SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was too much for me. 

Hi friends! I want to take a moment to add a note to everyone watching this reaction. First off, I want to acknowledge that I went into this movie completely unprepared. I didnt even realize it was WW2 until several minutes into it. I knew it was a war movie, but I didn't know which war. There's a lot that I don't know about war and history. Maybe because I'm from Colombia and they only gave us the broad-strokes about a war we were barely involved in... or maybe because I just didn't pay attention in school. Regardless: yes, I fully admit, I don't know much about the subject matter. Throughout the video, you'll also hear me express sentiments like "war is so horrible," "why do we do this?," "what a waste of life." These reactions come from a place of shock and sorrow for the loss and suffering that war brings. However, I want to be clear that in saying these things, my intention is not to diminish the incredible bravery and sacrifices made by the soldiers in WWII. Their fight against tyranny and oppression was necessary and heroic, and I have a LOT of respect and gratitude for what they endured and accomplished. Some of you have pointed out that war is sometimes an inevitable part of our history. My comments are a reaction how shocking and horrific those battles are, not a judgment on those who bravely face it. Thank you to all who have served and sacrificed.

35 weren't killed on the beach, 2,500 were killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Everyone needs to understand WW2 in its entirety. Humans forgetting history is what allows it to repeat itself.

The "earn this" from Captain Miller at the end of this was not only meant for Ryan. It was meant for each one of us

As a war veteran myself, I'll repeat something I heard a long time ago. I don't remember who said it but they nailed it... "There is no such thing as an un-wounded warrior".

At 10:27, the Czech soldiers say: "Please don't shoot me, I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone, I am Czech!" These men were taken prisoner and forced into service by the German army.

The soldier calling out for his mom hits hard and remember this all actually happened. Just kids 18-19 sometimes even younger if they lied about they're ages

31:36 "I don't think you can do more morphine right now. I think they do specific amounts." You are correct. The "ampules" of morphine were pre-measured so that 1 would dull your pain, 2 doses would probably knock you out. More than that could be lethal. When Wade said "I could use a little more morphine." he was asking them to kill him with painkillers so he wouldn't have to bleed to death in agony. He knew it and they all knew it too. His death always gets me more than any other death in this movie, begging for a mercy killing and crying for his mama right after telling that sad story about his mom coming home early.

I once read a quote from Sergei Krushchev son of the Cold War-era Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev (who was a Soviet soldier in WW2) who told him "you can read books about war, you can interview people who were in the war, you can write about war, you can see movies about war, but unless you were there experiencing it personally, you cannot imagine how horrible it is".

Upham being hesitant is what happens when a noncombatant sees the horrors of war in such a short span of time and freeze due to the fear. Upham’s job during the war was to translate papers and maps, not take part in missions behind enemy lines. By comparison, the US Rangers recieved combat training from the British commandos and are the WWII-equivalent of modern day special forces soldiers. Had both of Miller’s translators not been killed prior to the mission, Upham wouldn’t have gone.

I remember seeing this is the theater. The scene near the end when the tanks are coming and the ground was shaking so hard that the stones and rubble were vibrating was so terrifying. The surround sound in the theater made you feel it in your bones. I will never forget that scene or this movie.

I am sure somebody else has already said so but this depiction of Normandy/D Day was so realistic that when they showed it to a bunch of Veterans who were there they all had to leave the theater because of flashbacks and PTSD

I know everyone hates Upham but there are more Uphams out there than people realize. He wasn’t a combat soldier. He was wimpy and clumsy. He did not like the idea of using his weapon in a firefight. He was assigned in the army as a clerk and translator, not for full combat duties. He was scared out of his wits to do anything and I felt for him. War is a terrifying thing and if you’ve never been in war then you really don’t know how you would act until you are in it.

I’m British. My grandfather served at gold beach for DDay. ( across from Omaha) thanks to our American brothers who stormed the beaches together!

I am a combat veteran ( Vietnam ) don't worry about what you said . We said it also and I think it's normal so don't worry. Thank you for this and God bless you.

These were the grandparents and great grandparents of you and you friends. So much respect is owed to that generation.

"A soldier does not fight because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G. K. Chesterton

The german soldier stabbing mellish is telling him "stop fighting, its better for you this way. You'll see, it will all be over and you'll see." Nobody ever mentions that scene.

