Opening Scene 2

Saving Private Ryan

The genre of the movie is an action war movie.

The conventions of this genre usually show people put in front of incredible feats to survive life threatening situations. The story involved in the movie can be fictional or true story based these movies usually focus on the battle itself with all of the action incorporated into a feature length film the action can be from a naval battle , air battle or land battle or all of these three could be put together. These films usually try to make the audience feel the real horror and heartbreak of war making them think what these brave men and women put them self through to protect the freedom of the country and its people.

 The key codes in the opening sequence the civilians we can tell they are civilians by the costumes they are wearing normal day to day clothes this shows that these people have no part in the story of the war that is about to be shown. However the one man a frail weary looking man with a limp shows another side a war veteran his face looks ghostly and eyes small and tear filled these facial expressions give us the feeling that he is in constant pain from what he suffered in the war.

The key signifiers of the opening sequence are the American flag fluttering in the wind this tells us that the film is going to be about the American soldiers that served in WW2 also the flag seems to look worn and tired like the soldiers them selves. The music is slow and low but also calm and smooth and setting the scene. The group of people following behind this frail old man are all looking over at him concerned and empathising with him how he must feel as he enters the graveyard where his comrades lay in peace, The gravestones signify the sacrifice these men paid so a world could live in freedom and the veteran signify the pain and horror it leaves behind in these frail men that have to live with all of this pain for the rest of their lives.


The sequence of this movie gives me the expectations of a harrowing story of comradeship and the horror of war. You also expect it to be action packed as this genre usually entitles a lot of Gunfire explosions and death which you can tell by the large amount of gravestones into the opening scene and you expect a lot of sacrifice to save the friends and comrades this is what I got from the opening scene as the veteran  has tear filled eyes looking for a paticular gravestone.


The target audience of this movie is adults maybe teenagers and also older generation this is because this war happened over 70 years ago so the older generation were young and remembered this horrible war very well also adults may have had fathers that fought in this war and this may give them satisfaction showing what there fathers did so they could have a life today and teenagers may find this appealing with all of the action and weapons and explosions.