Buy a history book

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2002)

There seems to be an overwhelming number of complaints from viewers regarding a lack of historic background provided with this film. To those who feel this way, I have a question: do you need a brief history lesson at the onset of every war film? This movie has been compared for whatever reason to Saving Private Ryan. In that film, Steven Spielberg did not find it necessary to explain the motivations of Hitler after the opening credits, nor did he feel it necessary to explain why the soldiers involved with the story were there in the first place. Most every human being that may have seen that film knows enough about history to understand what was going on there. Yet this film is looked down upon by people too caught up with getting their history lessons from Hollywood because it lacks some sort of long-winded overview of the events leading up to 3 October, 93. In my personal opinion, this is one of the best movies ever made. It's too bad it's based on a point so low in American history that most Americans did not even know that it took place.