Section B Spectatorship Studies – Saving Private Ryan and emotional response

Opening Sequence The opening scene introduces us to a old man breaking down in front of a grave. The film manipulates us into sympathizing with this complete stranger. Opens with images of the American flag – this shows that the film is very patriotic and American audiences might feel moved and connect with it. Cross fades from old man to Captain Miller – this shows us that the old man is having a flashback, which prepares us for the action sequence.

Opening Sequence Cut from beach to a close up of Captain Miller which tricks us into believing that he is the old man. This happens earlier as a close up of the old man. Close up of Miller’s hand shaking as he drinks from his canteen – this shows us that he has some form of PTSD, which makes us sympathize with him as he is back in the war. When the doors of the boat go down, soldiers are immediately shot and killed, which jolts us into the action sequence.

Opening Sequence When Miller is shell-shocked, the sound cuts out and we are shown what he is seeing by point of view shots – the audience is positioned with him (audience positioning). Gallows humor – the phone with hole blasted through it – gives an air of futility while Miller just sighs. A soldier also removes his helmet after it is shot only be be shot straight away. Jackson kissing his cross before sniping – religious audiences can relate to this – God is looking down on them.

Opening Sequence Audiences who know trivia will know the two soldiers who surrendered and were immediately executed were not German and were actually Czech – this shows some anti-patriotism, American audiences would be disgusted. Miller turns away from executed Czech soldiers – shows he is not a hero. Jackson collects dirt from everywhere he has fought in tins – this helps us relate to him because we understand nostalgia.

Opening Sequence Mellish finds Jewish knife on German soldier and when he breaks down, we understand that the soldier has been defacing the Jewish faith and manipulates us into believing that the Germans are even more evil than we first thought. Shot of one of the Ryan’s lying dead on the beach – tricks us into believing the later mission is a waste of time.

Middle Sequence When everybody else has gone to fight to clear out the building, Upham stays behind, which manipulates us into believing that he is not a worthy member of the team. Since we are with Upham, and do not see the actual battle, it creates tension in the scene. Upham running up to building after the battle creates even more tension because we do not know if anything has happened yet.

Middle Sequence When we find out Wade has been shot, all the characters trying to save him creates chaos in the scene. Wade asking for morphine emphasizes the pain he is in – we sympathize with him. Upham not doing anything to help makes us believe he is even more useless than we thought. When Jackson and Reiben are questioning Steamboat Willie, we do not feel like the American soldiers are entirely good people. This is proved by Jackson’s racism (“pig latin”) and Reiben beating Steamboat Willie up.

Middle Sequence Upham saves Steamboat Willie – this makes us question our opinion of him, but at the same time, him saving the enemy makes us question his motives. Steamboat Willie is freed because of Upham – audiences may feel that this makes him partly to blame for Miller’s death in the end. Steamboat Willie begging for his life leaves the audience with mixed feelings – he is the enemy, but he is also human. We pity him.

Middle Sequence Disagreements among the team are funny by Miller’s word choice when shooting others down. It also shows his more human side. Argument among team when they threaten to shoot each other – opinions split on whether we agree with Reiben or Horvath. Miller breaks down and starts crying – we sympathize with him and understand that he has PTSD.

Middle Sequence Miller talks about his past – he reveals more about his backstory and character, and the audience is further aligned with him. Shots of team burying dead soldiers against sun – the silhouette makes us feel sorry for them. Miller has the soldiers buried without grave markers to tell who is German and who is American – this adds to the idea that the American soldiers were not entirely heroic.

Ending Sequence We hear the tanks moving towards the American soldiers but do not see them – this creates tension and gives the Germans a feeling of menace. Characters chatting shows their personalities and backstories – this helps us understand who they are as a person. Ryan talking to Miller about his loved ones also does this. Action immediately begins – we are thrust into the action scene without warning.

Ending Sequence Jackson’s death is ironic and shocking as he stops kissing his cross because it shows that faith doesn’t protect him from death, and throughout the whole film it was what was protecting him. Upham does nothing while Mellish is killed and this makes us dislike him even more as he is now responsible for the deaths of three characters. The death of Mellish is emotional as well as it is drawn out and painful as we see the knife go into his body.

Ending Sequence The German soldier who kills Mellish doesn’t kill Upham – this shows that even though they are at war, the German soldiers still have pity for people who are in no state to fight. Upham is carrying all the spare ammo for everybody, which makes him important to the scene. More gallows humor of soldier running up to tank with sticky bomb only to be blown up himself.

Ending Sequence Miller is shown to destroy the tank with his pistol – this is very surprising and makes us suspend our disbelief and makes him out to be the true hero of the film. When Miller is shooting at the tank, the camera is shaking with a close sonic perspective as if we are seeing it from the point of view of the tank to create tension in the scene. Miller getting shot is shocking because we still believe he is the old man and will live through to the present day.

Ending Sequence When Upham is hiding behind the German soldiers doing nothing, we become angry with him since he could have saved lives if he had acted. When Upham shoots Steamboat Willie it shows him to be a coward and is shocking since he didn’t kill anyone else in the film until this point. The close up of Ryan’s face cross fades to the old man’s – this helps us understand who he is.

Ending Sequence Ends on shot of the American flag – shows patriotism, but the flag is frayed and discolored, which could be seen as being an anti-patriotic message. The bombers arriving is very patriotic as it shows America to be saving the day. It is also very uplifting. All the team members except Reiben and Upham are killed – this shows that heroes do not always survive, and the only survivors are the unpatriotic characters.

Ending Sequence Miller uses the phrase ‘earn this’ which tells the message of making the most of your life, as actual soldiers died to let us live today.