Opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan

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Opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan

Based on true World War II experiences, Saving Private Ryan was made in 1998 by the successful director – Steven Spielberg. The film mainly revolves around the character – Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, and his squad of American soldiers who embark on a dangerous mission to save one man - Private James Ryan, who lost all three of his brothers in war. Paying particular attention to the brutality and horrors of the D-Day landings, the film certainly appears anti-war. It is also a consequence of Spielberg’s obsession and fascination with World War II. From an early age, his father’s war-time experiences were reflected in his first attempt at film making. It is interesting to see that over half of his films were set during the 1930s and 40s. This film, moreover, was made to remind the audience the horrors of war and to acknowledge the soldiers’ bravery. In Spielberg’s own words, “It is a tribute to the veterans of war”

        The film’s characteristics follow the war film genre, though it attempts to break the traditional conventions by being ‘brutally honest’. Using a wide range of visual techniques and creating special sound effects, it brings the audience right into the middle of the action. The particular use of desaturated colour dulls the picture, achieving the effect of ‘deglamourising violence’. During the opening sequence an overview of the D-Day situation was presented to the audience in a journalistic way. The use of hand held cameras contributed greatly to the realistic and shocking nature of the film.

        The most powerful and traumatic part of the film to the audience is perhaps the opening battle sequence. In the process of introducing the main characters and the set of the film, it manages to astonish and disturb the audience. Right from the beginning of the sequence, the director uses signifiers to help the audience understand the situation and also intrigue them; as the sound of a slow patriotic music is played in the background, the viewers can see an American flag with light shining through it. This symbolises America and the army. The faded affect of the flag represents a sense of old, worn-off patriotism, also suggesting that the subject of the film is in the past. This then leads to the first character in the film – an old man. Walking slowly with his family behind him, he knells down in front of a gravestone. From the high angle shots, the viewer can see that they are in a military cemetery. The brilliant white lines of gravestones and the fresh, almost fluorescent green of the grass add to the solemnity of the situation. Then, from seeing a French flag in the middle of the cemetery, the audience can establish that the cemetery is in France, linking it to the D-day landings. The slow, lingering music manages to move the audience, but it takes their ‘guards off’ so they are totally unprepared for the shocks and horrors of the next scene.

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As the audience see the acute emotions of the old man, they hear him sobbing. This creates a sense of empathy and intrigue amongst the viewer, as many questions are raised: “Why is this man crying? Who is he?” Then, gradually, the camera gives an extreme close up of his face, focusing on his eyes. It has a dramatic impact as the shot is very intrusive and tries to emphasize the clear blue of the man’s eyes. Suddenly, the transition from present to past occurs as the bright colours turn into shades of grey. The camera establishes a few shots ...

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