Saving Private Ryan Scene Analysis Notes

Saving Private Ryan

First viewing with video muted - notes (sounds I think would be heard):

waves crashing/ running water

men yelling

heavy breathing

wind

opening bottle

rustle of clothes

chewing

vomiting

yelling orders/ repetition

dripping of water

grunting

whispering

kissing noise on necklace

turning of metal wheel

explosions

turrets

gun shots

planes overhead

glug as camera goes underwater

coughing

chinking of weapons as men run

fire 

Second viewing with video unmuted - effectiveness:

Water crashing on shore - has relaxing connotations + establishes location

Waves against battleships - increases tension + establishes serious atmosphere + war genre + enigmatic (what war are they fighting?)

Whirring of engine, water moving in flask, vomit, rustling of clothes - realism + audience are reminded of the difficulties before the men begin fighting

Dialogue - strict + rhythmic (immediately shows audience the severity of the situation)

Kissing of necklace - worries the audience, he may lose his life and is someone's son, brother or dad

Sounds of bullets traveling - parallel sound + feels as though they are traveling from behind the audience (fully immersive)

Turrets - aggression, 'modern' warfare (connotes time + place)

Muffled sound underwater/silence - break from the action + realistic (wouldn't hear the same level of volume if under water in real life) + not as intense but still makes deaths feel more dramatic (diegetic sound of bullets piercing the skin) as there is a focus regained from the audience + less chaos

Explosions - depth of sound (both far and near, widespread battlefield)

Grunting of men - depiction of real life + real people being harmed

Clanging of metal - discombobulates the audience

Silence - takes the audience out of the action + additional element of panic (surreal, takes them out of the loop, contrapuntal sound)

Personally, as an audience member, the sound that had the most effect on me was the muffled sounds underwater as well as the silence at the end of the sequence. This is because it was surreal and unexpected and although it took me out of the action I still felt as though I knew what was going on. Although there was visual chaos, I was eased by the silence of the film (contrapuntal sound), this odd sensation made those parts the most memorable and effective while I watched the sequence, this is also because I felt I could concentrate more on the action when I didn't hear the loud diegetic sounds of explosions. This silence also reminded me of remembrance services and the moment of silence held for those lost in war, this intertextuality of remembering and event out of respect while watching it has a shivering and emotional effect on an audience.