This study will deconstruct the scene of the landing at Omaha Beach in Steven Spielberg's “Saving Private Ryan”, paying particular attention to the cinematography of specific shots. As the full scene is about nine minutes long I will breakdown a number of shots that I believe to be the most visually stunning segments of this entire scene. Using clips and stills from the film to assist me. I will analyse the shot choices and compositions that were made to help achieve the over all look of this scene. To appreciate the shots I think it is important to understand how they were physically achieved so I will also study the principle photography, such as the types of equipments, filters and movement throughout the scene and how they effect the visual style of the overall piece and what this does to contribute to the film.
The Director of Photography, Janusz Kaminski has worked with Spielberg on various films before this, so I believe that he will have brought in a lot of visual styles that will have influenced the scene. Therefore I will briefly look at Kaminski’s techniques to see how they have influenced the scene.
Spielberg states in the special features interview for Saving Private Ryan that this scene had influences from the surviving work of Robert Capa's D-Day photographs and general war news footage. So I will show how they appear to have been replicated in this scene.
I chose this film, and in particular, this scene because it has had such a huge impact on me as a student in cinematography. That is the reason why this deconstruction will be from my point of view and how I personally believe the scene was accomplished.
Sunday 15 February 2009
INSPIRATION
JANUSZ KAMINSKI
Kaminski has worked with Spielberg as a director of photograph on eleven films with another two having just been announced. This strong relationship the two have built up shows in their dynamic, strongly visual work, since 1993 when first making Schindler's list to the recent forth Indiana Jones. Kaminski's work is fairly noticeable with his heavy use of sepia or near black and white tones for more serious historical work or using bright, unusual vibrant colours for the more surreal or quirky film. He often shoots following the rule of thirds, or central framing to emphasis a point in the story and burnt out whites and strong blacks are a prominent trademark.
Kaminski has had a huge influence on this film, using techniques that have given the film a strong visual impact. Audiences remember the unusual photography as it had not been done like this for many years. He poured so much creativity into the visuals that he was nominated for 13 awards in this film alone, winning 6 of those one of which was the 1999 Oscar for Best Cinematography.
ROBERT CAPA
The surviving D-day photographs from Robert Capa bear such a striking resemblance to shots in the film although not exactly shot for shot, it is obvious that they have been heavily influential in this scene. The following photos were taken by Capa as he arrived on Omaha Beach on the 6th June 1944 with the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. Only ten photos were developed properly and survive to the present day. And as such are among the most well recognised photographs in war history.
Photograph 1 and 2
Photograph 3 and 4
Photograph 5 and 6
Kaminski has worked with Spielberg as a director of photograph on eleven films with another two having just been announced. This strong relationship the two have built up shows in their dynamic, strongly visual work, since 1993 when first making Schindler's list to the recent forth Indiana Jones. Kaminski's work is fairly noticeable with his heavy use of sepia or near black and white tones for more serious historical work or using bright, unusual vibrant colours for the more surreal or quirky film. He often shoots following the rule of thirds, or central framing to emphasis a point in the story and burnt out whites and strong blacks are a prominent trademark.
Kaminski has had a huge influence on this film, using techniques that have given the film a strong visual impact. Audiences remember the unusual photography as it had not been done like this for many years. He poured so much creativity into the visuals that he was nominated for 13 awards in this film alone, winning 6 of those one of which was the 1999 Oscar for Best Cinematography.
ROBERT CAPA
The surviving D-day photographs from Robert Capa bear such a striking resemblance to shots in the film although not exactly shot for shot, it is obvious that they have been heavily influential in this scene. The following photos were taken by Capa as he arrived on Omaha Beach on the 6th June 1944 with the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. Only ten photos were developed properly and survive to the present day. And as such are among the most well recognised photographs in war history.
Photograph 1 and 2
Photograph 3 and 4
Photograph 5 and 6
PRINCIPLE PHOTOGRAPHY
To have achieved the overall look of the scene there has been a mixture of effects used during principle photography and in post. The film is recognised for its grainy, desaturated look. Something both Spielberg and Kaminski seem to have worked very hard on from the beginning.
Clip 1
The “colour news reel” effect works extremely well for the sequence as it makes the film look less like the typical bright Hollywood film and seems to be more realistic. It does not glamorise the film or the real landing on Omaha in 1944, which the scene is based on. But it places the viewer in the middle of the action more than any other film I have watched.
