Different depictions of war give moviemakers the power to portray the world the way they see it. And because there are so many different directors out there, we as viewers are presented with a variety of interpretations. If he or she believes society to be corrupt then we will see it as such on her or his recorded picture of the world. And if one director thinks of war as completely disastrous while another sees glory in it then we would find ourselves viewing two contrasting depictions of war. Two recent films that exemplify this circumstance are Steven Speilberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and Roland Emmerich's THE PATRIOT. Both movies are about an historic war, both were made around the same time, and yet both create an entirely different image of war. The Columbia Tri-Star film, THE PATRIOT, stars Mel Gibson as Colonel Benjamin "The Ghost" Maritn, Heath Leadger as Corporal Gabriel Edward Martin, and Joely Richardson as Aunt Charlotte Putman Secton and Mrs. Charlotte Martin. THE PATRIOT premiered at theaters in 2000. The Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures film, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, stars Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller, Matt Damon as Private James Francis Ryan, Vin Diesel as Private Adrian Caparzo, and Ted Danson as Captain Fred Hamill. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN premiered at theaters in 1998.
With the use of dramatic, literary, and cinematic aspects, Speilberg and Emmerich present their opinions, as well as emotions, on the screen. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN takes place during World War II. Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is given a mission to save Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers were killed in action. THE PATRIOT is the story of a father of seven and veteran of the French and Indian War. Although he shows disapproval of the current American Revolution, personal vengeance makes him a hero in the war. Although the screenplay could account for a film's viewpoint, it is the directing that creates the visual picture.