During the Normandy invasion, one of the American soldiers says to his companions, "Let's Rock and Roll." Unfortunately, "Rock and Roll" in its well known state did not exist in the mid-1940's.
Okay, all you "historical error" people, listen up. Close your eyes for a second. Think how boring this movie would be if it was totally "accurate" in every way. Think how cool it is with all that fiction stuff added.
Ever heard of "historical fiction"? Look it up.
There are hundreds of mistakes in "Saving Private Ryan" (Utah beach was taken by the third wave, not the first. Miller and his men should have landed in a wastelend of dead bodies and smashed equipment) but the "Rock and Roll" schtick isn't one of them. Listen carefully! They clearly say "Let's lock and load", a perfectly legitimate, though casual, military expression referring to the loading and arming of automatic weapons such as those carried by Miller and his men. Take a look at the screenplay if you like; it's right there.
The shoulder tab that they were wearing said "Rangers" and the Rangers went after the coastal artillery positions at Point du Hoc, which they did in the movie. And like in the movie the guns hadn't been installed in the bunkers.
Whilst it is true that most of the 2nd Ranger battalion attacked Pointe du Hoc, Charlie company 2nd Rangers landed on Omaha, as they were to move west and link up with the other companies at Pointe du Hoc. As for attacking Pointe du Hoc in the film, they do not. Capt. Miller makes it quite clear that they are near Vierville with Dog 1 exit, the western most exit of Omaha beach, infront of them. When they do reach the top of the bluff (not a cliff like Pointe du Hoc) and artillery gun can quite clearly be seen installed in the bunker.
Actually, the line "Lock and load" would be incorrect too. That phrase didn't exist until John Wayne immortalized it in 1949's 'Sands of Iwo Jima.' So they would not have heard the Duke say it since this is 5 years earlier. And it was not a military phrase, because 'Lock and load' is the reverse of what a soldier must do to ready his weapon. You have to load your gun before you lock it; the line in the movie was reversed. After the movie, though, it became a common phrase (but it wasn't before hand). So 'Lock and load' would not have been said before 1949.
Actually pvt lock and load is a term used to describe the action of getting your weapon ready to fire, I heard so many times during my stint in the army I now say it for almost anything I do. As for it not being used during WW2 I think I remember my Grandfather telling me that they said it all the time when he served and he served in ww2
When the film first came out, I believe I heard the comment near the end of the movie just as the Germans are about to make their final assault. The US group has been resting when they hear the Germans coming. One of them says, Let's rock and roll." I saw the film again several weeks later and I did not hear it. Was it just my imagination?
Actually, Private Ryan... His three brothers and I do believe Captain Miller were real people. And there are Tombstones to prove it...
Other characters I'm not sure of.
james castillo.. they dont say rock and roll at the last battle. they say "lets lock and load.." and immediately following you hear someone say "everybody check your ammo." and angus, cpt. miller and his men were on omaha beach, not utah.
To those who moan about us pointing out historical mistakes, that's what this site is for... errors in films! 'Saving Private Ryan' is a historical film, so it is right to comment on historically-inaccurate features and details.
@pvt1863 - you are partially correct.. the phrase "lock and load" would be incorrect, but it *is* the phrase used in the film, not "Rock and Roll". The phrase as used by soldiers was indeed "load and lock". Here is the definition of "lock and load" from http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorl.htm
"Lock and Load: This imperative phrase originally referred to the operation of the M1 Garand Rifle, the standard U.S. Army rifle of WWII. Its meaning is more general now, referring to preparation for any imminent event. The original phrase was actually reversed, load and lock. The phrase refers to inserting a clip of ammunition into the rifle, loading the clip and locking the bolt forward, thereby forcing a round into the chamber. The phrase first appears in Gach's 1941-42 'In the Army Now'. It was immortalized by John Wayne (who else?) in 1949's Sands of Iwo Jima, where the Duke reversed the phrase to the current lock and load."
@underbrush - "what the hell is utah beach? i'm thinking.. omaha?":
- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_beach - Utah beach was another landing beach, along with Omaha, Juno, Sword and Gold beaches. Utah was the landing area for the US 4th Infantry Division, and encountered less resistance than the 29th Infantry (with 8 companies of Rangers) met on Omaha. Juno beach was the beach taken by the Canadian forces (Canadian 3rd Division along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade), and Gold and Sword beaches were taken by the British forces.(From East to West, the landing beaches were: Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, Utah)
Darcat, that was moronic. This movie was historical fiction, not fiction. That means that while the story is made up, the stuff going on around them is not (D-day was real, even though Miller and his men were not). Even if it were pure fiction, the people can't use words that weren't around in the 1940s if the film takes place in the 1940s. That isn't accurate.
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