wasn't no 30 minutes" lol. He was on that beach for over 12 hours with those men. He said they came in in rubber rafts and when the Germans opened fire it was like a wall of lead hitting them. Immediately bailed out of the raft and swam to shore and was held down for a couple hours til the main wave came in. He kept it together for the whole movie til the end. When Ryan salutes the grave my father broke down in tears saying to me, "that was his last salute, mijo. His last salute." Absolute bravery from those men. Proud my father was one of em.

  • @Ganon999
    @Ganon999 Рік тому +2

    I love this movie for how well it's crafted with respect and talent. It also shows the brutality of War and the great sacrifice of so many brave soldiers. It's a masterpiece for so many reasons in my opinion.

  • @semperpieeatordie6990
    @semperpieeatordie6990 Рік тому +5

    Not sure if anyone ever explained tom hank's character's shaking. But during prolonged times of extreme stress the adrenalin rush is so crazy that the moment your body has a chance to relax, it almost goes into shock. Cause the adrenalin is to make you survive. Then your body collapses

  • @rytterl
    @rytterl Рік тому +4

    From someone who's done the whole military thing. My ears were ringing for two weeks after a flash grenade went boom in a small room I was in.
    And nothing, and I mean NOTHING is better than a pair or clean, dry socks. Didn't get feeling back in both of my big toes after at least three years after I lost it. Super cold above the Arctic circle during winter. That's all I'll say. Haha.
    Oh, quick edit. On the wall of the building entering our camp, it said "hell isn't warm, it's fucking cold", in Norwegian of course. Pretty accurate if you ask me.

  • @toyz1784
    @toyz1784 5 місяців тому +1

    I went to Gold Beach about 20 years ago and it is eerily calm there, especially compared to the opening of this movie. Not a lot of wave crashing or anything like that, but there's still huge concrete floats they used to support heavy vehicles going to ground after the initial waves of soldiers cleared the beach. You don't normally think concrete will float, but at that scale and that shape it did, but all the more eerie that they are overturned and covered in moss and growth from 80 plus years of just sitting there.

  • @dwinterx
    @dwinterx 4 місяці тому

    I was lucky enough to see this at the cinema, with a great sound system when it first came out. The noise of that P51D blowing up the tank was unreal. It also happens to be one of the best movies I've ever heard on a 5.1 sound system. Used to share a house with a friend (who had a great home cinema setup), and this on DTS was amazing, especially the opening beach scene.

  • @convolutedconcepts
    @convolutedconcepts Рік тому +5

    Upham was based on real experiences. From stories of veterans who witnessed men freeze instead helping a man less then foot away while they cried for help.
    There was a interview with one of the veteran consultants where he told his similar experience.

  • @dl7905
    @dl7905 Рік тому +4

    The scene with the mother receiving the news destroys me every time I see it. As a Father, I can't begin to comprehend how that would feel.

  • @jordanmcquay9077
    @jordanmcquay9077 5 місяців тому

    I've heard that when this movie was in theaters, people that went to see it that were actual veterans had to step out during the opening scene because it was so accurate

    • @harvey4512
      @harvey4512 5 місяців тому

      I've seen a video were the cinema slience with a weird camera filmed in 98

  • @nathancrossen2224
    @nathancrossen2224 10 місяців тому

    "The entire movie and I'm literally sitting here, and I'm like.... it's not a normal movie reaction." That makes sense, Alex, because Saving Private Ryan is not a normal film.

  • @Rayray2455
    @Rayray2455 Рік тому +24

    One of the best movies ever made IMO. Still gets me quite emotional. But if you're trying to get on a war movie trend, Fury, Lone Survivor, American Sniper and Hacksaw Ridge are really good ones just to mention a few.

    • @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH
      @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH Рік тому

      Absolutely. I was actually thinking of those movies as I watched this reaction.

    • @TheJaybob001
      @TheJaybob001 Рік тому

      Great lineup of movies right there.

    • @versecontro4898
      @versecontro4898 Рік тому +1

      I can get through most those movies, this one included, but hacksaw always get me to break down and cry a bit. Everytime

    • @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH
      @BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH Рік тому +1

      @@versecontro4898 Yeah, as much as I believe Fury is a great movie, I can't help but walk away angry and crying at the end. Fury, The Patriot, Les Miserables, and Hacksaw Ridge always make me cry.

    • @versecontro4898
      @versecontro4898 Рік тому +1

      @@BB-BA55akaMR-BLEGH Fury is like red dawn for me lol. The 2012 not the 80's one but it always makes me wanna stop what I'm doing and enlist while I'm watching it.

