Is Tom Hanks too old to storm Omaha Beach?
Host Paul Bavill welcomes Rob Hutton and Duncan Weldon, hosts of the War Movie Theatre podcast, to kick off a series of previews for the Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) Podcast Live Festival. This week, they are raising the curtain on movies in a historical setting with a fierce debate on the one historical inaccuracy that Hollywood keeps getting away with.
Rob and Duncan unleash their rage on the persistent and problematic trend in war cinema: the casting of much older actors as young combat soldiers in World War II movies.
- The Saving Private Ryan Problem: Discover exactly why Tom Hanks (mid-to-late 40s) as a Ranger Captain, and Matt Damon (27) as Private Ryan, were both fundamentally too old for their D-Day roles—in some cases by 20 years.
- The hosts argue that casting older actors fundamentally changes how we perceive the Second World War, overshadowing the reality that the fighting was overwhelmingly done by fresh-faced 19-year-olds.
- But is historical accuracy the real goal? The discussion turns to the industry's love for "whizzy ideas" and the notorious trope of a writer or director "struggling to get the green light"—and whether this pursuit of a marketable story is the real reason historical truth gets sacrificed for Hollywood blockbusters.
- Find out which TV series, like Band of Brothers, got the ages right, and whether Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk managed to break the mold.
- Plus, a fascinating discussion on how the youthful, risk-taking mindset applies not just to infantry and Luftwaffe pilots, but even to Formula 1 drivers.
Don't miss this heated discussion!
- Listen to War Movie Theatre: Find Rob and Duncan’s podcast everywhere you get your podcasts and follow on all social media channels @warmovietheatre
- See them Live: This episode previews the IWM Podcast Live Festival on the 1st of November. Be sure to grab your tickets for the live discussion on movies in a historical setting!
- Tickets available at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live
- Support History Rage: Love the show? Check the links for how to support Paul Bavill's podcast, including getting ad-free listening and the coveted History Rage mug.
- Subscribe at www.patreon.com/historyrage
- Follow History Rage on Social Media @historyrage
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