43rdRecceReg wrote:
I imagine some here might envy you your involvement with the making of Private Ryan. It must have been a really fascinating experience, and I personally rate the film very highly, especially for its ground breaking sound effects.
For decades, we had to put up with the same implausible gunshot sounds, and wild ricochets, they had in the time of 'The Lone Ranger' and other westerns (including the spaghetti flavour!), through 'The Dirty Dozen' war film era, and up until Ryan.
Hi 43rd,
Actually, when they initially came to me to do the film, I said "no".. I thought this was going to be just another shoot-em-up war movie that they turned into a romance gig.. But then, I got a call from Tom Hanks, whom I had worked with before.. And we spoke for the better part of an hour on the phone.. He assured me this wasn't going to be the same old thing.. this was going to be a very different film that honored the vets..
I told him there is nothing romantic about war.. And I wouldn't be party to any of that crap.. If they did this film, it HAD to be real.. Not a damn joke.. He agreed.. I jumped on a plane the next day and we all sat and discussed the script.. I spent the next week reading the script.. I agreed to do the film because I truly believed in it.. It was as real as it gets.. We actually trained with real military people for almost a month..
I was in the very first scene.. I'm standing behind Tom Hanks and you see me take a bullet to the helmet.. Blood everywhere.. Then again I get my face shot off while I'm on the beach talking on the radio.. I'm also one of the German guys who is on a little tank thing, (I forget the name of it) that gets blown up and I'm on fire.. And a few other scenes..
It was the most grueling movie I've been on.. I agreed to do the film to honor the vets that actually lived through the hell of the war..
I didn't make a dime.. I donated my salary to programs for vets.. I made almost $175,000 to do the film.. And I gave it all away to those that deserved it more than me.. I did the movie, not for profit, but for honor.. To honor those that gave all, to destroy tyranny..
While I consider Saving Private Ryan to be one of the hardest films I've ever done, I also consider it one of the greatest films I've ever had the privilege of being involved in..
Just thought I would add a little "inside scoop" to the film.