Steven Spielberg said it correctly at the Oscars. These were a bunch of 18-20 yr olds and they saved the whole damn world.

By the way, Upham is a translator, service guy. The others in the platoon are Rangers. Thats a type of higly trained commando-type outfit, trained in close combat, climbing, enemy weapons etc. You can't blame Upham for not being like those guys. He is what he is. Freezing of fear in a terrible situation. Can't blame him.

For context, when this movie was released in theaters, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs had to open an emergency hotline because many WWII veterans saw the movie and experienced severe episodes of PTSD. The opening scene is widely renowned as the most accurate depiction of warfare in cinematic history. It took a level of bravery, many of us will never know, just to make it off that beach.

at 10:30 those 2 soldiers were actually Czech and weren't speaking German. They said "Please don't shoot me! I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone! I am Czech!" At times Soldiers from other countries were conscripted after being invaded and captured by Nazi Germany. So they were probably forced in serving by being threatened etc.

In the cemetery at the end you can tell Ryan never told his family what happened. His wife didn't recognize Capt. Miller's name. Ryan carried the burden alone for his whole life.

Upham is surely the most contentious issues raised by this movie. To the uninitiated, his actions would seem weak, even cowardly. In his defence, he was not a veteran of war. He had received only the basic military training & this was his first involvement in active combat. I, in no way, condone his behavior but, until you've been in such intense situations, it's simply not possible to imagine the depth of his trauma. I'm sure that, as he made the decision to shoot the German soldier, much of his internal empathy had been lost, possibly for ever.

I don't watch war movies but here I am at 79 yrs old and decided to watch this movie. I was in my war in Vietnam in 66 and 67. I served as a medical corpsman with the 3rd Marine division for 13 months. I identify with Wade, the army medic. There was, and I hope still is, a real special bond between corpsmen/medics and their men that existed. It was a job that I really enjoyed for 4 years. Saw some of America's finest young men die but it still was a special time. Semper Fi. Thanks for posting.

My dad is beneath one of those marble crosses, and I still remember the officer kneeling to hand my mother the folded flag from his coffin. He was a very brave man who was at the invasion of Normandy, and later, he helped liberate a concentration camp. He described some of his experiences to me, and I honestly would tell him this minute that, yes, you were a good man and you did live a good life. Thank you Cristy, for helping me relive a few precious moments of my dads' life...

Answer: The "more morphine" part...... Doc knew he was dead, he asked for the morphine so he wouldnt be in so much pain while he died. Thats what Captain Miller realizes when Docs asks. Yes, there is only so much morphine that can be taken before problems arise and eventually death by overdose. This however wasnt them overdosing him, it was just giving him slightly over the normal amount to ease his passing. That's historically something that has happened quite a lot......when the patient isn't able to be saved and as long as supplies arent in dire need, we have used drugs to ease the pain while the patient finishes dieing.

A massacre is exactly what it is, and why war is often referred to as "the meat grinder", as one side normally only wins by throwing more bodies at a particular situation. The opening scene shows how war can be strategic at times, as once they got enough bodies on the beach, they could then come at the enemy positions with a little more care. But when they first hit the beach, it was just a numbers game at that point, which is the sad realities of war.

It’s crazy you posted this. I was just watching a Band of Brothers reaction today and was thinking you should react to it. Then I immediately thought actually she needs to watch Saving Private Ryan first. You’re always a step ahead of the game.

If not already covered--Defilade: a depression that provides some protection. In this case, it was created by their bangalore (a pipe containing explosives that could be scewed onto other sections to drive the first one where you want it). Baloons are barrage baloons, intended to interfere with low-flying enemy aircraft trying to attack. The Army had dedicated units that collected and tried to identfy bodies. A bit like CSI, they could often deal with bodies in very poor condition. My last pastor had been a bomber pilot in WW2. When he learned I was deploying, he caught be in the parking lot. It was eerie how the officer in him just came streaming out. He ended by saying "People today could not comprehend the level of destruction in WW2; they couldn't get their head around it." When this movie aired, my brother said he did not sleep for four days afterwards. I thought, this helps us understand why so many could not share their experiences.

Before starting the movie: ''I'm ready, I have my water, my headphones, let's do it!'' Me, a multiple time veteran of watching this film. You're not ready for this movie until you also get a box of tissues at hand, lady.

