“In 20 years you will thank God” Without Tom Hanks, several actors would have left this Steven Spielberg film

News culture “In 20 years you will thank God” Without Tom Hanks, several actors would have left this Steven Spielberg film

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When Spielberg relies on realism

If you like cinema at all, you must have seen at least one film by Steven Spielberg. It must be said that in between Jaw, The Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park or Schindlers List To name just a few, the American director is the creator of many of the best films of the last decades. But if there is one that has shaped an entire generation and is now considered a masterpiece in many countries, then it is undoubtedly We must save Private Ryan

With no less than five Oscars, the film, released in 1998, left its mark on audiences and critics alike. It must be said that Steven Spielberg did not half-heartedly recreate the famous day of landing, thanks to an absolutely unforgettable 20-minute introductory sequence. But to achieve this result, the American director put his team to the test.

As a matter of fact, Spielberg asked his actors to take part in a very special training led by Captain Dale Dye, a veteran of the US Navy. For a week, the actors had to repeat the training missions of the soldiers sent to the front, and suffice it to say, they were not finished with their surprises yet. Captain Dye explained:

They underwent rigorous physical training every day, and I gave them the same program that had been given to the infantrymen during their basic training in 1943 and 1944. Since I had to squeeze everything into three or four days, they worked day and night.

Tom Hanks to save the actors

Suffice it to say that this type of training is very complex for soldiers, the actors of Saving Private Ryan were not really in their comfort zone. Among them, The soldier’s interpreter Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) described this experience as the worst he had ever had:

We arrived, set up our tents and it didn’t stop for seven days. It was 30 degrees at night and we sat in a soaked tent with soaked clothes and a soaked blanket.

After a few days, Edward Burns and other film actors like Vin Diesel wanted to quiteven if that means not making the film at all. Fortunately, Tom Hanks decided to take matters into his own hands. He then called Steven Spielberg to explain the situation and then tried to convince his colleagues to continue. Edward Burns says:

We were all exhausted, we all wanted to leave, and now a superstar who didn’t even have to be here votes to stay.

Vin Diesel (who plays soldier Adrian Caparzo in the film) confirms the facts and details:

Tom Hanks said, “Guys, in 20 years you’re going to look back on this moment and thank God you did it.” And he was right. To this day, we are all very grateful to have overcome this challenge.

It was hard to imagine at the time of filming that the film would become a timeless must-see, but History has proven Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg right. If you have never seen Saving Private Ryan, you can do so by connecting to Netflix. The film is available on this SVOD platform.