Saving Private Ryan: More Than Just Cinema

Saving Private Ryan: The 4-star general of movies.
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Hey Cloud 10 fanatics! For all you history buffs out there, you know that this past Saturday, June 6, was the 65th anniversary of a significant day in world history. I would have loved to write about this on the day, but I was on a housesitting gig this weekend and didn't have a strong enough wireless signal. Making money on unemployment takes some creativity. Anyway, It was a day in which the fate of Europe and the world hung in the balance as many brave men invaded the beaches of Normandy to fight Hitler's mighty army. It was a moment in history in which success was the only viable option, for failure meant a possible catastrophic downturn in the state and morale of humanity. As I saw the news footage of Obama's appearance at the Normandy American Cemetery, reminding us not to forget the lessons that we learned that day sixty five years back, I was also reminded of a movie that presented the mainstream many images of the ultimate sacrifices made by many to literally save the world. This classic Spielberg film not only taught us the virtue of sacrifice, but also the brotherhood shared by the many fighting men of what Tom Brokaw coined, "the greatest generation". The movie's powerful message, combined with its high entertainment value makes Saving Private Ryan my favorite movie of all time.

Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan
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The success of this film could be credited with the fact that it had elements that many could appreciate, and it starts right from the first scene of the movie. The film opens with a half-hour, action packed skirmish with the 2nd Rangers on Omaha Beach, which could only be described as hell on earth. As opening scenes go, it really gets the average viewer hooked into the environment of the film and at the same time, captures the fiendish interest of battle scene junkie. Most importantly, the scene portrays realistically the horror of the invasion, both in the faces of the soldiers, and in the unimaginable carnage on the beach. The Omaha Beach scene only further deepens my respect for those who served in World War II as well as those who are serving currently in our present day conflicts. I don't know how I would react if I realized that six machine guns were simultaneously firing at me. My immediate reaction wouldn't be to charge closer to them, that's for sure. A respectable cast didn't hurt either. A film directed by Steven Spielberg and with Tom Hanks (Captain Miller) at the main role is always worthy of a viewing, but the supporting cast shouldn't be ignored. Along with Hanks was good ole Tom Sizemore (pre-career meltdown/Heidi Fleiss days), Vin Diesel (pre-Fast and The Furious), Sam Malone....errr Ted Danson, and of course Matt Damon as paratrooper James Ryan to name a few. All of them put up brilliant performances, portraying soldiers in the constant heat of conflict, creating an even more believable aura. Hanks's character for example, tries to present himself to his men as mechanical personality, however the rigors of battle show up, evident with his hand tremors and him breaking down once after battle. The portrayal of the Captain Miller character I believe perfectly fits the image conflict of many soldiers as they try to survive the uncertainties of the battlefield. The plot line of eight men on a mission to save one was real far-fetched to me at first. Then I realized that the plot made me ponder the same question of whether one man is worth so much. Throughout my viewing of hundreds of war movies in my lifetime, the main principle you learn is that in the end, you fight for the man that's in the foxhole with you, and Saving Private Ryan made me look at this same principle in a creative and different way. This film was so carefully crafted, that apparently all the main characters, except for Damon's Ryan, went through the pre-movie boot camp, just so that anger could show through on camera. Not a bad ploy from the ET guy. By reading through the details of the crafting and witnessing the realistic environment the film provides, its not that hard to see why this movie is so revered by many.

Tiger Tank = Not a good day.
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So immediately after I got home on Sunday night, I reached into my DVD collection and watched the movie probably for the 22,541,396th time, feeling more appreciation for the film than ever. Saving Private Ryan won over viewers (including myself) by making a movie experience feel like a living experience. I don't know of any film that entertained and educated as much as this movie, while at the same time revitalizing not only the war movie genre, but also interest in World War II history. I mean how many more WWII movies, video games, documentaries, and books came out afterwards? The tally is just endless. Not a knock against The Dark Knight (which I actually saw for the 1st time about 10 days ago) or other recent blockbuster smashes, but they don't come close to the impact that Saving Private Ryan has had on a cultural level. The movie also didn't fall into the trap of having some of the cheesy traps of the genre, like melodramatic music during the intense scenes and having "Rambo-like" characters (Nicky Cage in Windtalkers comes to mind.) who can shoot the enemy from behind his back, while running into thousands of bullets without getting hit. In a pop culture world where sequels and movies of 70's TV shows continue to dominate the big screen, it is nice to have this 11 year old classic around to bring a constant breath of fresh air.

Before I Peace: PLEASE STOP IT BRETT!!!!

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Once again, Brett Favre decides to take the media and a young quarterback hostage with his indecision to hang it up. A couple months after he decides for the 2nd time he will not play for good, he now gets arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in anticipation of ANOTHER comeback. To top it off, it is most likely going to be with a divisional rival of the team his name is synonymous with. Really? Favre, I'm sick of your charade. Let the league move on. You're done, and I know I'm not the only one who is driven completely insane by this. And if anyone brings up your greatness one more time, I'm gonna mention how your Jets collapsed and how you have 310 career interceptions, and how almost a whole generation has passed since you last won the Super Bowl. On second thought, I hope you do comeback, just so that you can have another city's fan base turn on you as you choke away their season.

Mochaman's Fantasy Baseball Report
- Bubba Gump Shrimpz - 61-54-11 (4th, Steroid Freaks' Anonymous, 7 GB)
Coming of my first back-to-back series losses of the season. Offense not being helped by the Josh Hamilton/Asdrubal Cabrera injuries or the Arizona bullpen whenever Dan Haren starts. Need a big week to stay afloat in this 7 team race.

- Mocha Sox - 28-58-4 (12th, Yahoo Public 38095, 25 GB)
Finally won my first series of the year with this team. Halladay has just been a beast, and the offense is starting to find some consistency. Hope to spark the flame some more. Long way to go.

- Firehawks - 42-45-3 (7th, Yahoo Public 162279, 14.5 GB)
Trio of Lester, Beckett, and Hamels are finding their groove together. Combined with a solid, but not overwhelming offense, the team is now morphing into a possible contender. Sky's the limit if this keeps up.