There's a really interesting quote from Jeremy Davies, the actor who plays Upham, that I think adds a lot to what Spielberg was trying to do with the movie: "Halfway through the shoot, Steven took me aside and said he'd seen some of the dailies, and that he'd been inspired to start telling 'Ryan' from Upham's POV. He told me that Upham represented the audience more than any other character, given that, of course, most of us will never experience war, and Upham was only trained to serve as an interpreter in noncombat situations."

Upham had never been in combat and was paralysed with fear. No one knows how they'd react, suddenly finding themselves amongst all that. You should cut him some slack! Poor Upham.

Upham didn't choose to go with them. He knew he couldn't handle combat but they brought him anyway. I absolutely don't think he's responsible for anyone dying.

Upham is such an important character. No one believes that they'll be an Upham, but you never really know until you're in that situation. But the Upham's of the war were also still worthy soldiers who worked behind the scenes to make things tick. I know in the US military every soldier is meant to be a rifleman, but tossing an unprepared POG on the front is just as much a failure of leadership and circumstance as it is a failure of the man himself.

When Tom Hanks reports to his CO that he has 35 dead and about 70 wounded he is only speaking of his company, which would have been about 150- 200 men. So his company was devastated. It is at half-strength at best. Other companies would have had their own surviving officers or NCOs providing their own casualty reports to the Lt. Colonel.

I enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1977. I served 6 years as a Expeditionary Airfield Equipment Technician. I am thankful that I never saw combat. I have the utmost respect for combat veterans. I came back home and served my community and my state as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher and a Correctional Officer. I am now retired, but as a member of the Marine Corps League, AmVets and American Legion, I am part of an honor guard, performing military funeral services for our fallen veterans. I have this movie on BluRay in 7.1 surround sound and I pull it out to watch every Memorial Day, just to remind me of the horrors of war and to give me incentive to continue doing what I can for our combat veterans.

What many ppl may not realize is that prior to this time frame of the deaths of these 3 Ryan brothers in the movie, causing the Army to return the sole surviving son (Private Ryan) back home to his family, the 5 Sullivan brothers (referred to after the 13:30 mark) were all killed in action at the same time aboard the USS Juneau in 1942, in which President Franklin D Roosevelt had to send a letter to the Sullivan parents and notify them that ALL 5 of their sons were killed at the same time. This is one of the main incidents that led to the military implementing a Sole Survivor Policy, where any sole surviving son are excused from active service. (which is the basis and entire reason for this mission to return Private Ryan back to his family)

27:35 "[FUBAR] I almost want to Google it." This is Chekhov's Acronym: If an acronym is presented in the 1st act, it has to go off by the 3rd act.

This movie did a good job of coming close to depicting how brutal and horrific the war was, and war is in general.. Men were drafted for that war, for that invasion.. many volunteered, but there were many who were drafted and didn't have a choice.. millions..

'FUBAR' is military slang for "F**ked Up Beyond All Recognition (or Repair)"

Respect to every soldier of the war fighting for their country. Great Britain, Germany, US, Italy and a lot more.

Great reaction Cristy like always, love this masterpiece. My grandfather serve with Sergeant Frederick Niland in 501 company, Sergeant Frederick Niland was the inspiration for this movie he had 3 brothers that were killed in action. This movie is based on a book. Robert Rodat (screen writter) was first inspired to craft the narrative upon reading Stephen Ambrose’s nonfiction retrospective D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Rodat was fascinated by an honorary memorial dedicated to families who had lost multiple sons in the war. Rodat began writing Saving Private Ryan after studying the true story of Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland. Fritz Niland’s brothers Preston and Robert had enlisted for service, and his brother Edward had volunteered. In May 1944, Edward was shot down over Burma and presumed dead. In June, Robert was killed on D-Day and Preston was killed on Omaha Beach. Frederick had gone missing during the Normandy Invasion, and the U.S. Army commissioned him to be rescued and sent home. An army unit under chaplain Fr. Francis Sampson identified Frederick’s location and sent him back to his parents Michael and Augusta Niland. Frederick’s brother Edward was also discovered to be alive and was rescued from a Burmese POW camp and also returned home safely. The rescues were the result of the U.S. War Department’s “sole survivor” policy, which was adopted in 1942 after the five Sullivan brothers who served in the U.S. Navy had all been killed during the sinking of the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal. So, while Saving Private Ryan is unquestionably inspired by true events, the film's story of Captain Miller's risky mission to save one man is entirely fictional. And congrats for not mistaken some characters. A lot of reactors confuse the guy who was let go, and later shot Capt. Miller and then was shot by Upham, with the soldier who stabbed Mellish. They wore different uniforms: the prisoner who was released and later returned was regular Wehrmacht, and the guy who stabbed Mellish was SS, They chosen two actors for those roles that looked so similar they did that literally to tell the viewers that war is confusing. Steven Spielberg explained this. He most likely didn't kill Upham because he instantly recognized he wasn't a threat. Upham even takes his hands off of his gun and holds them up in surrender to the SS soldier. Not a lot of satisfaction in killing someone who's basically curled up in the fetal position. You should watch the mini series Band Of Brothers,Keep up the amazing work.

