Friday, April 16, 2010

The Motion Picture "Saving Private Ryan"

By Brent Lindsey

By reading into an article such as this one, I can venture a guess that you are looking to learn a good bit about the impressive film "Saving Private Ryan" and why you might care to watch it or learn more about it. The truth is, there are several different reasons that this film is so impressive, and most of them will be brought out in the upcoming paragraphs, along with a plot synopsis.

The first thing that you should know about this film is not who played who in the film, but rather who was sitting behind the camera when all of it was taking place. You see, knowing the director could tell you a lot about the film before you ever actually watch it, and the man behind this film was Steven Spielberg. This decorated director has had a hand in so many powerful and visually striking stories, that it is not surprising to learn that he was behind this film as well.

Just by watching the first thirty minutes of the film, you will see one of the most graphic, exciting and dramatic opening sequences that might have ever been captured on film. This is meant to be a soldier's first hand view of D-Day. So you head from the boats to the other side of the beaches at Normandy along with several different soldiers and see the horror of war first hand.

After this intense opening, you are introduced to the company that will serve as the main characters of the film. The leader of this group is Captain John H. Miller. A short time later, Miller receives his orders for himself and his men. They are to be the search and rescue team to find a paratrooper named Private James Ryan.

Why are they trying to find Private Ryan? Well, his three brothers all serve in the military and have all recently been killed in action. So Ryan is given a pass to go home and be with his grieving family and prevent his mother from losing all four of her sons to World War II. Miller's company is less than shy about telling him what they feel about looking for the Private, and if they think he deserves a free ticket home.

Through the course of the film, you share triumph and tragedy with the men of this company. You learn more about their lives before the war, and their plans for when it is all said and done. When they do reach Ryan, he is given the news and still refuses to leave his current company. They are responsible to secure an Allied bridge. If Ryan leaves, they may not be able to do this and Miller's company aids them in making a heroic stand that is both a tragedy and a triumph rolled into one.

This is a story that heavily reflects on the tragedy of war, the necessity of war, and the value of human life in the face of many different circumstances. This could likely be among the best war movies of all time, if not just included in some of the best movies of all time in general. Powerful performances by Tom Hanks (Captain Miller), Tom Sizemore (Sgt. Mike Horvath), and Matt Damon (Private Ryan) amongst so many others have helped to make this movie as impressive as it was.

If you cared to learn more about Saving Private Ryan, than this article should have given you a great introduction to this film and given you a reason to watch it if you haven't. While there are so many things to appreciate about this movie, you will likely appreciate something unique and special as so many have.

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