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"Saving Private Ryan"
The invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 marks one of the most significant movements in World War II. D-day was a crucial event that rattled the foundation of the Axis powers in WWII and solidified the Allies� power and influence in the war. Steven Spielberg�s movie �Saving Private Ryan� is a graphic retelling of a true story of human interest in a war in which the protection of humanity was top priority. Saving Private Ryan is a true story set in France during and just after the D-Day invasion of WWII.
The movie opens with the first few boats landing in Normandy, the next twenty-five minutes is a horrifying view of the death and destruction caused by the invasion. The rest of the movie falls into place in a typing pool back in America where a receptionist realizes that a mother is going to receive three telegrams notifying her of the deaths of three of her four sons. After the receptionist notifies a general, he orders that a squad be sent after the surviving brother, James Ryan.
Captain John Miller leads the squad of seven men who are ordered to go behind enemy lines to bring back Ryan. Throughout the mission, the squad continually falls into perilous situations and often contemplates the logic behind their mission. As one soldier asks, what makes the life one private more important than the lives of eight?
The moral implications of �Saving Private Ryan� are apparent throughout the movie. Capt. Miller is the backbone of his squad and is revered by all his men, however he suffers from muscle spasms in his hands, giving the impression that he is trembling with fear. Throughout the film, strong and weak points in each character are highlighted to prove that the men were simply men sent on a mission to risk their lives for another. Altogether, Spielberg delivers a gritty and graphic wartime movie, and yet the human and moral aspect of both the mission and the war take precedence over all else.
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