Different Depictions Of War-Saving Private Ryan An Essays

Different Depictions Of War-Saving Private Ryan An Essays Different Depictions Of War-Saving Private Ryan And The Patriot Different Depictions of War Moviemakers have the power to portray the world the way they see it. And because there are so many different directors out there, we as viewers, are presented with a variety of interpretations. If a director sees love as a game, then it is so (at least until their hour and 45-minute tale of two playful lovers comes to an end). If he or she believes society to be corrupt then we will see it as such on her or his recorded picture of the world. And if one director thinks of war as completely disastrous while another sees glory in it then we would find ourselves viewing two contrasting depictions of war. Two recent films that exemplify this circumstance are Steven Speilbergs Saving Private Ryan and Roland Emmerichs The Patriot. Both movies are about an historic war, both were made around the same time, and yet both create an entirely different image of war. With the use of dramatic, literary, and cinematic aspects, Speilberg and Emmerich present their opinions, as well as emotions, on th e screen. Ryan takes place during World War II. Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is given a mission to save Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers were killed in action. The Patriot is the story of a father of seven and veteran of the French and Indian War. Although he shows disapproval of the current American Revolution, personal vengeance makes him a hero in the war. Although the screenplay could account for a films viewpoint, it is the directing that creates the visual picture. Ironically, Both Ryan and The Patriot were written by the same man, Robert Rodat. This further supports the idea that the directors opinion on a topic is evident in her or his film, no matter what the screenwriters thoughts may be. Not to mention the fact that a the director usually chooses a script that suits them. Therefor, literary elements reflect the directors perspective. The setting in Ryans opening scene is a veteran cemetery where we are immediately reminded of the result of war: death. The second scene takes place on Omaha Beach, the battlefield of the tragic D-Day. Right off, we are shown that thousands died in World War II as well as what it was like. We hear soldiers praying for their lives and others praying for an accurate shot to end the life of another. Speilberg does not hesitate to plunge into the reality that in war one is either killing or dying. In The Patriot our story begins quite differently. We are first introduced to our protagonist, Benjamin (Mel Gibson), in his home as he comically fails to build a rocking chair. Like Ryan, we are introduced to the main focus of the film, but unlike Ryan, the focus is a character not a war. In addition, The Patriots main character is first presented as a father and carpenter, while we first meet Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) already involved in the war. The difference between these films is that on e uses characters to tell the story of a war, while the other uses a war to tell the story of a character. Characters are major literary elements and they, alone, illustrate the intent of each film. The British (bad guys) in The Patriot are either sinister or ignorant, while the Americans (good guys) are either brave and witty or braver and heroic. The definite line between good and evil encourages us to root for the spunky Americans. Ryan, on the other hand, makes an effort to portray its characters as realistic as possible. The soldiers are ordinary guys some likable, some not, most relatable, all believable. While Benjamin The Ghost Martin is invincible, Miller, with his shaky hand, is homesick and tired. Take Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies), for example. Upham, without a doubt, sees the war as we see it, as Speilberg sees it, as it is. The comfort he finds in talking to others to the fear he feels about the chaos as he asks himself, What is happening? are all reactions that an everyday civilian would have to the war. In The Patriot we