Saving Private Ryan Review There have been many war films produced over the years, but not many have been able to provide an accurate visual representation of war and offer details of the horrific reality it entails as does the film, Saving Private Ryan. War, whether presented in film or in print, has predominately been depicted through a hazy lens of heroic themes, denoting the tremendous courage and dedication of soldiers in the face of insurmountable odds, yet war in reality is not a truly a glamorous campaign. War, as seen in Saving Private Ryan, is a brutal carnage of human life that necessitates the dependence on military structure and leadership to endure the chaos and unforgivable atrocities that permeate war. This epic war drama, …show more content…
All wars are fought, won or lost, by the success of the hierarchy within the military. A chain of command, as seen in this classic film conveys that dependence on leadership, in war or in life, does not denote negativity. Through the graphic realism of the settings and strong, dependable leadership portrayals of the actors, Saving Private Ryan, ensures that audiences are aware that war necessitates a dependence on leadership, but does not detract from the brutal reality that all wars facilitate loss of life. “Which means that for the men engaged in combat, the actual experience of war is often nothing more than a battle to the death, independent of right and wrong” as stated by Caldwell. Leadership provides the structure necessary, in which to overcome the fundamental chaos of war and enable the success of missions, which knowingly may lead to the death of those involved. The premise of Saving Private Ryan is that soldiers, although questionably, will still willing give their lives for the sake of the mission, which becomes brutally apparent with the deaths of most of the soldiers in the unit trying to save Private Ryan. A wars success cannot rely on the morality of the war, nor a human beings ability to overcome an aversion to flee or kill, it relies on the abilities of leaders to inspire and lead. The gruesome reality is as Ehrenhaus states, “War is a moral chaos”
Fallen Angels “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity” (Dwight D. Eisenhower). Throughout all of history war has surrounded human existence. From the Spartans in Rome to Infantry Marines patrolling the streets in Afghanistan, the presence of war has affected generations since the beginning of time. In the book, Fallen Angels, the author, Walter Dean Myers portrays how the harsh realities of war have a substantial impact on soldiers and their experiences by displaying the internal transformations, the power of fear, the permanent psychological damages, and the cruelty of the environment through a classic Vietnam War story. One of the most prevalent impacts war
Perry for example was already uncertain of his future and his knee injury already had him on edge. towards the end of the book after burning the corpses of his past comrades he lost all faith, and innocence. So the theme of the book is that war is devastating to person both mentally and
The soldier himself is frightened on why he could not save him which haunts him in his dreams as he says “In all my dreams/ before my helpless sight” is how every time he dreams he sees the soldier and he cannot control it causing him to think of it every night frightening him everyday. Soon he will feel that the dead person wants revenge for his death as the soldier states “he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning”, The dead soldier always comes into the narrator's dream wanting revenge as he chokes him as how he was being choked by the gas clouds and then drowning as how the dead soldier drowned in the green sea of chlorine gas. The horrors of war is what scares the soldier even after the war. At first soldiers imagine themselves as heroes creating them eager and excited they are until they finally get to the front and see no man's land. No man's land is usually bumpy with shell holes and dead trees that are either broken or burnt.
The lieutenant was charged with delivering an important message to a Cuban general. The book was seen as the perfect portrayal of loyalty and obedience. There are multiple tactical lessons that can be taken from this book/essay, not only to include how individual ethics can create an enormous impact.
MacDonald detailed several instances throughout Company Commander where he internally second-guessed himself after giving a particular order. Personal turmoil pepper his account of the campaign, and provide a glimpse into the mindset of a young, inexperienced officer during a tumultuous time. Part of being an effective leader is recognizing the inadequacies not only within yourself, but within your
A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo shows the hard work and difficult tasks the men had to go through to prove themselves and protect their country. The war will change the men’s attitudes and the way they do everything. Men made sacrifices in the Vietnam War most people would never make in a lifetime, they will not just sacrifice but push themselves physically harder than most any other men. The men will also emotionally change from constantly watching other men die, or killing other men. The mens first kill was always the hardest for them, mentally they had so many thoughts of the other mans close ones back home and what they would go through and how it would be all their fault.
The book The Best War Ever, by Michael C. C. Adams, is about World War II, the events that led up to the war, and the years following the war. Adams starts the book off explaining some myths that people have about the war. The biggest myth associated with the war is that it was the best war ever. Adams then spends the rest of the book talking about why this may or may not be true. In the following chapters, Adams explains the events that led to the war and the events that accorded during World War II.
“There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best--- in a way that cost them nothing. And that is why they let us down so badly” (Remarque 12). Leadership plays an important role in every war, especially those of major importance. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque has many examples of leadership on display. Three types of leadership displayed in the novel are Kantorek’s hypocritical leadership, Himmelstoss’s authoritarian leadership, and Kat’s pack leader qualities.
War is the graveyard of innocence for boys who become men through the loss of humanity. The book “Fallen Angels,” by Walter Dean Myers, is a story about Richard Perry, a young man who mistakenly joins the Vietnam War to avoid the shame of not going to college. As the book goes on Perry discovers his mistake and in the process, not only loses his innocence, but also his humanity. Wars will always be the dark parts of our history and no war is devoid of horrors that can strip anyone of everything they are, and in war soldiers must use coping mechanisms to deal with these very apparent horrors.
Through the past 11 years that I have been an enlisted Soldier, I have seen the value of leadership and the effect good and poor leadership can have on Soldiers and
Present throughout the book is the theme of disillusionment. In the school, they’ve been told by their schoolmasters and parents that unless they join the war, they would remain cowards. They see propaganda after propaganda, all alluding towards the glory of battle and warfare. Out on the front, they realize that nothing was further from the truth. Their dreams of being heroes shattered, like when they compare themselves to the soldier on a poster in chapter 7.
In 1998 Steven Spielberg directed a film called 'Saving Private Ryan,' this film won many awards including best cinematography, film editing, director and many more. The film is about a group of eight soldiers are sent to find Private Ryan, the youngest of his brothers. They are sent to find him after the general received notification that his other three brothers had died. The director has used aesthetic features to position the audience to believe in a dominant ideology, which is people create strong bonds in during difficult times. The aesthetic features that were used include symbolism, camera angles and lighting.
General Patton’s ethical and visionary leadership styles showed when he utilized his open-mindedness and team dynamic role of “creator” to incorporate an aerial assault into his operational strategies and avoided the ethical trap of uncertainty when he combined the two tactics without any pre-established policy. General Patton also displayed visionary leadership by his use of inspirational motivation, constant presence on the battle field,
The freedom and the safety of the homeland is the key figure in patriotism and in order to provide a concrete security, a nation should have a strong army. This is the main reason of why Americans feel attached to their army. As a movie, “Saving Private Ryan” touches upon the patriotic culture of the United States, Steven Spielberg as the director of the movie narrates a mission about saving an American mother’s last child. Private Ryan’s other brother are all died in the war, so it is important for the government to ensure Ryan’s return safely to his mother. In the movie
These are just a few of the army values and how they play an important part in an effective leader and follower’s day to day