Saving Private Ryan

This film opens with a tilt movement of the sea with titles telling us the date and location. This provides the audience with an understanding of the times in which the film is set.

Next violent shaking shots of the boats fighting against the power of the sea, this shaking has been done to give the audience a sense of being in the boat with the soldiers. A close up of a soldiers hand shaking has been use to demonstrate fear and create empathy for the character. The camera then follows the hand to the soldiers face and zooms out to show the other soldiers around him this has been done to show he’s not alone in his mission.

Soldiers are depicted vomiting which again creates empathy and a sense of hopelessness. Then a series of shots of different soldiers faces is shown so that we may absorb their individuality. The mise-en-scene of the some of the solders praying to god shows they are desperate to be granted mercy. Then the boat doors opens and the soldiers are immediately under fire. Some of the characters with whom the audience has connected are killed demonstrating the fragility of life.

There is a shot of the soldier jumping in the sea to avoid the bullets and the camera follows under water making the audience share in his plight to escape. Then the camera moves above the sea then bellows, this has been used to show how hard the war was. The camera moves along the top of the water showing men being killed, the camera shakes a lot making believe you are there and making you remember it was this real as it’s a true story. In the opening you also attach to the people but for little time as they get killed, this shocks the audience. Then the camera focus in Tom Hanks is character as he looks around trying to take everything in. The shots are all in slow motion making the audience feel shocked at what’s happening we see people crying, being burn alive, a man pick his own arm up. Then we go back to Tom Hanks he picks up his helmet from the bloody sea as he places the helmet on his head the blood drips down his face which he fails to notice as he struggles to comprehend the massacre that has just taken place.