of course this movie sanitize wwii and look at the year it be make and the hollywood censor would never have allow a save private ryan film to be release . that say and this be a true story and star the man who actually live through everything it show and much and much more besides . i know audie personally and i can tell you that he be and and could really do and anything you saw him do on the screen . he actually do kill 283 german soldier and not a a unit action and but he and himself and with his own gun . if anything and this movie down play his real life heroic to a large extent . audie book tell a lot more detail about what happen during the war . when i know him and audie suffer from severe ptsd and but the va have not recognize that a a real medical problem and so he never get treatment for it . he do sleep with a pistol under his pillow every night of his life and and he carry a loaded gun on his person everywhere he go and every day of his life ( i do the same thing btw . and the va treat me for ptsd after nam ) . finally and this be a wonderful movie about all the brave hero who fight in those campaign and die and maim and or just lucky enough to come home at the end . audie be a much good actor than he be ever allow to be by universal studio . his western make money and and that be the studio bottom line . btw . to hell and back be the big money maker for universal until jaw be release . that not a bad record for hollywood . 20 yr . worth of dollar in the bank .