There are some quiet scenes in SPR that linger the memory. One of them after the men get off the beach, Sgt Horvath collects some sand from Omaha Beach and puts it in a tin. We see that he has other tins of sand from the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. These were his trophies for when he returned to the States. Spielberg is telling us that this unit that has been together since 1943.
shareI always loved that short scene. Couple other thoughts I always had about it.
Sgt. Horvath is wearing a wedding ring. Which means just like Capt. Miller, some day he expects to go home and try to tell his wife everything that happened. At least he has his sand collections to guide him thru his journey. Sadly he didn't get to add a tin for Germany. But I wonder if his wife ever did receive them.
Also, like the Captain, he may have been a small town kid, who was still living in the same town he grew up in when he enlisted. So the idea that he would get to travel to so many far way places would seem unreal to him, even though it was for terrible reasons.
I noticed that about Horvarh's wedding ring. Did you notice he takes it off when listening to the music before the tank battle? Perhaps keeping it safe knowing what's coming? Great little moment.
shareTo be honest, it just makes me think that that is just useless weight and storage space to carry around.
shareYes! On the battlefield personal weight means a lot. It goes to show that what he was collecting was really important to go through all that, and the further you go the heavier it gets.
shareI agree.
Suggest scene was more of a metaphor of a soldiers travels.
Can't see someone wanting to add weight and take up room in their back packs in real life.
I don't think this would have made much difference. They Carried so much gear anyway. If you've ever read 'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien about the US troops in Vietnam, soldiers carried loads of extra quirky and bizarre personal items.
shareReally...
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