The thing that always breaks me is that the mother thinks that she’s about to get the worst news imaginable- that ONE of her sons has died. 😢

I saw this opening weekend in Sacramento (I’m Canadian) and the theatre was packed with vets and active duty military, the veterans said they could smell gunpowder and diesel while watching this. Some walked out because the ptsd was just too much. Gives u an idea of just how realistic this movie is

I watched your reaction to Saving private Ryan and to tell you the truth I was disappointed when you said you didn't like Upham you truly don't understand the horrors of war I'm a veteran of the Vietnam War and have seen things that I'll carry for the rest of my life as far as Upham is concerned Noone knows what they'll do in war I've seen guys freeze in battle he even told Captain Miller that he hadn't fired his weapon since basic please don't judge someone if you have never been to war or seen what war can do to someone

This is a powerful reaction and it's OK that you don't know much about WWII, not everyone knows a lot about history especially since you're from a country that wasn't intolved in the conflict. That's why movies like these are important. They connect current audiences with a time that could easily be forgotten, reminding us of the sacrifices many went through

He is a captain, he commands a battalion of 150 soldiers. 35 dead, two times hurt, 35+70= 105 in 150 soldiers.

It amazes me the people who have no concept of war yelling at Upham like they would know what it was like in his shoes, it's not a videogame!

A modern, classic movie that's both a powerful and emotional rollercoaster, but that end scene gets me every time - now where did I leave those tissues...

I went to the theater when Private Ryan debuted in theaters. When I was walking out after it was over, these two WW2 veterans came out together and both had tears in thier eyes. Even though it the war had been over for decades, the experience was still with the veterans.

So the stuff on the beach are called Czech hedgehogs and they are for the immobilization and repelling of tanks. It's a simple design - basically just rough pieces of angle iron welded together - but a tank would drive into one and it would obstruct the tracks. Then you would normally place some mines next to it so that the tanks are funneled right into your trap. So on Omaha beach, these contraptions were there to provide an obstacle for the Allied tanks. Unfortunately for the Americans, their bombardment of the shore defenses failed AND almost all their tanks got wiped out in the surf - a double blow that almost cost them the day. As an added benefit, the hedgehogs also proved to be an obstacle for the landing craft, meaning you had to deploy your landing force a good few meters back where you would have wanted to. Which means a good minute or so for a soldier.

the only thing that matters is 1 it happened 2 some survived and 3 the rights you have in this country are because they died and survived to make it reality. capeche? so the next time you see an old man crossing the road grab his hand whether he served or not. that generation IS THE REASON YOU ARE HERE. MAN UP

The United States rebuilt Europe after the war ended. A lot of Europeans have forgotten that 80 years later.

Oof, this one. Well, it's a mandatory watch as one of the best war movies overall, and it is certainly one of the best WWII movies. In addition, the Normandie invasion scene is, to this date, the greatest and most realistic I have ever seen.

Just imagine, this movie didn’t win the Oscar. Ridiculous.

"War is grand, to the inexperienced " - Napolen Bonaparte.

I will never understand why so many people say war is just a waste of lives and money: war is terrible, yes, but the alternative is enslavement

"FUBAR" Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition

We're not allowed to say who forced us into war or we'll be cancelled.

Cristy, I was born 9 years after the end of WWII. Never in my life did I ever hear a word spoken of it, from my father, uncles, or anyone else. Only POW's would reveal the guilt and shame they personally felt years later. I don't believe those individuals had anything to regret, as they were captured doing their duty. People who experience war NEVER have a desire to share those memories, and those memories often die hidden inside. I thank them all for that!

