It is best known for the fact as it breaks many traditional conventions of the war film genre such as the graphic portrayal of wounds such as the man in the first battle scene with his guts hanging out of his stomach.The use of desaturated colour is used to great effect as it bleaches out most colours and highlights the red of the blood and green of the uniforms.
The use of handheld cameras makes it seem like the film is portrayed from the point of view of a soldier, which is a change from other war films which predominately used cameras on tracks and cranes.The film begins with an elderly man at the war memorials in colleville-sur-mere in France the camera goes into a close up of Ryan's face to a big close up of his eyes, the camera then cuts to a long shot of the landing craft as they approach the shore it then goes to a close up of captain millers shaking hand this is a recurrent image used through out the film.As the ramps come down the come under fire from nazi machine guns men jump over the side of the boat in an attempt to escape the gunfireThere is little sound in this scene apart from the muffled sound of gunfire and the far off sound of men shouting and vomiting. This scene establishes the role of captain miller as we hear the men asking for orders.In this scene we are shown after the boat doors are open we see man after man gunned down as the Germans fire indiscriminately down the beach a over the shoulder shot from the German perspective gives the viewer a sense of power over those on the beach and the advantage held by the nazis. The camera cuts to a shot of the troops jumping in to the sea the camera follows the men as the make a desperate run for the shore as the get pulled under the ocean you can see bullets hitting the men and whizzing past into the deep.
Captain millers initial confusion is shown in a close up, as he emerges from the sea looking confused and dazed, an over the shoulder shot gives you his perspective on the beach there is a close up as he tips bloody water out of his helmet and then replaces it on his head making him look blood splattered. Muted and muffled sound accompany the slow jerky shot, gunfire and explosions can be herd but are muted, a young soldier is shouting at miller asking for instructions and with a close up on his mouth the sound suddenly returns with a loud explosion.Towards the end of the battle we are shown again a close up of millers shaking hand there is then a long shot of the blood drenched water washing over the bodies of those who have died. Gentle music quietly fades in the waves sound peaceful after the noise of the battle.
The camera pans slowly left and zooms in on the name on one of the backpacks "Ryan".Over all this film is one of the first of its kind to show the true horrors of war western culture is normally unwilling to show such things in the fear that it might upset some one. The opening scene puts you into a false sense of security not thinking that in the next scene you are going to be put into the middle of the biggest battle in history.
