Saving Private Ryan

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Zeshan Javed        -  -

Saving Private Ryan

What techniques are used by the director to maintain an interest for the audience?

Steven Spielberg’s master piece Saving Private Ryan earned itself 5 academy awards, including the best director award in 1998. The all star cast starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore and Edward Burns brings to life the horror of war. Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, the story begins with World War 2’s historic D-Day invasion, it then moves beyond the beach as the men embark on a dangerous special mission. Captain John Miller must take his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Faced with impossible odds, the men question their orders. Why are eight men risking their lives to save just one? Surrounded by the brutal realities of war, each man searches for his own answer-and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage. Saving Private Ryan earned its awards for bringing back the realism of World War 2 and for portraying what the shocking chances of survival were at the historic battle of Omaha beach on D-Day in June 1944. Omaha beach was only one of the invasion sites of the American, British and Canadian coalition forces.

On June 6, 1944 Military forces join on the beaches of Normandy for one
of the most decisive battles of World War Two. History would call it D-Day. But for Captain Miller and his squad of young soldiers, the day after the landing on Omaha Beach would change all of there lives. They would get a special order from Washington ordering them to go on a personnel mission to save lives. One soldier lost three of his brothers in combat, One on Omaha Beach, one on Utah Beach, and the other in New Guinea. They realize this is not a simple mission to save a life but a test of their honor and duty

At the beginning of the film Steven Spielberg uses many techniques in order to make the film more intriguing, such as close camera work and the action techniques. During the action scenes Spielberg uses techniques such as the soldiers vomiting, drowning, being killed in gruesome ways and visual effects. All of these attract the audience and give the action scene its reputation. At the beginning of the film the camera zooms into the face of the older private Ryan which of course you don’t know until later on. This shows that this is the main character and the audience are curious to know why he seems saddened by the cemetery. After this happens the camera pans around to the cemetery and zooms out so you see all of the grave stones and the monument in the middle. This also puts the question to the audience of how all these people died. All together these techniques maintain the overall interest in the film.

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At the beginning of the film the camera is solely concentrating on the American flag. This could be symbolizing patriotism and loyalty to their country. This gives the audience the main theme of the film.  The flag flutters and falters slightly; this could show that Ryan was also beginning to falter. The flag also looks grey and has a lack of colour; this could also mean that Private Ryan is becoming old. The weather is also grey and dull which gives a feeling of remorse and sadness. After this the camera goes to the older Private Ryan, he walks ...

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