12 Subtle Movie Plot Points You Probably Overlooked

7. The Murdered "German" Soldiers Are Actually Czech - Saving Private Ryan

The Plot Point: On Omaha Beach, two "German" soldiers are attempting to surrender to the Allies, who cannot understand them and, out of frustration, simply shoot them dead before mocking them ("Look, I washed for supper!"). However, it turns out that the soldier who speaks was talking in Czech, and said, "Please don't shoot me, I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone, I am Czech!" They were members of a German battalion which took nationals from countries Germany had invaded and forced them to fight against the Allies. Why You Probably Missed It: Because you likely don't speak Czech, as is the entire point of the scene. To most viewers without a knowledge of the language, it completely flies over their heads, though to Czech viewers the scene takes on an entirely different meaning, and German speakers will probably be able to figure it out as well. It's a brutal scene no matter how you understand it, though realising that the two men were innocent is just another extremely powerful way in which Spielberg realised the brutal horror of war.