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REALITIES OF WAR
How has Saving Private Ryan changed the Hollywood war movie? August 11, 1998 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:
Will the movie change the public's attitude towards military service? Why was public reaction to the movie so strong? What other war movies do you like or dislike? How do American and foreign films compare?
NewsHour Coverage
August 3, 1998
Where does Saving Private Ryan fit into the tradition of war movies?
April 10, 1998
How do movies change how we view our political leaders?
February 12, 1998
How are high-tech special effects changing California's economy?
February 10, 1998
Does Hollywood have the right to mix fiction with fact?
OUTSIDE LINKS:
From Encyclopedia Britannica, the history behind Saving Private Ryan.
From The Story of G.I. Joe to The Longest Day, Hollywood has frequently mined America's war efforts for material, producing movies that glamorized battle or glossed over its horrors.
Saving Private Ryan is an entirely different production.
The movie is director Stephen Spielberg's portrayal of World War II. But this film, which tells the story of eight soldiers assigned to risk their lives to bring one private home, steps away from the tradition of Hollywood war movies by showing a stark, gruesome portrayal of the Allied invasion of Normandy.
Critics have described Saving Private Ryan as an unprecedented glimpse into the reality of war. The glimpse is so vivid that the movie has generated a huge response from viewers. Veterans have reported experiencing post-traumatic stress after watching the movie. Group discussions and postings have flooded the Internet.
"In war films you don't often seen arterial blood pumping out," said author and veteran Paul Fussell in a recent interview on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. "In this film you do. And it may have turned your stomach or scared you to death, but that's the way it is."
While Saving Private Ryan shows viewers the reality of World War II, what does the movie reveal about ourselves? Why has the movie prompted such a strong response?
We have two guests for this forum: Paul Fussell will be joined by John Chambers, professor of history at Rutgers University and author of "To Raise an Army: The Draft Comes to Modern America."
Below, the answers to your questions...
Will the movie change the public's attitude towards military service? Why was public reaction to the movie so strong? What other war movies do you like or dislike? How do American and foreign films compare?
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