While so Much is Right, Saving Private Ryan Wasn’t Perfect
Saving Private Ryan has been highly praised for its historical accuracy and attention to detail. The sounds of the bullets, soldiers getting seasick waiting for the landing, even the codenames used for the beach sectors were so accurate that veterans of the battle found it difficult to watch. But there are details that didn’t line up with the historic battle details.
The film, of course, had to condense the battle for time, compressing hours into twenty minutes. The landing craft in the film were driven by American troops, but British troops were at the helm. The German obstacles were pointing out to sea instead of toward land (the obstacles were rigged with mines intended to blast landing crafts as they slid up the obstacle pole). Since the tale is based on the Niland extraction, Spielberg took some liberties, but World War II aficionados would notice these details.
