The “Saving Private Ryan” Approach To Writing Part 1

When you assigned this project; I was trying to think of a movie that would express my attitude and feelings about writing. I came to the conclusion that the beginning sequence of Saving  Private Ryan, the D-Day Invasion to be exact is the best example I can give. Like in the movie, if the soldiers were even lucky to make it off the boat. What they had in front of them to overcome seemed so overwhelming, they did not even begin to know where to start, or what to do. I had to watch this part of the movie again, because it had been a while since I had seen it, but what I remember most is that Tom Hanks and his men did not just storm the beach with guns blazing. They slowly and luckily made their way up the beach to take the German machine gun bunkers out. I look at my writing and a majority of the major projects that I do with the same view. When you look at the big picture, you may not know where to begin, but if you start small you can work through just about anything.

This film does a real good job from the beginning of letting the viewer know that this is beyond all recognition of the word easy. As soon as the door to the boat opens the first five or six guys are just mowed down by the German machine guns that are on top of the hill. The director shows you the view from the German machine gun’s position. The bullets are just flying out at an immeasurable rate. The Americans look like insects just sitting there, waiting to be squashed. By some shred of luck, Tom Hanks and his men manage to make it to shore. Tom Hanks looks at all the men dying around him and has a brief mental breakdown. He quickly pulls himself together, and orders his men up the beach.  Tom Hanks and his men find themselves taking cover behind a barbed wire barricade about halfway up the beach. They quickly engineer a long pipe to send a small explosive through to blow a hole in the barricade.  With the barricade gone, the men make a run for the nearest cover. Tom Hanks and his men find themselves pinned down behind a concrete wall being shot at by the German machine guns. With the help of a bayonet, a mirror, and some chewing gum. Tom Hanks was able to see around the wall to find the positions of the German soldiers. While providing covering fire, Tom Hanks sends his men around the wall. With the German soldiers distracted by his men, Tom Hanks sends his sniper into close killing range. The sniper takes the German machine gun soldiers out. Tom Hanks and his men shoot their way to the top of the hill to the main German machine gun bunker. With the help of grenades, and a flame thrower to burn the Germans out, Tom Hanks and his men take the bunker, and the Americans take the beach.