news culture “In 20 Years, You’ll Thank God” Without Tom Hanks, many actors would have walked out of this Steven Spielberg film.
It’s hard to believe that actors would say no to a legendary director like Steven Spielberg. However, early in his career, he almost lost most of his cast. Luckily, Tom Hanks was there to reassure them.
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When Spielberg goes all out for realism
If you love cinema, you must have seen at least one film Steven Spielberg. It should be said that in between jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET The Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park Or Schindler’s List To name a few, the American director has been behind many of the best films in recent decades. But if there is one that left its mark on an entire generation and is considered a masterpiece in many countries today, it is without a doubt. The soldier must save Ryan.
No less than five Oscars, the 1998 film definitely left a mark on audiences and critics alike. Thanks to an utterly memorable 20-minute intro sequence, it has to be said that Steven Spielberg didn’t recreate the famous landing day half-heartedly. But to achieve this result, the American director put his team to the test.
In fact, Spielberg asked his actors to participate in special training led by Captain Dale Dye, a US Navy veteran.. For a week, the cast had to recreate the training tasks given to the players chosen to send forward, and suffice it to say they weren’t at the end of their surprises. Captain Dye announced:
They went through rigorous physical training every day, and I gave them the same program that was given to infantrymen during their basic training in 1943 and 1944. They worked day and night because everything had to be squeezed into three or four days.
Tom Hanks to save the cast
Suffice it to say that this type of training is very complicated for actors, and the cast of Saving Private Ryan is not really in their comfort zone. Among them, The soldier’s interpreter, Richard Reiben (Edward Burns), describes the experience as the worst he’s ever had:
We arrived and we pitched our tents and it didn’t stop for seven days. It was 30 degrees at night and we were sitting in a wet tent with wet clothes and a wet blanket.
After a few days, Other film stars like Edward Burns and Vin Diesel wanted to quit, even though he told me not to make any more films. Fortunately, Tom Hanks decided to take matters into his own hands. He then called Steven Spielberg to explain the situation and then asked his colleagues to continue. Edward Burns says:
We were all tired, we all wanted out, and now a superstar who didn’t need to be here voted to stay.
For his part, Vin Diesel (who played the soldier Adrian Kabarzo in the film) confirms the facts and details:
Tom Hanks said, “Guys, you’re going to look back on this moment in 20 years and thank God you did.” He was right. To this day, we are all very grateful to have taken on this challenge.
It’s hard to know at the time of shooting that the film will become a timeless must-see, but History has proven Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg right. If you haven’t seen Saving Private Ryan, you can do so by connecting to Netflix, and the film is available on this SVOD platform.
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