After an intensely bloody and graphic scene where the Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France on D-Day, 1944, a squad of eight American soldiers was assembled for a special mission to find and save Private James Ryan, played by Matt Damon. Mrs. Ryan, played by Amanda Boxer, was about to received notice that three of her four sons had been killed in action during war. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, played by Harve Presnell, made the decision to try and save her last son and return him home. The Academy award winning WWII film Saving Private Ryan by Stephen Spielberg goes beyond simple entertainment because of the movies historical accuracy, believable characters and its realistic story of courage …show more content…
and sacrifice while trying to answer the question of why saving Private Ryan is worth the sacrifice. Today many people, young and old, have misconceptions of war because of how war is depicted in movies, television, books and video games. This movie brought out more of an authentic virtual view of war. In the opening scene of the movie the viewer feels as if they are in a confined landing craft with young men, some of which barely look old enough to drive let alone go to war, filled with fear. Many of the soldiers were shaking and gripping their weapons so tight the viewer could sense the tension. Some soldiers were praying while others were getting sick and throwing up knowing the gate to their landing crafts were about to drop, and they would be face to face with the enemy. As the gates dropped the enemy opened fire on the American soldiers and the viewer was immediately surrounded by the blood and gore of war. The ocean swirled with the blood and bodies of soldiers as bullets rained down in a continuing barrage; and there were explosions in every direction. The actors did a phenomenal job portraying real fear, emotions and determination. The writer and director used vivid special effects to help the viewer experience the reality of war, such as the use of a combat cameraman. The combat cameraman gave the viewer the experience that they were running right next to the soldiers on the beach just as the invasion combat cameramen did. Dodging explosions and seeing fellow soldiers running next and falling all around. The effects on the beach really gave a feeling of being right there trying to survive the initial wave onto the beaches of Normandy. The director wanted the viewer to feel as if they were right there by trying to keep it as authentic as possible, from an actual Nazi Bunker along what was the Nazi Atlantic Wall to the uniforms worn by the soldiers, the pyrotechnics for the explosions to the time era landing crafts and the hundreds of CGI troop and cargo ships that supplied the war effort. Even the movie reviewer Roger Ebert said “’Saving Private Ryan’ is a powerful experience.” As the movie proceeds, the viewer is drawn into the lives of the squad members thus causing empathy with the characters. For the viewers who put themselves in the place of the actors, the experience becomes intense. The soldiers in this movie are normal everyday men with well developed characters which make them more believable. One soldier spoke of his mother in a way that we have all experienced while another had a story of the silly antics played by himself and his brothers. Spielberg did a good job with the storyline so the viewer could be drawn in and can experience the soldiers as them self, a brother, father, husband or friend. The emotional attachment drawn between the characters and the viewer gave the viewer a flood of emotion as the movie progressed from the fear of battle, to the anger of risking one’s life to save another, to pondering about the mission, to the final acceptance of the mission, and needing to find Private Ryan to get him home. Janet Maslin wrote in her New York Times film review, “Mr. Spielberg uses his preternatural storytelling gifts to personalize the unimaginable, to create instantly empathetic characters and to hold an audience spellbound from the moment the action starts.” We can see the soldiers in this movie are American patriots fighting for the cause of freedom, even though they have doubts about their mission. It shows some of what a soldier is faced with, but it also depicts a lot of questioning of whether the mission was worth it. These men are required to follow orders whether they agree with them or not. They are forced to make tough decisions, such as in a scene where the squad came across a German machine gun nest. Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, the commanding officer of the squad sent to find Private Ryan, ordered his men to take out the German’s. Private Reiben, played by Edward Burns, thought the plan was not their mission and was an unnecessary risk. Captain Miller said that they would follow his order so the German’s couldn’t ambush other squads of American soldiers. Even though the side mission was a success, the squad’s medic, played by Giovanni Ribisi, was fatally wounded. This one decision made by Captain Miller enforced the remaining squad member’s question of “How many more need to die just to save Private Ryan?” Even though this movie is fictional it is based on a true story with real facts and actual events. There was a soldier that had presumably lost three brothers and the U.S. Army wanted to send a unit to find him but never did because they did not know where he was. It was not a Private Ryan but a Private Fritz Niland of the 101st Airborn Division dropped behind the German line days before the invasion on the beaches. Private Niland was eventually found and returned to the states to finish out his military term. The D-Day scene from Saving Private Ryan showed what was described in the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Throughout the landing, German gunners poured deadly fire into the ranks of the invading Americans. Bodies lay on the beach or floated in the water. Men sought refuge behind beach obstacles, pondering the deadly sprint across the beach to the seawall, which offered some safety at the base of the cliff. Destroyed craft and vehicles littered the water’s edge and beach, and at 0830 hours all landing ceased at Omaha. The troops on the beach were left on their own and realized that the exits were not the way off. Slowly, and in small groups, they scaled the cliffs.” (“R. Drez, Omaha Beach”) There were many other details that were researched in great depth to create an accurate picture of WWII. Research aided the director in creating authentic uniforms for the American and German soldiers and their weapons, vehicles, missions and tactics. Spielberg consulted closely with historian Stephen E. Ambrose, a retired Marine Corps captain, to get as many details correct as he could. The details about the war were correct, but the stories about the men in the squad and even their mission were all fictional. The main focus in the movie is to Save Private Ryan, the sole surviving son in his family. This was in relation to a law passed in 1948 called the “Sole Survivor Policy” or the "Special Separation Policies for Survivorship" which describes a set of regulations in the Military of the United States that are designed to protect members of a family from the draft or from combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service (DoD Directive 1315.15). This law came about after five Sullivan brothers were all killed when the USS Juneau (CL-52) was sunk during World War II. In 2007 Jason Hubbard, 33, was returned home from Iraq under the "sole survivor" rule after losing both of his brothers in the war. When Hubbard got home he discovered all his benefits from the military had been cancelled and he had no insurance for himself or his pregnant wife. In 2008 President Bush signed into law the Hubbard Act, which secures the benefits of "sole survivor" veterans who are honorably discharged after the death of a parent or sibling also serving in the military (Public Law 110-317). The question that surfaces repeatedly in this movie is whether one person’s life is more valuable than another?
The mission was to save Private James Ryan and send him home safely to his mother who just received notice that three of her sons had died in combat. The soldiers questioned the mission and thought it was a waste of valuable resources. At one point Private Reiban even said “This Ryan better be worth it.” (“Rodat, Saving Private Ryan”) This debate gets even more heated and Private Reiben threatens to quit the mission and return to the front lines. In the end the remaining squad member’s end up coming together as a unit to do more than just save one man’s life. The squad ultimately combines forces with the squad Ryan is in and defends a bridge that is vital to the forward progress of the allies. When the squad finally found Private Ryan, he is told of brothers and that he has a ticket home. To everyone’s surprise he refused to go home and abandon his squad members and their mission. So Captain Miller had to decide if their mission was over and leave or stay to help and protect Private Ryan and the bridge. After deciding to stay the men come up with a plan to defend the bridge with what little supplies they had. Sergeant Horvath, played by Tom Sizemore, said "What if by some miracle we stay and actually make it out of here? Someday we might look back on this and decide that saving Private Ryan was the one decent thing we were able to pull out of this whole God awful, shitty mess." (“Rodat, Saving Private
Ryan”) Saving Private Ryan encompassed everything needed to create a well rounded film in the war genre. The director used strong believable characters, amazing special effects, facts to portray the truth of war and a strong range of emotions to bring the viewer right into the movie. The director was more than able to get his point across and achieve his desired effect. Saving Private Ryan was a huge cinematic success and remains, to this day, one of the greatest war movies ever created.
