Saving Private Ryan: Help settle a bet.

[splitatom]

Me and a guy from work have a bet concerning the movie "Saving Private Ryan".  I am hoping you guys can chime in here and convince him which version is true so I don't have to bring in my DVD player to work tomorrow.  I won't say who believes what, but here is what it is in regards to.

What do you think?  Is "Steamboat Willey" (The German prisoner they release after storming the machine gun position) the same German Soldier who stabs Mellich in hand to hand combat later in the film.

I looked for pictures online to support me side of the argument (I know for a fact I am correct) but can't seem to find any.  What say you?

i think he was the guy he shot

[MoeRon]

When Upham reveals himself the German soldier recognises him immediately and even says his name before getting shot by Upham.

Earlier, when the German who killed the GI bumps into Upham (and doesn't kill him) there is no recognition at all...the German just looks tired as heck from his life and death struggle.

Different German.

You are correct sir.   

[ODBAL]

http://www.sproe.com/s/steamboat-comparison.html

Mickey, thank you that is perfect!!!

[druski85]

Different guys.  Not all Germans look the same   

I wondered it for a while myself

[lowZX14]

My apologies there ODBAL, I did read too much into your OP and thought you believed that it was....great link though Mickey, coming through in the clutch.

[AAJagerX]

Wasn't the same guy.  Look up the credits online.  I had a similar "discussion" with a friend a few years ago.

[AWwrgwy]

Different guys.  But of course all white guys with buzz cuts look alike.  I think this is one of the reasons the military gives everyone buzz cuts.  Takes away your individuality.



wrongway

[crazyivan]

Yeah Different guy. Maybe we all were to busy thinking how we'd like to be seeing upham get it instead of the other guy.

But upham gets his pick on at the end.

[FiLtH]

Not the same guy. The "Betty Boop..nice gams" guy looks alot skinnier. The dude who stabbed the jewish GI was a big fella. Dirty shaved heads, grayish/mottled uniforms, but not the same guy.

[Swager]

Same Guy!

[DiabloTX]

Well now, this sort of changes the whole dynamic of Upham shooting Willie at the end.  I had thought Willie was the same guy that stabbed Millich and Upham's shooting of him seemed like justified revenge.  It seemed when Upham released Willie, to me Willie had taken the uniform of another German soldier therefore hiding his SS status, and acted like a squirming rat to get spared, Upham let Willie go back to his unit.  Willie did what any soldier worth his salt would do, re-joined his unit and went back to the fight, and that's all he did.  Upham's singling him out in the end now seems unjustified, or in the very least, unnecessary.  Maybe Upham thought the same thing we did, "Must be the same guy!"

[whiteman]

ok since it's not the same guy, i want to know why he didn't kill Upham.

[Masherbrum]

I've known it was a different person since I saw it in the Theater.   The "prisoner" was Wehrmacht.   The "knifer" was SS.     "The "prisoner" shot Hanks' character.   

But they are NOT the same.   

[Curval]

ok since it's not the same guy, i want to know why he didn't kill Upham.

He was really really tired...and Upham was no threat. 

[CAVPFCDD]

could be a wardrobe malfunction if you will, continutiy issue, I always assumed it to be the same guy, would make sense because he sparred his life just like opham did for him earlier, but if you guys have the movie in front of you and say the guys look different then, well thats weird, doesnt make as much sense as my theory.