Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
Re: Eh!
Posted by:
Sam
()
Date: October 18, 2001 01:48PM
<HTML>Funny, I don't ever remember reading about the brave British forces side by side with the 82nd and 101st Airborne during the early hours of 6 June 1944. I don't recall reading about the Brits helping to secure St. Mere Eglise or any of the other vital crossroads in the American sector during first 24 hours. Oh yes, the Brits and Canadians weren't in the American sector, were they? They were trying to take Caen.
Also, it is odd, isn't it, that they left out the cold, starving Brits that served side by side with their Yank counterparts at Bastogne? If it hadn't been for the afternoon teas, why the Screaming Eagles would have froze to death! Let's give a cheer for those brave Brits with the stiff upper lips.....what?.....The Brits weren't at Bastogne either?..... But Clyde has inferred different......He's wrong?.... Can't be?...Can it? Maybe he can lead us to the proper military archive that tells us that the prevailing assumption of 101st encirclement is a vast American conspiracy to glorify their involvement in the Ardennes offensive.
The thing is 'Saving Private Ryan' was pure fiction. 'Band of Brothers' is based purely on fact. The book was written by one of the most respected historians of the D-Day campaign, Stephen Ambrose, who happens to be from the good ol' USA. He culled his material from interviews with the actual veterans from Easy Com., 506th Reg. 101st Airborne. Yes, there was a real Richard Winters, 'Buck' Compton, Bill Guarnere, etc. These men existed unlike the characters in 'SPR.' Perhaps you should have read this book before the series began. Ambrose has also documented the sacrifice of the Brits and Canadians as well. Another wonderful book that he wrote deals strictly with the actions of the British paratroopers at Pegasus Bridge on 6 June 1944. Are we now led to believe that this American writer just trumped up the British action at Pegasus Bridge as Americans are prone to do? I think not.
Yes, Hollywood does portray more stories about the US involvement in historical and fictional accounts. But remember this. Hollywood's main target audience for cash is the US population. Period. Overseas money is viewed as gravy. Domestic receipts are the ones that determine a 'blockbuster' or a 'flop' to the movie making studios. Because of this fact, the studios usually only produce stories that appeal to the general American public. As far as most Americans know, the only British action in the Pacific war was building a bridge for the Japanese over a certain river in Southeast Asia. But, we know different, don't we? Many of the fascinating tales of the Second World War are overlooked because of their lack of appeal to US public at large.
What most seem to forget, including Hollywood, is that ALL the Allied nations played a vital role in defeating the Axis powers. Let's not forget the major role that the Poles played in giving Bletchley Park a head start on cracking the Enigma with the bombas that they had provided. Most forget that the Poles where in an intelligence war with Germany long before the 1 Sept 1939 invasion. (Despute over Danzig) This is largely forgotten even by the British. ( Not all British mind you.)
If you are displeased with what you are seeing, then by all means use that remote control and turn the channel. I know that I find certain programs unpleasing to myself, but I do not force myself to sit through it. I find something else to watch.</HTML>
Also, it is odd, isn't it, that they left out the cold, starving Brits that served side by side with their Yank counterparts at Bastogne? If it hadn't been for the afternoon teas, why the Screaming Eagles would have froze to death! Let's give a cheer for those brave Brits with the stiff upper lips.....what?.....The Brits weren't at Bastogne either?..... But Clyde has inferred different......He's wrong?.... Can't be?...Can it? Maybe he can lead us to the proper military archive that tells us that the prevailing assumption of 101st encirclement is a vast American conspiracy to glorify their involvement in the Ardennes offensive.
The thing is 'Saving Private Ryan' was pure fiction. 'Band of Brothers' is based purely on fact. The book was written by one of the most respected historians of the D-Day campaign, Stephen Ambrose, who happens to be from the good ol' USA. He culled his material from interviews with the actual veterans from Easy Com., 506th Reg. 101st Airborne. Yes, there was a real Richard Winters, 'Buck' Compton, Bill Guarnere, etc. These men existed unlike the characters in 'SPR.' Perhaps you should have read this book before the series began. Ambrose has also documented the sacrifice of the Brits and Canadians as well. Another wonderful book that he wrote deals strictly with the actions of the British paratroopers at Pegasus Bridge on 6 June 1944. Are we now led to believe that this American writer just trumped up the British action at Pegasus Bridge as Americans are prone to do? I think not.
Yes, Hollywood does portray more stories about the US involvement in historical and fictional accounts. But remember this. Hollywood's main target audience for cash is the US population. Period. Overseas money is viewed as gravy. Domestic receipts are the ones that determine a 'blockbuster' or a 'flop' to the movie making studios. Because of this fact, the studios usually only produce stories that appeal to the general American public. As far as most Americans know, the only British action in the Pacific war was building a bridge for the Japanese over a certain river in Southeast Asia. But, we know different, don't we? Many of the fascinating tales of the Second World War are overlooked because of their lack of appeal to US public at large.
What most seem to forget, including Hollywood, is that ALL the Allied nations played a vital role in defeating the Axis powers. Let's not forget the major role that the Poles played in giving Bletchley Park a head start on cracking the Enigma with the bombas that they had provided. Most forget that the Poles where in an intelligence war with Germany long before the 1 Sept 1939 invasion. (Despute over Danzig) This is largely forgotten even by the British. ( Not all British mind you.)
If you are displeased with what you are seeing, then by all means use that remote control and turn the channel. I know that I find certain programs unpleasing to myself, but I do not force myself to sit through it. I find something else to watch.</HTML>
