This film probably has the strongest appeal to young men and boys, like many war films it contains guns and violence. This film stands apart from other war films, the way in which it doesn't show the soldiers as war heroes but just as average men.
I think this film is purposefully contrasting everything to attract and capture our attention, whether it's the switching of scenes, the props, the camera work or the emotion of the actors. There's never a dull moment.
It goes from the touching emotional quiet, family film atmosphere of the first scene to the second scene which is a roar of rushing water and shouting men as war ships prepare to land and men are shot as they attempt to reach the shore.
The opening scene of the film catches the audience's attention by slow and then fast and sharp camera actions. The dull colours in the first scene contrast well with the vibrant colours in the flag which the camera flicks to. You also know straight away that the film is going to involve America. You can tell that the people in the first scene are grieving for lost ones. The first scene contains a feeling of respect and grief for the lost soldiers.
The battle in the second scene in 'Saving Private Ryan,' is effective in its shocking nature and appearance of reality. It is as if we are looking through a 'window' into our past and it becomes a 'window' that we want to keep on watching to see where it will lead. This is how the battle seen captures our attention, by making us want to know what happens next. The camera work makes us feel like we're actually there with the soldiers. The beginning of the second scene starts fairly quietly where you can feel the nerves and anxiety of the soldiers as they prepare to fight.
The two scenes contrast well, from the almost silence of the first to the chaotic deafening roar of the second. The first scene is very neat, clean and organised which is a huge difference to the dirt, blood and chaos of the second scene.
This film is everything that you would expect from a Steven Spielberg production. It's an action packed film full of emotional highs and lows of war life. It captures and maintains our attention through the actor's emotions and camera work making us feel as if we are there. It puts into perspective what really went on in the war. There are no war heroes, just cold hard reality.
