"Saving Private Ryan" Speech by Matt Damon: A Deliberately Awful Masterpiece
Though apparently out of place in a film lauded for its smart writing, Matt Damon's character in "Saving Private Ryan" gives a very horrible anecdote. But Damon's poor performance—a conscious decision made by Steven Spielberg to heighten the film's impact—was After Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) finds Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), the scene opens with him headed to get him to safety.
James describes an apparently funny evening he had with his brothers, but the comedy falls flat and the sequence seems off-target for the engaging conversation of the film. Aiming for something boring and ordinary, producer Peter Bart notes in his book, "The Gross," Damon improvised every phrase of this Speech. Though he hated the speech, Spielberg consciously chose to include it in the movie because he knew it had hidden genius.
Characterizing a Masterclass: Why the Bad Speech Works
Though it's not very good, Damon's improvised narrative brilliantly portrays Private Ryan's core. Reflecting the immaturity and lack of heroic traits in Damon's character, the Speech is meant to be somewhat common and immature, not deep or perceptive. This deliberate ordinariness makes the mission to save Ryan, with all its sacrifices and challenges even more powerful.
The sequence emphasizes the difference between the daily, usually average, character of the person the troops are risking their lives for and the great bravery shown by them. It emphasizes the need of preserving human life independent of personal ability and complicates the emotional center of the film.
Uncomfortable Reaction of Tom Hanks Makes the Scene Even More Powerful
Although Damon's speech seems real, Tom Hanks's response to it is quite important in increasing the drama of the scenario. Though maybe resulting from actual discomfort with Damon's improvised comments, Hanks's forced grins and uncomfortable gestures accentuate the comedic insanity of the moment. Emphasizing the absence of entertainment value in Damon's narrative, the viewer finds in Hanks' awkwardness shared.
This inadvertent humorous impact highlights even more the clear difference between the ordinariness of the individual they are trying to save and the bravery of the troops. The sequence deftly emphasizes the ridiculousness of the conflict, the randomness of life and death, and finally the intrinsic worth of every human life—including those of apparently average people.
Improvised Moments in Film: Examining Additional Notable Works
Although Damon's impromptu "Saving Private Ryan" speech might be a polarizing scene, there are plenty other famous instances of improvised moments in classic movies. Completely improvised, Matthew McConaughey's unforgettable moment in "The Wolf of Wall Street" with a strange chest-thumping ritual added to the comic ridiculousness of the character.
Leonardo DiCaprio also famously improvised the unsettling scenario in "Django Unchained," where his character, Calvin Candie, breaks a glass and coolly carries on the discussion while gathering glass fragments off his hand. Viewers were left with a lasting impression and the character's savagery was accentuated by this unplanned, and truly terrible scenario. These instances show how occasionally the most remembered moments in movies result from unplanned improvisations, therefore highlighting the ability of performers to really live their roles and produce amazing sequences.
