Saving Private Ryan

I have chosen to review the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan as one of my film selections as part of my research. The whole of this opening scene is match-on-action after the flag shot. Also note that there is no camera tinting during the first few opening shots and therefore all of the emotion conveyed across to the audience has to be done using the actors.

This is the initial theme of the beginning of the film, black with smart white text, there is grand but quiet orchestral music starting up in the background at this point (1 min), and the audience are preparing for the movie to start.

Having the black background as opposed to a lighter background or an image that may explain a little more, the viewer has been left to guess for themselves what sort of intro there will be as nothing has been given away so far. This dark background also gives a sense of a lack of security, as black or darkness is often regarded as being ominous or sinister when compared to bright, happy colours.

This image alone sort of gives a blurb to the story line as 'Saving Private Ryan' in white, standing out on a sinister, black background gives a perspective on the war, if you would, a sense that there is always something good in the middle of something worse, i.e. private Ryan being saved, however all of his brothers are dead because of the war.

The first picture the audience sees is the American flag flying strongly in the wind with the sun shining through, glorifying the USA. By this time, brass instruments have also joined in the background orchestra, adding to the sense of glory and pride in seeing the American flag flying the way it is.

Here we see a tracking shot of a person walking hurriedly, but almost awkwardly. Even from here we can see that this person is a member of public, just from the white, smart-casual trousers, and the type of shoes being worn. The audience may have a small idea of what this may end up as, but still have no actual knowing of whom this character may be, or their role.

Still on the same tracking shot, the camera has panned upwards, and from behind what we see is an old man who is walking down what could be anything from a nursing home back yard to a well kept boulevard. The fact that this is a war movie leads us to think that this old man is at a memorial of some kind, especially as we have just seen the grand American flag flying. The fact that he is walking without support shows that the hurriedness that I thought was being portrayed earlier on may actually be a sign of determination. When I watch this piece of film I get a feeling of sadness, or sympathy towards this old man. Maybe its because I've seen the movie before, but maybe its because of the implications of why he may be walking by himself through a place of remembrance.

The picture of the elderly man walking then cuts to a tracking shot from the same point (but 180 degrees horizontal from the last) of who seem to be the man's family. His wife at the front, and their children, and grandchildren in tow.

This then gives the audience more emotional support, as by showing that the old man does have a family and is not alone gives the viewer a more
secure feeling about the situation.

This piece of film is only about 3 seconds long. It shows the elderly man's son/step son taking a photograph of him whilst he is walking along ahead. This action shows that something worth remembering is being done, and this gives the audience a feeling that this must mean a lot to the characters in the film, which allows the audience to relate to the feelings being felt by the family of the old man. Another emphasis on this feeling of emotion is the expression on their faces; nobody looks happy or pleased to be there, but they all look more sad and concerned.

In this shot, the camera is behind all of the characters that we have been introduced to, showing that they are only about three to five meters behind the old man.
As we have worked out that this must be a place of remembrance, the fact that the family is walking a few steps behind the older man my be showing a sign of respect for him as we have already figured out that the cause of visiting this place is for him.
Despite being given all of this information about the characters, the audience can still not be entirely sure where they are, and the reasoning for this group of people to be in this place.
From here we can now see that the first shot of the elderly man, would have been from the perspective of the other family members walking behind.

This is the first time in the move in which we see the elderly man from the front. We start off being able to see him and his family, with the distance between in perspective, and as the camera pans around we get closer and closer to the old man's face until he turns to face us and we are at this point.
The old man, who has still been unidentified, looks as though he has found what he has been looking for, the medium close shot giving the audience an easy way in to feeling this characters emotion. It may become almost overwhelming as the expression on the face of the old man looks as if he is about to cry and let everything out that is bottled up inside.
For the duration of the shot I have just described we get gradually closer and closer to the characters. The director has chosen to do this because it invites the viewer in from a third person point of view, to a first person POV where the ability to feel emotion with the characters in the shot is that much easier to connect with.

Here is the shot straight after the last. It is a close tracking shot of the old man's head as he walks from the path onto the grass, losing the support he is using from the tree when he does.
Again getting even closer to this character's face allows even more of a relation between the emotion between the audience and the actor. This is highlighted when the man almost let out his sadness with tears as he is walking towards whatever is in front of him.

In this shot that I have taken of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, our location has been revealed as we are in a military cemetery. The ex-forces officer is also a key sign that this is an important place of remembrance with regards to the war, and the number of headstones in the picture is staggering.
By zooming back out on a pan, the director has lost the direct emotion link with the character, though the impact is still there, and has focused on a different angle of emotion towards the place that the scene is taking place, as just seeing this number of headstones really puts into perspective how many lives were lost in battle during WWII.

To finish the opening scene, there is a part where the elderly man kneels down in front of one of the headstones and crumbles into tears. This is where the family first come into direct contact with the old man as his wife and son and daughters crouch down and hug him for comfort.

Once this scene has finished (after zooming into the old man's eye) we are sent back in time to the landing beaches (where when you add 1 and 1 together you realise that this military cemetery he is visiting is at the lending beaches, present day. In this time shift, there is no grey scale change, however a blue filter has been used to show that this is a sinister and dangerous place to be.