<<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? >> I was under the impression that it was her job to sort the records and create files on those that were KIA. Surely the paperwork she was looking at had more than just the last name of the soldier. If this is true, she would know that they were related. <<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 think the scene showed the dilemma of whether those in the film wanted to kill because they enjoyed doing so, or if it was out of anger because the enemy killed their comrades, or whether they should in fact show a little mercy and not just become cold-blooded murderers. As I remember it was the pacifist in the group that decided that killing was wrong. The fact that the German soldier returned to the war to kill Hanks only showed that he was dedicated to the cause he was fighting for. << war is hell, war is immoral, we must end war, and the way to end it...is to win it.>> And that, I think, should be the message of any war movie. "We don't want it, we don't like it, but if we must do it, let's do it quickly and get it over with". And, of course, I think the 'Yanks' should always win. ;-) bob vest coordinator of media services osu college of osteopathic medicine -----Original Message----- From: Jason Lapeyre [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 1998 11:57 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Translating Saving Private Ryan, 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 ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama. ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/screensite