The movie Saving Private Ryan is not your typical World War II movie. It is about the triumph of the United States over Germany but rather the focus on how horrific the effects of war are on those participating, not only physically but also mentally. What I liked about this film is the fact that it is not the plot that brings the emotions of the audience but the scenes of war and the interactions and dialogue of the soldiers involved. From this movie we get as close to a first hand portrayal of what took place for those whom participated in World War II. We also get a aspect of war that has never been portrayed on film before. We know that lives are lost during war and we hear how some of these deaths occur but we rarely see such a vivid display of some of the horrifying ways of how casualties and human loss are taken. .
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The movie takes place during the Second World War. Our first vivid images of the movie take place during the D-Day invasion of Normandy by U.S. troops on Omaha beach. The images of war on the beach are horrific as soldier after soldier is mowed down at the hands of German artillery. Soon after the opening war sequence we are transported to the home front where we learn of the deaths of four brothers, the Ryan's. We soon learn that there is a fifth Ryan brother who is somewhere in France but his exact location is unknown and the subsequent plan by the army to retrieve him and bring him home so that Ryan family does not have to endure the loss of yet another child. Once the army's priority is known the scene changes back to Normandy after the invasion and the taking of it. Captain Miller (portrayed by Tom Hanks) is given orders for he and his men to take on the mission of searching for the missing Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) and delivering him safely home. The movie follows these men through war torn France in the search of the soldier who gets to go home when found.