Clip 2
The lenses Kaminski had Panavision create were stripped of there protective coating, allowing the light to flare in the shots. Some of the lenses were more prone to flare than others, so Kaminski had the option of changing how much flare he needed for a particular shot.
Photograph 7
This still is one of the most obvious shots with the special filter being extremely noticeable. You can clearly see the flare stretching up past the characters face. The strong whites bleed into the surrounding colours. For most shots this is very subtle but when there are bright whites or fire in shot you will be able to see it clearly.
Photograph 8
This shot is shows how the lens could have a more subtle impact, once again the whites merge into the action and the fire in the right hand corner flares up to the beam. The use of these lens and filters along with the change in the shutter helped to create a look similar to the 1940s news lens.
Photograph 9
Much of the jerky movements throughout the Omaha beach landing was created by adjusting the rotary disc shutter. The disc is normally a semicircular mirror that rotates in front of the film gate causing the light to hit the film. Kaminski and Spielberg decided to narrow the angle of the shutter disc from the standard 180 degrees to 90 degrees for most of the film and as little as 45 degrees for the fighting scenes such as Omaha Beach. This was all to make it appear more like the old news cameras.
Photograph 10
An image shaker was also used on the camera to create heavy or light shakes during a planned explosion or for the illusion of a near by explosion. The device fits to the side of the lens, and it could be controlled remotely so that the vibration would be confined to the lens only and not the camera body. This allowed the shake effect to come in perfectly on cue.
Clip 1
The “colour news reel” effect works extremely well for the sequence as it makes the film look less like the typical bright Hollywood film and seems to be more realistic. It does not glamorise the film or the real landing on Omaha in 1944, which the scene is based on. But it places the viewer in the middle of the action more than any other film I have watched.
Clip 2
The lenses Kaminski had Panavision create were stripped of there protective coating, allowing the light to flare in the shots. Some of the lenses were more prone to flare than others, so Kaminski had the option of changing how much flare he needed for a particular shot.
Photograph 7
This still is one of the most obvious shots with the special filter being extremely noticeable. You can clearly see the flare stretching up past the characters face. The strong whites bleed into the surrounding colours. For most shots this is very subtle but when there are bright whites or fire in shot you will be able to see it clearly.
Photograph 8
This shot is shows how the lens could have a more subtle impact, once again the whites merge into the action and the fire in the right hand corner flares up to the beam. The use of these lens and filters along with the change in the shutter helped to create a look similar to the 1940s news lens.
Photograph 9
Much of the jerky movements throughout the Omaha beach landing was created by adjusting the rotary disc shutter. The disc is normally a semicircular mirror that rotates in front of the film gate causing the light to hit the film. Kaminski and Spielberg decided to narrow the angle of the shutter disc from the standard 180 degrees to 90 degrees for most of the film and as little as 45 degrees for the fighting scenes such as Omaha Beach. This was all to make it appear more like the old news cameras.
Photograph 10
An image shaker was also used on the camera to create heavy or light shakes during a planned explosion or for the illusion of a near by explosion. The device fits to the side of the lens, and it could be controlled remotely so that the vibration would be confined to the lens only and not the camera body. This allowed the shake effect to come in perfectly on cue.
POST PHOTOGRAPHY
During editing for certain shots the editor Michael Kahn duplicated about 12 frames throughout shots. This would re-enforce the strobing effect from principle photography. This is most noticeable in the “Silent Sequence” that I go on to analyse later.
The final overall look of the film was created by putting the negatives through a process called “Bleach Bypass”, allowing more colour to be pulled out of the film. In brief the process prevents the film from passing through the bleaching function, normally carried out in a colour film. The result is a black and white picture over a colour picture, giving the strange degradation in colour. During the edit they drained more colour so that the film ended up with only 40% colour.
Clip 3
The final overall look of the film was created by putting the negatives through a process called “Bleach Bypass”, allowing more colour to be pulled out of the film. In brief the process prevents the film from passing through the bleaching function, normally carried out in a colour film. The result is a black and white picture over a colour picture, giving the strange degradation in colour. During the edit they drained more colour so that the film ended up with only 40% colour.
Clip 3
BREAKING DOWN THE SHOTS
I have chosen three shots which I believe stand out and have a great impact on the overall scene and one, two minute long sequence which I think is a mixture of interesting shots and clever editing, making it a horrific but visually interesting segment to the scene.
