It's finally here...the movie everyone has been waiting for lmao. I'm late! Something new I'm excited to add to the mix here! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a THE DAREDEVIL SEASON 3 Episode on Friday and Band of Brothers on Saturday Enjoy the day!
Great react...this is one of Spielberg's greatest masterpieces. But I also recommend strongly you take a look at his other masterpiece war film...you must watch Empire of the Sun, with a very young Christian Bale...it is a must see movie. 💯✌
To this day, Melish's death is the hardest thing for me to watch in this movie. It's one of the most difficult deaths to watch in any movie ever. Just that feeling of being slowly overpowered, and you've exhausted every last bit of strength you were capable of.... and it just wasn't enough. Just haunting.
The way he starts screaming “LISTEN! LISTEN TO ME!” To the German when the knife is just about to go in and then the German starts whispering to him as the knife slowly enters actually makes me gag.
I remember watching that scene the first time an crying. Ever since, even though I know it’s coming, I still refuse to see that part because it just…it’s gut wrenching. The slowness of the kill is what I think does it for me. Just the person enjoying it. And it’s the same dude that they allowed to leave!!! That’s what pissed me off as well.
Medics are not to be targeted. That doesn't mean that they don't get killed. On the other hand, the Japanese and other signed nor obeyed the Geneva conventions.
Medics weren't targeted because they weren't a threat so they didn't waste their time, especially when you have dozens of people rushing toward you. Also there was a golden rule aspect (treat other as you would be treated) because you wanted the enemy to accept your surrender and let you have aide if you needed it, also you didn't want them fighting to the death. So the Allies especially treated medics and POWs really well because they knew if word got out they didn't adhere to wartime laws then you would have to fight down to the last man, which is a reason a lot of Germans surrendered on the Western Allies final push to the Rhine.
agreed or how important US and allies are to the shaping of the world we have now. If Germany and Japan had their way I am more than certain what Americans and this woke generation enjoy and take so much for granted now would be non existent.
Yep. The horror was so bad that, to quote Steve Carrell: "The generation that won World War II was exposed to so much awful reality that they made mostly good decisions for a long time after." Something that starting with Generation Y aka Millennials aka my generation has now started to forget due to passage of time and belief in our own bullshit.
@@TheRebuilt1 Probably. The problem I have is that countries normally only learn their involvement and that's it or if they were even involved. When instead every high school student in the world needs to learn how things got that bad, how someone like Hitler came to be, what was happening in the Pacific, Europe, Africa and the aftermath. It would take a whole school year and then some to learn all that.
@M. Naples in isolation for the majority of the war? Is that a parody? 400,000 US trucks helped the Soviets, along with tons and tons of food, medical supplies, and equipment. Yes, the US has plenty of faults over the years, but you can put the death of 80+M people last century directly at the feet of those 'sophisticated" Europeans. And you are correct about the current American school system. It is crap. It is currently more concerned about teaching kids what to think, not how to think. The reactor didn't even know D-Day. He said Doomsday.
Medics: you are not supposed to target them, no. But if they are in the mix, they are in the mix. A medic embedded in the unit though is really just a soldier with additional training, not really part of a distinct medical unit.
Most of the cast were just starting their careers at this point, so guys like Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Giovanni Ribisi had only done small budget films. During the landing scene, there a bit where outside the pillbox where Tom Sizemore tosses Edward Burns a grenade, Burns catches it and tosses it into the bunker. One attempt filming the scene, Burns failed to catch the grenade and they had to reset the whole scene: the planes flying over, the men on the beaches, the explosions. While they were waiting Adam Goldberg walked by and told him that reshooting that one scene cost more than the entire budget for Burn's directorial debut "The Brothers McMullen"
I love the moment where he asks his wife “tell me I’m a good man.” Something about that just really hammers on how he’s feeling. He’s not just looking for validation from a loved one. He wants to know that he lived to Cpt Millers request and that he’s not just lying to himself about it. He needs to know if he actually lived up to the words or not.
The attention to detail in this movie is incredible. The scene that plays out in the background of 8:00 - when the medic is trying to save the battalion surgeon who ultimately gets a bullet to the head making all his efforts in vain and he goes off on a tantrum screaming "give us a fucking chance". While he is screaming the other medic to his right, our left, gets shot in the hip. The bullet seems to pass through his waterbottle also. And if you look closely the first trickle of water through that bullethole is clear until his wound leaks into the bottle; turning the water red. I caught that on like my 10th watch of the movie. Really an amazing piece of film.
5:00 I saw Saving Private Ryan in the theater. When I saw the beach landing? The silence in the theater was DEEP. Not the movie, the theater. The violence & emotions from the movie was so impactful. The realism. You could just FEEL it. Like it was pressing in on you, on your chest, like a weight. It gave you a whole new respect for those who fought in & for that war.
I haven't read all the comments, so someone may have already made this point. The opening scene of the movie happens on D-day....which is simply the military way of identifying the day an opperation is scheduled to begin.
I feel like I’ve already seen you review this one but the fact that you haven’t made me really excited! This is top 10 for me. This movie is a war masterpiece.
My dad showed me this movie when I was younger because I told him I was interested in military stuff. Kinda fucked up but it helped me realize it isn’t all like those go army commercials and heroes always win films.
the first time I ever watched this movie, I was with my parents in our living room. I knew what was gonna happen as soon as they showed the hedgehogs on the beach, then the Higgins boats approaching the beach. BUT, the magnitude of the gore and the soldiers dying like that had me ABSOLUTELY SHOOK. I actually had to walk away and process what I just saw.
@@nathanialvargas5778 Medics were killed all over, BY ALL SIDES. Non-combatants have been and still are the most numerous casualties in any war. The ideals of the Articles of War are nice and gentlemanly, something that the violent reality of war never is. That's why combat medics nowadays are armed.
Just want to say, thank you and god bless ya for being honest about how many times you've seen a given film, there are way to many people who i don't believe when they say it's their first time watching. Good shit
This movie has so many subtle details, my favourite is the sniper engagement at 14:30, the German sniper was obviously using the family as bait and waited for enemies to arrive, he shot caparzo when he put his arm up because it looked like he was issuing an order as if he has some form of command.