  • @cyanide7270
    @cyanide7270 Рік тому

    SPR will always be one of my favourite movies. The opening scene (with the exception of the deep water and bullets flying through it) is the most accurate depiction of the D-Day landings ever put to film that arent direct film reels from the '40s. That, paired with the fact that the story itself is based off of actual events that happened during the war (Niland brothers and the Sullivans) that influenced changes within the military structure in regards to family members makes it a powerful movie.
    As others have said thugh, you MUST watch Band of Brothers. One of the greatest short series ever put on screens. Absolute bucket list level of must watch.

  • @donge9589
    @donge9589 Рік тому

    "what guns are those?" You asked early on in the film, Rieben was at the foreground when you said it, he has the BAR which stands for Browning Automatic Rifle. It's a very heavy automatic weapon that was widely used in WW2, it was actually designed for use in WW1 but didn't make it in time. In the interwar period many gangsters utilised them alongside the ubiquitous Tommy gun sub machine guns like Tom Hanks character Capt Miller uses in the film.
    The BAR fired the same powerful round that the M1 Garand semi auto rifle most of the squad is armed with. It did a hell of a lot of damage but the BAR was let down by only having a twenty round magazine. It was very useful when assaulting however as it was possible to fire on the go, and move quicker than having a belt fed MG.
    I've enjoyed your reaction so far, a fantastic film that will probably remain a classic for years to come.

  • @chrisd7047
    @chrisd7047 Рік тому +14

    The "tell me I'm a good man" line just kills me every time.

  • @JustPlanoRick
    @JustPlanoRick Рік тому +10

    When I saw this film in the theater when it was first released 24 years ago it was without a doubt the most emotionally impactful thing I had ever seen (and nothing so far has surpassed it in that respect). As we were leaving the theater after the end of the film I saw an older gentleman who was also leaving and he was wearing a cap indicating he was a WWII veteran. He had tears in his eyes as did I and I offered my hand and thanked him for his service. It seemed not nearly enough. I have never watched "Saving Private Ryan" again since that day - I just don't think I could take it. If you have not yet seem it I highly recommend "We Were Soldiers" starring Mel Gibson - similar reality and emotional impact. You will be moved.

  • @Gaming_Biker
    @Gaming_Biker Рік тому

    As a USMC Veteran that was deployed for 2 operations during OEF, I’ve seen enough casualties, friendly & not. It’s not even a question if I would do it all again. I would in a heartbeat so that someone else wouldn’t be subjected to what my service brothers, sisters, & I were exposed to. Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, & a plethora of other well done war movies make me feel honored to have been counted amongst the many, but sad knowing there are friends that didn’t make it past their enlistments or have already lost their internal wars to their demons or injuries. The war never ends for any of us that have been touched by it. One day I hope people will understand the magnitude war brings & how it should only be a measure of last resort.
    On a tangent of thought, it’s not the politicians that start the war that pay the price, it’s the men & women that took no part in their political schemes that will. My brothers that are no longer w/ us are dead ultimately because of political greed & unnecessary oppression of peoples. As Veterans we swore to protect & serve the people of USA, not the govt. It’s interesting how a vote one way or another or no vote even may be the difference of someone dying in a battle, similar to the “yay” or “nay” of the Roman Emperor at the Colosseum, so every single person of age to vote has some input on whether a Veteran lives or dies. I wonder how many would take things more seriously then thinking this way.

  • @vitormartins3773
    @vitormartins3773 Рік тому

    Seeing you talk about the destruction made me remember when I was studying the Battle of Stalingrad, a huge part of allied victory came to the fact the axis failed to conquer the Soviet Union, and a HUGE part of the soviet victory in this battle came by the fact the german bombing of the city were so intense the debris blocked the streets and they couldn't advance with the tanks and other vehicles, so they had to trust in their infantry that were severely outnumbered, fighting an enemy that had better info about the place and had the most effective sharpshooters in the war (in this battle alone, Vasily Zaytsev killed 225 german soldiers, being surpassed only by Lyudmila Pavlichenko who killed 309 axis soldiers during the war)
    in the end, the destruction the nazis caused came to be a huge part of their downfall

  • @CapnRiggs2k5
    @CapnRiggs2k5 Рік тому +14

    Whether you decide to do a reaction or just watch on your on time, Band of Brothers is a must watch. Amazingly written, awesome cast, sensational camera work, and the cast is based on real soldiers that briefly give testimonials before each episode. Spielberg and Hanks produced it after this film came out. I watch it at least once a year because it is just that good.

  • @irishrebel7616
    @irishrebel7616 Рік тому +6

    Saw this movie about a week before leaving for Army boot camp.