Arthur's English Journal

My lovely wife. I have news that will bring great news to you. The battle was long and brutal many of my comrades lay down there lives but we were able to rise up and crush are enemy. It was my hand that cut down Mcdonald with my own hands. You my love, will be surprised to learn that this is not the most dazzling thing to happen to me today. The stars must have been shining on me that day because not only did the battle go well, I also ran in with the most amazing creatures. If they human or not I still do not know but what I do know is that they could do some startling things. You remember me saying that I killed Mcdonald well this has lead me to be given the tittle of Thane of Corrode. But my love this fact was not mown to these strange things yet they were able to tell me such. This however is only a taster of what happened. They also told me a great thing. That I would be king. My love I am so confused it is news that I so very wish could be true but I don’t see how it could be. This is news that I think would become clear if I were to have your judgment. I look forward to seeing you soon.

PLOT A group of eight solders, led by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) must fight their way across occupied France to save the life of one young man by the name of Ryan.

Steven Speilberg makes two types of film; the emotional epic, and the hard to watch gritty, scary film. What makes Saving Private Ryan unique is that it has bits of both. Films like E.T and Indiana Jones tell incredible stories that are big and epic but Spielberg can also make a film that can be hard to watch ether because of its intensity or because it is scary. Saving Private Ryan can be either, depending on how the viewer watches it.

When I think of war films I tend to think of a 1970s something film that is watched at 12 to 3 on a weekend afternoon – often just on in the background. Saving Private Ryan can be this but I think that it comes alive when you sit down and watch it with your undivided attention.

This film is famed for its first 30 mins, they are hard to watch and very, very intense. When it was first made no other film had shown the D-day landings as unglamorously as this. Jansuz Kanminsli’s cinematography (which he won an Oscar for) is what makes the first 30mins, and the whole film, so gritty. At points the camera is following the characters, at some points it even gets a bit of blood on it. Spielberg sets the tone for the film by seemingly introducing us to characters in the first few minutes and then brutally murdering them. For an audience used to miraculous and incredible escapes from Speilberg’s characters this is a shocking opening.

Rober Rodat’s screenplay is bought to life by a host of brilliant performances. The cast includes names like Matt Damon, Vin Diesel and many more. But the character of Captain Miller (the everyday man who has been forced into a war) is played superbly by Tom Hanks (who was nominated for an Oscar for this role). Tom Hanks is able to make the character of Captain Miller both commanding and confident but also unsure and confused.

VERDICT Saving Privet Ryan is a masterpiece. It tells a unique story in a very unique way. After watching it you never know if you enjoyed it and I think that as long as it makes you think then this film has achieved what it set out to do.

This is the scene we have been studying at school.

What is that sound. It’s a sort of groaning. Wait, that sound means food. Must be food time. Food food food food food. I never liked this hallway. It seems a cramped and dark, but anyway, food food food. Oh, look it’s one of those things that gives me food and its holding food. Hurray. Hang on, I haven’t seen him before. He’s smaller than the usual person. “Hello, small food person, hello.”

Now slowly does it. Sloooowly, we are going in for the bite. The meat looks juicy today.

Hang on, what’s going on. That big person that usually gives me food is running at me. Oh my God, it just roared. Run for it.

Now that was uncalled for. First I think it’s food time, then they try to kill me. Wait, it’s that sound again. Food food food food. What’s going on here then? Oh look, a sort of small horse thing. It does not seem to be running away and what a funny sound it’s making. Well survival of the fittest and if the small horse is not going to run then I’m having it. Food food food food and pounce.

Got you now. Pull and through these wired, iron bars. Lovely. Now for the feast.