....among epic scenes too numerous to mention, Upham's meltdown on the staircase (hard to watch) adds so much authenticity to this masterpiece. Not everyone on a battlefield is a hero. .......love SPR.........and your reaction. Thanks for posting.
My mother’s father was stationed at Peleliu during WWII. I never met him because he died in 1984. But from what my mother or my grandmother told me, he was a avid lover of movies. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark was his favorite. I think if he were still alive, I think he would be so pleased with this film and a bit tickled that it was directed by Steven Spielberg. Now, you must react to Schindler’s List. It’s Spielberg’s best film.
So about the medic thing mentioned early on: according to the Geneva Conventions of the time (which America and Nazi Germany were both signatories to), shooting medics was a war crime (and it still is to this day). Given the nature of the Nazi war machine, though, that wasn't something that was followed all the time, especially not by SS units, though Wehrmacht units committed their share of atrocities too on the Western Front. It was pretty much completely ignored in Eastern Europe in general and in the USSR in particular since the USSR wasn't a signatory of that version of the Geneva Conventions and, more importantly, because Nazi Germany was waging a war of extermination across all of Eastern Europe (at least, it was ignored on the Nazis' side of things; IIRC the leadership of the Soviets and the other Allied forces in Eastern Europe made some effort to avoid those types of cruelties, though given what the people of that region experienced, it wasn't uncommon for them to do such things anyway out of a desire for vengeance, regardless of what the leadership called for).
A really interesting (And oft overlooked) WW2 film to check out is "CROSS OF IRON" (1977) Directed by Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs), starring James Coburn (Magnificent Seven, Great Escape) , Maxmillian Schell (Black Hole, Deep Impact), James Mason (North by Noerthwest, 20,000 Leagues under the sea) and David Warner (Tron, Titanic)
I have seen this movei soo many times and i have just noticed the overlapping of dialogue ins some scenes now that you pointed it out. It really adds to the immersion and makes things very realistic. It alsways seems to be the main characters trying to gather info for their mission while other soldiers are just doing their job at the same time within the same vicinity. Yet as the audience you still understand whats going on story wise while being strung along in this chaos of battle and dialogue. Thats a really good catch. and here i thought i had already fully dissected this movie lol
My man, you should really react to The Thin Red Line, it came out alongside this one and nobody saw it, but it's a really good war/drama film. Definitley one of the most beautiful films I've seen
@@paulhewes7333 it's one of those films that doesn't really has a plot, but to me that's not a bad thing, it could be but the way they portrayed everything is really peaceful (mostly) and interesting enough
17:25 Actually, seen this film you can recognize some details that show us how Come And See inspired Spielberg, like that dead cow in the field or the sound design.
As a huge fan of Steven Spielberg I'd like to suggest you react to his first feature length film, Duel, released in 1971 starring Dennis Weaver. The way he builds tension with visuals and very little dialog is masterful.
Those are MG42's in the German bunkers on the beach, nicknamed "Hitler's Buzzsaw" by the Allies for the sound it made while firing and the fact that it spat out 1300 rpm - twice what the Allies' Bren gun and B.A.R could output. Probably the scariest thing to face as an infantryman in that war. As to Capt. Miller's background: The draft was heavily used up until after Vietnam, and those who were drafted with a college degree, such as a teacher, would be prime candidates for officer training. This also sets up Upham's character: he's a translator, he was drafted for his language skills, not because he's a fighter. He likely never imagined he'd be going to war. All the armchair warriors that get angry about how he froze with fear and yell about how he's a coward fail to understand that he DIDN'T sign up for this, and that they have no idea how any of them would react when thrust into that same situation.
H-hour, D-day. They're variables standing in for the exact hour and the exact day. These values were not revealed to the soldiers for a couple reasons. One, nobody knew exactly when the assault would be launched due to weather and other conditions needing to be right for an assault. Two, even if the upper command knew when the assault would happen, operational security would require that they not reveal that information.
Regarding the medics question, yes, under the Geneva Convention, it is a war crime to shoot a medic wearing a designated medic insignia. HOWEVER, if a combat medic uses their weapon offensively, their insignia becomes null and void, and they become fair game for any enemy combatant. Apparently, combat medics back in the day were conventionally issued a sidearm and allowed to use it defensively and/or in order to protect patients in their care. Today, since unconventional combatants have been known to target medics, medics in some major militaries are apparently issued standard issue carbines/rifles.
Truly among the greatest, if not the greatest, war movie ever created. This film broke my grandfather when we saw it in theaters together. He sobbed at the last scene. Never seen the man cry other than that time. Another fantastic war film to check out is Black Hawk Down. Also, Lone Survivor. Both based on incredible true stories.
This was the most realistic showing of Day & combat done at the time. I went to the theatre to see this & looked around to see WW2 vets with tears streaming down their cheeks. 😢
11:50 They briefly mention in that scene, the Sullivan Brothers, which were real people. They were 5 brothers who all fought together in the same ship during WWII. The ship was sunk by the Japanese and 4 of the brothers died. The 5th killed himself a few days later while waiting for rescue (his fellow sailors said he just jumped into the water one day and never resurfaced). After the Sullivan Brothers, the US military made it policy that family members could not serve in the same unit to avoid the same thing from happening again.
That guy in the opening that screams out for his mom. When I saw that for the first time, when I was in the 9th grade. I could not unhear that for a week!
Utterly phenomenal war film, unsurpassed in its authentic approach to the battle sequences. And they were like that. When the movie dropped in ‘98, a decent load of the veterans of WW2 were still alive and went to the theatres to watch it. Many of them walked out before the opening scene finished, and in the days following the premiere, visits to PTSD counsellors rose, so much so that the Department of Veterans Affairs had to set up a hotline for anyone who was too affected. In less than 2 weeks, 170 calls had been received. Not just veterans, my Mom hates this movie, well she recognises it’s well made and such, but every time she gets to the shot of the guy with his guts out, she stops watching the movie. Just too much for her.
Other great war movies in no particular order: 1917, Glory, Gallipoli, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Thin Red Line, The Pianist, Unbroken, Dunkirk, Patton - I am sure there are others, but they don't come to the forefront of my mind at this time.
