Saving Private Ryan - Slightly OT

[imarangemaster]

Though, slightly on topic due to the number of M1 Carbines in the movie...

I just showed the first 35 minutes (beach invasion scene) of "Saving Private Ryan" to my 3rd period World History class. The assignment was two parts: One was a handout with particulars about the invasion and tactics from the movie. The second is to "write a letter home" where the student assumes the character of one of the combatants on either side. They write describing the horrors, fears, smells, sounds, etc.

As a whole, the class (all inner city kids) were first surprised that real war is so violent and bloody. They think it is TV news clips or a video game. Secondly, they are impressed by the courage and outright bravery of the men in the conflict. While many of the letters were written in inner city vernacular, many were insightful.

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[dbarn]

My wife teaches resource math to junior high students. She is constantly looking for more and innovative teaching methods to help her students. I admire yours. Question? Do you have any parents complain about subject material when showing Saving Private Ryan? Really good to see a teacher connect history with his students the way you do. My compliments.

[Tired Retired]

Dude, get that curriculum taught in EVERY school!!!!

I knew I liked you for some reason RM....

[imarangemaster]

Since I do not show the entire movie, but "selected scenes," I am able to show it without parental releases. I give the students the standard disclaimer about the guts and blood being fake, and bad language, but no one ever opts out. Besides they use worse language at school than in the movie. It is an inner city school.

[Milsurp Collector]

Show them the second episode of Band of Brothers too.

[imarangemaster]

Another great movie about courage during the war is "Die Brücke" (The Bridge). It is a German made movie from around 1960 about the desperation of the local 'Volkstrum' (old men and boys, some only armed with Panzerfaust or Panzerschreck weapons) protecting a bridge in their town from the advancing allies. Politics aside, these last reserves were fighting to protect their own homes and families.

While a low budget movie, it was gritty and makes you think. I have seen it with English dubbed in and German with sub-titles.

[Milsurp Collector]

Another great movie about courage during the war is "Die Brücke" (The Bridge). It is a German made movie from around 1960 about the desperation of the local 'Volkstrum' (old men and boys, some only armed with Panzerfaust or Panzerschreck weapons) protecting a bridge in their town from the advancing allies. Politics aside, these last reserves were fighting to protect their own homes and families.

While a low budget movie, it was gritty and makes you think. I have seen it with English dubbed in and German with sub-titles.

I have it on DVD. It and "Das Boot" are probably the two best movies about World War II from the German perspective.

[imarangemaster]

Where did you find the English language version of Das Brucke on DVD? looked a while back and could not find it. Das Boot is great, also. I haven't seen that in years either.

[Milsurp Collector]

Where did you find the English language version of Das Brucke on DVD? looked a while back and could not find it. Das Boot is great, also. I haven't seen that in years either.

See Amazon.com: Used and New: The Bridge (Die Bruecke)

The DVD has both German with English subtitles and dubbed English. There is even a carbine in one scene!



There are a few technical errors in the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan that diminish the accuracy of those scenes for me:

• The Normandy invasion fleet was the largest armada ever assembled, yet in the opening scene you see only a couple of landing craft. The horizon is empty, when it should have been crowded with vessels from LCVPs up to battleships. It makes it look like the Omaha beach landing was accomplished with a handful of landing craft without any support. Much later on there is a shot overlooking the beach with lots of CGI vessels unloading, but the in the opening scene the sea is strikingly empty.
• Spielberg set up the log ramp obstacles pointing the wrong way. The high end pointed towards the shore, but he had the high end pointed towards the sea.
  
  
  
• While there were a few flame throwers that landed probably none of them got off the beach and there probably never was any flamethrower attack on a bunker as shown in the movie.

[imarangemaster]

I noticed that about the log ramps also.