The Kilkenny Observer Friday 03 June 2022
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Why Spielberg wanted to make Saving Private Ryan Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan stands up better than any movie to the potent retelling of the Normandy landings and beyond in the Second World War. That said, what were the director’s true intentions behind the project? Spielberg’s epic tale of war was released to critical praise in 1998, won the filmmaker five Academy Awards, including Best Director. The graphic, chilling depiction of the Normandy Landings, particularly the Omaha Beach assault, left a decisive impact on audiences, becoming the second highest-grossing film in 1998 worldwide. Furthermore, the following year the film made an additional $44 million through its release on home video. Saving Private Ryan’s emotive intensity was an even more traumatic viewing experience for real World War Two veterans due to the film’s realism, leading to a significant rise in veterans visiting post-traumatic stress disorder councillors upon the film’s release, with The US Department of Veteran’s
Affairs even creating a hotline for those specifically affected by the film. Saving Private Ryan’s realistic depiction of the events of June 6th 1944, was most notably achieved through a murky and muted colour palette and handheld, shaky cameras, emulating the chaos of the events that had taken place only 54 years prior. Discussing the film, Spielberg has previously stated that Saving Private Ryan was never meant to be thrilling, or an adventure, simply a recreation and documentation of the Normandy Landings, the largest seaborne invasion the world had ever seen. Spielberg’s interest in the D-Day landing was piqued when he read Stephen E. Ambrose’s books D-Day and Citizen Soldiers, describing the author as the father of all combat veterans. The immaculate attention to detail that emerged from the exceptional research that went into Spielberg’s monumental creation allowed the film to function as a war documentary.
The title of this 2020 comedy-drama might sound familiar, but its focus is an unconventional tale. The FortyYear-Old Version follows Radha, a playwright and teacher who finds herself drawn to the forgotten passion of her youth: rapping. Inspired by writer, director and star Radha Blank’s real life, this beautiful diary of a struggling artist will inspire and hit home, with relatable themes of failure and unfulfilled potential.
Cinematographer Janusz Kami ski said in an interview that “we did not want this to look like a technicolour extravaganza about World War Two, but more like colour newsreel footage from the 1940s, which is very desaturated and low-tech”. To achieve this look, Kaminski stripped the protective coating from the camera lenses before putting the film’s negatives through a bleach bypass, which reduced the exposure latitude and saturation, creating more grain and contrast, thus emulating the gritty war-time look that was vital for Spielberg’s desired portrayal of the Normandy Landings. Spielberg decided that the film must be “ugly” in order to match the events of the film. However, the graphic depictions of the events led him to fear that the movie would never be shown in a cinema or at best being labelled for adults only seeing it and halting his message. He relied upon the film’s historical importance and accuracy of the day that “basically saved Western
democracy” in order for the film to be shown with a rating, which allowed children to view the film in the company of an adult. Spielberg hoped that younger audiences would come into the movie and learn about the horrors of war and the sacrifices made by soldiers that were the same age as them, stating that he believed the film to be more than just the exploitation of World War Two. The director certainly achieved his aims, receiving credit for captivating cultural interest in World War Two media, and inspiring countless war films, such as Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017), who stated that Spielberg’s use of “the language of horror ... one whereby you’re looking away from the screen” in Saving Private Ryan was a huge point of reference for him. The epic masterpiece will likely remain a vital tool for future generations. Watch Saving Private Ryan on Netflix now.
Here’s what’s coming this month to Netflix May saw the release of the highly-anticipated fourth and final season of Ozark and the fourth season of Stranger Things on Netflix. Starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz and Julia Garner among others, the fourth season of Ozark was a gruesome, violent and brutal ending to the Byrde family saga with some pretty jaw-dropping moments. The series is still dominating Netflix charts. Stranger Things S4 is scheduled to release in two volumes, with the sevenepisode first volume now on
the streaming service and the second volume scheduled to release the final two episodes on July 1. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Charlie Heaton and others, the fourth season is darker and more explosive than ever with ample twists and turns and long, feature-length episodes. Some of the most highlyanticipated series are on their way to Netflix this June.
comedies to watch now on Netflix
After BBC aired the sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders, Netflix viewers were eagerly waiting for the season to stream on Netflix. Starring Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Stephen Graham and others, the sixth season is scheduled for a June 10th premiere. With an exciting finale, it will set the pace for Steven Knight’s feature- length film on the notorious Birmingham crime lord and his gang, which is in the works. Starring Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, Aidan Gallagher and more, The Umbrella
Academy is coming back for a third season, promising even more notoriety, chaos and madness. With the Sparrow Academy in the picture, the dysfunctional Hargreeves family must figure out a way in which they can set things right. Among films, Chris Hemsworth’s Spiderhead and Adam Sandler’s Hustle are both scheduled for a June 2022 premiere. The gem to watch out for this month is Long Walk To Freedom about the life and times of the late Nelson Mandela.
Tennis-playing buddies Michael (Mark Duplass) and Andy (Ray Romano) receive devastating news: Michael has terminal stomach cancer. Struggling to let go of his dying friend, Andy joins Michael’s road trip in search of medication to end things before they get too painful. Folding comedy into melancholy, Paddleton from 2019 eases the touching friendship at its core into deftly-accepting places.
Eddie Murphy returned from his acting break with a glorious performance as Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian who played a character called Dolemite in stand-up routines and blaxploitation films from the ‘70s. Dolemite Is My Name, from 2019, follows Moore from his job at a record store to the big screen. Tracking Moore’s rise to fame and its bizarre and enthralling turns, Dolemite Is My Name does justice to both Moore’s and Murphy’s talents.
Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn star in this 2018 comedy-drama with something to say about modern marriage. Private Life is a unique and relatable slice of a New York middle-age couple’s struggles with different avenues to have a child. But because Hahn and Giamatti are in it, it sparkles with wit and charm. Add Kayli Carter to the mix as Sadie, a college dropout, and you have another layer to this compelling movie about the unpredictability of heading into a new stage of life.
Jake Johnson co-writes this 2017 comedy from prolific indie director Joe Swanberg (he was behind the Netflix anthology TV series Easy as well). Win It All follows Eddie, a gambling addict who agrees to stash a ducel bag of cash for a local thug heading to prison. Making one of many questionable decisions, Eddie dips into the funds. If you’re a fan of simple, grounded storytelling with a focus on character, Win It All is a delight that brings out Johnson’s humour and charisma.