According to the Geneva Convention, you aren't allowed to shoot at anything with a red cross. As a combatant, you don't want to do that anyway. It takes 3 or more people to deal with each casualty, that's usually at least 2 more people you don't have to deal with for a time.
One of the coolest touches to that opening scene is the framerate changes Spielberg used. It alternates between 14-20 fps to add more of a chaotic feel to the scene, and melt the processors of TVs everywhere trying to properly display it as intended
I think the audio in this helps sell so many shots, the muffled cramped noise of boots in a small falt, the thuds of bullets hitting meat, the authentic gun sounds. Without that so much doesnt work
@ 8:04 That's correct. It's was known as The Geneva Convention, which the Allies including the US, and Germany and others were signatories and had to follow. But there were accidents and deliberate violations on all sides from time to time, and Japan had not renewed it at the time. ✌️😎
Incredible movie, thanks for the reaction. It's amazing: the beginning of this movie portrays one of the most ugly, violent incidents in human history but the way it's brought to the screen is a work of art.
Hey, James! Killing medics is classified by the Geneva Convention as a war crime. Chapter IV, Article 25, says that: "Members of the armed forces specially trained for employment, should the need arise, as hospital orderlies, nurses or auxiliary stretcher-bearers, in the search for or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded and sick shall likewise be respected and protected if they are carrying out these duties at the time when they come into contact with the enemy or fall into his hands". Knowingly firing upon anyone wearing the red cross is a war crime. In the Pacific Theater, though, the Japanese deliberately shot down medics and even lured them by injuring Allied soldiers to kill the medics who came out.
... and the most terrifying thing is that it happened!, the famous day D. I remember when it premiered that the war veterans came out saying that was exactly how the war was like . It's maybe the first movie to show it realistically.
I watched your react and MellVerse's within a few days of each other. You guys should collab together. I can tell Mell is into filmmaking but still retains that general audience perspective. I bet he would like to hear your input. The both of you are probably my favorites so it's a little self-serving too. Keep it up my guy!
Aside from being (in my not-so-humble opinion) the greatest war movie of all time, this one opens with an action sequence absolutely unparalleled in its horrifying realism. I watch this every Remembrance Day.
The sound choices are perfect in this movie. No stupid patriotic music in the background, only the snapping of bullets and rumbles of off scene explosions.
The origins and the purposes for this incredible film masterpiece are the same. I, like the director, had a father and three uncles who served (and, in my case, died) in the world's greatest conflict. The generation of Americans who fought this war are considered "The Greatest Generation." They were asked to sacrifice so much to overcome the evil that threatened to engulf their, and subsequently our, world. We all owe them an unpayable debt. This film was Speilberg's best attempt to honor them, thank them, and remind the viewers that they should always do the same. God Bless This Film, and all those who see it.
my uncle was in the Canadian tank corps that made it so far inland on D Day that they had to be called back. He was among the 30 Canadian troops that surrounded and secured the surrender of 300 German soldiers.
I would have agreed with your comment about teachers and soldiers being night and day until my fellow teachers and I had to go through active shooter training and then tourniquet training. When this film came out, I would have never envisioned that training being necessary to teach.
The Germans figured out pretty quick they could use the 20mm Flak gun (meant for aircraft) to take out infantry (the part where the Germans fire on the tank with all the soldiers on them). It's a sizeable round probably about as long as a normal human hand and about 1" wide. Getting hit by that..probably is instant death.
On the note of the sniper, did you notice that Barry Pepper is left handed? It's more impressive when you consider he's using a right handed gun, so he has to re-learn basically an entirely different set of weapon manipulations than the rest of the cast. It shows what a god tier sniper he was that he was able to shoot "wrong handed" and still have that level of accuracy.
According to the Geneva Conventions, both medical personnel and their patients (those "hors de combat", i.e. too ill or injured to fight) are unlawful targets. The tradeoff is that medical personnel aren't allowed to participate in combat, except in defense of themselves or their patients. However, medics have to be "exclusively engaged" in their duty to care for those hors de combat. The medics in the D-Day scene probably qualify, since they don't seem to be attacking the Germans; on the other hand, Wade becomes a lawful target when he goes on the mission to save PVT Ryan, because he's basically a Ranger, doing Ranger things, who happens to have medical skills. Army Special Forces medical sergeants are lawful targets for the same reason.
I think the overall rule about medics is you aren't supposed to shoot them and they're supposed to provide aid regardless of what side. But in the middle of a firefight you can't always tell. But if you give them a weapon they're just another soldier. But generally you aren't supposed to shoot at anything with a red cross on it unless they're shooting at you
I think it is actually the opposite, or at least in some case I know Medics were targeted and ended up removing the medic symbol because it showed the enemy who they were
@@likadaboys7 yeah nations don't always follow the Geneva convention. Especially the Japanese. And in sure the germans could care less about a red cross if it was on the eastern front and vice versa with the Soviets
The D in D-day simply stands for day. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, was so vital to the Alllied war effort, that it's first day deserved that honor. So the day before D-day was called D-1, then D-day, then D+1, D+2 etc.
Spielberg trolled us so hard right from the beginning...making us think Private Ryan was Captain Miller...I fell for it the first time. Spielberg and Hanks weren't content with this...then we were blessed with Band of Brothers.
BTS tidbit you maybe know... Everyone in the main cast went through military "Training" to prepare... EXCEPT Matt Damon. Matt Damon did not take part in military training exercises with Tom Hanks and other actors prior to filming Saving Private Ryan. The filmmakers wanted to preserve a real-life resentment of Damon because the other actors' characters resented Private Ryan in the film.
There were three WW2 movies that came out around the same time that I watched, "The Thin Red Line", "Saving Private Ryan" and a TV movie which has become my favorite out of the three, "When Trumpets Fade". Compared to the first two films, it was a smaller production, had no big stars, but it actually had a better storyline, character development and plot progression IMO. It kept me at the edge of my seat and made me care for the characters a lot more than "Saving Private Ryan".
Normally I get annoyed when people say “reaction,” even when they’ve already experienced what they’re reacting to. You however, are an exception because your reactions aren’t rooted in shock value and visceral impact. Your reactions are pointing out and breaking down technical and storytelling aspects. I learn so much about filmmaking from watching movies with you.