SHOT 1. INTRODUCING CAPTAIN MILLER
Clip 4
The first shot runs for about twenty-two seconds and is the longest singular shot I will be studying. The purpose of the shot is to introducing us to Captain Miller and gives us a brief insight into him, his relationship and rank amongst the other men.
The shot starts with a close up of Millers shaking hands, opening a bottle and raising it up to drink. We do not see his face as the camera moves out of the dark into the light and back down again. He finally raises his head followed by the camera looking out to his men and the situation ahead. The shot moves backwards through the other soldiers, concealing Miller, so our point of focus has now been shifted from focusing on the one character to the rest of the boat, and because Miller is central throughout the shot we are lead to know that he is the main character we will be following through the story.
Within the one movement we have a close up, a mid shot and a wide. This is to slowly bring the audience into what will be a very fast paced vicious scene.
Photograph 11
Photograph 12
The first framing used diagonals drawing you to the main focus which is the middle of the shot. As we move up and down with Millers bottle you feel unsteady as you naturally believe that the camera and Miller would have stayed up instead of going back down again.
Photograph 13
Throughout the move backwards from the medium close up to the wide, Miller stays in the centre of the frame but your focus moves around the screen as other men become a part of the frame crowding Miller. This focus shift is caused by a number of factors. First of all the physical movement of the camera backwards followed by the character lowering his head, but by this point the framing has changed to the rule of thirds.
Photograph 14
The character next to Miller, on his right, takes up a full third and his movements are more prominent than those around him, for the full movement the rule of thirds does not change but the characters who inhabit them do. This allows you to take in the full contents of the shot.
Photograph 15
Because the shot size only changes through movement instead of cutting between shots I think this has a stronger impact. It gives the audience a sense of position on the boat and a feeling of claustrophobia as the characters are all very close to the camera and each other. It shows a little more of the characters without straying from the current situation. The decision to cut from character to character is done a few shots later and I believe it works at that point in the scene as the audience have been given the chance to know their surroundings before the beach. The choice to shoot away from the beach allows the audience to feel the tension of not know what lies ahead or how far away they are, as well as stopping them from becoming distracted by a looming background this allows them to concentrate on getting to know the characters. His in turn makes the landing in the beach seem more horrific.
The movement through the boat had been done with a steady cam. It is more fluid than the shaky hand-held work that is done later and works well with the sea and rocking boat.
SHOT 2. THE FALLEN SOLDIER
Clip 5
This shot lasts under 3 seconds and is a low, wide of 3 soldiers it is also another example of the rule of thirds. The dead soldier takes up the left hand third and along the bottom third in the foreground. The soldiers in the top third is where the action is and the next shot after this. But it is not as noticeable until a soldier runs past drawing your eye up to the top of frame.
Photograph 16
There are no camera movements and very little movements from the actors, but all of the thirds are fairly busy. The only third that appears to have very little contains a puddle of water, this reflects the action in the thirds above it keeping the overall frame full and visual.
Photograph 17
The shot has been filmed at a 14 degree angle. As seen here if the camera had been level the shot is still interesting but the Dutch angle gives it more depth adding to the confusion of the fight around them. The Image shaker has been used her during an explosion which is timed with spraying water, fake blood and sand, allowing the audience to believe the explosion was nearby increasing the sense of danger. This shot is slightly more colourful than the previous and following shots. Allowing it to stand out more. Because it has little movement it gives you a short resting point. If all the shots were frantic and shaky you would become too easily distracted from what is happening and if they were all still you would become bored, so there has to be a balance between the two. You can also see the flare coming off the plastic bags caused by the purpose designed filters, contributing to the bright surreal moment.
SHOT 3. THE OBSERVATION BUNKER
Clip 6
This shot runs for less that 6 seconds and is seen from the German snipers point of view. We see the US army arriving on the beaches being shot down by the gun men. The shot is wide on the US soldiers dirtied heavily by German soldiers as the camera passes behind them and the machine guns.
The silhouette make the German Soldiers appear more vicious as their faces are not seen this allows you to feel a greater hatred to them and feel more pity/sorrow for the US Army. The outline of the bullets and the speed that they go through the gun emphasises this feeling. The whole shot has very little colour compared to what we have seen on the beach and is almost black and white. The only colour is from the gunfire, this emphasises the malicious attack on the beach. The high shot shooting down to the soldiers is historically accurate and the angle that we are shown creates an impression of superiority. We see only three German soldiers, none of whom die in this shot but in most of the shots down on the beach a US Soldier dies horrifically. Now we have a greater feeling of disgust at their unfair advantage.
