looking forward to re-seeing this on HBO-HiDef this month.

its funny how some of you refer to his "episodes". he was clearly stunned by explosions both times. Y'all make it seemed like he had mental problems. lol.

There is no "twist" in this movie. There is no transition from the old guy to Hank's character at the beginning. There's a clear break with shots of the Normandy Beach in between.

If memory serves, they fade from Ryan's eyes to Miller's eyes, framed up exactly the same way.

It's not a clear break.

Then why was his hand shaking so often when there was no fighting going on?

Because it's war?

Well, he's saying it's not a mental thing.. I'm saying it was a mental thing.

He was obviously having issues - stress, mental breakdown, hearing loss, whatever.

War will do that to ya.

I think the fade from Ryan's eye to the old man occurs at the end of the film only. At the beginning I think it fades from the old man's eyes to a shot of the beach just before the invasion....Of course that's from memory as well.

Hmmm - maybe it's a straight cut at the beginning instead of a fade. Whatever it is, I'm certain it transition from old Ryan to young Miller in such a way that one would think it's the same person.

And you would certainly be correct. I've been griping all this time about it.

The two times he had those "episodes" were due to a shell or grenade exploding damned close to his head. Stunning and deafening him temporarily.

Post traumatic stress syndrome

[QUOTE=GatorDeb]So I finally got to watch this movie (which was AWESOME... I really like Spielberg war movies, i.e. this and Schindler's List). QUOTE]
Band of Brothers should be a must-see if you haven't already watched it.

I would suggest you both re-watch this film...

What are the names of the actress (or was there more than one?) playing Ryan's granddaughter(s) in the cemetary scenes?

The hand shaking and the "episodes" have nothing to do with each other. The "episodes" are whats referred to as "shell shock". When mortars go off right near you and your hearing goes for a few moments and things seem more surreal than usual. Almost like the after effects of a concussion if you've ever had one. The hand thing, although never explained, could have been any number of things. Early stage of parkinson's, traumatic stress disorder, etc.

I'm watching it right now. It goes from the close up of old James Ryan's eyes to the barricades in the Channel just before storming Omaha Beach. Then it goes to the troop transport ships, Tom Hank's shaking hand, him drinking from his canteen, then to his face. It doesn't seem like it was tying to imply Tom Hanks is the old guy to me.

I think you misinterpreted the transition of opening scene to the next. There was closing up of the old man's eyes which usually indicate flashback so when the next scene at the beach is shown, we are to believe that the young man is him. At this point whether he is character Miller or Ryan is anyone's guess but implication of character continuity is clear.

Right, there's a similar occurence during the first attack in "Master and Commander". Captain Aubrey is stunned after an explosion and he sees everything in slow motion and his hearing is distorted. Then suddenly the daze and his hearing returns.

Ok, I remember the fade to the barricades now. Thanks for clarifying.

But it's the focus on Ryan's eyes that indicate we are going into his memories. I still think it was an intentional fake-out.

Well, doesn't Damon and the older actor have blue eyes? While Hanks has brown eyes? I don't see where people thought it was supposed to be Miller in the beginning. Now if they showed the old man look at his hands and they start to shake... then maybe. But I don't think there was anything intentional.

It's just that they are trying to get us thinking that Miller still alive at the end. When the old man dropped and crying after seeing the headstone, people will think Miller has failed his mission to get Ryan out alive.

I love that sequence, but I love his expression right after it blows up even more so. I'm sure I had the same expression - "Whoa, I/he blew up a tank with a pistol!"

Hanks never fails to entertain.