This is seriously still one of the greatest films of all time. Not a lot of movies have dialogue as good as this.there isn’t a single scene that isn’t fantastic. The only scene that isn’t as wow as all the others is the introduction to the translator, but they made it a one-take so there really isn’t a break from the amazing artistry in this film Actual cinematic perfection
D day is depicted as absolutely horrifying, but you just have to imagine how bad it was in Eastern front where you have tens of millions soldiers and civilians dying.
Their were lots of D-Days in ww2, it’s just a code name. Most of the time it means “deployment”. Some landings in the pacific were code named L-Day or W-Day for code purposes. It usually doesn’t have a intended name behind the the first letter though
In World War II countries that signed the Geneva convention or acknowledge it generally found. Though notoriously the Soviets & Japanese directly targeted medics which violates the geneva convention being a war crime.
I love this movie. But... A movie that always gets overlooked is "the thin red line". It came out the same year as Saving private Ryan. The thin red line take a different approach to wwii and is just as amazing. If not more in some aspects. I remember when in film school I got shit for loving Spielberg and I used this movie, schindler's list, and the jurassic park as a thesis as too why spielberg is so great, and influential. While not my favorite film maker, definitely one of my most inspirational. Speaking of the movie - Spielberg wanted you to be able to pause at any frame and have it be exactly like looking at a film reel or photo from the war. It's so effective. And I've known people who were there and they said this is the most accurate portrayal of the dday invasion and the most accurate portrayal of battle in film history. Two people couldn't even make it through the first 10 minutes. That's how accurate it is. I read that vets even smelled diesel fuel while watching this movie. Also, watch it again and look in background. So much is going on. So much effects. So much brutality that's not even the main focus. Brilliant. Also, this brought in the shaky camera into hollywood movies. Was it worth it..... Kind of. Lol.
One of the best opening sequences of all time. To start the movie off with an epic battle scene, Spielberg at his best. Trying to think of a movie with such an amazing edge of your seat opening 🤔🤔🤔
I'd love to see a filmmaker capture the massive size of the Omaha cemetery well. No movie yet gives a realistic sense of how big and how many rows of headstones there are.
According to the Geneva Conventions, medics and doctors were considered non-combatants, and therefore, shouldn't be specifically targeted, at couldn't carry rifles (a few carried pistols, but most were unarmed). This also extended to Hospital ships, POW ships/trains and ambulances, but they had to be extensively marked. The Germans on the Western Front, for the most part, respected this, as they too also had medical personnel in the field. The Russians, and Germans on the Eastern Front didn't really care, but that was a more ideological and racial war. The Japanese also didn't care and would purposefully target Medics and Corpsman to the point that by the end of the Guadalcanal campaign they were ordered to remove their red crosses because the Japanese would target them first.
It was so many details that made the film great. Things like dead fish on the beach (killed by explosions) and the sweat dripping off the chin during the knife scene. Bih action is one thing, but details are the gold.
I believe that the knife that killed melish was the same knife that was given to him by Carpazzo in the landing opening. (the hitler youth knife) if that is the case then it is amazing detail.
It's finally here...the movie everyone has been waiting for lmao. I'm late! Something new I'm excited to add to the mix here!
Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema
Have a THE DAREDEVIL SEASON 3 Episode on Friday and Band of Brothers on Saturday Enjoy the day!
Do you have any advice on how to start a reaction channel? Or how to promote it? lol
Great react...this is one of Spielberg's greatest masterpieces. But I also recommend strongly you take a look at his other masterpiece war film...you must watch Empire of the Sun, with a very young Christian Bale...it is a must see movie. 💯✌
Yo have u ever considered doing a video on Interstellar? Would like to see ur review of it
Did you recognize the first Private Ryan they Found? It was a young Nathan Fillion.
Just saying - the germans have allso been fighting for their lives. Against a superiority of men and material. Both against the USA and Russia.
If you ever live in the same area as Brandon Likes Movies you guys would be great room mates 😂
Worddddd broooo
I'd love to see a team up between them. Two of the best doing it.
Probably my 2 favorite movie reactors 🔥
My two favorite reactors!!
@@tomi-sz same its the only two i watch. All others try to force a reaction to make it look good when you can tell they have seen the shit already.
To this day, Melish's death is the hardest thing for me to watch in this movie. It's one of the most difficult deaths to watch in any movie ever. Just that feeling of being slowly overpowered, and you've exhausted every last bit of strength you were capable of.... and it just wasn't enough. Just haunting.
To know that he died because of the Hitler Youth knife he found on the beach on D Day just makes it that much worse too.
The way he starts screaming “LISTEN! LISTEN TO ME!” To the German when the knife is just about to go in and then the German starts whispering to him as the knife slowly enters actually makes me gag.
I remember watching that scene the first time an crying. Ever since, even though I know it’s coming, I still refuse to see that part because it just…it’s gut wrenching. The slowness of the kill is what I think does it for me. Just the person enjoying it. And it’s the same dude that they allowed to leave!!! That’s what pissed me off as well.
@@TheSReaction It's not the same person, they just look similar.
@@Algernon7 I really thought it was the same dude they let go of…
I think it's in the Geneva convention that medics aren't to be attacked, but that rule is mostly ignored in all conflicts.
Medics are not to be targeted. That doesn't mean that they don't get killed. On the other hand, the Japanese and other signed nor obeyed the Geneva conventions.
Medics weren't targeted because they weren't a threat so they didn't waste their time, especially when you have dozens of people rushing toward you. Also there was a golden rule aspect (treat other as you would be treated) because you wanted the enemy to accept your surrender and let you have aide if you needed it, also you didn't want them fighting to the death. So the Allies especially treated medics and POWs really well because they knew if word got out they didn't adhere to wartime laws then you would have to fight down to the last man, which is a reason a lot of Germans surrendered on the Western Allies final push to the Rhine.
@@jaytravota7424 hey I learned something new!
Man WWII needs to be an entire mandatory history class, not just a chapter. People can't forget how horrific this was.
agreed or how important US and allies are to the shaping of the world we have now. If Germany and Japan had their way I am more than certain what Americans and this woke generation enjoy and take so much for granted now would be non existent.
it is were i'm from and my country didn't fight (Sweden)
Yep. The horror was so bad that, to quote Steve Carrell: "The generation that won World War II was exposed to so much awful reality that they made mostly good decisions for a long time after."
