The original draft titled "The 60 Year Burden" changed quite a bit by the time the filmmakers shot it. Originally, Cuff survived the war and the film opens on the eighty year-old Veteran. The French boy 'Alex' was to be shot during the altercation with the S.S. scouts instead of Cuff. Cuff was then forced to put Alex out of his misery in an extremely graphic and violent scene to depict the horrid nature of war, yet the tender compassion Cuff had for the only friend he had found in Europe.
The second soldier visible in the dolly shot along the tents at night is the directors Uncle and a decorated Marine who served in Kuwait 1991-1992 during Desert Storm.
During the group scene in which Billy drinks a bottle of wine and coughs it up, prune juice was used, as it's consistency was best suited for the scene.
The Lucky Strike cigarette that Billy smoked in the film was from an original issue unopened pack of Lucky Strikes from WWII.
Cinematographer Matt Orchowski went to great lengths to give the film a very unique look. He used three different Kodak film stocks to create a strong contrast between the different parts of the film. Pre-war, war and paradise.