ABSTRACT
This research is entitled Psychological Analysis of the Main Character in the Film Saving Private Ryan. The purpose of this research is to identify the psychological aspects of the protagonist Captain John Miller. The data sources are taken from the script published by Robert Rodat and the movie itself. The method used in this research is the documentation method, beginning with watching the film Saving Private Ryan, then identify the data from the script. After that, find and record the related data. The results of this research are the psychological aspects found in film w.r.t Captain Miller: instances of exemplary leadership, sheer bravery, intense emotion, charisma, honesty, initiative, subject knowledge, empathy and human motivation. We can also observe the Captain finding it difficult to balance justice with mercy.
PROBLEM OF STUDY
Based on the abstract provided above, the problems to address in this study are as follows:
1) What emotions are illustrated in this movie? (Pick the emotions pertaining to the character you are going to study.)
AIMS OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is in accordance with the problem of the study mentioned above.
INTRODUCTION
We live in a world which is more virtually connected and digitally influenced than ever before. In this context, cinema and characters specifically play a major role in influencing a far larger audience than a few decades ago. Parallel to the growth in human thought, emotion etc. there is a growing virtual human in our ideas, dreams and emotions, and they are immortal unless they are forgotten.
Why character analysis?
- Movies are incomplete without strong character portrayals. To talk to the audience through a screen and leave a legacy behind, characters play a major role(dramaturgical analysis).
- The story the film wants to put across, and all the emotions it wants the audience to capture and interpret are through characters(interpretive analysis).
- A major part of any movie is defining as to how every character on screen communicates socially and culturally to its target audience(socio-cultural analysis).
- To complete this assignment.
Basic plot of Saving Private Ryan:
The critically acclaimed and 11 times Academy Award nominated classic opens with the most intense dramatic rendition of the landing of the United State troops on the shores of Normandy, France during WW2. This is where we are first introduced to our protagonist Captain John Miller; the opening moments also give us a glimpse into the mind of Captain Miller, his leadership and his ability to think and make life-saving decisions in unending chaos. As the movie progresses, after 30–40 mins, we find out that 3 of the 4 Ryan brothers have been martyred in the war and their mother is to receive all the 3 memos on the same day. This is when the Commander in Chief of the US Army decides to send a team of 8 led by Captain Miller to bring Private James Ryan back home as he believes no mother should lose all her sons in a war. Hence, the title Saving Private Ryan.
ANALYSIS
What emotions are illustrated in this movie? (Pick the emotions pertaining to the character you are going to study.)
“THE AMERICANS
Struggle through the surf. FIRING up as best they can. Making for the base of the cliffs.
INCENDIARY GRENADES, HURLED FROM ABOVE, EXPLODE, SPREADING FIRE
MILLER
Ignores the EXPLOSIONS and BULLETS. Uses hand signals and curt orders.”
When the allied troops in their vessels close in on the shores of Normandy, they are welcomed with heavy air shelling, deadly machine gun fire and exploding human mine traps. The horrific scenes of seeing fellow soldiers being hit and killed, vessels exploding and bodies flying like sand, struck shivering fear into the soldiers. In the midst of this deadly chaos, Captain Miller largely unaffected gathers himself and issues commands. His exemplary leadership proves to be a game changer in the battle as the allied forces eventually take the German high holding. Captain Miller’s presence of mind and calmness in total chaos, warrants tactics where the initial strategy had failed miserably. The Captain shows perseverance and determination to fulfill the task assigned in life-threatening conditions.
“MILLER
Respectfully, sir, sending men all the way up to Ramelle to save one Private doesn’t make a fucking, goddamned bit of sense.
(beat)
Sir.”
“MILLER
Sure, what do you want to know?
REIBEN
Well, sir, in purely arithmetic terms, since when does six equal one? What’s the sense in risking six guys to save one?”
