This paper examines three significant war films spanning three decades: John Wayne's The Green Berets (1968), Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001). Through close analysis of key scenes and cinematic techniques, the paper evaluates how each film depicts warfare, historical accuracy, and underlying political messaging. The Green Berets is identified as heavily propagandistic and historically inaccurate, while Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down employ more realistic cinematography. The paper concludes that Black Hawk Down best balances historical fidelity with immersive depiction of combat experience.
It is often agreed upon that there are different categories of history: the history that happened, the history created by historians, and the history that people believe. Since the early 1920s, the American film industry has attempted to recreate history using films and television programs that aim to pass specific messages to viewers. War is often a fascinating subject for most filmmakers as it gives them an avenue to express their opinions and pursue various agendas. This paper examines three different war films: The Green Berets, Saving Private Ryan, and Black Hawk Down. It analyzes specific scenes pertaining to their realism and entertainment value, asking how cinematic choices shape audience perception of historical events.
The Green Berets is a controversial Vietnam War film by John Wayne released in 1968, at the height of the Southeast Asian conflict. America was losing the war amidst outcry from anti-war movements requesting that troops come home. The few supporters of the war believed that losing would expand communist ideology from new communist states to other countries across the globe. The film was based on a book—a collection of short stories about a skilled Green Beret. John Wayne, a popular heroic actor at the time, was cast in the lead role because he had publicly expressed his support for the Vietnam conflict. His popularity was an added advantage, as he could use his status to increase public support for the war.
The film follows a team of highly skilled soldiers who take charge of a strike camp located in Viet Cong territory and attempt to lure an enemy combatant into their trap. The key characters include a journalist who is initially against the war but joins the troops in Vietnam, and a Vietnamese orphan who associates with the American soldiers as the conflict progresses. The film begins with a chauvinistic song that builds the heroism of the soldiers, intended to make Americans aware of the sacrifices being made on their behalf. The berets display their skill to viewers in an auditorium, and two soldiers give an account of the situation in Vietnam. They degrade the Vietnamese, calling them ruthless killers—a scene that clearly identifies the enemy. The Vietnamese orphan, who cheers the soldiers on, is meant to represent acceptance of American help, though this may have been a misconception, as the Americans are clearly invading Vietnamese territory.
The harsh reality of the war emerges when the orphan's soldier friend, Peterson, is killed and the child runs around frantically calling out for him. The journalist is a controversial character who represents those opposed to the war. He starts out opposing it but, after his encounter in Vietnam, sees its importance and even signs up for a tour of duty. This character appears to target journalists who give biased reports on the war without a clear understanding of the situation on the ground. It also intends to condemn those who judge what they do not understand, as explained in Wayne's words to the journalist: "pretty hard to talk to anyone in this country until they've come over here and seen it." Eventually, the heroes take back the camp after a U.S. Air Force plane decimates the enemy ranks.
Saving Private Ryan, a 1998 war film by Steven Spielberg, follows the search for an American soldier lost in Normandy, France, during the Second World War. The opening scene is set at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where a man walks along rows of gravestones with his family and is overcome by grief when he reaches the grave of a fallen comrade. The film then reveals the gruesome details of war with bloody scenes of soldiers being shot as they advance into German defenses. One soldier is seen holding his intestines, and another bends to pick up his lost arm. With impressive camera work, the directors create a vivid experience for viewers, capturing the confusion of battle with blood and water splashing onto the lenses amidst gunfire.
Captain Miller (played by Tom Hanks) assembles seven men and embarks on a mission to find James Ryan and return him to his mother. They lose two men on their way to Ramelle, where they find Ryan, and at one point the Captain lets a German soldier free—casting doubt on his leadership skills. When the group finally reaches Ramelle, they find Ryan and other soldiers defending the town from German troops and join in securing the bridge at Merderet River. Spielberg visualizes horrific details of the war in the following scenes as Miller's men become injured and malnourished while heavily outnumbered. Eventually, the film ends with Captain Miller being shot and the town saved with only three survivors remaining.
Ridley Scott's acclaimed 2001 war film, Black Hawk Down, tells the story of events occurring October 3–4, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Gladiator director adapted Mark Bowden's book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, producing a movie that set a high bar for other war films. In 1992, the United Nations established the United Nations Organization in Somalia (UNOSOM) to alleviate human suffering. However, a group loyal to Mohamed Farah Aidid greatly opposed UN supporters and often sabotaged peacekeeping operations. In August 1993, Task Force RANGER was deployed by the Clinton administration to implement Security Council Resolution 837.
Ridley Scott opens his film with a picture of a ghostly landscape full of starved bodies. As a Black Hawk helicopter flies into the scene, viewers gain an understanding of the situation in Somalia and identify the troops as the good guys who come to save the people. The group of soldiers, both young and old, is introduced through shots of a professional operations center and confident men ready to do their job. The Delta Force, United States Army Rangers, and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment then plan a mission to capture Aidid and his top advisers. The operation begins with Delta Force capturing two advisers in a building, but trouble starts when Black Hawk Super-Six One is shot down.
The remainder of the film includes its fair share of bloodshed and explosions as forces fight through a chaotic swarm of gun-wielding Somalis. Both sides become organized, and the camerawork resembles more of a video game action scene. Panic sets in when the American plan fails, and viewers cannot help but sympathize with the hopelessness of the situation. The camera team does an excellent job creating a vivid picture of war and, as expected in a Ridley Scott film, dust and debris fly everywhere with images of blood and body parts. The movie ends with Pakistani forces salvaging the situation and a heroic team of soldiers running into the camp as they are cheered on by grateful Somali citizens, which provokes more mixed feelings than clear understanding. Overall, the movie gives a realistic impression of what war is like, with events seeming remarkably authentic.
Of the three films, The Green Berets lacks realism and is the most historically inaccurate. In an attempt to win over the hearts and minds of the American public in support of war, it makes blatant use of propaganda, coming off as inflaming and arrogant. This results in a glamorization of war where the Vietnamese are dehumanized in an effort to portray America as the hero. In contrast, Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down are focused on giving viewers a realistic impression of what it feels like to be in the middle of a war.
Spielberg's film excels in creating memorable scenes for viewers, particularly the battle on the bridge and the Omaha sequence, which are enhanced by the timelessness of the visual effects. Moving cameras create exhilarating scenes, while handheld cameras use jerky movements to achieve a high level of realism. The attention to gory detail is also unmatched, as evidenced by splashes of water and blood onto the lenses during battle sequences. Its historical accuracy is also exemplary. Black Hawk Down, unlike the other two, is deemed racist—evidenced by forces referring to Somalis as "Skinnies." Unlike Wayne's film, which is a good representation of the book, Scott loses some important aspects in the transition from book to film. America's vision of the world and the high regard for U.S. forces is what made the situation difficult, not a failed mission in itself. Compared to Saving Private Ryan, however, the color and lighting in Black Hawk Down are not perfect and do not bring out the crisp atmosphere of Mogadishu. Nevertheless, the film is successful in giving viewers the experience of what being on a battlefield is like.
After comparing the three films, Black Hawk Down stands in a league of its own. Mark Bowden conducted extensive research when writing the book and was part of the film production, which makes the film an accurate representation of the events that took place October 3–4, 1993, while simultaneously honoring the memories of the soldiers involved. The confidence and dedication of the soldiers, the frustrated leaders, and the emotions on the field are captured accurately. The actors fit well into their roles, and the visuals and camerawork are exceptional. Black Hawk Down succeeds most effectively in eliciting sympathy and creating a realistic impression of a historical event.
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