July 2, 2003

totally mortified

I grew up watching war movies with my dad The Dirty Dozen, The Big Red One, Tobruk, yada, yada, yada. I loved that stuff. So, when Saving Private Ryan was in the theaters a few years ago I just had to see it. My loved one was away at the time, and I knew it would be on video before he ever got back. I got my big chance when my daughter was invited to a slumber party a whole evening to myself, to do whatever I wanted! There was a late (2200) show at the Crofton theater. I got myself a popcorn and a soda and settled down to enjoy the film. The only other people in the theater were three guys from Ft Meade who were laughing and talking before the movie started. Suddenly, we were blown away by the invasion of the beaches at Normandy. It was overwhelming; it was appalling. The guys were silent. My soda sat in the cup holder, completely forgotten, my popcorn clutched in my hand. It was horrifying to watch those men dying. All along your drill sergeants said, do THIS, THIS WAY, and youll survive. Those guys were doing those things, low crawling, tapping their magazines to get the sand out, 3-5 second rushes, cooking off the grenades stuff practiced a million times. And, they were dying anyway. There was one part in the movie in a foreign language that was NOT subtitled in English. The filmmakers put it in because it happened, but didnt want to mar the image of the troops. When the US troops came over the berms, a group of enemy soldiers came out with their arms in the air saying in Polish, Dont shoot. We are unarmed. We are Poles; the Germans just put us up here. The soldiers at Normandy didnt speak Polish, but I do. I was so caught up in the film that I leapt up out of my chair and yelled, DONT SHOOT THEM! Popcorn flew every which way and soda spilled all down my leg. Thank goodness it was the 2200 show and not a packed theater! After the movie, I ducked down in my seat until the other soldiers had gone, but I couldnt hide from the grinning theater attendants. I helped sweep up my mess.

I liked your story… well the part about screaming at the screen…..sadly I am well known for that amoungst my friends… and the cinema that used to be near me….. i got kicked out at least 7 times for yelling at the screen!!! keep smiling!

That’s a wonderful story! I never saw the movie because, to tell the truth, I don’t like death and violence on screen even when it’s historically accurate, but I can see how you could get caught up in the movie and have that reaction. When I read Lt. Calley’s book I realized how similarly a soldier and a race driver must think and react, and I understood. I don’t condone Lt. Calley’s (cont’d.)

(cont’d.) handling of My Lai but I finally understood. It’s interesting that they took the trouble to authentically create the proper dialogue in Polish, with the large Polish population in the USA they must have known that some would understand. Thanks again for relating the story. Tom-

Mortification happens. Is it a small town?

That opening sequence was among the toughest bits of movie-watching I’ve ever endured. That and THE scene from Jodie Foster’s “The Accused.” Give me Tora, Tora, Tora anytime, but I never want to have to see the opening to SPR again…

I never did finish watching “saving Private Ryan” the beginning was so graphic, I didn’t want to see how the rest went. Although I would have been a little embarrassed if I’d been with you when you jumped up, I would have also got a kick out of it! LOL It really goes to show how deeply what you see and hear affects you, which I think is great! 🙂

Oh ryn- he baked it and put a little oyster sauce on it. I don’t really like fish but it was good and we had garlic mashed potatoes as well.

Alas, I missed the marshmallow factory this time around. I have done the Ethyl M’s bit. Quite nice, really, but this trip there just wasn’t enough time. Gotta try that again.

i saw that movie on TV. (with “minimal commercial interruption”). i started crying at the very beginning, and cried all through the film (especially when Tom Hanks died). i can’t watch war movies. Too upsetting (though i love “Dawn Patrol” and “Best Years of Our Lives”).

You wrote your sign in a note to me… in regards to what my friend had written about me.