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September 1998, Week 4

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Subject:
From:
Jason Lapeyre <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 23 Sep 1998 12:56:35 -0400
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Another vote from the "Saving Private Ryan does more harm than good"
crowd:  The film lost me from the point where the secretary in the U.S.
comes to the stunning realization that there are three, yes *three* death
certificates with the last name Ryan on them.  How many of those does she
look at a day?  What does she do with all the Smiths?  Is she the office
lunatic, obsessed with collecting all like-named death certificates?
"General, general!  Forty-seven Thompsons were killed in action today!
I think they might be related!"  I'm sorry, my suspension of disbelief
ended there, and it was downhill for the rest.  Maybe if it had been
called "Saving Private Yanuszewski".
 
My other moral quarrel with the film was the episode with the release of
the German soldier, who of course (Hooray for Hol-ly-wooood) returns to
shoot Hanks at the end of the film.  The message being...what?  Kill
Germans when you get the chance?
 
I really did see it as a traditional Hollywood war movie, whose message is
essentially the same as John Ford's "They Were Expendable", or Wyler's
"The Best Years of Our Lives": war is hell, war is immoral, we must end
war, and the way to end it...is to win it. The Yanks, that is.  God Bless
America.  Good Night.  Drive safely.
 
Final note to Steven Spielberg:  if you're trying to communicate the
essential dignity and heroism of anonymous soldiers serving their country,
don't cast Ted Danson.  Just a tip.
 
Jason Lapeyre
York University
Toronto, Ontario
 
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Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama.

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