It was 1944, and the United States had now been an active participant in the war against Nazi Germany for almost three and a half years, nearly six years for the British. During that period occurred a string of engagements fought with ferocious determination and intensity on both sides. There is however, one day which stands out in the minds of many American servicemen more often than others. June 6, 1944, D-Day, was a day in which thousands of young American boys, who poured onto the beaches of Utah and Omaha, became men faster than they would have ever imagined possible. Little did they know of the chaos and the hell which awaited them on their arrival. Over the course of a few hours, the visions of Omaha and Utah Beaches, and the death and destruction accompanied with them formed a permanent fixation in the minds of the American Invaders. The Allied invasion of Europe began on the 6th of June 1944, and the American assault on Utah and Omaha beaches on this day played a critical role in the overall success of the operation. (Astor 352)
It has been 42 years since the Nixon presidency was brought to an end by the Watergate scandal. All the President's Men, the movie depicting the Watergate Scandal, accurately portrays the events surrounding President Nixon and the taping of the Democratic
Robert Gould Shaw was a son of wealthy Boston abolitionists. At 23 he enlisted to fight in the war between the states. The movie opens with Robert reading one of the many letters he writes home. He is captain of 100 Union soldiers, most of whom are older than himself. He speaks of the spirit of his men and how they are enthusiastic about fighting for their country just like the men in the Revolutionary war only this time they were fighting to give blacks freedom and to live in a United country where all can speak and live freely.
The actions taken by Moore and his command group from Company Commanders to NCO’s, saved the lives of numerous American soldiers. This battle shows the leadership and unit discipline were needed to survive and be combat effective in adverse situations. Throughout the battle you see numerous Army Values and Warrior Ethos being used. “I will never leave a fallen comrade”, was the etho used the most, to reach the separated platoon. The battle also shows that not all tactical orders are effective, but as leader you must never second guess yourself.
Units get ambushed by North Vietnamese Army forces, who kill the commanding officers. After defeat, the Vietcong commander orders final attack using the rest of his soldiers and reserve forces. Hal Moore seeing it coming, prepares for this fight. In the last scene, Lt. Moore kept his promise, being he was the last person to step onto the helicopter.
In today's day and age, it's rare to see famous historical events and societal disasters not be picked apart by film directors and then transformed into a box office hit. What these films do is put a visual perspective on these events, sometimes leaving viewers speculating if whatever was depicted is in fact entirely true. I have never felt that feeling more than after I finished watching Oliver Stone’s JFK.
Captain Viktor Tupolev, a former student of Ramius and commander of the Soviet Alfa-class attack submarine V. K. Konovalov, has been trailing what he initially believes is an Ohio-class vessel. Based on acoustical signature information, Tupolev and his political officer realize that it is Red October, and proceed to pursue and engage it. The two U.S. submarines escorting Red October are unable to fire due to rules of engagement, and a torpedo from the Alfa damages Red October. After a tense standoff, Red October rams Konovalov and sinks it. The Americans escort Red October safely into the eight-ten dry dock in Norfolk, Virginia, where Ramius and his crew are taken to a CIA safe house to begin their Americanization, and Jack Ryan returns to London.
The film Tomorrow When the War Began is a film based on the novel of the same title. John Marsden’s Tomorrow When the War Began is the story of seven teenagers who return from a camping trip to find their home town has been invaded. The producer of the film has excluded several settings from the book and also changed parts of the plot and the character’s characteristics. These differences occur to show the character’s development, to limit the duration of the film and to keep the audience engaged.
Saving Private Ryan portrays the experiences of the mysterious captain John Miller and his army ranger Squad. The story accurately depicts what could have happened to a comparable unit mission shown had actually existed. No Saving Private Ryan character ever existed. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Saving Private Ryan’s mission ever would have been ordered. The mission shown is improbable because United States army sole survivor policy “is applicable only in peacetime.” (Sergeant Rod Powers, ret.). Regardless the movie shows the chaos that American soldiers may very well have encountered while marching through Normandy subsequent to D-day.
