During this, the sound becomes non-diegetic, we hear changes to the sea, and we hear the sounds of waves crashing as the Higgins boats plough through the water. This is quite interesting as we are seeing the present whilst hearing the past. The man’s eyes vibrate before the picture turns to that of the boats on the sea. The very slow editing involved in this scene allows the viewer to absorb the atmosphere and try to connect with the elderly mans thoughts and emotions. The audience see a change in camera shot from a long shot of the boats as they approach the beach, to the close up of Captain Miller’s hand shaking. This is to introduce the viewer to some of the main characters.
When you see the soldiers in the Higgins boats heading for Omaha beach, the first thing the audience may notice is the de-saturated dull colours. Also, the overcast weather helps by signifying that something unpleasant is going to happen, the fighting, and in addition, that it will be tragic and miserable. Once the boats turn for their soldiers to leave in order to begin fighting, the audience immediately see the brutality of the war, in close up and medium shots, as many of the men are killed before they leave the boat. An over the shoulder shot is used here to show the Germans’ view, so that the audience can see their range and advantage against the Americans on the beach and also the difficulty of the Americans mission.
When the soldiers jump into the sea and go underwater, the camera follows and the sounds heard are the same as those heard when submerged under water. The noise of war becomes very distorted until the soldier rises out of the water. Here, underwater cameras are used so that the audience feel involved. They seem to be handheld too, so the scene seems more realistic. They also hear the sounds you would hear underwater so this adds to the authenticity of the film’s scenes. The reason this has been done is because it would be inappropriate if there were music played throughout, as it would take the realness out of the scene. While underwater, the audience see a soldier being shot while he is also submerged. The blood from his wound is the only vivid colour shown during the battle scene as everything else is of a de-saturated colour. This is so that the audience can appreciate the grim mood of the soldiers.
The handheld cameras used throughout the battle scene are supposed to make the viewer feel afraid and alarmed at the scene unfolding before them. Also, the audience are made to feel like they are participating in the combat and not just seeing it happen to others; they feel really involved and can begin to understand the misery these soldiers experienced.
The temporary deafness experienced by Captain Miller is quite common amongst the soldiers due to the many explosions happening all around. While Captain Miller can’t hear, the viewer cannot only see him but they also become him for a portion of the scene. Whilst observing Miller, the audience see his confused facial expressions. They see his face yet hear what he hears; this effect was partly used earlier in the film where the scene of the old man is coupled with the noise of the violent sea. The camera shots are slowed down a lot in this scene so the audience can feel Millers confusion. When the viewer sees the scene through Millers eyes, they view the chaos and watch as several men are caught up in a fire from an explosion. This makes the audience comprehend the ordeal that the soldiers go through as many of their side are killed in battle. The viewer also sees a close up shot as Captain Miller pours bloody seawater out of his helmet before replacing it on his head. This makes him look blood covered.
Near the end of the initial battle, where the soldiers are lying on the banks, the audience see the relief of the soldiers for having made it over the beach, but they can also see the men are worried about the next part of the battle. Here, the viewer sees one soldier shot in the back of his helmet. In, what you could almost call a comical moment of the horrific film, the man proceeds to remove his helmet to see where the bullet had hit him, a second bullet then penetrates his head in the same place the first had hit his helmet.
As the soldiers proceed up the beach towards the Germans and hide waiting to attack, Captain Miller agrees with Sergeant Horvath that the scene before them is ‘quite a view’, what they mean here is the view of the immense number of dead bodies of soldiers lying on the beach below. The audience then see the bodies washed out to sea by the tinted blood waves. Very slow music is played here to show the cost of war and how the loss of relatives affects families. The waves become peaceful after the recent chaos and this gives the audience a chance to recover after the tension and horror of battle. You also see the waves tinted with the red of blood, crashing onto the beach. The final shot displaying the name on the backpack of one of the ill-fated soldiers gives a link between what the audience have just seen as well as both the title and storyline of the film.
In my opinion, the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan prepares you quite well for the coming death and destruction. These scenes help to prepare the audience for the shock of the rest of the film. I believe the first few scenes were realistic enough to stun the viewer. My view is that these scenes really created a feeling of sorrow for both the men that died and the soldiers who experienced the battle. I think that the use of handheld cameras added to how realistic the film was as they include the audience in the violence. They are also good because they help to draw the audience into the action.
Steven Spielberg wished to ‘put chaos up on the screen’ and I believe that he succeeded in this. The cameras again played a huge part in this idea as they capture the action better than a normal still camera.
From what I have already seen of Saving Private Ryan, I would be interested in continuing to watch the remainder of the film. I am impressed by the way that the first scene of the elderly man in the graveyard, helps to introduce the audience to one of the main characters, and helps them to understand the role he may have played in the war and the emotions he may have gone through, even though they don’t yet know who he is. I also enjoy the way that the final scene I have wrote about in my analysis of the film, helps to create a link for the audience. I like how it gives them an understanding of the film’s title and may give them some ideas as to the horror and terror that is to follow in the main part of the scene.
