# Saving Private Ryan question (possible spoilers)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 13, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195 "2001-11-13T21:58:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/1 "2001-11-13T21:58:32Z")
I saw this movie on ABC the other night and noticed something that I didn’t the first time - is the German soldier they let go in the scene where Goivanni Ribisi dies the the same one in the last scene that kills Mellish and Capt. Miller, and is later shot by the translator guy? If so it adds a major plot point to the movie that I overlooked the first time.
Also, does anyone know what that guy says to Mellish in German while he’s stabbing him, and later what he says to the translator guy? I figured “uppam” was “shoot” but can’t spell it well enough to verify at AltaVista, and according to them shoot is “Eintragfaden”…
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### Author:  [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/2 "2001-11-13T22:08:27Z")
Yes.
I don’t know.
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### Author:  [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/3 "2001-11-13T23:20:55Z")
Mellish (Adam Goldberg) was calling out Upham’s name during the brawl upstairs, which is why the German soldier knew it - he walked past and realized that Mellish was calling for his friend to help him. When he saw him later, he greeted him by name, and Upham (Jeremy Davies) shot him, I assume out of anger, self-hatred, revenge, and a whole mix of other emotions.
I don’t know what the German said to Mellish, other than shushing him while the knife slid in.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/4 "2001-11-13T23:22:13Z")
He says “Opham” which was the translators name, IIRC.
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### Author:  [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/5 "2001-11-13T23:47:26Z")
The freed prisoner (Steamboat Willie, played by Joerg Stadler) does appear later to shoot Miller. But he is _not_ the same soldier who stabs Mellish. Sure, their haircuts are the same – but their _coats_ are different. Look closely.
I doubt if the filmmakers intended for there to be such confusion. They knew the actors were different, but probably didn’t notice how similar they looked. The “stabber” is perhaps the character credited as “Czech Wermacht Soldier” played by actor/stuntman Martin Hub.
You can probably find a version of the screenplay published on the web. Failing that, the novelization would probably clear it up.
As for the “Upham” exclamation – this too confused me the first time I saw the film. By the second time, I caught the earlier references to Upham being the corporal’s name.
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/6 "2001-11-14T00:05:37Z")
:slaps forehead: - of course, Upham is his **name** - I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that. I thought it was the German word for shoot, and guessed he was daring him to “shoot” b/c he saw him acting cowardly earlier.
So the German that Upham shoots is _not_ the German that shoots Capt. Miller - too bad - that would have been even more ironic, IMO. (Although less realistic).
Thanks everyone for clearing it up.
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### Author:  [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/7 "2001-11-15T00:30:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dooku \*
> **So the German that Upham shoots is _not_ the German that shoots Capt. Miller - too bad - that would have been even more ironic, IMO. (Although less realistic).**
NONONONONONONONONO. Steamboat Willie _does_ shoot Miller. It’s not entirely clear if Upham is aware of this, which would be a prerequisite for revenge, but he does shoot Steamboat Willie anyway. However, Steamboat Willie is _not_ the soldier who stabs Mellish and then walks by Upham in the staircase, which is the common misunderstanding.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/8 "2001-11-15T04:40:45Z")
Was I the only person to think that the translator character was very much like the character that Mark Hammil played in The Big Red One?
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### Author:  [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/9 "2001-11-15T08:12:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dooku \*
> \*\*Also, does anyone know what that guy says to Mellish in German while he’s stabbing him, and later what he says to the translator guy? I figured “uppam” was “shoot” but can’t spell it well enough to verify at AltaVista, and according to them shoot is “Eintragfaden”… \*\*
From what I heard, he was mostly repeating “Es ist sehr einfach,” and such, which is basically, “It’s very easy.” He was mostly telling him to shut up, and be quiet, and it’ll go quicker.
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### Author:  [@DemonSpawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonSpawn)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-question-possible-spoilers/93195/10 "2001-11-15T14:16:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dooku \*
> \*\*Also, does anyone know what that guy says to Mellish in German while he’s stabbing him, and later what he says to the translator guy? I figured “uppam” was “shoot” but can’t spell it well enough to verify at AltaVista, and according to them shoot is “Eintragfaden”… \*\*
What he says is:
Gib’ auf
du hast keine Chance
lass’ uns ein Ende machen
es ist so viel leichter für dich
Give up
You don’t stand a chance
Let’s end this here
it will be easier for you like this
The words are spoken in Austrian-accented German.
(translator mode on)
and “shoot!” in German is “schiess!”, not “Eintragfaden”. "Eintragfaden is “shoot” as a noun, referring to weaving.
That’s the problem with translation engines, they don’t usually know about verb inflections and context.
(/translator mode off)
Just something that crossed my mind:
I have been wondering whether he says “Let’s end this here, it will be easier for you like this” because Mellish is Jewish…if the German soldier still believes he can win this war he might envision not-so-nice things happening to Mellish in the future.