The wide of the beach follows the rule of thirds where the beach meets the water line is the bottom third, the boats fill the middle third and the top is empty sea. This framing is kept throughout the shot but the German soldier silhouettes mask areas as the camera moves.
Photograph 18
The guns are kept to the left or right of frame creating a natural start and end to the move. Tracking passed a soldier and ammunition belt keep the shot interesting and creating a tense atmosphere as the silhouette of machine guns fill the frame. They have refrained from using a steady cam for this shot to let you “feel” the impact from the firing of the guns. It works well as a point of view shot from their bunker it makes it a much more brutal attack.
THE “SILENT SEQUENCE”
Clip 7
I know this sequence is not completely silent, but of all the scenes it has the least sound to distract or influence how you feel about what you see. The reduction in sound creates an eerie effect that allows you to become more aware of the powerful visual sequences in the film. This whole sequence is over a minute long with a variation of powerful shots. In contrast the rest of the scene most shots do not last longer than five seconds.
MILLER ARRIVING ON THE BEACH
Photograph 19
This shot has been cut into three and used at different points throughout the sequence. The shots starts as a wide of two soldiers in the centre of frame for less than half a second before an explosion blasts one of the soldiers two or three metres into the air, landing with half of his leg missing but perfectly aimed towards the audience to highlight the brutality of the fight the men are kept in the centre thirds before we move on screen right to see Captain Miller crawl out of the smoke and water.
Photograph 20
Photograph 21
Once more he is kept fairly central in the screen, in the middle third of the frame as he moves toward the camera. As he reaches the “Czech Hedgehog” we continue this rule of thirds through the other two shots from this angle. The focus pulling for this shot would have been extremely difficult to do, the movement of the actors, camera and the explosion would not happen the same way every time. The tide pushing and pulling the character as he comes up the beach would have changed for every shot, the speed of the camera moving towards Miller would have changed according to what the camera operator thought was suitable for framing and similarly with the explosion. The stunt man could have moved differently on his landing or take off, so the continuous focus is a great piece of work for an extremely complicated shot.
Photograph 22
The camera stays with Miller following his looking room. But he is still central in the frame. This is because the shots that follow are all from his point of view. There is no shaker used on the lens here. With the editing effect used to “slowdown” use of it would have effected the power of the shot distracted and the audience from the characters reactions.
As Miller crawls up the beach the camera moves down toward him, meeting at the “Czech Hedgehog”, never physically changing the shot size but letting the environment and movement around the camera do it instead.
The duplicated frames happen more frequently here to really slow down the shot, this is a representation of Millers realisation of what is happening around him. There is little colour in this shot showing us the reality of his situation. The brightest colour is the spraying of the blood across his face. This continues through out the three separate shots. The colour is more drained here when we focus on Miller showing his reality and colourful in the rest of the sequence; what he sees. This allows it to become more of a dream like state.
COWERING SOLDIER
Photograph 23
Photograph 24
This shot has no physical camera movement. The only movement is caused by having been shot by hand and emphasised by the frame duplication, allowing the audience to have enough time to take in the full impact of the shot. There are natural diagonals in this shot and the frame is constantly dirtied by another diagonal giving the shot more depth. There are three layers to the show the “Hedgehog” in the foreground, the young soldier as our main focus and then the soldiers in the background. There is no tilt on the camera for this shot as it is from Millers perspective.
Photograph 25
The frame stays the same but the background and foreground action changes. The shot contains only the metal rods and the young soldier at the beginning with a relatively empty background, then soldiers enter the background crowding the youth and finally another runs through the foreground creating the illusion of chaos and keeping the frame busy.
Although the shot is visually interesting I believe that the Young Soldiers facial and body reaction complete the shot. Some shots would be stunning as just a still photograph, and the acting contained in the shot is there because it has to tell a story, but I think that his expression and movements complete the shot giving it a more powerful than could be done as a still alone.
FLAMETHROWER
This is two shots done from the same angle cut together. Normally this kind of jump cut confuses the audience from the story as they have noticed an obvious cut, when they are used to cuts being unobtrusive. But this cut happens at the same time the flame thrower explodes, you would naturally move back from the impact so the editor has done it for you visually, so it achieves the desired effect with out distracting the audience.
