am I the only one ?

leftwinger57

Being 62 I grew up on WW2 movies and loved just about all of them. God Is My Co-Pilot,Bataan, Wing and A Prayer, Sahara, 12 O'Clock High, Guns Of Navarrone,The Enemy Below,Gung -Ho, and list goes on and on.
Now comes Saving Private Ryan in 1998 and it won and deserved every award and accolade it got. I mean it was weapons correct uniform correct and the initial landing scenes were amazing. After seeing this movie a bunch of times I said I've seen this before in terms of this movie being a remake of A Walk In The Sun.
There were to many similarities for me to not consider that while a great remake a remake just the same. Both were amphibious landings, 1 in Anzio the other Normandy, both had a squad w/ an objective, 1 was to capture and hold a farm house and the while finding Ryan was the primary mission it morphed to hold the bridge in town. The scene w/ the half track was repeated in both movies w/ grenades and bazookas. Lastly the lieutenant in AWITS cracks and can't go on and Tom Hank's captain Miller has the shakes and does also brake down but still leads the squad. I tried to Google this and Wiki claims the idea was from a Civil War story and no mention of A Walk In The Sun.
If any of you are or were into WW2 propaganda movies and never saw it you should and then see SPR and then see if I'm correct or in war just similar sh$t happens.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Walk_in_the_Sun_(1945_film)

Jimbo18

I am 62 also (until Sept. at least) and also grew up loving war movies. I remember going to see The Guns of Navarone, Pork Chop Hill and In Harm's Way (among many others) in the theater.

But I don't remember ever seeing A Walk in the Sun. Of course, that's a much older movie so I would have had to see it on TV, but don't remember doing so. Sounds somewhat similar to SPR, but it seems like a bit of a stretch to call it a remake.

cnh

And I thought I was old? Just kidding. I'm not really a fan of classic WWII films but I did like Saving Private Ryan. My father fought in that war, he almost NEVER talked about it? Sort of a "war is hell" kind of guy. No longer with us as of 2008.

My closest friend's father was in the Korean war, he also, never talked about this time/experience. Makes you wonder what people bring back with them and often try to bury.

leftwinger57

Well that goes for my father also. He had a great photo album of his tour of duty in Europe and I was into military type stuff from a young age. All he said was he pulled the lanyard on a 155mm Howitzter and everyone knows there's a lot more to setting up artillery. Also he helped liberate a camp and being Jewish really hurt him deeply.
Getting back to the flick and it's important to note the both Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg are students of WW2 and could teach a class or 2 on the subject not to mention they both produced Band Of Brothers.
Oh that photo album that got buried w/ him at his request.

OleBoot

Hey, we need to start a 62 club, as I am as well. I think one of the first WW II movies I ever saw at the cinema was The Longest Day about D-Day. It was a proper length old fashioned film - 3 hours with an intermission - and had a cast list like you would not believe.

Jimbo18

My father was in the Army for WWII also. He served in the Pacific. Started out in Hawaii, after the attack, then to Guam and the Phillipines. 38th Signal Corps, I believe. He came home with malaria. He never spoke much about the war either.

He was a self taught artist and did a painting of some of the places he had been but never finished it.

aprazer402

Dad was in WWII, flew 51 combat missions over Europe, Army Air Corps 15th AF. He was very lucky to return home. He spoke about it often to anyone. Presidential Unit Citation w/three oak leafs.

Jimbo18

Here's a photo of my father's unfinished painting. Yeah, it's on a small, captured Japanese flag.

voltz

I have a huge collection myself from "all quite of the western front" to private Ryan etc... some really great movies out there.

pumpkinman

Thanks to everyone for sharing. My dad was in the Pacific but doesn't talk much. He'll be 89 this Sept. I never really got into war films but Westerns now that's another story. Wish I could join the 62 club but I'm just 59. Will you guys please wait till I catch up.

P-man

leftwinger57

Yes, there literally hundreds of WW2 movies out there from the start of the war to the 3 Stooges goofing on Hitler still to this day w. Fury, Imagination Game,Inglorious ****, and Unbroken. My one and only question and you have to see the particular 2 movies I'm talking about to make the comparison is Saving Pvt.Ryan a great remake of A Walk In The Sun ?

pumpkinman

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgae3f_a-walk-in-the-sun_shortfilms

George Grand

"A Walk in the Sun" is okay, but I really don't like some of the actors, especially that goofy guy who "Killed Superman. I killed Superman. Killed him."

I've got it on dvd. "The Purple Heart", "A Wing and A Prayer", "Fighter Squadron", "Destination Tokyo".