Without getting into the backstory of why (RIP Ssgt Milo Fish 106th Golden Lions), I've been studying military history (particularly WWII) since my very early teens. Saw this film several times when it came out in the theaters (in my college years). Will try to answer some of your questions as I watch. - The x-shaped obstacles in the surf and on the beach at the beginning were Czech hedgehogs. Intended as anti-tank obstacles, they also worked to thwart landing craft at higher tides and/or to prevent tanks from being disembarked from seacraft at low tide. - Defilade means a position that is sheltered from enemy view and/or fire. You could find defilade behind a tank or a building or a hill, etc. - Re surrenders, it depended on the circumstance. In active combat, prisoners are not a viable option. Whereas if you've secured an objective and the active fighting was over, if someone surrendered you'd likely (were required to) detain and send to the rear for intel purposes. An ugly reality of war, POWs captured in active/hot combat were probably statistically rare. - The "35 dead" referred to the men from Captain Miller's unit, not the total number of fatal casualties. The casualties (injured and dead) were in the multiple thousands. - Regarding the disposal of dead soldiers, there were companies of the Quartermaster's Graves Registration Service that did their best to document and properly bury casualties. - My opinion on Upham is that he wasn't so much afraid to die (though he was that), he was afraid to kill. He was a poet and a reader who didn't understand what he was involved in. He tried to stop Steamboat Willie's death, he was terrified to go save Mellish because he knew he would have to kill to do so. Only when he saw Steamboat Willie shoot Captain Miller did he finally understand that he would not get out of the war without killing. Fitting (in a literary sense) that his first kill was Willie. If you ever react to Band of Brothers I'd be honored to share my Uncle Milo's story with you. He and his friends deserve to be remembered.

This movie is a lot for so many people. It hit harder for some reactors who have also served in a military branch at one point.

My grandfather served in the 77th army infantry and served with the marine corp in the Pacific. He was a super hero. Never wore a cape, but wore olive green.

Those "blimps/balloons" that you see over the beach after the initial D-Day invasion are "barrage balloons." They were designed to deter, damage, and destroy enemy aircraft that flew into the cables that are held up by the barrage balloons. Or, flying into a barrage balloon itself, too. They were basically dangerous and hard-to-see obstacles used in the skies. Also, the obstacles placed on the shores of the beaches were used to prevent the Allies from getting armor (mostly tanks) onto the shores, but also used against boats, (depending on the tides), which was another obstacle for the Allies. Depending on the tides, and with all of the equipment you'd wear, if you got wet, you (and your equipment) got too heavy to move or use. War is hell.

You will love "Band of Brothers". It is basically a mini-series like this, except you get to know each (historical) person for a much longer period of time.

The "Where's upham is he crying somewhere"? I'm dying 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣

I’m so glad to see the movies you’re watching from suggestions. This one has got to be in the top 20 greatest films. You should check out Band Of Brothers (on your own but would love to see the reaction). Tom Hanks and Spielberg put it together and the cast is top notch. Enjoyed the reaction as always, keep up the great work!

Answer: the X shaped steel objects on the beach are "Tank Traps". They were effective against boats too depending on the water level. The idea of them is that a tank trying to drive over one would get stuck on top of it. This would immobilize the tank and make it vulnerable to attack. The other thing it would do is force tanks to travel on routes between the traps, usually these routes had a antitank mine laid on them, and also by forcing a tank to turn, you make it expose its side armor which is weaker then the front armor.

My Uncle was killed in action on June 3, 1967. He was just 27 years old. He was a Navy Corpsman...and a badass!! ❤

I totally agree with the "Title" of your review. This movie is so hard to watch i can't even watch any reaction after one time time seeing in a theater. So horrible most of those "kids" getting killed were 18 to 22 years old. My great uncle was on that beach and he never talked about since so traumatic. Thank You for reviewing for those who have never seen.

The first half hour of this movie is incredibly brutal and very hard to watch. Having said that, this is a movie everybody needs to see once... it's that good....

Truly one of the greatest war movies ever. The harrowing opening battle was both shocking and very hard to watch. The Germans did a hell of a number on our guys there.

