A historian unpacks a key moment inSaving Private Ryan’s opening sequence. One of the most iconic war scenes of all time,Saving Private Ryanopens with a portrayal of the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach. It is characteristically brutal, showing a gritty take on people dying.Saving Private Ryanwasdirected by Steven Spielbergand features a leading cast including Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Ted Danson, and Paul Giamatti.
Now, WW2 historian John McManus speaks withInsiderabout a key moment fromSaving Private Ryan’s Omaha Beach scene.
The moment in question occurs when the sound heard is distorted as Hanks' character looks on at the horror happening around him. McManus contested that while the moment “may seem a little over-the-top Hollywood,” this moment is actuallyan accurate representation of what is called acoustic trauma.Acoustic trauma is a phenomenon that occurs when someone in combat is faced with an explosion that leaves them concussed and with “severely damaged” hearing. Check out McManus' full quote below:
This is one of my favorite parts of the entire movie. Because it shows something that happened quite a bit at Omaha Beach, and in combat in general. And it’s called acoustic trauma. When you have these kind of explosions close to you, you are sort of concussed, but your hearing is of course severely damaged. So in this case, Tom Hanks' character, Captain Miller, is in the middle of an acoustic trauma. When you see this, all this carnage that’s going on, it may seem a little over-the-top Hollywood, but I will tell you, those are taken directly from veterans' accounts.
How Was Saving Private Ryan Received?
Saving Private Ryan Was Critically Acclaimed
The portrayal of its war elements is not the only element that makesSaving Private Ryangreat. The film was incredibly well-reviewed at the time of its release, receiving a94% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoesamong over 100 critics. Critics praised the film for the amount of emotion it produces, its themes, and its handling of tough scenes, including the stunning Omaha Beach opening sequence.Saving Private Ryan’s 94% score puts it among Spielberg’s high-rated movies in his directorial career, up there with other acclaimed works includingE.T.: The Extra-TerrestrialandSchindler’s List.
In addition to doing well among critics,Saving Private Ryanhad a respectable run at the box office. The film had a lot of resources behind it, for it was produced on an estimated $70 million budget. Still,Saving Private Ryanmade back that budget and more, bringing ina worldwide gross of $481.8 million.This total positions the war film among Spielberg’s top 10 highest-grossing movies of his career, which is particularly impressive givenSaving Private Ryan’s based-on-a-true-storynature.
In addition to its strong reviews and high box office take home,Saving Private Ryanwent on to get immense awards attention.The film was nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Picture. It won five Oscars, including Best Director for Spielberg. The technical prowess ofSaving Private Ryan, which is showcased in scenes like the opening sequence, was also recognized at the prestigious awards, as it won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Effects.
Why Saving Private Ryan Is One Of The Best War Films Ever Made
The Film Committed To Accuracy And Performance
It is fascinating to hear McManus recontextualize this scene in terms of acoustic trauma and recognize that this detail was pulled “directly from veterans' accounts” of the events at Omaha Beach. When the sound mix cuts out to reveal a muffled, distorted version of the soundscape, there is an inherently cinematic quality to the moment. The scene seems to mirror Captain Miller’s psychology, as he cannot fathom the chaos devolving around him. With McManus' description, however, it is clear thatMiller’s reaction is not purely psychological, but a physical reactiondue to his acute hearing loss.
McManus' explanation of the scene helps further cementSaving Private Ryanas one of thebest war movies of all time. Even this more subtle moment within the otherwise grandiose Omaha Beach scene is handled with great care. Not only is it historically accurate, but it does work on an emotional level to align the audiences with what Hanks' character is going through. It is thisbalance of realism, accuracy, and emotional claritythat helps cementSaving PrivateRyanas a great work of cinema.
In addition to the historical elements,Saving Private Ryanworks so well as a film because of its A-list acting team.The Spielberg film was the mainstream’sintroduction to Vin Diesel,who plays a small but memorable role in the film. Released one year afterGood Will Hunting, it was also an important role in Damon’s career, showing audiences a broader range of what the actor can do. With the cast acting at their best and the behind-the-scenes team committing to historical accuracy,Saving Private Ryanproves itself to be one of the most compelling war films ever made.
Saving Private Ryan
Cast
Saving Private Ryan: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this World War II drama follows Captain John Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, as he leads a group of U.S. soldiers on a mission to rescue Private James Ryan, the sole surviving brother of four, from behind enemy lines in German-occupied France.
