Saving Private Ryan – The Morals of the Story

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars
Writer:  Robert Rodat
Director:  Steven Spielberg

Saving Private Ryan Plot Summary In A Sentence:      

A group of eight World War II soldiers re-evaluate and define their definitions of duty, honor, and sacrifice as they are sent on a combat mission to recover one soldier (Private Ryan) because his three brothers have been killed.

The Morals of the Story:                                             

Soldiers may not talk much about their experiences in war, but that does not mean they have forgotten them.

Ordinary men choose to become soldiers.

In war, very few things proceed as planned.

Wars often create injuries, physical and mental, that often cannot be healed.

Poor and dumb decisions in war cost many men their lives.  (The infantry landing craft front-opening design).

Failure to prepare for likely contingencies will lead to increased casualties. (Boats and soldiers sinking, unable to float or weighted down with too much gear.)

War involves learning to adapt and overcome the unanticipated conflicts.

Sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.

In war, sometimes men are inhumane to other men in persuit of creating a world where all will more likely be humane to each other.

Soldiers do not often have the luxury of making moral choices for themselves.  In choosing to be a soldier, they often supplant that choice in order to follow orders.

If you become a soldier, you will be required to kill men who individually did not deserve to die, soldiers for the opposing army, who like yourself chose to fight for moral and dutiful reasons.

Many soldiers choose to try to forget their horrific memories, not necessarily out of convenience or a sense of guilt, but rather as a means to promote their sanity.  Some injuries from war are so real and grotesque that they are cruel, nauseating, and difficult to remember with clarity.

In war, bullets and bombs do not choose their targets based on character.

There were soldiers with honor, duty and mercy on all sides of the war.

Soldiers fought so that we might enjoy liberties and freedoms.

All sides of war will tend to use their religious beliefs to support their actions.

Fairness tends to be one of the first casualties of violent conflicts.

If you perform well under pressure in real conflicts that matter, you will likely be asked to do more of the same.

In combat, there is no position that is out of harm’s way.

War is not the story of one soldier, it is the story of every soldier.

The forces of nature are indiscriminate in war.

Men often show their character through their actions more than their words.  But they are not silent, and in times of need, they lead by saying well chosen words.

Some men don’t tell their stories because they have experienced too much pain losing contact with the stories of their past, and they don’t want others to experience the same pain.

In war, if you choose to do a more decent action, you may increase the personal risks to yourself, your company, and your causes.  (Carparzo choosing to save the young girl.  Or choosing to take out the bunkered German machine gunner at the radar station.  Or the army choosing to send eight men to save one.)

History will not care very much about the fate of any specific man or nation in any particular conflict.  History will care about what ideas won out and came to prominence as a result of the conflict.

War historians will care about the tactics and movements of armies.  More people will care about the individual human dramas.

In war, with each person’s death, a lifetime of good deeds, innovative ideas, and ability to solve problems is prematurely lost in an instant.

Every person can choose whether or not to find ways to be decent in indecent and insane circumstances. 

No person does anything on their own. No one succeeds on their own.  Any success achieved is on the shoulders of others who fought so you would have the opportunity and ability to succeed.  (“Angels on our shoulders”)

You should consider working hard and smart everyday to make the sacrifices of others worthwhile.  Everyone should consider what more than can do to make the most of the oppurtunities others’ sacrificed to provide for them.

For many people, the consequences of war never end.

It is important to deliver the final words and stories men choose to tell.  (Medic Wade rewriting Carpazo’s blood-stained letter to his dad.  Captain Miller carrying the same message after Wade is killed.  Reiben taking the same note from Captain Miller when he dies.)

It may be important and therapeutic for soldiers to tell other soldiers their stories.  (“I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel.” – Captain Miller)

If you are ever given a second chance to do the right thing, do it.

Having the better ideas on how to solve a problem is not enough.  You must also have the personnel, equipment, time and courage to execute the plan to fruition.  (Sticky sock bombs versus tanks)

You never know the last time you will see someone you love.  (Private Ryan telling the story of his last night with all of his brothers)

Humorous Highlights:                                                

In the midst of mortal fear, soldiers can find solace in each other by sharing humorous stories of their past experiences.

FUBAR – Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition

Clichés and Assumptions The Story Challenged:        

You can’t create a moral and patriotic war story where the protagonist soldiers question and disobey orders.

A Question For You Is:                                               

What other moral, humorous, or innovative ideas did you find in this story?

Saving Private Ryan on IMDb

Saving Private Ryan on Wikipedia

– – – –

Home