Photograph 26
The first half of this shot lasts for under two seconds although you feel as though it is longer due to frames being duplicated again. The first half of this shot I don't think is particularly interesting it does not have the same impact as many others in the full scene or even the shot that it jumps out to. It is more of a shot to tell a bit of the story and because you can see the flame-thrower backpack explode. The shot never really makes up its mind as to what it wants to see in shot. It has three soldiers walking away from the camera but the shot feels messy in comparison to those around it. There appears to be very little structure. But when it does jump out to the wide the impact is greater as you suddenly see what happening. It seems to be more of an editing choice to have used it rather than from a photography point of view.
The second half of the shot lasts just over a second, has a more eye pleasing framing and is slightly more surreal in its colours. The contrast between the blue of the background and the bright yellow flames is startling, adding once again to Millers dream like state. The shot has jumped out to a wide of the three after one is on fire. The three men are centred, keeping with the theme of main focus being in the middle of frame, there is an interesting variation of heights and depths with in the fame.
Photograph 27
In the near foreground there is the large protruding metal beam from the hedgehog to the left of frame, then the men in the middle with varying heights and the increasing height of the flame, down on the left there are more “Hedgehogs”, boxes and another soldier at a lower height and finally in the background is the German bunker and hills that the soldiers are supposed to reach. The varying heights and distances are shown for only a second before the flames (aided by a propane jet spray) explode, further engulfing everything on screen before cutting back to Miller. It is a shame that this shot only lasts a second as it is beautifully framed and holds so much detail that can only be appreciated frame by frame.
Photograph 26
The first half of this shot lasts for under two seconds although you feel as though it is longer due to frames being duplicated again. The first half of this shot I don't think is particularly interesting it does not have the same impact as many others in the full scene or even the shot that it jumps out to. It is more of a shot to tell a bit of the story and because you can see the flame-thrower backpack explode. The shot never really makes up its mind as to what it wants to see in shot. It has three soldiers walking away from the camera but the shot feels messy in comparison to those around it. There appears to be very little structure. But when it does jump out to the wide the impact is greater as you suddenly see what happening. It seems to be more of an editing choice to have used it rather than from a photography point of view.
The second half of the shot lasts just over a second, has a more eye pleasing framing and is slightly more surreal in its colours. The contrast between the blue of the background and the bright yellow flames is startling, adding once again to Millers dream like state. The shot has jumped out to a wide of the three after one is on fire. The three men are centred, keeping with the theme of main focus being in the middle of frame, there is an interesting variation of heights and depths with in the fame.
Photograph 27
In the near foreground there is the large protruding metal beam from the hedgehog to the left of frame, then the men in the middle with varying heights and the increasing height of the flame, down on the left there are more “Hedgehogs”, boxes and another soldier at a lower height and finally in the background is the German bunker and hills that the soldiers are supposed to reach. The varying heights and distances are shown for only a second before the flames (aided by a propane jet spray) explode, further engulfing everything on screen before cutting back to Miller. It is a shame that this shot only lasts a second as it is beautifully framed and holds so much detail that can only be appreciated frame by frame.
MISSING ARM
The purpose of this shot is to sum up the complete surrealism of the scene and what the soldiers are going through. A Soldier looks for his missing arm on the ground quite calmly and then picks it up and runs off as though it is quite normal. The placement of this shot is clever as you have just come from pity for the young soldier cowering to horror at the men bursting into flames and now we have moved to a mixture of horror, disbelief and bemusement. All within a minute.
Photograph 28
The composition of this shot is interesting as the camera feels almost hidden behind the metal beam, continuing the illusion that we are watching from Capitan Millers point of view. The following of the soldier is similar to how we could have reacted to watching the same moment. The camera pans with the man as he wanders back and forth past his fellow soldiers. As he runs off, the camera moves with him.
Photograph 29
The shot has been done using the steady cam with the image shaker going off at several points. The framing is a long shot with almost the full length of the soldier’s body in shot. He is kept to the left of frame throughout then runs toward the right of frame. Once more we follow the rule of thirds with the soldier being kept in the left vertical almost throughout.
Photograph 28
The composition of this shot is interesting as the camera feels almost hidden behind the metal beam, continuing the illusion that we are watching from Capitan Millers point of view. The following of the soldier is similar to how we could have reacted to watching the same moment. The camera pans with the man as he wanders back and forth past his fellow soldiers. As he runs off, the camera moves with him.