Something that starting with Generation Y aka Millennials aka my generation has now started to forget due to passage of time and belief in our own bullshit.
@@TheRebuilt1 Probably. The problem I have is that countries normally only learn their involvement and that's it or if they were even involved. When instead every high school student in the world needs to learn how things got that bad, how someone like Hitler came to be, what was happening in the Pacific, Europe, Africa and the aftermath. It would take a whole school year and then some to learn all that.
@M. Naples in isolation for the majority of the war? Is that a parody? 400,000 US trucks helped the Soviets, along with tons and tons of food, medical supplies, and equipment. Yes, the US has plenty of faults over the years, but you can put the death of 80+M people last century directly at the feet of those 'sophisticated" Europeans. And you are correct about the current American school system. It is crap. It is currently more concerned about teaching kids what to think, not how to think. The reactor didn't even know D-Day. He said Doomsday.
Medics: you are not supposed to target them, no. But if they are in the mix, they are in the mix. A medic embedded in the unit though is really just a soldier with additional training, not really part of a distinct medical unit.
Most of the cast were just starting their careers at this point, so guys like Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Giovanni Ribisi had only done small budget films. During the landing scene, there a bit where outside the pillbox where Tom Sizemore tosses Edward Burns a grenade, Burns catches it and tosses it into the bunker. One attempt filming the scene, Burns failed to catch the grenade and they had to reset the whole scene: the planes flying over, the men on the beaches, the explosions. While they were waiting Adam Goldberg walked by and told him that reshooting that one scene cost more than the entire budget for Burn's directorial debut "The Brothers McMullen"
omg
Dude really said "you may have made mistakes in your life but this is by far the most expensive one."
I love the moment where he asks his wife “tell me I’m a good man.” Something about that just really hammers on how he’s feeling. He’s not just looking for validation from a loved one. He wants to know that he lived to Cpt Millers request and that he’s not just lying to himself about it. He needs to know if he actually lived up to the words or not.
Also, I recommend “Jarhead”. Jake Gyllenhaal stars in it, it’s a war movie, and I think it is a very underrated piece of film.
And also cinematography by Roger Deakins 🙌
As prior Marine Infantry, jarhead is the most realistic movie.
@@salmonero6472 yes I always forget to mention that
If you want a war movie with almost no action and half decent acting, Jarhead is the way to go.
@@jackhammer0925 Respect for your service.
The attention to detail in this movie is incredible. The scene that plays out in the background of 8:00 - when the medic is trying to save the battalion surgeon who ultimately gets a bullet to the head making all his efforts in vain and he goes off on a tantrum screaming "give us a fucking chance". While he is screaming the other medic to his right, our left, gets shot in the hip. The bullet seems to pass through his waterbottle also. And if you look closely the first trickle of water through that bullethole is clear until his wound leaks into the bottle; turning the water red. I caught that on like my 10th watch of the movie. Really an amazing piece of film.
Spielberg man... one of the most well-known and acclaimed directors and somehow I still feel he's underrated as to how good he actually is.
5:00 I saw Saving Private Ryan in the theater. When I saw the beach landing? The silence in the theater was DEEP. Not the movie, the theater. The violence & emotions from the movie was so impactful. The realism. You could just FEEL it. Like it was pressing in on you, on your chest, like a weight. It gave you a whole new respect for those who fought in & for that war.
your voice is very soothing and relaxing. i know thats kinda a weird thing to say but i feel very relaxed when i watch your videos.
Not weird at all! Thanks for the compliment Kelly!
You could definitely do narration or audio books..its warm and rich...
React to "Black Hawk Down" by Ridley Scott, another great war movie.
James, thank you for posting this!! One of my favorites.
Anytime!!
When this film came out, many veterans had to leave the cinema on the first scene because it was to real to them.
Imagine this being the life you were put through because some humans in another country can't stop being dickheads.
I haven't read all the comments, so someone may have already made this point. The opening scene of the movie happens on D-day....which is simply the military way of identifying the day an opperation is scheduled to begin.
I feel like I’ve already seen you review this one but the fact that you haven’t made me really excited! This is top 10 for me. This movie is a war masterpiece.
The Normandy scene at the beginning really tells you all you need to know about the saying "War Is Hell".
My dad showed me this movie when I was younger because I told him I was interested in military stuff. Kinda fucked up but it helped me realize it isn’t all like those go army commercials and heroes always win films.
the first time I ever watched this movie, I was with my parents in our living room. I knew what was gonna happen as soon as they showed the hedgehogs on the beach, then the Higgins boats approaching the beach. BUT, the magnitude of the gore and the soldiers dying like that had me ABSOLUTELY SHOOK. I actually had to walk away and process what I just saw.
In the Geneva Convention it classes killing enemy Medics who have clear insignia, as a war crime. Also, D Day just stands for Day lol.
Yes but the Germans didn't keep to that during WWII, so on D-Day medics were also killed
@@nathanialvargas5778 Medics were killed all over, BY ALL SIDES. Non-combatants have been and still are the most numerous casualties in any war. The ideals of the Articles of War are nice and gentlemanly, something that the violent reality of war never is. That's why combat medics nowadays are armed.
LETS GOOO ! waited so long for you to react to this incredible movie.
I love that Abraham Lincoln scene so much. The way he stops reading and starts reciting from memory. Beautiful
Lmfao "Dooms day" 😂
Technically...that day was definitely not the greatest lmfaooo
Wolf 359: Never Forget!
@@JamesVSCinema D-Day
As one comment stated: I asked my ww2 veteran father how accurate D-Day was in the movie, he said: "They got pretty close."
Damn. That’s frightening and incredible at the same time
Pretty sure D-Day stands for Day of Days which refers to the first day of invasion/landing. Normandy happens to be the most famous/infamous.
Just want to say, thank you and god bless ya for being honest about how many times you've seen a given film, there are way to many people who i don't believe when they say it's their first time watching. Good shit
Always Alex 🙏🏽 hahaha I’m too old to be making things up haha.
I'm glad you're doing this to appreciate the camera work
This movie has so many subtle details, my favourite is the sniper engagement at 14:30, the German sniper was obviously using the family as bait and waited for enemies to arrive, he shot caparzo when he put his arm up because it looked like he was issuing an order as if he has some form of command.