In “How to Tell a True War Story” by Tim O’Brien, Orwell’s ideas are questioned and the competition between the truth and the underlying meaning of a story is discussed. O’Brien’s story depicts that the truth isn’t always a simple concept; and that not every piece of literature or story told can follow Orwell’s list of rules (Orwell 285). The story is told through an unnamed narrator as he re-encounters memories from his past as a soldier in the Vietnam War. With his recollection of past encounters, the narrator also offers us segments of didactic explanation about what a “true war story” is and the power it has on the human body (O’Brien 65). O’Brien uses fictional literature and the narration of past experiences to raise a question; to what extent should the lack of precision, under all circumstances, be allowed? In reality, no story is ever really truthful, and even if it is, we have no proof of it. The reader never feels secure in what they are being told. The reliability of the source, the author, and the narrator are always being questioned, but the importance of a story isn’t about the truth or the accuracy in which it is told, but about the “sunlight” it carries (O’Brien 81).
But after experiencing ten weeks of atrocious basic training at the hands of the small-minded, vindictive Corporal Himmelstoss and the inconceivable cruelty of life on the front lines. Paul and his comrades realize that the ideals that made them enlist are merely empty clichés. They no longer believe that war is magnificent or respectable, and they live in unceasing physical terror that each day that goes may be their last. When Paul’s company receives a short reprieve after two weeks of fighting at the front lines, only eighty men of the original 150-man company return from the front. The cook , Ginger, doesn’t want to give the survivors the rations that were meant for the dead men He insists that he is only allowed to distribute single rations and that the dead soldiers’ rations will simply have to go to waste but eventually gives in.
After the United States captures the beachhead and settles down, Captain Miller and his seven soldiers begin their mission. The dilemma is Private Ryan, in the 101st airborne, was miss his drop zone away from the original plan. Command thinks he is in a nearby town swarming with German soldiers. Miller’s squad goes through towns, forests, and enemy occupied areas searching for Private Ryan. Sadly, two out of the eight men are killed during the search diminishing the morale. The captain mentally suffers from the burden of losing his men. When they finally locate Ryan, he is defending one of the most strategic towns in the beginning of the war. The town has one of the only 2 bridges across the river that will collect the Allies to the Eastern front. Private Ryan does not want to leave his men guarding the bridge because he feels that it is unfair to leave his fellow soldiers. So Captain Miller and the squad decide to make a last stand ...
Although the book did an incredible job in explaining every detail and story that happened throughout the day and preceding night, the movie did a much better job in helping the viewer visualize the entire ordeal. Without the film there would be no real way to understand how massive and tragic the invasion was, unless you were there. Which is one reason why both the book and the movie are both so accurate. Because Ryan had based everything in his book on his own personal accounts and hundreds of veteran accounts. The writers, directors, and producer successfully realized their goal of a truly exact D-day film, and they did it without a consistent story or gore. While the stories in the movie were weak and were never truly completed, the movie and book still left the viewer satisfied with what they had watched or read. Without Ryan’s book, I doubt that there would be a D-day movie out that accomplished the same goal of realism that Zanuck’s The Longest Day had.
Analysis of Film Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a film based on the horrific mission of a group. of soldiers who risked life and death to save one man private James. Ryan. The film begins on D-day when Private James Ryan is in an old war. Veteran visits the war memorial of his hero and the main character in the play Captain John Miller, played by Tom Hanks.
Gallipoli is a historical film released in 1981 (directed by Peter Weir) which chronicles the lives of two young Australian men, and their journey through enlisting in the Australian Army and serving in the Battle of Gallipoli, of the First World War. The film itself represents the past through three main aspects. Firstly, the film both reflects and influences societal values and attitudes, and in this way mythologises aspects of history, specifically when considering the ‘ANZAC legend’. Simultaneously the film is able to shape societies knowledge of parts of history, looking at the futility of war in conjunction with a partial shift in blame for the immense number of casualties (26,000 Australians) of the campaign. Finally, in the films representation