Your tears for Captain are real. Coming from a true Patriot ✝️♥️🕊️

The mother sitting on the porch knowing what bad news would come was most sad. She already lost 3 sons.

Congratulations. You got through saving private Ryan in one piece. It is a truly harsh and powerful film telling the raw emotion of war. If uve recovered from that experience and you think your able to watch more amazing films like that their are 3 other war films almost just as good. Schindlers list which is also directed by Spielberg, Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson and Fury. That was an amazing reaction and I look forward to seeing more.

As a old boomer my Dad volunteered for the US Navy, Dec 8th 1941. Let us not forget the battles in the Pacific. The Battle for Okinawa for example: from April 4th to May 26th, to gain a total of 14 square miles a total of American casualties numbered some 12,000 killed and 36,000 wounded. This didin't get the press or the attention of historians compared to D day in Europe.

Ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Plumbers, teachers, grocery clerks, janitors, an overwhelming majority of average Joe’s. Only just over 100,000 of American WW2 vets remain alive out of the 16 million that served, we’re losing them quickly now that they’re in their 90’s. Imagine going through the Great Depression and straight into this. There’s no question why their generation is called “the greatest”.

Upham still pisses me off till this day. And i watched this movie like 15 years ago. Never been so pissed at a movie character before. Well done for a movie so well written. Its so gritty and real. The other must watch war movie is Band of Brothers... Its so good

We need to understand what these men did for our freedom.

I worked with a guy whose grandfather was there. His grandfather said that there were so many rounds being exchanged that it rained fish as they ran up the beach.

So many don't understand how many in Battle get "Paralyzed" with Fear Cristy !! 🤔 It's all so easy sitting home watching a movie ! Sgt, Semper Fi

18:56 Being traumatized by the opening battle is a perfectly reasonable reaction, and sets you up nicely for being traumatized by most of the rest of the film. 😱😭

18 months ago I visited Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery. I wanted to see the beach and pay my respects the the men of the greatest generation. They made it possible for us to sleep in warm beds at night and preserve our way of life. They helped save the world and we should always show our respect and keep them in our prayers.

My Dad was a navigator on a B-17, and so i grew up around many WWII veterans. Thwy were known as part of the "Greatest Generation," having gone through the Great Depression and the War. But almost to a man, they would not talk about what they went through. Thats why there has been so much about the War now, before the last pass from / into history. Now, some are telling their stories, though i imagine even as horrific as they tell, it was, in reality even worse.

21:38: that may have been (probably was?) inspired by Carlos Hathcock, a legendary Marine sniper who fought in Vietnam and reportedly once killed an enemy sniper by shooting through the enemy's own scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him.

My cousin and I snuck into the theaters to see this when it came out. We were about 16/17 at the time. We had no idea what to expect as there wasn't really anything back then that came close to it. War movies back then were flashy, stylized, overly-dramatic. Think of films like Platoon, with Willem Dafoe dramatically raising his arms to the sky while being shot and bombs bursting around him and an orchestra blasting your ears with tragic violins. We were young dudes who watched all sorts of violent movies, growing up on films like Predator and all the slasher films of the 80s and 90s. We just thought we were going to see another good flick. Even after all of these years I can still remember the absolute shock I felt during the beach landing scene. Probably the closest thing to seeing actual death, at least back then. No flailing of arms with dramatic music, faces contorted in grimaces to convey the actors' agony. Just people running and being switched off as bullets tore through their bodies; one instant they are living breathing creatures and then the next they fall unceremoniously to the ground as the controls are turned off, leaving just a mass of organic material left on the ground with blank stares. The lack of music I think is what really immersed us into the battle. Just half an hour of brutally stark death, explosions, bullets ripping through the air and slamming into the dirt around the actors. In the theater the sounds were so loud each explosion hammered your entire body. I'm pretty sure I experienced something close to a panic attack, squirming uncomfortably in my seat. It didn't help that my cousin and I had just smoked a dooby before heading into the theater. I remember I turned to my cousin partway through that first battle and we made eye-contact. I could tell he was feeling the same frantic fear that I was and one of us kind of shakily yelled "holy shit dude" over the ear-splitting sounds of battle. People were getting up and leaving the theater. When the battle finally ended we could hear people sobbing around us. We looked around and there were a significant amount of elderly people in the theater, some of them war veterans as evidenced by the hats they wore. Many of them were completely distraught, PTSD triggered by the movie. I want to say it was an unreal experience but really it was the exact opposite; I don't think I've ever seen a movie that felt so REAL. We made it through the whole movie. When we left we did not really talk about it much. We were in shock and there was not really anything to feel good about. Most movies left you with feelings of triumph or twists or some other type of stylized finales. This one didn't. Everyone dies and you left knowing that it was just a taste of what really happened and that countless poor souls actually went through all of that with no happy endings or celebrations. Most of them died and the ones that made it had to live with the trauma of what they experienced. 10/10 an amazing storytelling experience but definitely not a movie that is "enjoyable."

