Saving Private Ryan
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Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is an American movie based on the Normandy invasion of the Second World War. The film was released in the year 1998 and was nominated for the 71st Academy Awards for eleven different categories, the same year out of which it won five awards. The movie is based on the social issue of war, which depicts the mission of the United States Army Rangers to save an American private. The movie depicts the resistance of the American forces to lead the war from the front, as they do not want to take part in destruction (Spielberg, 1998). However, the American forces later pursued the war with great courage and bravery against the enemy forces, in order to save their own people and country. War and destruction may have been the dilemma of the American forces and public, however, they successfully pursue their aim of ensuring the safety and protection of their citizens and country.
The issue of war is evidenced quite effectively in the movie, Saving Private Ryan. The movie has perfectly depicted that entering the war was not the wish of the American public and government and the only purpose of doing so was to save humanity. The United States of America has always wanted peace and prosperity n each and every part of the world; however, it cannot hesitate to take the essential steps when the lives of the innocent people are at stake. Bodnar has highlighted the point that the film has quite effectively presented the evidence of the issue of war, as it shows an American general saving the life of a German prisoners and then freeing him, instead of capturing and harming him, which is the most important proof that the American forces were only fighting to save their own people. Another example in this regard is that another American officer hesitated from attacking the enemy forces as he thought they would be able to control the number of deaths by not attacking them. However, when he saw his fellow men in danger, he could not refrain from using any sort of weapon to ensure their safety. The film has also depicted that the American forces tried to carry out their mission without causing any issue to the forces of other countries; however, they were forced to take part in the fight to achieve their motive (Bodnar, 2001).
The opinion of the general public at the time of the writing and setting of the film was quite confused. The Americans had faced the Vietnam War during that time period and were facing the circumstances of the gulf war as well. The American soldiers were fighting in the war and losing their lives, while other innocent people were also being killed in the war. The general public had developed a negative perception about war and thought that the American forces were being cruel to the innocent people. Owen has explored the opinion of the general public at the time of the writing, as well as setting of the film Saving Private Ryan through his article. The author has highlighted the fact that the Americans are a peace-loving nation and going through the after effects of the war were causing identity confusion to them, as they considered themselves cruel. They felt that the American nation has the greater responsibility of restoring the peace of the world and the less powerful countries of the world, but it was acting against its role and responsibility by taking part in the war and supporting it. After all of this, when the movie was released in the united states of America, it also made the society recall the horrors of the second world war. However, the makers of the film had opted to present a positive aspect of the war and destruction, which was saving Americans from the horrors of war with courage and bravery (Owen, 2002).
The opinion of the general public, now about the issue of war is that being one of the most developed and progressive countries of the world, the United States of America has the responsibility of resolving the political and ideological conflicts and disputes among other countries of the world. The film Saving Private Ryan has revealed to the general public that the main motive of the American forces of taking part in any war is to play their role towards restoring the peace of the world, in addition to saving their own people and country. Biesecker (2002) and Hasian (2001) have explored the depiction of the film, as well as the ideology of the general public in the modern twenty-first century. The authors are of the view that the movie has provided the lesson to the general public that sometimes taking part in the war becomes crucial and inevitable, as depicted in the movie which actually sheds light on the historic incident of the Normandy invasion (Biesecker, 2002). The articles also support the point of view that the American public has learnt, as well as faced the horrors of war, where they had to sacrifice their loved ones which is the most important reason that they now abhor wars and destruction (Hasian, 2001).
The analysis of whether the movie followed the public opinion of the issue at the time of its production of not reveals the fact that the movie attempted to change the opinion of the general public. After the scenarios of the Vietnam War and the gulf war, the American public was facing an identity crisis and the movie Saving Private Ryan tried to make it clear to the public that fighting actively in the war does not mean that the American forces or public support violence, destruction and cruelty in the world, but it was trying to restore the peace of the world by getting rid of the forces which were actually promoting violence in the society and causing threat to the survival of the innocent public (Auster, 2002). The article by Crampton and Power highlights the fact that the film attempted to change the perception of the American public in the war scenario by making the purpose and ideology of the American forces clear to the general public. The movie presented the point of view that pursuing the war is also an inevitable mean towards fighting against the evil and restoring the peace of the society (Crampton, & Power, 2005).
Saving Private Ryan is one of the most influential and effective films of its times, which highlights the position of the American forces in the Second World War. The American forces had pursued the war in order to save their own people. The movie has challenged the perception of the general society, which was facing the identity crisis of belonging from a cruel country. The movie depicts that American forces and public want peace and prosperity in the society, however, fell responsible to restore the peace of the other parts of the world as well. The movie was released in the time when the American public had a critical opinion about participating in the war and it challenged as well as changed it through its presentation.
