“Saving Private Ryan” Movie Review

It was an inspiration that the private Ryan should be sent safely to his home. The part in which the General read the Letter to Mrs. Bixby, written by Abraham Lincoln to sympathize the mother of five sons believed to have been killed in the American Civil War it is the film back to Rodat’s Civil War inspiration. Spielberg in this film has innovated a style of direction. The director has made enormous efforts to make the movie seem real to the viewers.
For this purpose, a ‘first person’ camera has been used and the cameras have not been installed right through the large scene, to show the actions, because due to first person camera, the viewer can eye witness the whole environment presented by the director. And as a result, throughout the movie; the consequence on the viewer is a feeling of actually being “present” during the scenes the scenes as intense as the assault on the beachhead and during the other action sequences. The viewer mind does not feel like a spectator, but rather as an interactive part of a moment in time.
To give the real impact; underwater cameras were also used. Through these cameras fighting scenes under the water were clearly available to the viewers to witness, they could even see bullets striking the soldiers under the water. A huge amount of fake blood was used to make the viewer feel the scene real. By these efforts of the director the viewer gets actually involved and feels the dreadful environment of the war. In the beginning of the movie Tom Hanks who played the role of Captain John Miller leaded the company on the D-Day in the fight for Omaha beach.

And now he is being sent on a risky mission in which he has to rescue a soldier. When the World War II was on going, the news is given to Chief of Staff, General Marshall that during the war, three brothers of the same family have died. The three brothers have died in action. And three letters were sent to their mother having the news of the death of her three sons on the same day, and their mother, Mrs. Ryan, could not bear this as it was very painful to her.
And then he learns that a fourth son is also a soldier and he might be alive, the General plans to send a unit to find him and bring him back, in spite of being told that it’s highly doubtful that he is still alive and the area that he was known to be at is very risky. As it was still a great chance that could alleviate the grief of Mrs. Ryan; the army did not miss the opportunity when they learnt that there is a fourth brother whose name was Private James Ryan. So it was decided to send the squad to locate him so that he can go back to his mother.
So the unit consisting of 8 men is sent to find him but as affirmed it’s very unsafe and one by one, each of them dies. It was a risky mission and the lives of soldiers were in danger. Captain Miller has the task to find Private James Ryan. On the way to Ramelle, Miller makes a decision to take the chance to neutralize a small German machine gun position near to an abandoned radar station. In the resulting fight the squad’s medic, Wade (Ribisi) is gravely wounded. The last surviving German wraths the, squad members except Upham (Davies) because he used to be his friend.
Miller decides to let the German walk away and capitulate himself to the next allied patrol. Reiben is no longer confident in the leadership of Miller and he declares his purpose to desert, brings about a tense disagreement with Horvath (Sizemore) that intimidates to split the squad apart until Miller finds a solution to the situation and reveals his origins, on which the squad had made a bet and after this Reiben decides to stay. The squad finally arrives to Ramelle where they demolish a German scouting unit with the help of some American paratroopers and one of them was Ryan.
In Ramelle the unit gets regrouped. The American army defended the town and Ryan comes to know about the death of his brothers and the rescue mission. Ryan refuses to leave his makeshift unit, and demands that he want to help defend the bridge against a future German counter-attack. Miller unwillingly agrees and allowed Ryan to stay and orders his unit to help guard the bridge in the forthcoming battle. Miller takes command and sets up the defense with manpower and resources they have which were not very sufficient. Towed Flak 38 cannon and half-tracks were owned by the Germans.
Thus they were well equipped. The defense operation was leaded by Captain Miller. Americans fought well and made the Germans face heavy casualties. But Germans have killed many Americans squad members. The American unit was devastated by Germans. The defenders had to leave the bridge because the German Tankers had made them suffer a lot . The bridge gets blown by the Americans but on the same time Captain Miller gets injured by the German. An American soldier destroyed the tank when it was about to reach the bridge. The American Army after this advanced even more and defeated the remaining German forces.
But only few of American soldiers could survive which included: Ryan, Reiben and Upham. In the last moments of Miller; the last words which he uttered were this: “James… earn this. Earn it. ” (Spielberg 1998) Now the elderly man is being shown which was shown in the beginning of the movie as well. He is actually Ryan and he is at the grave of Miller. Ryan wanted to prove in front of Miller that he has spent his life as a good man. To get the confirmation he requests his wife to say that he has lived as a ‘good man’. And he has not let down Miller and the sacrifice he made for him.
COMPARISON OF SAVING PRIVATE RYAN AND WAR BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA: The war between Georgia and Russia can be compared to this movie in several ways; in fact all the wars can be compared to each other, as their consequences are always the same, each and every war results in bloodshed and loss of property and really precious lives. The attack of Georgia resembles Germany’s attack that began the World War II. The blood shed rate is high in this war also; it has also caused thousands of people and is the peril to world harmony.
As both the nations are well equipped and do not hesitate in causing damages to the opponents. The 2008 war formally began on August 7, 2008 with a military attack by Georgia into one of two provinces, which had affirmed independence sixteen years ago in 1992. Russian quickly reacted with a large scale vengeance in the province and later invaded into Georgia proper. There are various comparisons between the ongoing war of Russia and Georgia with the movie Saving Private Ryan, some of which are discussed in details below: LOSS OF LIVES: So many people have lost there lives in both the depictions of war, i. . the Georgia and Russia war and the events of WWII that have been presented in the movie. Rivers of blood are flowing and everywhere in the environment cries can be heard, war is the second name of devastation. Blood and only blood can be seen all around. The reality of war is extremely brutal. WEAPONS USED: The means of attacking the opponents are almost the same in the movie and the Russia Georgia war. Massive firepower was used in both of them.
Tanks attacked the militants as well as the civilians and also jets were used for the attacks. THE REASONS BEHIND THE ATTACK: The causes of both the wars were unknown initially; as both the attacks were made unilaterally, and then the suffering nations had to counter attack in their defense. In the Russia Georgia war, heavy bombardment started from Georgia’s side and in the movie the assault began from the side of Germany. CONCLUSION: This description of war and the portrayal of war which the movie “Saving Private Ryan” presents seem the same; by reading all these details we imagine blood and painful voices all around.
Not only the militants but the civilians also equally suffer; just as the movie has presented the war; the actual war between Georgia and Russia is equally cruel. The war is always horrible, whether we see it in reality or through any other medium. The sketch this movie makes in the mind of the viewer is the actual representation of brutalities of war. Another comparison one can find between these two can be the loss of lives of the militants which so sincerely fight for the defense of the nation and yet meet very cruel deaths. War is nothing but an extreme threat to the people and our mother earth.