Hollywood Production

The film began, and the audience in the screening room fell silent. All eyes fixed on the large screen ahead, ears tuned to the swelling soundtrack.

At first, the firm, sharp cadence of a snare drum approached from the distant dust of a bygone war. A distinctively metallic military bugle replaced the classical trumpet typically used in symphonies. Accompanied by a low hum of human voices, the score spoke in tones of deep gratitude and remembrance. Like morning light piercing through the mist, it flowed seamlessly into the heart, swelling into a majestic crescendo before fading to a soft murmur.

A faded Star-Spangled Banner fluttered in the wind, the brass drifting alongside it. Through this static shot, the film slowly unveiled its opening act.

An old man walked briskly past the camera. As he stepped into the cemetery, a timely close-up focused on his eyes. The past buried in his memory slowly unfolded, and the windows to his soul gradually brightened.

"Where's the opening battle?" Kunitz frowned, muttering under his breath. "Didn't they say it started with a beach landing? What's all this? This doesn't seem like Duke's style!"

"Yeah," Allen and Jones echoed.

However, what happened next proved the film would not disappoint.

Amid the roar of massive waves, a large fleet of Allied Forces landing craft charged toward the beach. Soldiers leaned over the gunwales, vomiting. The shaky camerawork suddenly gave Kunitz a wave of vertigo, as if he were on one of those very boats, crashing through the surf.

The camera shifted to the interior of a landing craft. An officer's trembling hands betrayed his immense psychological strain. The soldiers showed no heroic readiness to die; instead, they were numb, terrified, or deep in prayer. No one knew if they would survive long enough to set foot on that deadly beach.