Photograph 29
The shot has been done using the steady cam with the image shaker going off at several points. The framing is a long shot with almost the full length of the soldier’s body in shot. He is kept to the left of frame throughout then runs toward the right of frame. Once more we follow the rule of thirds with the soldier being kept in the left vertical almost throughout.
MILLER AND THE BOAT
This is a profile medium close up, of Miller and I believe has a beautiful depth of field. This is very shallow so although Miller is in focus in the foreground you can still see the destruction that is happening to the side of him. To begin with he is unaware of the men leaving the boat aflame. As he turns we pull focus to the background to see the full extent of fatality of the soldiers trying to land.
Photograph 30
The timing of his turn and focus pull to the men emerging on fire is perfect it all happens as one smooth action. As the focus pulls back to Miller you become less aware of the background action and more of his reaction. The full shot is very left framed. Miller takes up the whole left side of shot and the right is taken up by the men coming off the boat. The contrast between the yellow and blue as before is visually very strong and with the fire reflecting in the red tainted water rushing up the shore it adds to our surreal moment.
The image shaker has been used here on a hand held camera and with the editing effect the whole shot trembles slightly as Miller turns back around conveying his feeling of revulsion to what he has just seen.
Photograph 30
The timing of his turn and focus pull to the men emerging on fire is perfect it all happens as one smooth action. As the focus pulls back to Miller you become less aware of the background action and more of his reaction. The full shot is very left framed. Miller takes up the whole left side of shot and the right is taken up by the men coming off the boat. The contrast between the yellow and blue as before is visually very strong and with the fire reflecting in the red tainted water rushing up the shore it adds to our surreal moment.
The image shaker has been used here on a hand held camera and with the editing effect the whole shot trembles slightly as Miller turns back around conveying his feeling of revulsion to what he has just seen.
MILLERS REALISATION
This shot starts as a medium close up on Millers hat with the right hand side of the frame being heavier and more occupied, opposite to the previous shot. The camera follows the hat being lifted up onto Millers head to medium close up and the camera moves onto his face to finish on a close up.
Photograph 31
The opening of this shot uses diagonals with the main diagonal running from top left to the bottom right of frame above the diagonal is the water coming onto shore and Millers knees. The bottom half of the diagonal is taken up by the upturned hat wedged into the sand. As the hat is raised onto his head, the camera rises upwards following the hat move in an opposite diagonal from screen left to right. As Millers places the hat on his head he is framed on the right contrasting the previous profile styled shot. His face is kept right of frame as he looks up to the camera and down the lens making the audience feel uncomfortable. At the same point the camera moves in towards him with the shaker going off. This is because he is slowly coming back to realisation of where he is and that what is happening is real and a danger to him.
Photograph 32
The shot continues towards his face becoming a very tight close up. It is broken by a shot of another soldier shouting at him but when we come back he is breathing heavily, moving in and out of frame. This faster jerky move from him, along with a change in the sound shows he is almost ready to continue with what he has to do.
Photograph 31
The opening of this shot uses diagonals with the main diagonal running from top left to the bottom right of frame above the diagonal is the water coming onto shore and Millers knees. The bottom half of the diagonal is taken up by the upturned hat wedged into the sand. As the hat is raised onto his head, the camera rises upwards following the hat move in an opposite diagonal from screen left to right. As Millers places the hat on his head he is framed on the right contrasting the previous profile styled shot. His face is kept right of frame as he looks up to the camera and down the lens making the audience feel uncomfortable. At the same point the camera moves in towards him with the shaker going off. This is because he is slowly coming back to realisation of where he is and that what is happening is real and a danger to him.
Photograph 32
The shot continues towards his face becoming a very tight close up. It is broken by a shot of another soldier shouting at him but when we come back he is breathing heavily, moving in and out of frame. This faster jerky move from him, along with a change in the sound shows he is almost ready to continue with what he has to do.
YOUNG SOLDIER
Photograph 33
This is a matching shot to Miller as it is a tight close up of the boys face, but this shot out of the whole sequence is completely different to all the others it is the only one that appears to have little grading or colour correction done to it. The skin tones are fairly natural in comparison to the blue/grey shot that we have just seen of Miller. There is a large age gap between the two men, Miller being one of the older fighting soldiers in the scene and the other male being in his late teens. The choice to use a younger male to bring Captain Miller out of his dream state works well as it reminds Miller that he has a job to do an foresees his connection to the younger soldiers as he revels later that he was a teacher before the war, but at the moment he is charge of making sure that these men many under the age of 20 get across the beach to do their job and survive, hoping to go back to normality. The young male, and in relevance to the rest of the cast would be seen as a child in this war.
