Saving Private Ryan- Opening 2 minutes deconstruction

Saving Private Ryan Opening 2 minutes deconstruction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJANhWizUY

Sound-

• Opens with non-digetic patriotic/ militaristic music
• Complete silence whilst music is playing except the sound of the flag being blown in the wind, again quite a provocative patriotic sound.
• Non-digetic sound of waves during shot of Character A footsteps
• Digetic Sound of Character A’s family can then be heard afterwards giving the viewer a better understanding of how many people there are with character A and building a better picture of the scene.
• Sound of Camera shot being taken, perhaps referencing the respect Characters A’s family has for him
• As scene progresses the sound of birds and waves drowns out the footsteps indicating a more naturalistic environment the characters have walked into.
• Continuing patriotic music along with military drums firther indicates a military based film and Character.

Camera Angles-

• Starts with Low shot panning up to a mid shot of the back of Character A, it’s at eye level so the viewer feels they are in the scene behind Character A. Then changes to a Long shot of Character A’s family, indicating that from the previous shot the viewer is supposed to believe they are part of Character A’s family.
• Mid shot of Character B, one of Character A’s family, holding a camera, as he takes the photo the shot changes to a long shot behind the family, Character A is visible through the gap between Character B and the family, giving the viewer an idea of where they are standing in the crowd.
• Mid shot of character C, can be assumed Character C is Character A’s wife, as she is of similar age  and is looking towards Character A in a proud manor, camera is progressively introducing each member of the family.
• Extreme long shot of Character A and his family, obstructed by trees, this is the naturalistic environment suggested by the natural sounds of birds and waves.
• Character A then walks from the extreme long shot to a long shot to a mid shot, this is the first time we see Character A so this is done to introduce Character A slower than Character B and C indicating he is of importance.
• Extreme long shot of American flag with trees, trees are pointing right, then changes to extreme long shot of French flag with trees pointing left, possibly indicating a conflict of the two or that they are separated.
• Camera then changes to a low extreme long shot of Character A leading his family through the field.
• Camera pans to a mid wide shot with Character A standing in the middle of hundreds of graves.

Mise-en-scene-

• Waving American flag along with militaristic music indicates an American based war film.
• The trees that obstruct Character A indicate a peaceful natural environment .
• Hundreds of war graves surround Character A, all mostly Christian, and only one Hebrew. Perhaps giving the viewer a bit of background knowledge about the war.

Editing-

• Camera shots are edited so the viewer is constantly moving with the family, as though they are walking with them, and then occasionally pans to a long shot view of the family to remind the viewer that Character A is leading.
• As Character A walks down the walkway, and extras are walking past him, as the other characters are introduced the extras walk past as if they have paid no attention to Private Ryan. It has been edited to highlight the people have forgotten about what the veterans have done for the country.
• As Character A starts to walk towards the grave yard the all aspects like music, camera work and Mise-en-scene come into play making it like the walk into the graveyard is very hard for Character A.

MAJOR DECONSTRUCTION GENIUS WARNING-

When character A comes into the Natural environment as stops at the tree, the camera work and the sounds of the waves highly symbolise the D-Day landings. As he stands there he has the sea at his back and his staring out with a look of almost fear, as though he has just stepped off the boats. He then begins to walk towards the camera which is this case pans out to be looking from the graveyard. As he walks the long shot reveals he is leading his family across the field. Somewhat representing the beaches at Normandy. It then pans out to reveal all the graves around Character A, kind of representing all the people that would have been dying all around him.