Analyse the methods used to make the opening battle sequence of Saving Private Ryan both shocking and realistic, and say how effective you find it as an introduction to the film.

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By Tom Spellins – 10S – English essay – Ms. Clee                -  -

Analyse the methods used to make the opening battle sequence of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ both shocking and realistic, and say how effective you find it as an introduction to the film.

Films depicting true stories are often far less factual and realistic than they set out to be. Steven Spielberg took a brave approach towards the war film genre, a genre not receiving too much great press pre-1998. They were said to be only showing the glory of war and having a typical underdog plot-line. Spielberg certainly turned that typicality on its head. The film he directed in 1998, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ was hugely successful, the highest-grossing film of the year (around $480 million) and critically acclaimed as ‘a true classic and all-time great’ by many famous reviewers such as The New York Times and the BBC, winning a total of 5 Academy Awards (including Best Director) whilst being nominated for 11. Saving Private Ryan shocked audiences worldwide with the extreme horrors and realism of World War II, portraying the extent of violence during those 6 years yet focusing initially on the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach.

The film is mainly remembered for the horrific opening 24-minutes (Omaha Beach Landings), a scene which is regarded as one of the greatest opening scenes to any film of all time. Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, the story begins with World War II's historic D-Day invasion, and then moves beyond the beach as the men embark on a dangerous special mission. Captain John Miller, played by Tom Hanks, must take his men (Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper and Vin Diesel to name a few) behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, played by Matt Damon, whose three brothers were killed in combat. This true story revolutionised cinema, the war genre in particular, and provoked realisation of the terrors that the soldiers had to endure. There was no other film like this and there has been nothing like this since in terms of realism and intensity of battle. The opening 24-minutes are split into 4 distinct sections, each with specific features: The Transition from the Present to the Past, The Instant Chaos, Captain Miller’s confusion and The End of the Battle. The names of these sections summarise what content is contained in each section.

The opening scene is of an elderly James Ryan, the last surviving brother, visiting graves in Normandy with his family to reflect upon those who lost their lives for him during World War II. The ‘Hymn of the Fallen’ is played in the background; a hymn associated with melancholy, sorrow and patriotism. It is sometimes played during funerals of soldiers killed in action; ‘The Last Post’ is more commonly played during funerals and is very similar to the ‘Hymn of the Fallen’. This melancholy mood is emphasised with the use of darkened, desaturated colours of a flag and sets the atmosphere for the rest of the film as a sad and emotional remembrance of a ghastly period of time. Spielberg’s reason for the use of desaturated colour for much of the film was that, ‘Early on, we both knew that we did not want this to look like a technicolor extravaganza about World War II, but more like colour newsreel footage from the 1940s, which is very desaturated and low-tech.’ This ensured that the audience would find this more realistic. As the music plays, the American flag flutters in the wind, sinking and rising like the men struggling for their lives 50 years previously. It’s another symbol of patriotism and corresponds to the music running alongside. We see Ryan and his family approaching the graves on a walkway, the surrounding green grass is very bright, a symbol of new life engulfing the old. Ryan walks with urgency ahead of his family; this is not a vacation to him but almost like a mission. He is leading his family, like leading soldiers into battle, from his present life to his past. They appreciate that it’s James Ryan’s moment and leave him to pay his respects and thank the soldiers for his life.

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The setting is established with a panning shot of both the flag and the overwhelming enormous graveyard down below it, powerless bodies being looked upon by the entire country. The uniformity of the crosses is almost like the soldiers are in marching order, a sign of unity. The gloominess is emphasised with a low to high-angle panning shot of the mass graves showing the mightiness of death. The graves are also very bright and stand out in white, a symbol of peace and reflection. Not only Christian crosses are there, but the Jewish star of David and not only ...

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