The American Soldier

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2016)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan is an action drama film that outlines a historical event in a realistic way. The emotion, violence, and realism that this film displays will make you feel as if you are there. The encompassing feelings of loss, grief, and sacrifice are real and this will show you a perspective into the trail events that follow war. This film is about so many things, but the focus is really on the courage and selflessness of the American soldier.
The film opens up with an action packed scene detailing the battle of Normandy. Tom Hanks plays as Captain Miller whom leads his men, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, through battle in order to secure the landing. During this battle, many soldiers are lost; among these soldiers are two brothers. General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, becomes aware that these two brothers along with a third whom was in New Guinea had all been killed in action. He realizes that their mother would be receiving notice that three of her sons would not be coming home. Therefore, when it is found that there is a forth brother enlisted, Private Ryan played by Matt Damon, the decision was made that he would be found and returned home to his mother immediately.
This prompts Captain Miller, under the orders of the General, to assemble a team of eight soldiers from the 2nd Ranger Battalion to set out on a mission to establish contact with Private Ryan's unit, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. Throughout their mission, they come face to face with battle, sadness, bitterness, and challenges to fight for what they believe in. Captain Miller struggles through emotions and pain, but fights on keeping the moral and determination of the team moving forward with the ultimate goal of going home himself.
Once Private Ryan is finally located, he refuses to leave his men to go home despite the news he just received of his late brothers. He explains that the men by his side are the only brothers he has left and that he will not leave them. This infuriates Miller and his team, but also inspires them. They fight together in an epic battle until reinforcements arrive; unfortunately, not everyone makes it home.
The emotion in this film is undeniable. Sounds are a constant motif in this film from the beginning to the end. During big moments, such as battle, there are many sounds and details around and we are in that moment. The latter is that when there are close ups on characters, Captain Miller for example, we are seeing things in his perspective and hearing his thoughts as though he loses focus. A more recent film that has a similar theme is David Ayer's World War II flick 'Fury', where an army sergeant leads a team of five men to battle in hopes of accomplishing heroic ventures against the odds. The symbolism of the flag shown at the beginning and end of Saving Private Ryan are very relevant to the fact that freedom is not free and that without the men and women who devote themselves with courage and selflessness we could not be where we are today.