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.
‘Saving Private Ryan’ was directed by Steven Spielberg in 1998. It stars Tom Hanks in the leading role as Captain Miller. The film shows the horrors of D-day and then turns into a mission to save Private Ryan (played by Matt Damon). The film received five academy awards (Oscars) including best director in 1999. Steven Spielberg has directed many other brilliant films such as Jaws, Raiders of the lost ark, E.t. The extra-terrestrial and Jurassic park and many more. The overall style of the film is realistic and authentic as it shows some events which has happened like D-day in the past. Saving Private Ryan breaks from traditional by showing that one man doesn’t take on everyone and that the good guys don’t always survive. The effect on using desaturated colour has on the film is that it shows the mood of the film like in the opening battle sequence everything is grey and dole and you just know that something bad is going to happen, this continues through the film but other colours and loss of hearing happens at some stages. The uses of using handheld cameras were that you seemed like you were in the film yourself and looking through your own eyes, this helps you really to get into the film. Spielberg said that ‘The last thing he wanted to do in this picture was use the war simply as a springboard for action-adventure. I was looking for realism all the time.
