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Introduction

Stage 1 English Studies Comparative Essay Compare the techniques that the authors of two texts use to explore the effects of war. The author of All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque and the director of Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg use various literary and filmic techniques respectively to portray the devastating effects of war. Both authors through the use of different techniques show the accurate revulsion of war, the loss of innocence, youth and ideals in the young soldiers and how the soldiers form bonds of comradeship and friendship during the hardships of war. In both All Quiet on the Western Front and Saving Private Ryan, Remarque and Spielberg both portray the true terror of war. Both texts show the soldiers suffered both terrible physical and psychological trauma. Remarque portrays this with a young recruit having ?collapsed like a rotten tree?. ...read more.

Middle

Through written techniques and filmic techniques, both Remarque and Spielberg show that the soldiers are changed forever by the experience of war, became like beasts, and had a disconnection from home and ordinary life. During Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg shows that war changes soldiers into ?beasts? and they lose their humanity. This is portrayed in the scene where the German soldiers are heading towards the bridge and some of the soldiers are forced to use hand to hand combat ? its kill or be killed in that situation. Nevertheless Remarque shows that the soldiers become like beasts in All Quiet on the Western Front when Paul explains how in the thick of battle the soldiers have ?become like wild beasts?as Death is hunting [them] down? and in their desire to save themselves they are filled with ?ferocity? and turned into ?God only knows what devils?. ...read more.

Conclusion

another than even lovers have?we are two men, two minute sparks of life; outside is the night and the circle of death?. Similarly Spielberg shows the bonds of friendship and comradeship in Saving Private Ryan. After the scen when Ryan is found in the village, Miller approaches him and tells him he is going home. Ryan refuses to go home and insists on staying with his comrades. In Saving Private Ryan, in the scene where the soldiers are in the church, they are making anecdotes and exchanging anecdotes about home. This is a comfort for them in the chaos of war. So through the use of literary techniques and filmic techniques both Steven Spielberg and Erich Maria Remarque show that in the war there is a loss of innocence, ideals and youth amongst the soldiers, how they form bonds of friendship and comradeship in a somewhat chaotic environment and just depict the true horror and nature of war. ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level War Synoptic Paper section.