After the terrifying near death experience on D-Day, Captain Miller is assigned the task of finding Private Ryan and getting him back safely. To accomplish this, the team needs to go to Ramelle, where the Germans are dominating the allied troops and inflicting huge damage. As the team makes their way upto Ramelle, they question the very purpose of this mission. They wonder if it is fair that 8 men have to play with their lives to save one? The same thought was put forth by Captain Miller when he was assigned the task, but as the leader of the mission, he never openly critiques the mission or the rationale behind it. He lets his men voice their concern and never discourages any questions surrounding the mission. Captain Miller realizes the futility of his position; how can he convince to someone to endanger his life to save someone else’s. Instead of discouraging or giving a shut-up call to his troops, he shows maturity and uses humour, constructive discussion to keep the moral high. The Captain is impassive, open to feedback but loyal to the task at hand and the Chain of Command.
“WADE DIES
ALL ARE FROZEN IN PLACE
UPHAM begins to weep. REIBEN
furiously mutters:
REIBEN
Goddamn it…Goddamn it…Goddamn it…
MILLER
Is silent. Motionless. He gently closes Wade’s eyes. His hand quivers slightly as he unclips one of Wade’s dogtags. He fumbles and drops it. Sarge notices.
Miller stares at his hand and steadies it before the men see. He picks up the dogtag and pockets it.”
Further ahead in the mission, the group has to capture a German high hold armed with machine guns. Going against the team, Captain Miller decides to attack from the front instead of going around it. As a true leader he selflessly exposes himself to German snipers, so that his team could charge ahead without being fired at. The plan succeeds but they loose Wade. The Captain is as effected as the others, but restraints himself from showing weakness and weeps in private. Captain Miller ensures that he keeps the group together, as the question of the worth of a single human life is raised again!
“REIBEN
Neither do I, sir. C: And this is the worst one, we find Ryan and he’s wounded. Not only does he not carry my gear, we have to carry his gear. And him.
MILLER
But we accomplish the mission.”
Here, we again see how the Captain is open to discussion and suggestions from his troops. He not only engages and entertains a bit of humour, but in doing so remains optimistic, carries the men as a team and reminds them of the task in hand.
“REIBEN
(continuing)
He’s right, we can’t shoot him…well, we could but we’d get in an enormous amount of trouble. And he’s right about the bridge, it’s a hell of a lot more important than he is.
JACKSON STEPS FORWARD.
JACKSON
Cap’n…?
Miller turns his glare on Jackson.
JACKSON
(continuing)
Seems to me, we got us a opportunity, here, to kill two birds with one stone. Command seems to think keepin’ this boy alive is worth somethin’. If we was to do that and hold this bridge, good chance we’d get us a bucket full of medals. I might even get me one ‘a them big, fancy ones like you got, so’s I could sass any officer in the whole dang army, you included.”
After the team reaches Ramelle, they inform Private Ryan that he is to come back with them. Private Ryan refuses; the Captain explains the situation very calmly at first but then looses his cool. His men step in, tell him that Ryan is right and defending the bridge is more important than a life. The same men who questioned the very purpose of this mission, now became leaders and showed courage to stay in line of danger and fight for their brothers. The instance brings out the excellent teacher that Captain Miller was. He not only led his men but made leaders out of every single one of them.
There are several other instances which bring out many other traits of Captain Miller. He breaks up a fight between Horvath and Reiben; he does so by revealing his personal life to show how he’s hurting too and simply wants to get back home. The Captain comes off as charismatic and at the same time brutally honest in admitting how this mission is just a ticket for him to get back home as for others.
Captain Miller also showed mercy and compassion when he released a German prisoner, after losing one of his men.
Times when the Captain made decisions against the will of his team, reveal his ability to make and stand by tough decisions.
Realizing that his troops will be outnumbered, he teaches his men to make sticky bombs from socks and grease. The Captain is foresighted and has excellent subject knowledge.
Ironically, Captain Miller is killed by the same Nazi he had released. Captain Miller like all humans, questions justice against mercy. While dying, he tells Private Ryan “earn this”; instead of blaming Ryan for his death, he advises him to strive to be worthy of all the sacrifices made by those in an attempt to rescue him.
In response to the question raised by him and his men about what a human life is worth, he responds by giving his own life.
