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Eric Finkelston
Ms. Burgoon
AP Language & Composition
May 29, 2015

A Harsh Reality: War

General Douglas MacArthur once stated to his downtrodden troops, It is fatal to enter a
war without the will to win it. These are similar words that Miller and Ryan firmly believed in
while fighting on the battlefield. The portrayal of World War II and the Invasion of Normandy
can be examined in an historical manner throughout the film. The portrayal of war represents
authentic occurrences as well as embellished happenings which ultimately add to the plot
development. A further assessment of the film indicates that although predominately factual in
nature, it has several historical inconsistencies that are sometimes evident. From the graphic
combat scenes which mirror how the real life events of this horrific worldly battle unfolded, one
may perceive the hardships and distress war causes on those afflicted. (Collins, Allan, Rodat
Page 18) Steven Spielberg, the director, is well known for his impressive and groundbreaking
work dealing with sensitive matters throughout history. Several examples include the drama
Schindlers List and The Color Purple which depicted a young African American overcoming
adversity. ("Saving Private Ryan." IMDb. IMDb.com.) Spielberg reveals his extraordinary
qualities when directing films about truthful events. Unlike earlier war films, Saving Private
Ryan accurately depicts the harsh reality of war and does not share in the romantic glorification
aspect that other films portray loss through the use of pathos, exemplum, and imagery.

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When examining a war film such as Saving Private Ryan, the plot and the background
behind the war are vital components to consider. On June 6, 1944 in Normandy, France on
Omaha Beach, Captain John Miller and his soldiers land in the middle of a raging war between
the Axis and Allies. The American units eliminate various German defenders due to new
advanced technology: a Bangalore torpedo. The Bangalore torpedo consists of several tubes that
contain an explosive charge. Back in England, it is widely known that three of Captain Millers
brothers have perished. Miller along with a small group of his fellow men begin the search for
his remaining brother. As the search is underway, the plan of trying to find Millers brother is
highly questioned. ("Saving Private Ryan." Saving Private Ryan. Web.) The doubts cease once
the search intensifies. Miller eventually saves Ryan and later on Ryan receives a ticket to go
back home; his family experienced serious casualties. Following a fair evaluation, Captain
Miller patiently waits for the United States reinforcements while understanding that the Germans
are armed and ready for battle. (Spielberg, Steven. "Saving Private Ryan." YouTube.) After
fortifying the city, the Germans attack and the battle is underway. Miller and other infantry
retreat and out of the eight initial men, two survive. The menseffort causes Ryan, when he
returns to Iowa, to reflect on the men who died to save him. Ryan is there with Captain Miller as
he dies. Then, Ryan visits the Normandy American Cemetery and stands beside Miller's grave.
The concluding segment of the film displays Ryan giving a military salute to Miller's grave.
Other films about this time period, including Windtalkers and Pearl Harbor, depict war
from an unrealistic or fictional point of view. Unlike these films, Saving Private Ryan has many
more accuracies than exaggerations. The correct depictions employ that the film can be
depended upon for actual past events; nevertheless, no film is always precise in every facet of

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production. Moreover, a film needs to have added scenes in order to have to have smooth
transitions. In the film, there are accuracies including how gruesome and long the Invasion of
Normandy was with the use of a twenty-four minute realistic scene. (Spielberg, Steven. "Saving
Private Ryan." YouTube.) The long war scene portrays the true horror of war and some
consequences of war such as tragedy. Throughout the film, the clothing worn by Captain Miller,
Ryan, and all of the soldiers shows classic, authentic war gear that was typical of the World War
II era. The mens war face paint was realistic as was the blood and gore aspects of fighting. In
addition, the model airplanes shown throughout the duration of the incredible film parallel the
World War II aircrafts. ("Saving Private Ryan." Saving Private Ryan. Web.) All of these aspects
of the award winning film are as close as it could get while watching and not actually being
involved in the fighting atmosphere.
With factual events that are backed up by history itself come mishaps and extra clips that
are provided to the viewer. All directors, including Steven Spielberg, have to consider when
historically looking at whether the benefits of additional scenes outweigh the troubles of
including inaccurate content. The fallacies present the other side of war depicted in films: the
production portion. For instance, in the film inaccuracies come into play especially during the
Battle of Ramelle which has no historical basis and is completely fictional. (Spielberg, Steven.
"Saving Private Ryan." YouTube.) Moreover, fabricated happenings are prevalent when the
director uses conversation in the form of dialogue amongst ordinary infantry members on the
battlefield. Through the war, words were not spoken unless a high ranking officer was giving an
inferior a command. Soldiers were to always adhere to those of a higher authority, but would
not hold open conversations as that is a way of giving up position. (Keegan Page 22) Likewise,

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soldiers helmets worn in Saving Private Ryan were not buckled which would not have happened
back then as it would not occur today. If helmets were unbuckled, then the soldiers could be
seriously injured and trauma to the head may occur. Due to the budget restraints on the film,
many sections of the film were filmed in England and Ireland. ("Saving Private Ryan." Saving
Private Ryan. Web.) On the contrary, World War II, which took place from 1939-1945, was
mostly fought in France. Even though some parts had to be filmed elsewhere, the actual beach in
Normandy was used in multiple scenes. Another substantial difference was that in Saving
Private Ryan travel was done in broad daylight. ("Saving Private Ryan." IMDb. IMDb.com.)
The setting was incorrect as during World War II the opposite was historically true; travelling at
dusk was safer.
Additionally, the award winning film is credited as having the "best battle scene of all
time" according to multiple polls. It is deemed historically significant by the Library of
Congress. Saving Private Ryan was even surreal to some former veterans who had previously
served that they could not watch the film in its entirety. Captain Miller evoked great emotion
when discussing his plans of fortifying the city as it seemed to be a life altering decision made in
an instant. (Spielberg, Steven. "Saving Private Ryan." YouTube.) Spielberg showed a moral truth
and a reality when directing this film. The production facet that was of utmost importance to the
director was the realness of portraying the war. Secondly, the film exhibited a realistic sense of
unity amongst the soldiers to work together and overcome obstacles. Other examples of peoples
triumphs over enormous obstacles include the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.
The two men are prominent figures in history as the former pushed for equality and that
everyone truly has a dream. The war was extremely tragic and gruesome; through this film

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Spielberg incorporates mental images that reflect what an actual war looks like. It is through the
accuracies of Saving Private Ryan that the viewer gets an authentic realization of World War II
and its harsh reality. It is truly the movie that made the world remember.

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Works Cited
Collins, Max Allan, and Robert Rodat. Saving Private Ryan. New York: Signet, 1998.
Print.
Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Viking, 1990. Print.
"Saving Private Ryan." Saving Private Ryan. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.
<http://amankarios1.umwblogs.org/>.
"Saving Private Ryan." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/>.
Spielberg, Steven. "Saving Private Ryan." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pddSegN5dLg>.