Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Everett McGill, Marsha Mason, Moses Gunn
Revealing mistake: As Sgt. Highway turns the dead body with a cigar in the pocket you can see its right arm move to avoid twisting. (01:38:05)
Revealing mistake: Near the end they land on the island. After they cross a bridge a soldier shoots an explosive and blows up a machine gun position. Just after that, look at the muzzle of Highway's rifle. It isn't open like it should be but has a type of plug to ensure only blanks can be used.
Factual error: At the very beginning of the film, Gunny Highway learns that he's being reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division. The 2nd Division, located at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is situated on the NC coast; there are no mountains in the immediate vicinity. However, when the Gunny trains his platoon, he does so in the hills of another Marine training camp located in California. There is a big difference between California and North Carolina.
Gunnery Seargant Thomas Highway: Sergeant, get that contraband stogie out of my face before I shove it so far up your ass that you'll have to stick a match up your nose to light it!
Question: Towards the end of the movie when Gunny Highway's men first learn that he is a Medal of Honor recipient they are all suitably impressed. Yet when he first reports to take over the platoon he is wearing parade uniform with all of his medal ribbons displayed. The very first ribbon looks like the one appropriate for a MoH - surely the young marines should have been able to recognise it? Is the MoH insignia able to be noticed on his uniform?
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Chosen answer: I can personally attest, when you see someone in dress uniform, the first thing you look at is their rank. No one really pays much attention to the ribbons, and not many people know what more than a handful of them mean. When you add the fact that Highway put the fear of Gunny into them at the first meeting and that none of them are all that bright, it could easily be overlooked. One thing that is wrong, is as an MOH recipient, Gunny Highway is entitled to a salute from anyone short of the President. Granted he is not the type to point out his awards either.
Grumpy Scot