24:50 - even until today, I foam at the mouth when the clerk doesn't attack the german and save Eddie.
....among epic scenes too numerous to mention, Upham's meltdown on the staircase (hard to watch) adds so much authenticity to this masterpiece. Not everyone on a battlefield is a hero. .......love SPR.........and your reaction. Thanks for posting.
My mother’s father was stationed at Peleliu during WWII. I never met him because he died in 1984. But from what my mother or my grandmother told me, he was a avid lover of movies. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark was his favorite. I think if he were still alive, I think he would be so pleased with this film and a bit tickled that it was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Now, you must react to Schindler’s List. It’s Spielberg’s best film.
So about the medic thing mentioned early on: according to the Geneva Conventions of the time (which America and Nazi Germany were both signatories to), shooting medics was a war crime (and it still is to this day). Given the nature of the Nazi war machine, though, that wasn't something that was followed all the time, especially not by SS units, though Wehrmacht units committed their share of atrocities too on the Western Front. It was pretty much completely ignored in Eastern Europe in general and in the USSR in particular since the USSR wasn't a signatory of that version of the Geneva Conventions and, more importantly, because Nazi Germany was waging a war of extermination across all of Eastern Europe (at least, it was ignored on the Nazis' side of things; IIRC the leadership of the Soviets and the other Allied forces in Eastern Europe made some effort to avoid those types of cruelties, though given what the people of that region experienced, it wasn't uncommon for them to do such things anyway out of a desire for vengeance, regardless of what the leadership called for).
A really interesting (And oft overlooked) WW2 film to check out is "CROSS OF IRON" (1977) Directed by Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs), starring James Coburn (Magnificent Seven, Great Escape) , Maxmillian Schell (Black Hole, Deep Impact), James Mason (North by Noerthwest, 20,000 Leagues under the sea) and David Warner (Tron, Titanic)
I have seen this movei soo many times and i have just noticed the overlapping of dialogue ins some scenes now that you pointed it out. It really adds to the immersion and makes things very realistic. It alsways seems to be the main characters trying to gather info for their mission while other soldiers are just doing their job at the same time within the same vicinity. Yet as the audience you still understand whats going on story wise while being strung along in this chaos of battle and dialogue. Thats a really good catch. and here i thought i had already fully dissected this movie lol
Happy to hear I was able to bring some more value to this awesome film!
My man, you should really react to The Thin Red Line, it came out alongside this one and nobody saw it, but it's a really good war/drama film. Definitley one of the most beautiful films I've seen
its a well filmed movie, but honestly the soundtrack is better than the movie plot (its Hans Zimmer's masterpiece)
@@paulhewes7333 it's one of those films that doesn't really has a plot, but to me that's not a bad thing, it could be but the way they portrayed everything is really peaceful (mostly) and interesting enough
Is that the one where they're stuck in the grass shooting at people like a hill away?
Thin Red Line was brilliant. Any hope for a directors cut is futile though.
@@dodybruh2524 the narrative is purely visual
Great movie and one of if not the most intense opening (or scene in general) ever made. So well done.
17:25 Actually, seen this film you can recognize some details that show us how Come And See inspired Spielberg, like that dead cow in the field or the sound design.
Yes it was Vin Diesel.
Bryan Cranston is in the Office area at the start also.
Seeing the dream works logo in the intro, I thought you were gonna react to Shrek as an April fools prank
😂😂😂
“Only knew him for 2 weeks” 👏👏
nice one my friend 🤣
As a huge fan of Steven Spielberg I'd like to suggest you react to his first feature length film, Duel, released in 1971 starring Dennis Weaver. The way he builds tension with visuals and very little dialog is masterful.
Captain Miller’s words “Earn This” was not just meant for Private Ryan.
Those are MG42's in the German bunkers on the beach, nicknamed "Hitler's Buzzsaw" by the Allies for the sound it made while firing and the fact that it spat out 1300 rpm - twice what the Allies' Bren gun and B.A.R could output. Probably the scariest thing to face as an infantryman in that war.
As to Capt. Miller's background: The draft was heavily used up until after Vietnam, and those who were drafted with a college degree, such as a teacher, would be prime candidates for officer training. This also sets up Upham's character: he's a translator, he was drafted for his language skills, not because he's a fighter. He likely never imagined he'd be going to war. All the armchair warriors that get angry about how he froze with fear and yell about how he's a coward fail to understand that he DIDN'T sign up for this, and that they have no idea how any of them would react when thrust into that same situation.
one of the greatest war films
also one of the best opening scenes to a film EVER...
H-hour, D-day. They're variables standing in for the exact hour and the exact day. These values were not revealed to the soldiers for a couple reasons. One, nobody knew exactly when the assault would be launched due to weather and other conditions needing to be right for an assault. Two, even if the upper command knew when the assault would happen, operational security would require that they not reveal that information.
its movies like this that make us remember the sacrifice these young soldiers made for the rest of us
That knife scene fight with the slow penetration through the man's heart is still one of the most painful moments to watch in cinema for me
Regarding the medics question, yes, under the Geneva Convention, it is a war crime to shoot a medic wearing a designated medic insignia. HOWEVER, if a combat medic uses their weapon offensively, their insignia becomes null and void, and they become fair game for any enemy combatant. Apparently, combat medics back in the day were conventionally issued a sidearm and allowed to use it defensively and/or in order to protect patients in their care. Today, since unconventional combatants have been known to target medics, medics in some major militaries are apparently issued standard issue carbines/rifles.
Truly among the greatest, if not the greatest, war movie ever created. This film broke my grandfather when we saw it in theaters together. He sobbed at the last scene. Never seen the man cry other than that time.
Another fantastic war film to check out is Black Hawk Down. Also, Lone Survivor. Both based on incredible true stories.
This was the most realistic showing of Day & combat done at the time. I went to the theatre to see this & looked around to see WW2 vets with tears streaming down their cheeks. 😢
11:50 They briefly mention in that scene, the Sullivan Brothers, which were real people. They were 5 brothers who all fought together in the same ship during WWII. The ship was sunk by the Japanese and 4 of the brothers died. The 5th killed himself a few days later while waiting for rescue (his fellow sailors said he just jumped into the water one day and never resurfaced). After the Sullivan Brothers, the US military made it policy that family members could not serve in the same unit to avoid the same thing from happening again.
