THE CAST
Tom Hanks
(Captain Miller)
 In this movie,he’s
performing an
excellent captain in
the army.
Tom Hanks
 Tom Hanks became the first
actor in over 50 years to win
back-to-back Best Actor
Academy Awards® when he
took his second Oscar® for
his unforgettable
performance in the title role
in Robert Zemeckis' "Forrest
Gump." In addition, his
work in the film brought
him a Golden Globe Award
and a Screen Actors Guild
Award.
Matt Damon
(Private Ryan)
 He is the main character
of the movie，all story
surrounding him then
proceeds.
Matt Damon
 In 1998, he won an Academy
Award® for Best Original
Screenplay (with Ben Affleck) for
the acclaimed drama "Good Will
Hunting." Damon also earned an
Academy Award® nomination for
Best Actor for his work in the title
role. In addition, he and Affleck
received a Golden Globe Award
for their screenplay, and Damon
garnered a Golden Globe
nomination for his performance.
The Film also received seven more
Oscar® nominations, including
one for Best Picture.
Tom Sizemore
(Sergeant Horvath)
 Tom Sizemore won the Best
Actor Award at the 1997
Madrid Film Festival for his
performance as a tough
Chicago police detective in
the supernatural thriller
"The Relic." He had earlier
received critical praise for
his work as Scagnetti, the
self-promoting detective on
the trail of two serial killers,
in Oliver Stone's
controversial "Natural Born
Killers."
Barry Pepper
(Private Jackson)
 Barry Pepper recently
wrapped production on
the film "Enemy of the
State," due out this fall,
in which he co-stars
with Gene Hackman,
Will Smith and Jon
Voight.In this movie,he
is a sharpshooter.
THE STORY
 World War II was a pivotal event of the
20th century and a defining moment for
America and the world. It shifted the
borders of the globe. It forever changed
those who lived through it, and shaped
generations to come. It has been called "the
last great war."
 Nothing could have prepared the soldiers at Omaha Beach for the
battle they are about to wage. Filled with hope and resolve, none of
them knows if they will survive the small strip of beach ahead of
them. As his eyes scan the Normandy coast, Captain John Miller
(TOM HANKS) believes that getting himself and his men past the
gauntlet is the greatest challenge he has faced in the war. But his
most difficult task still lies ahead.
 Even as the Allied forces
begin to get a foothold at
Omaha, Miller is ordered to
take his squad behind enemy
lines on a dangerous mission
to find and retrieve one man:
Private James Ryan (MATT
DAMON). The youngest of
four brothers, Ryan is the last
survivor, the other three
having all been killed in
action within days of one
another.
 As the squad pushes
deeper into enemy
territory, Captain Miller's
men find themselves
questioning their orders.
Why is one man worth
risking eight... why is the
life of this private worth
more than their own?
 Amid the chaos and terror
of those days in early June
1944, this remarkable
story searches to find
decency in the sheer
madness of war.
Review
“Saving Private Ryan", the true story.
• On July 26, 1998 Steven Speilberg's World War Two
epic film “Saving Private Ryan” will open in the
movie theaters. The film we understand opens with
the title "Based on a true story." We do not know if
this will be in the final cut.
• The story takes place during the invasion of
Normandy in World War Two. Operation Overlord,
the invasion of Europe, June 1944. The invasion and
the war happened. The film's story is that Private
Ryan, a paratrooper, has been accidentally dropped
behind German lines.Unfortunately, his three
brothers have already been killed: one on Omaha
beach, one on Utah beach, during the D-Day invasion,
and the third in the Pacific. In order to prevent
Ryan's mother having all her sons killed in the war,
he is ordered from combat. The problem is he is
behind the German lines. So how do they get him out?
 The true story was - according to our research, the
Ryan character is based on Fritz Niland, who lost two
brothers in Normandy and a third brother, who was
M.I.A. in Burma, was presumed dead. The third
brother was later found alive. Niland, (the real
soldier) was dropped behind German lines as were
many other paratroopers mis-dropped all over
Normandy.
 The military rule about sole surviving son's being
allowed out of combat is true. It was enacted after the
five Sullivan brothers were killed in 1942 when the
U.S.S. Juneau was sunk in the Pacific. The rule of the
surviving son is common to many armies, the
American, the Canadian, the British and the Israeli.
