Americans’ Attack On German Tank Assessed By Historian Only4Media.com

World War II historian John McManus breaks down the historical accuracy in Saving Private Ryan‘s ending. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, Saving Private Ryan remains a critically acclaimed film known for showing the 1944 invasion of Normandy, known as D-Day, and for its unflinching portrayal of war. It is still widely regarded among the best war movies of all time, along with being one of Spielberg’s best movies.

In a video with Insider, McManus assesses the historical accuracy during Saving Private Ryan‘s ending, in which the American soldiers face a German tank.

McManus is mostly impressed with these scenes, as he praises many of the historically accurate details, including the types of weapons the soldiers use, how they react to specific moments during the fighting, and the overall strategy involved. However, he is critical of a few details. Check out his explanation below:

This is, apparently, portraying a Tiger tank. Now, there’s no evidence that the Americans ever faced a Tiger tank in Normandy. Behind it, though, we have a self-propelled gun of the exact type that you would’ve encountered in this kind of town fighting. Now, it would’ve taken a lot of guts to do what those American soldiers are doing there. The sticky bombs are accurate. That was supposed to be a kind of last line of defense to knock the tread off a tank. So all of that is really actually accurate. But to actually get close enough, like they are, to do it, I think it would’ve been very difficult to get that close to a tank.

All this action is taking place in a fictional town called Ramelle. It doesn’t really exist, but it’s well-described, because earlier in the movie, they’re talking about how it’s a major point over the Meredet River which the Americans simply have to have any bridge over that river so they can advance westward and then get Cherbourg and get most of the rest of Normandy. So that would’ve been, as they put it, a solid gold objective.

I love how the movie gun is portrayed, you know, firing at that exact position where the Germans are moving through. And they’re saying, we need .30 cal. And they’re going through it very quickly, in the context of battle. That’s so 100% true.

In the second part here, with the Molotov cocktails, you certainly would’ve used that to fight against a self-propelled gun like this, maybe even a tank, if you had soldiers courageous enough to do it, then to get into position. I don’t know about you, but if it’s me, I’m either going to open fire at these guys before they can, or I’m going to jump out of that vehicle. Instead, they just hunker down, which guarantees that they’re going to get burned, so I’ve never quite understood that reaction.

This is one of the most disturbing parts of the movie, in my opinion. The close-quarters battle with the tank would’ve been unlikely, of course, but if you could’ve done that, we see that the tank commander apparently coming out of the hatch there, and they just shoot him. I think that’s dead-on right with that kind of desperation of the moment. But I don’t know if you need to throw more grenades in there, and you might need them later. So here comes that 20 MM Flak gun, and that is so well portrayed, because it’s an incredibly devastating weapon designed to shoot vehicles and planes, and you’re talking about using it against people. I’ll give this scene a 9 out of 10.

Saving Private Ryan’s Strengths Go Beyond Historical Accuracy

It Has Stood The Test Of Time For Other Reasons

As McManus highlights, there is a great deal of historical accuracy in Saving Private Ryan‘s ending, although there are inevitable discrepancies. While the accuracy of these details enhances the film, it is only part of what has allowed it to endure. What truly distinguishes the film is its brutal depiction of war, shown immediately in Saving Private Ryan‘s opening scenes as the troops storm the beaches of Normandy, and contrasted with the admirable heart, loyalty, and camaraderie of the soldiers.

The story never glorifies war and puts the chaos and carnage on full display in a way that is still impactful decades after the film’s theatrical release. As difficult as it is to watch, it is necessary in order to understand the true nature and horrors of war, including the events of D-Day. Despite the grimness this presents, Saving Private Ryan still offers hope with the soldiers’ determination to bring the titular Private Ryan (Damon) safely home after his three brothers have died during the war.

Related

Saving Private Ryan’s 10 Best Quotes

Saving Private Ryan is remembered for its stellar cast and story. However, the 1998 epic war film has some of the best quotes in cinematic history.

Even though they are caught in the center of unimaginable horrors, the soldiers still find a way to trust and believe in each other, and effectively work together to complete their mission. Including the scenes analyzed by McManus, there are inevitably moments of desperation, leading to actions that in any context outside of war would be unforgivable. Despite this, Saving Private Ryan shows these soldiers’ unbreakable bond and determination to fight for something greater than any one individual.

Source: Insider

Saving Private Ryan

5.0

Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller’s command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan’s brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns,  and Tom Sizemore also star. 

Release Date

July 24, 1998

Writers

Robert Rodat

Runtime

169 minutes