Children are almost always seen as icons of hope and provoke others to change something or do something better. In this case it’s a trigger to allow Miller to pull himself together and continue to help his men.
This ideology is also shown by the way that he is shot. As mention the colour is different, the flesh tones are stronger showing youth in his face, his bright flash of colour is a sign of hope rather than the blue grain colours of war.
Once more there is placement in the centre shown the importance of what the boy is trying to say. The shot is also fairly still with no image shaker being used, it also seem to have been done with a steady cam as there is little natural shake from a hand held camera. The lack of movement, the colour and the positioning of the soldier emphasised what has still to be done to Miller, it is also another very short resting point for the audience before going through the next set of quick shots.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of a film, in this case “Saving Private Ryan”, it is to tell a story. But to achieve that story there are a number of components that are crucial to help us understand it. Actors, emotions and sets are important to help guide the viewer through the film, but to understand it well you have to be able to see it unfold in front of you. This is why cinematography is so important to any film. It not only shows you what is happening but it also draws you into the story and world of the characters you are following.
From having analysed only a small area of “Saving Private Ryan” I have learnt just how important Cinematography is. It is not just capturing an image but how that image is captured. There are so many elements that contribute to a shot, such as filters, lenses, and composition. Without these an audience may become uninterested in what is happening on screen as it is not just the story that holds them but more importantly in the way that the story is told!
The tricks used in “Saving Private Ryan” such as the shutter effect and special lens help to show the film in a way that makes the audience feel as though they are travelling with the characters on the same journey rather than being an outsider watching for example, the timing and use of image shaker technology lets the audience believe they are close to the impact of bombs and explosions that erupt around them.
Each element helps achieve a shot and each shot contributes to a scene and in turn all scenes combine to create a memorable and moving film. With many films it is easy to watch them, enjoy them and move on to another, but with this film it is extremely memorable for more than just its story. I have friends and family who have watched it and passed remarks on how it was shot and although their comments show that they have enjoyed and will remember the film it is a tribute to the remarkable cinematography that they may not understand quite why! That is the mark of a great film. And a reason I chose it to study it more in depth.
Having spent time researching how much of it was achieved, I have come to a better understanding of how cinematography can effect a shot and scene. Allowing me to know what I can do to make my own work become more visually powerful.
Word Count 5213
From having analysed only a small area of “Saving Private Ryan” I have learnt just how important Cinematography is. It is not just capturing an image but how that image is captured. There are so many elements that contribute to a shot, such as filters, lenses, and composition. Without these an audience may become uninterested in what is happening on screen as it is not just the story that holds them but more importantly in the way that the story is told!
The tricks used in “Saving Private Ryan” such as the shutter effect and special lens help to show the film in a way that makes the audience feel as though they are travelling with the characters on the same journey rather than being an outsider watching for example, the timing and use of image shaker technology lets the audience believe they are close to the impact of bombs and explosions that erupt around them.
Each element helps achieve a shot and each shot contributes to a scene and in turn all scenes combine to create a memorable and moving film. With many films it is easy to watch them, enjoy them and move on to another, but with this film it is extremely memorable for more than just its story. I have friends and family who have watched it and passed remarks on how it was shot and although their comments show that they have enjoyed and will remember the film it is a tribute to the remarkable cinematography that they may not understand quite why! That is the mark of a great film. And a reason I chose it to study it more in depth.
Having spent time researching how much of it was achieved, I have come to a better understanding of how cinematography can effect a shot and scene. Allowing me to know what I can do to make my own work become more visually powerful.
