Saving Private Ryan is one of the most epic World War II movies ever created. These behind the scenes facts give insight into its production. //

Saving Private Ryan opens with an intense D-Day battle sequence with the allied forces storming Normandy beach under a hail of bullets and mortars. It is one of the biggest battle scenes of WWII ever done in movies and it took more shooting days than anyone can imagine.

While speaking with NBC News, Spielberg revealed, “It took us 25 days of shooting to capture 25 minutes of those landings.” As you can imagine, the sequence was expensive too. Mark Huffman, the movie’s associate producer, revealed to the Irish Independent (via Esquire) that the scene cost around $12 million to make. //

Since much of the cast were portraying soldiers, Spielberg thought it was only right they undergo some military training. While speaking with Roger Ebert, Spielberg said that the boot camp was necessary to familiarize the cast with weapons. At the same time, the director explained, “I wanted them to respect what it was like to be a soldier.” //

However, Matt Damon reportedly did not undergo training. It was thought it would help the cast build up some resentment for the actor, which would translate to a more authentic portrayal of their characters, onscreen.