SSC Film Studies

Saving Private Ryan

The sequence begins with a close up of Tom Hanks profile, his character Capt. Miller; the director has done this to inform the audience that he is the central protagonist. The camera then pans out into a mid close up shot as the camera continues to track tom hanks character who is surrounded by other soldiers, this implies that although he is our protagonist he is not the hero of the story, he is equal to every other man on that boat. In this scene the director has positioned the angle of the camera so the soldiers take up the whole screen, which immediately makes the whole scene feel claustrophobic and shows that there is nowhere for the characters to escape. The lighting is also key in this scene; the director has used low-key lighting to illustrate the misery and darkness of this sequence and also to give the audience the message that this scene does not end well. The rain is also an important part of this scene as it adds to the fear and misery the director is trying to create. This scene also shows two soldiers vomiting which quickly tells the audience that this film will not glamorise world war two but is going to convey exactly what it was like and shows realism, these men are simply human beings, not superheros.