In the next part of this essay I will be talking to you about three incidents that I found that shows the viewer the chaos, brutality and suffering caused by war. This opening scene is particularly gruesome and it shows the viewer how many lives were actually lost during the war which is why all but one of the incidents I am writing about have something to do with this scene.
Incident 1. This incident will be on the chaos of war- Spielberg uses the camera very well by going in close on the soldiers and also parts of the soldiers bodies. One time the extreme close up shot is used very effectively is when we see the captains hand and we can see that it is actually shaking. This gives us the impression that even a very experienced soldier such as the captain can still be scared of war. This also shows what effect war can have on some people.
Incident 2. This incident will be on the suffering of war- The main part where I thought suffering was involved is when the medic gets hit by a bullet and after a few minutes of him crying in agony when the other men are desperate to stop him fom dieing they realise that there is no hope and ask him if there is anything that could make his death easier he replies ‘some more morphine.’ This shows the viewer that he is in so much pain that he needs drugs to top the pain.
Incident 3. This incident will be on the brutality of war- The final bit of the first scene was horrifying for me when the camera did a birds eye view shot and all that you could see was the red sea and dead bodies everywhere.
The viewer sees the men from a low angle shot which shows that the soldiers are big and powerful even though we can tell that deep down they are horrified of what the next 10 or so minutes may have in store for them.
When the officer blows his whistle to signal that the soldiers have to leave the boat the viewer gets a sudden rush of adrenalin and the camera goes into the shot of the point of view of the soldiers which makes the viewer feel as if they are actually there. When the soldiers jump overboard into the water Spielberg decides to do an under water shot still sticking with the point of view of the soldier. The sound gets muted when the camera goes underwater which would have been what it was like for the soldier. The only thing that the viewer can hear in the water is the sounds of the bullets going into the water. We can also vaguely see these as well. When the camera goes out of the water this is supposed to be when the soldier that the camera is in takes a breath. As the camera reaches the surface we can immediately hear the sounds of the battle getting louder and louder. When the camera reaches the surface we actually hear the soldier take a breath. We immediately see the carnage of the war already even though we have only been on the beach for a short period of 1-2 minutes. The camera being down so low shows that the Germans are in a more dominating position over the Americans.
The effect of these incidents are all quite different; the chaos incident has an effect on the audience that will make the audience feel worried for the men as the captain who Is supposed to be the leader and lead his men to victory is terrified of what may happen next. The captain understands that the Germans will have a more commanding position and will feel more confident about fighting than him and his troops. The suffering incident is quite upsetting as the viewers know that if the medic dies than all of the other men will have a less chance of surviving. It is also quite upsetting for the viewers as they may have been attached to the medic. The scene of brutality is very upsetting and also shocking to a certain extent.The most impressive technical aspects of 'Saving Private Ryan' numb the human mind as the hand held camera, used in many scenes plunges its way into battle, complete with constantly changing shutter speeds, frenzied shots of action and the film's sound effects will leave a permanent impression on your brain.
The landing finally is a success but only because the allies had such vastly superior numbers. The captain who in the past a school teacher but now leads the mission to find Private Ryan. Ultimately he is found but not after many harsh battles. Quite a few times throughout the duration of the play we see the German soldiers and they will have there hands in the air. This is part of a treaty that countries who are at war have with each other. Basically it means that you cannot shoot a surrendering soldier regardless of where he comes from or his skin colour or religion. As you have probably realised by now the Americans do not seem to abide by these rules. When they actually do then it backfires. . In one scene a German sniper is captured. This trust of course leads to death in the end. The sniper who was allowed to go free, does what he does best later on and delivers expert sniper hits on allied troops. This part of the film must make the viewers feel particularly upset and angry that these rules were ignored and that even though a German had been allowed his freedom he rubbed it in the Americans faces by killing one of them later on.