The opening scene in Saving Private Ryan was very instrumental in illustrating the horror that is war. The only thing separating the living from the dead was quick thinking and a whole lot of luck. One man is shot in the head, but lives with the help of his helmet. As he takes his helmet off, staring at it in amazement and relief, a bullet finds his exposed skull, killing him instantly. Another man lying on the beach has been shot in the abdomen, and is slowly bleeding to death. As the medic and several other soldiers work tirelessly

The morale and determination of the soldiers was also greatly affected by the shock of what war was realistically, versus what American propaganda made it out to be. What the propaganda was designed to do, and what it accomplished, was a vision of heroism, a vision of fighting for justice, fighting for those who cannot defend themselves. It was all duty and honor and obligation to one's country. When faced with the realities of war, with the struggle of killing those who you have never even met, a soldier is thrust into the role of the hero and the villain, the captor and the captive. It was a role that not all the soldiers were able and willing to accept.

Both Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line presented the common soldier's encounter with war in such a way that was heartbreaking. The delicate, nearly invisible line that separates life from death would seem nearly unbearable. Given the relentless internal s

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Approximate Word count = 622
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)