That guy in the opening that screams out for his mom. When I saw that for the first time, when I was in the 9th grade. I could not unhear that for a week!
Utterly phenomenal war film, unsurpassed in its authentic approach to the battle sequences.
And they were like that.
When the movie dropped in ‘98, a decent load of the veterans of WW2 were still alive and went to the theatres to watch it.
Many of them walked out before the opening scene finished, and in the days following the premiere, visits to PTSD counsellors rose, so much so that the Department of Veterans Affairs had to set up a hotline for anyone who was too affected. In less than 2 weeks, 170 calls had been received.
Not just veterans, my Mom hates this movie, well she recognises it’s well made and such, but every time she gets to the shot of the guy with his guts out, she stops watching the movie. Just too much for her.
Other great war movies in no particular order: 1917, Glory, Gallipoli, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Thin Red Line, The Pianist, Unbroken, Dunkirk, Patton - I am sure there are others, but they don't come to the forefront of my mind at this time.
According to the Geneva Convention, you aren't allowed to shoot at anything with a red cross. As a combatant, you don't want to do that anyway. It takes 3 or more people to deal with each casualty, that's usually at least 2 more people you don't have to deal with for a time.
Not to mention the notion that if you leave their medics alone they'll leave your medics alone.
One of the coolest touches to that opening scene is the framerate changes Spielberg used. It alternates between 14-20 fps to add more of a chaotic feel to the scene, and melt the processors of TVs everywhere trying to properly display it as intended
I think the audio in this helps sell so many shots, the muffled cramped noise of boots in a small falt, the thuds of bullets hitting meat, the authentic gun sounds. Without that so much doesnt work
The Fall. 2006 directed by Tarsem Singh. It can only be discribed as "Wonderful" The storytelling and cinematography are beyond enjoyable.
So underrated. Absolutely beautiful film
MODERN MASTERPIECE OF A FILM
From a Technical Aspect this is the most impressive movie of all time. Hasn’t been topped since 98. Flat out Masterpiece
25:08 The sound of that tank cresting the embankment and coming down into the trench is like the literal sound of doom.
That "don't shoot, let em burn" line tho is so perfectly set up because of the opening scene.
@ 8:04 That's correct. It's was known as The Geneva Convention, which the Allies including the US, and Germany and others were signatories and had to follow. But there were accidents and deliberate violations on all sides from time to time, and Japan had not renewed it at the time. ✌️😎
Incredible movie, thanks for the reaction. It's amazing: the beginning of this movie portrays one of the most ugly, violent incidents in human history but the way it's brought to the screen is a work of art.
Hey, James! Killing medics is classified by the Geneva Convention as a war crime. Chapter IV, Article 25, says that: "Members of the armed forces specially trained for employment, should the need arise, as hospital orderlies, nurses or auxiliary stretcher-bearers, in the search for or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded and sick shall likewise be respected and protected if they are carrying out these duties at the time when they come into contact with the enemy or fall into his hands". Knowingly firing upon anyone wearing the red cross is a war crime. In the Pacific Theater, though, the Japanese deliberately shot down medics and even lured them by injuring Allied soldiers to kill the medics who came out.
... and the most terrifying thing is that it happened!, the famous day D. I remember when it premiered that the war veterans came out saying that was exactly how the war was like . It's maybe the first movie to show it realistically.
If you haven't done Enemy at the Gates, you need to do that one for sure.
Ugggh I hate that film
@@dastemplar9681 really? What did you hate about it? I think its great. A real cat and mouse kinda movie
i always get that film confused with Behind Enemy Lines
@@B355Y It's an OK film but historically it's complete trash. The German 1993 film Stalingrad is a much better movie.
bessford Between the historical inaccuracy, the shoehorned romance, and the rapey journalist its pretty hard for me to watch.
This was one of the best reviews of this movie.
I watched your react and MellVerse's within a few days of each other. You guys should collab together. I can tell Mell is into filmmaking but still retains that general audience perspective. I bet he would like to hear your input.
The both of you are probably my favorites so it's a little self-serving too. Keep it up my guy!
Aside from being (in my not-so-humble opinion) the greatest war movie of all time, this one opens with an action sequence absolutely unparalleled in its horrifying realism.
I watch this every Remembrance Day.
The sound choices are perfect in this movie. No stupid patriotic music in the background, only the snapping of bullets and rumbles of off scene explosions.
The origins and the purposes for this incredible film masterpiece are the same. I, like the director, had a father and three uncles who served (and, in my case, died) in the world's greatest conflict. The generation of Americans who fought this war are considered "The Greatest Generation." They were asked to sacrifice so much to overcome the evil that threatened to engulf their, and subsequently our, world. We all owe them an unpayable debt. This film was Speilberg's best attempt to honor them, thank them, and remind the viewers that they should always do the same. God Bless This Film, and all those who see it.
my uncle was in the Canadian tank corps that made it so far inland on D Day that they had to be called back. He was among the 30 Canadian troops that surrounded and secured the surrender of 300 German soldiers.
I would have agreed with your comment about teachers and soldiers being night and day until my fellow teachers and I had to go through active shooter training and then tourniquet training. When this film came out, I would have never envisioned that training being necessary to teach.
25:06 is probably one of my favorite shots. The horror of a fucking tank coming up over the hill behind you.
The Germans figured out pretty quick they could use the 20mm Flak gun (meant for aircraft) to take out infantry (the part where the Germans fire on the tank with all the soldiers on them). It's a sizeable round probably about as long as a normal human hand and about 1" wide. Getting hit by that..probably is instant death.
Not to mention the rounds fracture into lots of little pieces rather than act like a bullet.
On the note of the sniper, did you notice that Barry Pepper is left handed? It's more impressive when you consider he's using a right handed gun, so he has to re-learn basically an entirely different set of weapon manipulations than the rest of the cast. It shows what a god tier sniper he was that he was able to shoot "wrong handed" and still have that level of accuracy.
