I did not see Saving Private Ryan yet, but it is on my list and is related
to my actual concerns, as I am writing a book about the canadian films of
the first world war. But I would like to raise some observations that can
be interesting. During peace time, war films are probably done to maintain
the desire of war and violence that will later be necessary in wartime to
raise volunteers. This would explain why violence is shown as much as
possible in peace time, but almost completeley repressed when a war starts.
So even if it seems to be anti-war, the Spielberg film still plays its
function: perpetuation of the war feeling for the day the State will need
it. Gilles Deleuze wrote some interesting pages about war, the State and
the armies, in the last chapters of Mille Plateaux. Fans of Spielberg
should have an eye on it...
 
        Germain Lacasse
 
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Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama.