Saving Private Ryan Opening Scene Analysis

 

Saving Private Ryan Opening Scene Analysis

 

In the opening scene, the audience are immediately introduced to the genre of the film. The use of weaponry in the opening shot portrays the violent nature of the situation, giving the audience an insight into what is to come. The loud diegetic sound of the sea is a gentle and calming juxtaposition to the powerful crashes of the rough sea against the boat and the shouting soldiers, shocking the audience into the real truths of war. This opening scene provides the typical conventions of a war film, acknowledging the horror and heartbreak of war with the actual combat fighting providing the preliminary background for the action of the film. There is no music or titles to distract the audience from the drama, engaging their full attention. The lack of music shows the severity of the situation, and emphasises that lives are at stake, giving the audience a real sense of patriotism. Saving Private Ryan is a stark contrast to the typical action-adventure films. From the opening scene the audience are stunned by the gritty nature of the film - innocent soldiers are ripped apart by bullets and the death count is constantly rising, creating despair amongst the audience as they would not expect such tragedy so early on.

  

Similarly, the mise en scene of the opening scene follows the same pattern as the lack of music and titles. The use of weaponry, war boats and uniform conforms more to the drama genre, but makes the opening very realistic, causing the audience to respect all of the soldiers despite not having been introduced to them. The simplicity of it is effective, lacking Hollywood glamour its real-life nature really draws in the audience's attention as it is such a sensitive subject. The body language of the soldiers suggests everything about the situation, with their heads down and huddled together resembling a scared child, it emphasises how vulnerable they are, causing the audience to feel empathy towards them. Despite there being so many soldiers, it is made clear who the main character will be by the use of dialogue. Orders are given by a certain solider and they followed by the surrounding soldiers, following the stereotypical view of the discipline within the army but also showing they have respect for him suggesting he may be in charge. The dialogue used is very specific to the genre with terms such as 'starboard' and 'murder holes' creating a very professional environment. Both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used in the opening sequence for different effects. The non-diegetic sound of explosions and gun shots in the background as they get closer to the action help to build the tension and allow a climax to be created as the increasing sounds act almost as a ticking clock counting down the until the time tragedy will hit. The diegetic sounds of the bullets as they penetrate the soldiers and the sound of the speed of gunshot fire is heart wrenching but also stun the audience as it is such an unusual opening scene.

 

The editing pace is much slower at the beginning compared to the end, emphasising the danger of the action. A tracking shot is used effectively in order to show the movements of the main character. This helps the audience to identify him as the main character, as well as see an insight into how the war is affecting him, as shown by his hand shaking uncontrollably. The camera is not kept still when focusing on the soldiers, creating the effect that the audience are on the boat too, making it a more visual and realistic experience. The opening scene has been edited so that a shot/reverse shot is used. This displays to the audience the relationship between the soldiers, again emphasising the army-like disciplinary as well as their ability to act under pressure causing the audience to admire them. It is suggested to the audience that Captain Miller - the main character is the main character as he is given more prevalence than the others. Many close up shots are used in order to portray his emotions, however the use of framing means he is not always in the middle of the screen, or the only solider in the shot. This could be to represent that all soldiers have equal respect for each other as they work in a team or to create enigmas for the audience as it makes them wonder if he actually will be the main character.