Before analysis ,
let’s see some vocabulary
•
•
•
•
reason 理性
MID-CENTURY 中世紀
Dignified 尊嚴的,有地位的,有品級的;高貴的
“Landing Operation on Normandy.”
諾曼地登陸
• subordinate 從屬者,部下,部屬
• argument 論證(透過推論)
• object 對象 客體
The Analysis
WHAT IS WAR?
WHY DO THEY HAVE TO
SAVE RYAN?
AM I A GOOD MAN?
What is war?
 In the first 30 minutes of this movie, there came a
very cruel killing scene. This scene pointed a topic
of this film. In this 30 minutes, we can see the
deepest accusation to the 20th CENTURY of
Human History. In western world, about 2000 to
3000 years ,they always talked about
“Reason” .And 1500 years of MID-CENTURY,the
culture was based on the love of religious spirit. But
after thousands of years, what have people became?
The answer is: unbelievable amount of people were
killed in the two World Wars in the first half of 20th
century.Thousands of people lost their lives for
their country and peace.
 After 1950s, many thinkers came out with
these questions:
“Is the culture of people indeed progressing?”
“Did the development of human culture make
human being become more dignified and
valuable?”
“IF something was wrong in tradition, how
could we find the value of human
being?where is it?”
Maybe we can find the same questions in
“Landing Operation on Normandy.”The
Symbol of people who killed each other……
WHY DO THEY HAVE TO SAVE RYAN?
 A mother lost three sons in this battle…and the
rest one is still under the war. His name is
Ryan.The General ordered Captain Miller to save
Ryan with 7 subordinates.But it might be not
reasonable… (8 lives to exchange 1 life)With
anger ,they all thought it’s ridiculous ,but an
order is an order…
Here is an argument
about
the meaning of “name”
1.
At that moment,”Ryan” was just a “word”to them,it
was “nothing.”
2. BUT a NAME should represent an object,the content
of this WORD.
3. And “Ryan” is represent a Human ,with blood and
bone .
4. How can a “human” equal “nothing”?
5. So,there must be something ironic and contradictory !
6. This name(word)”Ryan” means this object “Ryan”.
7. However,how can they completely understand this
word?
8. Maybe they can do it by“Reason.”But how to do?
9. “To think what benefit they can get? Or their country
could get some benefit?”
10. This is a Reasonable thinking way.
11. In this way ,the word “Ryan” will really become
“Nothing”!
 So,we must work out some way to solve it.Maybe the
answer is”to get with Ryan” By doing so ,they can
really know what”Ryan”is and”Who is Ryan?”(But
they would not think about it until they met Ryan)
 I got an idea here:when facing something, we could
not “realize it only by “Reason”.We have to join
in ,get with or do it in person.(There are obvious
examples:LOVE or TO LOVE SOMEBODY)
 After a long and hard distance ,Miller and his
soldiers finally found Ryan.They asked him to go
with them.But Ryan was not willing to do.He wanted
to defense his base.That caused an argument of
Miller and Ryan .Then the other soldiers shouted to
Ryan”For you,we lost 2 partners!”
Hearing that ,the first reaction of Ryan was “what are
their name?”
Obviously, to Ryan ,the“name”is important. He
cared what is behind the”name” is.
 The reason of Ryan not to quit this base was
that he must be responsible for his partners
and himself.
 At final Miller and his Sergeant Horvath
realized one thing,in this war ,instead of
killing somebody ,their mission is to save
somebody!
Horvath said”Maybe someday we recall
now,we will find this is the most meaningful
thing in this battle .”
Actually,they not only found Ryan ,but also
more valuable thing!
AM I A GOOD MAN?
 At the end of the film,old Ryan asked his
wife”Am I a good man?Am I worthy of these
people’s sacrifice?”
 Ryan didn’t quit his base in battle.
He thought he must be responsible for his
partners and himself.That is,he was
responsible for his life.And he really care
others’ life.
So,he was deserved,I think.
 When a thinker talked about “What is the
value and meaning of life?”He said”Don’t
think ,just do it!”
 The meaning of life is on the process of
life.Everyone has his own special meaning
from that.
The process is including one communicating
with others.This is my conclusion.
THE MOVIE STARTS NOW…
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THANK YOU
THE END
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“TRASH”
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