Essay Questions

Explain the War Department policy that led to Captain Miller and his squad being authorized to go after Private Ryan.

The War Department policy that led to Captain Miller and his squad being authorized to go after Private Ryan is based on the real-life Sole Survivor Policy. Although that policy is never explicitly named in the film, General George C. Marshall created it to protect members of a family from military duty if they had already lost family members in combat. Marshall was inspired by the story of the Sullivan brothers, all of whom were killed in action aboard the same ship. Marshall wanted to prevent a similar family tragedy from befalling other families, which would also end countless family trees. To prevent another family tragedy, General Marshall invoked such a technology that would mandate the return of the sole surviving son to his family to spare them further grief.

Analyze the portrayal of the D-Day landings in Saving Private Ryan.

The portrayal of the D-Day landings in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is one of the most graphic and intense depictions of war ever put to film. The landings reflect the chaos and brutality of war; soldiers are ripped apart limb by limb. The film's opening sequence, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault (one of several beaches Allied soldiers attack), has also been praised for its historical accuracy. When the film was released countless D-Day veterans walked out of the film because it triggered their PTSD.

The landings reflect the sheer scale of the operation. It shows the number of soldiers each side brought to bear, the overwhelming firepower of each side, and the confusion and terror on the battlefield. D-Day is one of the largest military operations in history; its brutality reflects the broader horrors of World War II.