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Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan
Cert. 15
Director: Steven Spielberg

This film is appropriate for November as we celebrate Remembrance Sunday. It starts in the present with an elderly American veteran (later revealed to be the eponymous Ryan) visiting war graves in France with his family. But it turns into a horrific and serious reminder of the sacrifices made by the World War II generation in defence of freedom.
The main story follows a few days in the life of Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) from D-day to his death defending a vital bridge from German tanks. The abhorrent nature of warfare, especially the landings on Omaha beach, is driven home by the relentless realism of the action. This is certainly no 'chick flick' and the level of violence should have warranted an '18' certificate in my opinion. The shocking scenes of carnage ensure this film is unforgettable, but they redeem a simple story from mere sentimentality.
The film unravels an improbable tale based on fact. An observant secretary in the administration back in the US picks up on the fact that a mother is about to receive letters from the army explaining that three of her four sons have been killed in action. The fourth, James Francis Ryan, is astray somewhere in the bloodbath of Normandy and the top brass therefore decide it is worth sending a platoon to get him out and bring him home safe and sound. The group is led by John Miller who has survived Omaha.
The film not only explores the themes of courage, brutality, fear and leadership, but also raises deep questions of the idea of salvation. How much is one human life worth? Are some people worth more than others? With Spielberg's Schindler's List in the back of our minds, the barbarous outlook of Nazism is contrasted with the humanitarian values of the wartime generation of the free world.
Eventually, having saved the lost son, John Miller dies, whispering to rescued private Ryan: 'Earn it.' Many lives have been lost in saving him; he must live appropriately. The counterpoint to this has been that a Nazi soldier who has killed one of Miller's group, but whom Miller spares from death, returns to attack the group again at the bridge. The conclusion of the film finds us back in the war cemetery with the aged Ryan, deeply unsure of himself, kneeling before the cross marking Miller's grave, and with moving poignancy asking his wife to 'tell me I'm a good man'. His family clearly do not understand him.
There are profound resonances here for the Christian as we reflect on our indebtedness to live to please him who died on the cross to rescue us from hell. But surely Spielberg's real aim is to challenge contemporary society. What have we done with the freedom which a basically decent generation of men and women laid down their lives to secure? Does current society defend their values? Is our world the kind of place they would have wanted it to be? Or would they be disgusted with the mess we've made? If the views of many of today's pensioners are a measure, I fear that the path secularism has taken has betrayed the men and women who died for us.

Saving Private Ryan

JEB

Dr John Benton

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