In the movie 1941, Spielberg exposes people to the Japanese scare in California during 1941 following the Pearl Harbor attack. Although the scare was real, Spielberg takes a comedic turn with his movie. But, did that make the message muddied and inaccurate? I don't believe it did! I think it exaggerates it to make the message clearer for the viewer. Spielberg exaggerates how Americans acted during that time to show us how we actually damage ourselves during times of fear and crisis almost more than those we are afraid of probably ever could. In real life, people were afraid and were worried that they would be attacked at any moment by Japan when Japan wasn't anywhere near California. In 1941, people feel the same but are represented as freaking out at every little thing and over reacting to all "possible" scenarios. One man turned his family car into a make-shift tank which his wife yells at him for. At a clothing store, two guys play an air raid siren in the bathroom and convince the customers at the store that the Japanese are attacking. Though people didn't do these things in the real life scare, it just goes to show that Spielberg's 1941 can give us a good idea of what we look like when fear takes control.
(SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!!)In the movie Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg exposes people to an incredibly accurate WW2 Europe experience, starting with D-Day. Spielberg's message with this movie is more heart wrenching and easier to notice. Eight US Army Rangers embark on a priority mission to rescue a lone paratrooper named Pvt. James Francis Ryan. Ryan lost all three of his brothers(two of them in D-Day, one a few weeks before in the Pacific) and has been given a ticket home. (SPOILER!)The Rangers are mad that they have to risk their lives for one man but their Captain assures them that if saving Ryan and sending him home gets he himself[Captain Miller] one step closer to going home then that's his mission. And when they find Ryan(SPOILER!)after the Rangers had lost 2 men, Ryan chooses to stay saying that even though he lost his three brothers he isn't ready to abandon the brothers he has left. That moment is when Spielberg tells you about the strong brotherhood and devotion that came with soldiers in WW2 and how no matter what they didn't ever abandon each other.(SPOILER!) One more thing, as Miller is dying, he tells Ryan "earn this". When Ryan is at the age of about 70, he visits Miller's grave in Arlington and tells him all he has done and shows him his family. (SPOILER!) Ryan's wife asks him about Miller and Ryan responds with a question. He asks if he lived a great life and if he is a good man. His wife responds yes giving Ryan satisfaction that he achieved Miller's final order. Spielberg literally created a meaningful tear jerker with this scene. Ryan fulfilled devoted his life to ensuring that those Rangers didn't die in vain and towards his end, he earned it. The message of this film is that every life counts and another point, which was once said by Private Upham, "Theirs is not to reason why, theirs is but to do or die" (your duty as a soldier).
Well, that's that. Goodnight everybody, my fingers are a little tired. Not really I am just tired. If I bored you then look at this...
No comments:
Post a Comment