Saving Private Ryan

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Shawn Brown Social Work 191 Instructor, Femenella 9/19/12 Saving Private Ryan Response Paper Saving Private Ryan is perhaps the first film I've ever seen that called me back for a second viewing before I even decided the way I felt about it. I knew it had invaded me the first time, for I had ultra-violent nightmares the night after I saw it. The graphic nature of every scene imprinted images on my mind, images that aren't likely to ever leave me. I doubt there are many films in existence that are as visually powerful as Saving Private Ryan, and I know there's not one that's more horrifyingly violent. As everyone knows, this is a Steven Spielberg war film and his first attempt at actually capturing the horror of warfare. I've never been in war, and it's not likely that I ever will be, but I think experiencing Saving Private Ryan is the closest I'll ever come. After watching this film, I felt like I had survived a war. I was tired, exhilarated, battered, and disturbed. It's not a pleasant experience, but it's a profoundly powerful one, and I recommend that everyone see it. Spielberg is entirely responsible for the look and feel of this film, and it proves that he can paint a portrait of pure terror without holding back. In general, the style is sharp, and every scene appears to be in deep focus. I read that Spielberg drained 40% of the color from the film, and what results are images that look stark and harrowing, particularly in the ravaged town where the final battle takes place. In addition, the sound effects editing and special effects are so good that viewers simply forget that they are watching a film, and that's why it feels so real. We get glimpses of a man lying on a beach, holding his entrails, calling for his mother. We see men explode into bloody fragments of human waste. We see soldiers get blown to pieces by machinegun fire, while their mangled

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