You asked, "How did the world recover from this war?" The fact is that it is still in the process of recovery to this day. Physical scars remain on the landscape in Europe and Asia. Cultural and political scars may never fully heal.

We paid for it, Marshal Plan. My mom had rice from Louisiana, chocolate powder from Pennsylvania and powdered milk from Minnesota. She said it was rough growing up in France after the war, a lot of food shortages and she was in the countryside. The village lost their cows to an American armored TD unit that came through and killed their milk cow for steaks. That lost the heart and minds right there.

The wild thing to remember about the Normandy Invasion (the opening scene of the movie) is that what you see, THAT is the invasion going well. That was the plan succeeding.

To bring up a commenters correct explanation from klausdieter3198 Fubar is the misunderstood word of non-German speaking American soldiers. Fuba comes from the word "Furchtbar", hence bad, cruel, frightening, etc

The reason why he cried in that scene with the Hitler youth knife in the D-Day battle is because he realises, that it was just boys he killed there. You asked, whether people volunteered to go to war or if they were drafted. While both happened, the Americans would mostly be volunteers, while the Germans - at least this late in the war - were mostly drafted and often forced into service. Many were no older than 16 years, sometimes even younger.

On D-Day alone, the allied forces had 4,414 KIA, of which 2,501 of those were American soldiers, sailors, coast guardsmen, and even some Marines. The D in D-Day is short for Day... meaning Day-Day, which is short for "the Day of Days," a common phrase at the time for the start of a military campaign, or anything significant, even those not pertaining to the military. When Captain Miller said he had 35 KIA, he wasn't talking about the beach landing. Operation Overlord wasn't just about landing on the beach but also securing the surrounding lands and preventing any German counter offensives. As part of the objectives, taking out the German anti-aircraft artillery emplacements were vital to air superiority. Captain Miller was tasked to take out the German anti-aircraft guns, and on that day, he lost 35 men, and another 70 were wounded.

My papa was there and he would later tell just us boys that the worst part (he was shot twice) was the sound the German tracked vehicles made, he said he heard it every night until he was gone. RIP Papa

My Grandfather was a Veteran of WWII. My Dad tried to get him to see this when it came to Theatres. He wouldn't go I guess because it would bring back some bad memories. He passed away in 2008

This movie didn't win the Oscar for Best Picture. It lost to "Shakespeare In Love." Sacrilege.

As a 20 year veteran myself, though the war scenes can be relatable and hard to watch, the end gets me every time. We all should earn it, we should live our lives in honor of those that have fought, will fight and have given us their ultimate sacrifice. This isn’t just our military servicemen and women, but anyone that has fought and sacrificed for us as a nation, a community or an individual. Selfless service and sacrifice is the lifeblood of a great society and without it, we fall. We all may be different in our own ways and struggle through the chaos and downfalls of life, but we are all privileged to live how we live today because of the people of our past, present and future.

This is why they were/are called "The Greatest Generation". They saved the world from Hitler, the Nazis, and fascism, came home and rolled up their sleeves, and then rebuilt the world you have today. We owe them everything.

The 2nd Ranger battalion, which had 3 companies of infantry, landed 1st in nortafrica, fought across north Africa, then landed in Sicily, the landed in Salerno, then landed at Anzio. Then was refitted in England and got replacements, then landed on d-day on "bloody Omaha". Graves Registration companies, garnered dead, from aid posts, and battlefields, recorded names, and buried them in temp graveyards. After ww2, the recorded bodies were concentrated in national cemeteries on land gifted to the US in perpetually.

People always get confused when Hanks character is reporting his casualties at the beginning. He was reporting on another mission some time after they took the beach.

The study of war is incredibly important, especially the causes a repercussions. The more we learn about it the better we can prevent it