Analysis of the Opening Battle Sequence in the Film Saving Private Ryan

Wartime adventure film, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ was first released in 1998 by ‘Paramount’ and ‘Dreamworks’ Pictures. It internationally achieved a long lasting effect as it became the winner of five academy awards and five Oscars; the film won these awards because the first 24minuites captured people’s imagination and interest. It tells the story of a squad of American soldiers led by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) on a dangerous mission to find ‘Private James Ryan’ whose three brothers have already been killed in the D-day landings.

The film stars many famous faces like Tom Sizemore (Sergeant Horvath), Edward Burns (Private Reiben) and Matt Damon (Private Ryan). The director, Steven Spielberg truly wanted to make the film and battle scenes as realistic as possible. His goal was to make the audience and critics realise the reality of how terrifying the Wars really were.

He achieved this by developing emotional attachment with many American soldiers, and by the use of brilliant mise en scène. The film also broke some traditional film conventions of the war film genre by doing them.

This circular movie begins at a graveyard in Normandy, France; we know this because there is an extreme close up on a French flag. Also an aged man (Private Ryan) and his family are established as American though a close up on an American flag. They walk towards a grave, and the distressed man swiftly falls to his knees, the use of the camera is very useful here as we zoom in on Private Ryan’s glazed eyes he has what seems to be a flashback. At this point the colour changes significantly from bright and colourful to saturated and dull; also the non-diegetic sound of waves that begins during a close up on Private Ryan, turns to diegetic as the sc...

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...n to the mise en scène but Longest day is more focused on the storyline.

I can honestly say its not in the same league as Saving Private Ryan, maybe in 1962 the film was good, but generally the film seems to be very dated, as the mise en scène is very inadequate for today’s war film genre.

I think Steven Spielberg has been successful and achieved validity and realism with me. The cinematography gives the movie a modern, 21st century feel. When I was watching the opening battle scene I was shocked, at how the soldiers managed to plough though hundreds on Nazi-German’s, when they had such a small army also rather surprised at how chaotic it was. I generally believe Saving Private Ryan is remarkable film; it sincerely captures imagination and interest, of any gender.

Well-done Steven Spielberg and cast you really have created a modern-day masterpiece.