by Nune Gazdhyan
Assistant Features Editor
A disoriented soldier roams at the Omaha Beach during World War II at the invasion of the Normandy, his right arm blown off, his intestines ready to gush out of his ripped stomach. He stumbles upon his right arm and awkwardly bends to pick it up.
The camera moves on leaving him to his task. More scenes of violence, pain and pure terror strike the viewer’s heart as Steven Spielberg reveals the tragedy of war through the eyes of eight soldiers in “Saving Private Ryan.”
The 2-hour-40 minute, R-rated film was released July 24, 1998, and immediately captured, fascinated and horrified its audience all at the same time. Having the power to leave people talking about it long after the movie had ended. It was re-released on Feb. 5, and made $3.6 million in a week.
During the invasion, captain Joe Miller (Tom Hanks) leads a team of soldiers deep into French territory to save Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). It is important to locate Ryan because all three of his brothers have been killed in action. To save their mother from total grief, Washington officials decide to send a team to find Ryan and send him home.
Miller’s squad of eight men and their journey to find Ryan, even though they do not know whether he is alive or dead due to lack of communication, is the focus of the movie.
The search for Ryan is used by Spielberg and screenwriter Robert Rodart to examine the American experience at Normandy and war in general.
The plot is inspired in part by the true story of Fritz Niland, one of four brothers from New York who were in action during World War II.
The movie is emotionally disturbing, but for WWII veterans it is yet another reminder of their late teenage years. While some of today’s teenagers worry about what to wear to school, WWII veterans had to spend their teens dodging bullets and trying to stay alive.
“I have nothing against the movie, but I didn’t want to go see it. I’ve seen enough of that stuff,” said Joe Deal, former United States Marine Corps Reserve Captain.
As the search progresses, soldiers attempt to joke about the dead and dismiss their own fear of death. The famous slang throughout the movie is “FUBAR” (f***ed up beyond all recognition) which depicts how the men attempt to brush away the massacre surrounding them.
Finally the search team reaches Ryan, but he stubbornly refuses to leave his team, which is stationed to defend a bridge in the middle of a village, behind.
Miller and his men join forces with them and soon after the Germans show up in full armor, complete with tanks and “all hell breaks loose.”
The Americans manage to break through the German lines and the movie zooms to the present.
Ryan, who is much older, is standing at a graveyard and recalling the war.
While Ryan is a fictional character, there were many soldiers who fit his profile.
“I lost a relative at the battle of Normandy,” said Fidel Vaga Garcia, radio navigator 1942-45.
“I didn’t see the movie. I’m not much of a movie buff, but from reading about it (“Saving Private Ryan”) and hearing about it, I think the movie is very truthful. It carries the theme that we were all dedicated to the same cause-our country and our honor,” said Garcia.
