One of the oddest things going on in the background of the film happens in the dirt and in the mud. Occasionally in the background of scenes; and one or two times front and center; you might notice soldiers scooping up dirt with their hands and putting it into small tins, before writing the name of the country on the lid and pocketing them.
Both then and now, this behavior is actually common in soldiers serving abroad. They take a little of the dirt beneath their feet back home with them, as a memento of where they've fought; a little like how you might buy a picture postcard of a place you've visited on vacation. That may seem like an odd hobby, but given the conditions that the soldiers of the time were facing we think it's fine for them to indulge the occasional quirk if it helps them to stay sane.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.