According to the Geneva Conventions, both medical personnel and their patients (those "hors de combat", i.e. too ill or injured to fight) are unlawful targets. The tradeoff is that medical personnel aren't allowed to participate in combat, except in defense of themselves or their patients. However, medics have to be "exclusively engaged" in their duty to care for those hors de combat. The medics in the D-Day scene probably qualify, since they don't seem to be attacking the Germans; on the other hand, Wade becomes a lawful target when he goes on the mission to save PVT Ryan, because he's basically a Ranger, doing Ranger things, who happens to have medical skills. Army Special Forces medical sergeants are lawful targets for the same reason.
I think the overall rule about medics is you aren't supposed to shoot them and they're supposed to provide aid regardless of what side. But in the middle of a firefight you can't always tell. But if you give them a weapon they're just another soldier. But generally you aren't supposed to shoot at anything with a red cross on it unless they're shooting at you
I think it is actually the opposite, or at least in some case I know Medics were targeted and ended up removing the medic symbol because it showed the enemy who they were
@@likadaboys7 yeah nations don't always follow the Geneva convention. Especially the Japanese. And in sure the germans could care less about a red cross if it was on the eastern front and vice versa with the Soviets
Back then medics were seen as none combatants so without knowing if it was a "rule" both sides for the most part would avoid shooting them.
The D in D-day simply stands for day. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, was so vital to the Alllied war effort, that it's first day deserved that honor. So the day before D-day was called D-1, then D-day, then D+1, D+2 etc.
Thanks for that!
Spielberg trolled us so hard right from the beginning...making us think Private Ryan was Captain Miller...I fell for it the first time. Spielberg and Hanks weren't content with this...then we were blessed with Band of Brothers.
BTS tidbit you maybe know... Everyone in the main cast went through military "Training" to prepare... EXCEPT Matt Damon. Matt Damon did not take part in military training exercises with Tom Hanks and other actors prior to filming Saving Private Ryan. The filmmakers wanted to preserve a real-life resentment of Damon because the other actors' characters resented Private Ryan in the film.
There were three WW2 movies that came out around the same time that I watched, "The Thin Red Line", "Saving Private Ryan" and a TV movie which has become my favorite out of the three, "When Trumpets Fade". Compared to the first two films, it was a smaller production, had no big stars, but it actually had a better storyline, character development and plot progression IMO. It kept me at the edge of my seat and made me care for the characters a lot more than "Saving Private Ryan".
Normally I get annoyed when people say “reaction,” even when they’ve already experienced what they’re reacting to. You however, are an exception because your reactions aren’t rooted in shock value and visceral impact. Your reactions are pointing out and breaking down technical and storytelling aspects. I learn so much about filmmaking from watching movies with you.
That made my day man. So happy you’re able to gain value from these videos!
Generation War is an amazing series. Like band of brothers but German perspective. Gives good character development from beginning to end
If you haven't seen Schindler's List yet, you should add it to your list. It's phenomenal and such an emotional piece.
I haven't actually watched this film yet but my grandfather was at Normandy and he said Saving Private Ryan was pretty spot on. :)
This is seriously still one of the greatest films of all time. Not a lot of movies have dialogue as good as this.there isn’t a single scene that isn’t fantastic. The only scene that isn’t as wow as all the others is the introduction to the translator, but they made it a one-take so there really isn’t a break from the amazing artistry in this film
Actual cinematic perfection
D day is depicted as absolutely horrifying, but you just have to imagine how bad it was in Eastern front where you have tens of millions soldiers and civilians dying.
The way Spielberg was able to show the emotional impact of war is phenomenal.
Their were lots of D-Days in ww2, it’s just a code name. Most of the time it means “deployment”. Some landings in the pacific were code named L-Day or W-Day for code purposes. It usually doesn’t have a intended name behind the the first letter though
In World War II countries that signed the Geneva convention or acknowledge it generally found. Though notoriously the Soviets & Japanese directly targeted medics which violates the geneva convention being a war crime.
Both sides agree to not shoot medics. But both sides eagerly shot medics in combat.
I love this movie. But... A movie that always gets overlooked is "the thin red line". It came out the same year as Saving private Ryan. The thin red line take a different approach to wwii and is just as amazing. If not more in some aspects.
I remember when in film school I got shit for loving Spielberg and I used this movie, schindler's list, and the jurassic park as a thesis as too why spielberg is so great, and influential. While not my favorite film maker, definitely one of my most inspirational.
Speaking of the movie - Spielberg wanted you to be able to pause at any frame and have it be exactly like looking at a film reel or photo from the war. It's so effective. And I've known people who were there and they said this is the most accurate portrayal of the dday invasion and the most accurate portrayal of battle in film history. Two people couldn't even make it through the first 10 minutes. That's how accurate it is. I read that vets even smelled diesel fuel while watching this movie.
Also, watch it again and look in background. So much is going on. So much effects. So much brutality that's not even the main focus. Brilliant.
Also, this brought in the shaky camera into hollywood movies. Was it worth it..... Kind of. Lol.
FYI, If I remember correctly, D-Day actually stands for Deployment Day.
One of the best opening sequences of all time. To start the movie off with an epic battle scene, Spielberg at his best. Trying to think of a movie with such an amazing edge of your seat opening 🤔🤔🤔
I'd love to see a filmmaker capture the massive size of the Omaha cemetery well. No movie yet gives a realistic sense of how big and how many rows of headstones there are.
According to the Geneva Conventions, medics and doctors were considered non-combatants, and therefore, shouldn't be specifically targeted, at couldn't carry rifles (a few carried pistols, but most were unarmed). This also extended to Hospital ships, POW ships/trains and ambulances, but they had to be extensively marked. The Germans on the Western Front, for the most part, respected this, as they too also had medical personnel in the field. The Russians, and Germans on the Eastern Front didn't really care, but that was a more ideological and racial war. The Japanese also didn't care and would purposefully target Medics and Corpsman to the point that by the end of the Guadalcanal campaign they were ordered to remove their red crosses because the Japanese would target them first.
It was so many details that made the film great.
Things like dead fish on the beach (killed by explosions) and the sweat dripping off the chin during the knife scene.
Bih action is one thing, but details are the gold.
I believe that the knife that killed melish was the same knife that was given to him by Carpazzo in the landing opening. (the hitler youth knife) if that is the case then it is amazing detail.