The Impact of Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” on War Films

Introduction

When Steven Spielberg finally got around to directing Saving Private Ryan in 1998, he permanently raised the bar for the war picture genre. This came a full 12 years after Oliver Stone established a new benchmark for modern war cinema with his epic Vietnam War piece, Platoon, which was released in 1986.

The Blueprint for Cutting-Edge Wartime Movies

Its seamless integration of heart-pounding action moments, such as the opening scene in which American troops attack Omaha Beach in 1941, and the development of a cast of smart and multifaceted characters, lead by Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, and Edward Burns, made it the new gold standard almost immediately. It is the model around which nearly every subsequent war film produced in the past quarter century has been based. There have been quite a few outstanding movies made over the years about the horrifying and brutal nature of war, such as Black Hawk Down, Dunkirk, 1917, and Hacksaw Ridge, and each of these films owes a debt of gratitude to Spielberg and his crew for providing what is undoubtedly the blueprint for cutting-edge wartime movies. Some examples of these films include Black Hawk Down, Dunkirk, and Hacksaw Ridge.

“Saving Private Ryan” Destroys Any Romantic Gloriousness That War May Have Had

What renowned director Steven Spielberg and Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Amistad) accomplished with the film Saving Private Ryan was remarkable. Put out of your mind the fact that it was one of the most financially successful war movies ever produced, taking in close to half a billion dollars (yep, that’s billions with a “B”) from audiences all around the world. That was a happy accident that occurred due to all of the things that he, together with his cast and crew, were able to deliver from the first moment the movie began.

The Cinematography in ‘Dunkirk’ Is Very Similar to That of ‘Saving Private Ryan’

One of the most impressive parts of “Saving Private Ryan” is how, from the very first second of the very first scene of the movie, we are entirely submerged in the experience of American involvement in World War II. You can practically put your tongue to the test and taste the terror written all over the young men’s faces as they ride on those boats. One soldier is overcome with anxiety, another is praying, and the third is sick to their stomach out of sheer horror at what they are about to go through. The narrative of the horrific struggle that took place on the shores of northern France and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of stranded British men is told in the film Dunkirk.

The Plot Devices of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Were Borrowed for ‘Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down, released in 2001, was the first in a series of war movies influenced by Saving Private Ryan over the next several decades. The film tells the story of the United States military’s fateful decision to send troops into Somalia, a country ripped apart by warlords, to destabilize the already precarious situation in Mogadishu in 1993. The circumstances couldn’t be more different from one another. However, Ridley Scott, a master filmmaker in his own right, was still able to take a page out of Spielberg’s playbook when he dedicated the first forty minutes of the film to delving into the backstories of the doomed soldiers that would take up arms in the conflict, and the brave men that would fly the Black Hawk helicopters in and out of the dangerous airspace.

Both ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ are Extremely Gritty Films

The siege to take the Japanese bastion Hacksaw Ridge in the war of Okinawa during World War II has got some of the same gory battlefield videos as the war that took place in a country that is almost halfway around the world from where it took place. The 2016 film starring Andrew Garfield as Private First Class Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who refused to carry a gun because of his religious beliefs but saved 75 men from the jaws of certain death as they lay bloodied and dying on the battlefield, is every bit as gory as Saving Private Ryan. You can see that director Mel Gibson and his cinematographer Simon Duggan (who will be working with George Miller on Furiosa) employ a lot of the same camera lines and rotating points of view as Spielberg and Kaminsky did to get us in the middle of the destruction on the beaches of Normandy in the film that is still influencing the way that we experience the modern war film.

Conclusion

Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan has had a lasting impact on the war film genre, setting a new standard for realism, grittiness, and character development. Its influence can be seen in numerous subsequent war films, from Dunkirk to Black Hawk Down to Hacksaw Ridge. With its groundbreaking cinematography and emotionally engaging storytelling, Saving Private Ryan remains a timeless classic that has shaped the way we experience war on the big screen.