D-Day historian: 'Ryan' not best war film

CNN ^ | 11/11/2009 | Matthew Carey

[Saije]

Some reviewers have called "Saving Private Ryan," Steven Spielberg's World War II film about D-Day and the search for a soldier, one of the greatest war movies.

Military historian Antony Beevor begs to differ.

Not only is it not the greatest war movie, it's not even the best cinematic depiction of D-Day, says Beevor, author of the newly published "D-Day: The Battle for Normandy" (Viking).

He admires the famed Omaha Beach opening -- "Probably the most realistic battle sequence ever filmed," he said -- but described the rest of "Saving Private Ryan" as "ghastly."

"It's sort of a 'Dirty Dozen' cliche of the worst form," he said.***

Beevor says a director would do well to remember that the Allied effort to retake the continent extended well beyond that single day of June 6, 1944.

"D-Day, although an iconic moment, was not actually the end of it. Films like 'The Longest Day' and 'Saving Private Ryan' almost give the impression that D-Day was 'it' and then the next thing people know about was the liberation of Paris," he said. "But in fact it was the fighting in Normandy which was far worse. Casualties on D-Day were far lighter than expected -- [military leaders] had expected 10,000 dead and only 3,000 died.

"The real fighting and the real casualties," he added, "came in the Battle of Normandy."

So what does Beevor prefer in the way of a Hollywood treatment of D-Day? Another project Spielberg had a hand in, "Band of Brothers."

"On the whole I think [it] was pretty close to the truth," Beevor said of the 2001 HBO miniseries, which Spielberg and Tom Hanks executive produced. He called it "incomparably more realistic" than "Saving Private Ryan."

[Deb]

The references I made were about scenes from “Saving Private Ryan” and not references to soldier actions in Vietnam. Is that what you thought?

[ansel12]

Did you or did you not bring in the generational category of “baby boomers” to your post?

[Osage Orange]

Yeah...pretty good movie.

[Deb]

I was talking about boomer film makers like Spielberg not understanding anything before the sixties...OBVIOUSLY!

[ansel12]

Like I said, you did not have to get generational like you did.

[Clemenza]

Private Ryan, A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day are my three favorite WWII movies.

I don't know if Visconti's "The Damned" counts as a WWII film, as it is about Nazis pre-war. Gotta love a Euro-film that equates Nazism with homosexual debauchery.

[Clemenza]

Sadly, there have been no great Korean War films. M*A*S*H had its moments, but the book was superior (Hawkeye Pierce was a conservative).

[Servant of the Cross]

I agree with you on the teacher angle too. Reminds me of another teacher (professor) gone to war:

Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, 20th Maine (Gettysburgh)

[SunkenCiv]

“Saving Private Ryan” isn’t a very good movie, period. The ending is telegraphed at the beginning, and the rest of it is just suspense-free faux drama. Spielberg’s artless bashing of US WWII veterans as being continually engaged in atrocities didn’t help either.

[Skooz]

bfl

[mad_as_he$$]

My Uncle who was a the Bulge sat and watched Band of Brothers and cried through most of it. He was awestruck at how closely his experiences had been recreated. He died a few weeks later but told me on his death bed that he was so glad someone finally told the true story so we “kids” could understand.

[mad_as_he$$]

Enemy at the Gates.

[mad_as_he$$]

Stunning picture. They just do not get that full look anymore.

[mad_as_he$$]

I love that scene.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

So far nobody has mentioned:

From Here to Eternity or
The Bridge On the River Kwai.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I liked “Attack” with Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin as the Colonel, and Buddy Ebsen. A pretty dark story.

[ottbmare]

See my post 15. First thing I thought of.

[Redbob]

"Great films from other countries that were fighting WWII for a few years more than the US.
Different takes, different action."

Yes, but if we hadn't gotten into it, WWII might still be going on.

[mad_as_he$$]

Excellent choices.