Annotated Bibliography
Auster, A. (2002). Saving Private Ryan and American triumphalism. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 30(2), 98-104.
Auster has talked about the impression of identity supported by the film in the American public. The circumstances of the society had caused confusion about identity in the society and the film made the American triumphalism clear to society. The article also supports the point that the American nation is peace-loving and brave at the same time, therefore, does not refrain from saving the country at the time of need. The article is a credible source because it has talked about the impact of war on the identity of the general public. I intend to use this source in the fourth part of the research paper.
Bodnar, J. (2001). Saving Private Ryan and Postwar Memory in America. The American Historical Review, 106(3), 805-817.
The article by Bodnar describes the role of the American soldiers during the Second World War, as well as its portrayal through the film, Saving Private Ryan. The article sheds light on the opinion of the American society towards the war, which abhorred it and the soldiers only fought to save their families and countries. The author has also shared the point of view that American public, as well as soldiers, were against the war, however, they were also brave and courageous to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their country. The article is a credible source because it talks about the depiction and memory of war in the film and was published in the article "the American Historical Review.” I intend to use this source in the first part of the research paper.
Biesecker, B. A. (2002). Remembering World War II: The rhetoric and politics of national commemoration at the turn of the 21st century. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 88(4), 393-409.
The article by Biesecker shed light on the depiction of the Second World War through the film, Saving Private Ryan. The article has explored the point of view that the movie has played an important role in exploring the war culture and providing an insight into the horrors of war to modern society. It advocates the point of view that modern society should learn from such realistic movies and not appreciate the circumstances leading to war and destruction in society. The article is a credible source because it has compared the scenarios of the Second World War and the movie, Saving Private Ryan, with the circumstances of modern time. I intend to use this source in the third part of the research paper, while discussing the public opinion now, about the issue explored in the film.
Crampton, A., & Power, M. (2005). Frames of reference on the geopolitical stage: Saving Private Ryan and the Second World War/Second Gulf War intertext. Geopolitics, 10(2), 244-265.
Crampton and Power have talked about the geopolitical conditions of the society towards the end of the twentieth century. The authors have mentioned that the depiction of global politics through the lens of the film was a popular theme during that time period. The movie Saving Private Ryan served the purpose of highlighting the position of American society in the war context. The source is credible because it talks about the opinion of the public at the time of the production of the movie. I intend to use this source in the fourth part of the research paper.
Hasian, M. (2001). Nostalgic longings, memories of the" Good War," and cinematic representations in Saving Private Ryan. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 18(3), 338-358.
Hasian has talked about the nostalgic longings and good memories of war through the explanation of the film, Saving Private Ryan. Although there were destruction and death everywhere in the society, however, the movie advocates the point of view that the movie is represented in quite a realistic manner, which provides the lesson of peace and stability. The author has presented the point that the films are medium to provide education and this film has supported the view of abstaining from war. The source is credible because it talks about the impression of war and war movies on the life of human beings. I intend to use this source in the third part of the research paper.
Owen, A. S. (2002). Memory, war and American identity: Saving Private Ryan as cinematic jeremiad. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(3), 249-282.
Owen has argued in the article that after the Vietnam War, the American society was suffering through the identity issues and the film Saving Private Ryan served the purpose of restating the identity of the American public. The article has talked about the impacts of Vietnam as well as the gulf war, which made the Americans think that they are cruel towards the rest of the world, however, the movie supported the point of view that nothing can deny the horrors of war, but the Americans are serving in it to save their own country. The article has tried to shed light on the memory of the Second World War and depicted it through the lens of the film. The article is credible because it has talked about the scenario of war and its impacts on the thinking and ideology of the public. I intend to use this source in the second part of the research paper.
References
Auster, A. (2002). Saving Private Ryan and American triumphalism. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 30(2), 98-104.
Bodnar, J. (2001). Saving Private Ryan and Postwar Memory in America. The American Historical Review, 106(3), 805-817.
Biesecker, B. A. (2002). Remembering World War II: The rhetoric and politics of national commemoration at the turn of the 21st century. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 88(4), 393-409.
Crampton, A., & Power, M. (2005). Frames of reference on the geopolitical stage: Saving Private Ryan and the Second World War/Second Gulf War intertext. Geopolitics, 10(2), 244-265.
Hasian, M. (2001). Nostalgic longings, memories of the" Good War," and cinematic representations in Saving Private Ryan. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 18(3), 338-358.
Owen, A. S. (2002). Memory, war and American identity: Saving Private Ryan as cinematic jeremiad. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(3), 249-282.
Spielberg, S. (1998). Saving Private Ryan (No. Nd1060).
