Saving Private Ryan Vs. The Longest Day

Saving Private Ryan Vs. The Longest Day

Both of these films, Saving Private Ryan (1999) and the Longest Day

(1962), are representations of the D-day landings on Omaha beach in

France.

The war film genre was chosen due to its popularity, historical

interest and the excitement and adventure involved in battle.

The longest day could have easily been an English propaganda film, as

it gave a very un-realistic view on the D-day landings, glorifying the

British, and making the Nazis look incapable of winning the war. In

contrast Saving Private Ryan was an attempt to make sense of history,

which was as realistic as it could be. Also the creation of a heroic

figure gave the audience a character to follow the film with.

Saving Private Ryan was far more realistic than the Longest Day. I

will be looking at how all the different factors of making a film make

the films more realistic. I will be commenting on, shots and angles

used visual effects, sound effects, mise-en-scene and lighting.

In Saving Private Ryan and the Longest Day camera shots and angles are

totally different. In Saving Private Ryan the director chose many

different camera shot to bring different effects, like the underwater

shot, this shot brings the effect of fear, struggling and panic; it is

in slow motion whilst under water, and when the camera comes out of

the water, to exaggerates the soldiers need for air, everything speeds

up again to exaggerate how serial it is to be trapped under water.

You can see many dead bodies floating around, as well as soldiers

fighting in the struggle of men and bullets to stay alive. Extreme

close ups (XCU) are used to show the sold...

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made to look realistic, frightening and what it was really like. File

technology and graphics are used to show special effects with human

limbs and organs, Germans were made to be in equilibrium with the

British.

Personally I prefer Saving Private Ryan out of the two films it is

realistic exciting and the technology and effects are far superior. I

found The Longest Day very boring and dragged on, I think this was

partly because of the time gap; it restricted the directors ability to

make the film really realistic.

If I had the chance to watch the rest of one of the film I would

undoubtedly chose Saving Private Ryan as it is more enticing and I

found it more exciting, convincing and generally altogether a better

film. I may be interested in watching the whole of the two films just

to compare them further.