Saving Private Ryan Literary Elements

Saving Private Ryan Literary Elements

Director

Steven Spielberg

Leading Actors/Actresses

Tom Hanks and Matt Damon

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, and Barry Pepper

Genre

War

Language

English

Awards

The film received five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. It was nominated for several more Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and was nominated for several other important awards.

Date of Release

July 24, 1998

Producer

Steven Spielberg, Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn

Setting and Context

The film is set during World War II. It is set during the D-Day invasion in June 1944.

Narrator and Point of View

The film is told from a third-person point of view.

Tone and Mood

The film's tone is intense and somber. Its mood is gritty, violent, and realistic.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Captain Miller is the film's primary protagonist; the Nazis are its anatagonist.

Major Conflict

Cpt. Miller's mission is to find and rescue Private James Ryan from the grip of the Nazis.

Climax

The battle of Ramelle, where Captain Miller saves Private Ryan and sacrifices himself, is the climax of the film.

Foreshadowing

At the start of the film, an elderly Private Ryan visits the graves of his fallen comrades in the current day. This foreshadows the eventual death and destruction that come throughout the film.

Understatement

By focusing on one squad, the film understates the sheer enormity of WWII and D-Day.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

N/A

Allusions

There are allusions to historical events in World War II, including D-Day and the Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, and other figures.

Paradox

To save one man (Private Ryan), Captain Miller and countless others sacrifice themselves.

Parallelism

N/A

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