Word Count 5213
Saturday 14 February 2009
REFERENCES
BOOKS
Linda Sunshine
Saving Private Ryan, The Men, The Mission, The Movie : A Steven Spielberg Movie
Newmarket PR
August 1998
INTERNET
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_bypass
Wikipedia
24 January 2009
Vantage Film
http://www.vantagefilm.com/file/pdf/clairmont_image_shaker.pdf
Vantage Film
2008
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_angle
Wikipedia
23 December 2008
Not Stated
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Rotary-disc-shutter
NationMaster.com
2005
Robert Oliver
http://www.sproe.com/
The Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia
2007
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Private_Ryan
Wikipedia
8 Feburary 2009
Various
http://www.likeastory.com/boards/cgi/noncgi/Forum18/HTML/000230.html
Like a Story Film Centre
July 1999
Various
http://www.2-pop.com/Cinematographer/Default
Cinematographer.com
2009
Various
http://www.photographyicon.com/shape/index.html
Icon Photography School
2009
Harald Edens
http://www.weatherscapes.com/techniques.php?cat=general&page=composition
Harald Edens
2007
M. Greaser
http://sungenweb.net/lst_normandy.htm
M.Greaser
2007
Not Stated
http://www.tpub.com/content/photography/14209/css/14209_326.htm
Parts Hangar
2007
Not Stated
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/
Internet Movie Data Base
2009
DVD and VHS
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition Bonus Features (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
Visions of Light: the Art of Cinematography (1993)
Directed by Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy and Stuart Samuels
American Film Institute and NHK
90 Minutes
PHOTOGRAPHS
John Godfrey Morris
http://www.skylighters.org/photos/robertcapa.html
John Godfrey Morris
1998
PHOTOGRAPH REFERENCES
Robert Capa Photographs 1, 3, 5
Francesca Sears - Editorial Director
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.AgencyHome_VPage&pid=2K7O3R1VX08V
Magnum Photos
2001
Photograph 9
Various
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShutterAngle.png
Wikipedia
May 2007
Photograph 10
Vantage Film
http://www.vantagefilm.com/file/pdf/clairmont_image_shaker.pdf
Vantage Film
2008
Photographs
2 ,4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
VIDEO CLIPS
CLIP 1
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
16.54 – 17.12
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 2
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
18.14 – 18.47
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 3
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
17.34 – 18.00
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 4
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
04.55 – 05.17
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 5
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
11.48 – 11.51
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 6
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
06.22 – 06.28
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 7
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
08.43- 09.57
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
Linda Sunshine
Saving Private Ryan, The Men, The Mission, The Movie : A Steven Spielberg Movie
Newmarket PR
August 1998
INTERNET
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_bypass
Wikipedia
24 January 2009
Vantage Film
http://www.vantagefilm.com/file/pdf/clairmont_image_shaker.pdf
Vantage Film
2008
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_angle
Wikipedia
23 December 2008
Not Stated
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Rotary-disc-shutter
NationMaster.com
2005
Robert Oliver
http://www.sproe.com/
The Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia
2007
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Private_Ryan
Wikipedia
8 Feburary 2009
Various
http://www.likeastory.com/boards/cgi/noncgi/Forum18/HTML/000230.html
Like a Story Film Centre
July 1999
Various
http://www.2-pop.com/Cinematographer/Default
Cinematographer.com
2009
Various
http://www.photographyicon.com/shape/index.html
Icon Photography School
2009
Harald Edens
http://www.weatherscapes.com/techniques.php?cat=general&page=composition
Harald Edens
2007
M. Greaser
http://sungenweb.net/lst_normandy.htm
M.Greaser
2007
Not Stated
http://www.tpub.com/content/photography/14209/css/14209_326.htm
Parts Hangar
2007
Not Stated
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/
Internet Movie Data Base
2009
DVD and VHS
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition Bonus Features (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
Visions of Light: the Art of Cinematography (1993)
Directed by Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy and Stuart Samuels
American Film Institute and NHK
90 Minutes
PHOTOGRAPHS
John Godfrey Morris
http://www.skylighters.org/photos/robertcapa.html
John Godfrey Morris
1998
PHOTOGRAPH REFERENCES
Robert Capa Photographs 1, 3, 5
Francesca Sears - Editorial Director
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.AgencyHome_VPage&pid=2K7O3R1VX08V
Magnum Photos
2001
Photograph 9
Various
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShutterAngle.png
Wikipedia
May 2007
Photograph 10
Vantage Film
http://www.vantagefilm.com/file/pdf/clairmont_image_shaker.pdf
Vantage Film
2008
Photographs
2 ,4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
169 Minutes
VIDEO CLIPS
CLIP 1
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
16.54 – 17.12
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 2
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
18.14 – 18.47
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 3
Saving Private Ryan ; D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1998)
Bonus Features
Making Saving Private Ryan
17.34 – 18.00
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 4
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
04.55 – 05.17
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 5
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
11.48 – 11.51
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 6
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
06.22 – 06.28
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
CLIP 7
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Chapter 2
08.43- 09.57
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Dreamworks Pictures
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