Guzzler yes it would be an inappropriate film to show to very sensitive veterans...guys who have been through that awful beach landing do not want to wallow in sensationalised gore. Could be very disturbing for them. In a documentary on the same subject of D-Day last night on BBC2, one American veteran who landed in his assault craft that day, said that there were 37 members in his landing craft and only 9 made it off the beach. The attrition rate was too high, as mentioned earlier.
Alex yes the American and British tanks were knocked out like ninepins as you say, they were no match for the German Tiger tank which smashed through them with ease with superior firepower. The allied tank crews became quite frightened of the possibility of dying so easily in unmatched equipment..as some experts on the documentary said..it was a horrible way to die, frying in a tank.
However all round superior numbers of men and airpower eventually won through. But I now understand more fully about the disparaging reference to Motgomery in the movie...the Americans under Eisenhower were grossly miffed with Monty that he didnt take Caen. Eventually massive amounts of bombers did the job that Montgomery couldnt do...but this is what they left it like.
But all and all the loss of life was pretty grim... as so many died on all sides.
But back to Saving Private Ryan for a moment: There is one utterly laughable scene in it. When they eventually find the right Private Ryan to save, there is one of the worst performances imagineable by Matt Damon. Here he is on the war torn frontline of Europe. He is dishevelled, dirty, his hair is matted, he lies up to his neck in rubble and bullets, and as he reminisces with smiles and tears about his four dead brothers...you cannot help but notice his very Hollywood $50,000 dollar set of ultra white piano key teeth.. in amongst all the rubble mud muck and carnage, they stick out like totally bizarre shiney-white beacons. Reminds one of that doggy chew advert where the mutts featured all have false teeth. He does a lot of laughing as he reminisces and all you see is $50,000 dollar teeth...nothing like the teeth of an Ohio farmboy. If I was the director I would choke on my artistic integrity.