Saving Private Ryan Essays (970 words) - English-language Films

Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a movie that generates strong responses from most people that see it. While interviewing four individuals and reading three movie reviews, I found that each of my subjects would recommend it, not one of the individuals interviewed felt the violence was senseless, and all of them left the movie with a strong emotional response of some kind. It appears that Saving Private Ryan is the kind of movie to which many can relate. Saving Private Ryan is not a romantic, feel-good movie, but it is probably one of the best movies released this year. It is without a doubt one of the most realistic films produced. Each person that I spoke with, and all three of the internet criticisms that I read voiced positive opinions about this movie. It has different types of entertainment for all kinds of viewers. It has elements of violence, patriotism, sentimentality, and heroism all rolled into one film. All of my subjects, including the internet critics, feel that Saving Private Ryan will receive many awards, and that it is a credit to Steven Spielberg as a director. When asked if they would recommend the film to another each of my interviewees responded positively. One widely talked about part of this film is the huge degree of violence. In this case however, contrary to the usual attitudes, the violence is not described as senseless or excessive by anyone that I spoke with. This movie is obviously set against the backdrop of World War II, beginning with D-Day and the battle of Omaha Beach. The killing appears to be overdone as the young men step off the transport boats only to be killed one after the other, but when consulting the history of this battle, it is almost exactly how this battle took place. The beaches were indeed covered with bodies, and the water was red with the blood of the slaughtered soldiers. The recreation of this battle by Steven Spielberg has succeeded in bringing this war, this battle in particular, out of the history books and into larger than life color on America's movie screens. Everyone I interviewed already knew of the terrible acts of the Germans during World War II, but hey had not, however, ever really been able to comprehend the degree of loss that many families experienced. They had also never really been able to picture the battles of the soldiers themselves in quite the detail that Saving Private Ryan provided them with. This is one movie that should not be negatively reviewed because of the degree of violence. Saving Private Ryan is about a horrible war, that took place because of a madman's craziness, and this war was an ugly thing that happened very much like this movie portrayed it. The continuous gore is difficult to watch at times, but leaves the viewer with a greater appreciation of their nation's military, and the sacrifice of the soldiers who serve willingly. It is clear that above all else, Private Ryan is intended to create an awareness of the sacrifice of the soldiers that gave their lives during World War II. In doing that, Steven Spielberg very successfully in brings out intense emotions in the spectator. While this movie had a great deal of violence that was sometimes difficult to watch, the sheer sentimentality behind the mission of the soldiers who have to find Private Ryan and bring him back was heart wrenching to say the least. It would take a cold-hearted individual indeed to feel no sorrow for the pain of the mother of Private Ryan when the military officials arrive at her home to tell her that three of her sons have been killed in battle. The way she falls to her knees on the porch and begins sobbing at the sight of the military vehicle is without a doubt a mirror of any mother's reaction to the same situation. Simply said, the moviegoer feels her pain. Even the hard-core attitude of the soldiers during the capture of the Ger man soldier that has just shot their friend, the medic, brings on conflicting emotions. The German, while digging graves for the dead American soldiers, pleads for his life, insults Hitler, and

Free Essays on The Invsible Man

In the Invisible Man the theme of blindness was constantly associated with the characters and the events. However, one had to â€Å"read between the lines† to truly understand what Ellison was telling his audience. He was not telling you why certain characters were blind in the literary sense, but for you to find the deeper meaning. Ellison simply stated the facts and allowed you, the reader, to find the truth through your own vision. In defining the theme of blindness in the novel I would have to say that the blindness was not a thing but more of an idea that represented a group of people who were too distracted and confused by society to truly see. Rather the group of individuals chooses to ignore the truth. One character that fits into this group is Brother Jack. Brother Jack was the man who proposed the offer to the narrator to join The Brotherhood, but in the end Brother Jack turned out to be a key reason why the narrator left. At the end of the novel the narrator discovers that Brother Jack has a glass eye. When the eye falls out during a meeting the narrator is surprised. â€Å"I lost my eye in the line of duty. What do you think of that?† â€Å"I don’t give a damn how you lost it as long as you keep it hidden.† (p. 475). For one individual the significance of Brother Jack having a glass eye would not be irrelevant to the theme, but it is. The meaning of Brother Jack’s glass eye was parallel to his own lost of vision. Not in the meaning of being able to see the wall or the kitchen, but in the novel’s sense of blindness. Brother Jack had portrayed himself as a man who fought for the rights of all the races and wanted all to join together in The Brotherhood. However, when the ways of society and the other committee members got to him his initial vision was lost. His glass eye represented the substitute for the real thing. In the real truth brother Jack was a dishonest and untrustworthy man. He was the substitute of the rea... Free Essays on The Invsible Man Free Essays on The Invsible Man In the Invisible Man the theme of blindness was constantly associated with the characters and the events. However, one had to â€Å"read between the lines† to truly understand what Ellison was telling his audience. He was not telling you why certain characters were blind in the literary sense, but for you to find the deeper meaning. Ellison simply stated the facts and allowed you, the reader, to find the truth through your own vision. In defining the theme of blindness in the novel I would have to say that the blindness was not a thing but more of an idea that represented a group of people who were too distracted and confused by society to truly see. Rather the group of individuals chooses to ignore the truth. One character that fits into this group is Brother Jack. Brother Jack was the man who proposed the offer to the narrator to join The Brotherhood, but in the end Brother Jack turned out to be a key reason why the narrator left. At the end of the novel the narrator discovers that Brother Jack has a glass eye. When the eye falls out during a meeting the narrator is surprised. â€Å"I lost my eye in the line of duty. What do you think of that?† â€Å"I don’t give a damn how you lost it as long as you keep it hidden.† (p. 475). For one individual the significance of Brother Jack having a glass eye would not be irrelevant to the theme, but it is. The meaning of Brother Jack’s glass eye was parallel to his own lost of vision. Not in the meaning of being able to see the wall or the kitchen, but in the novel’s sense of blindness. Brother Jack had portrayed himself as a man who fought for the rights of all the races and wanted all to join together in The Brotherhood. However, when the ways of society and the other committee members got to him his initial vision was lost. His glass eye represented the substitute for the real thing. In the real truth brother Jack was a dishonest and untrustworthy man. He was the substitute of the rea...