What is your religion / faith?

[Buddha 3]

Haha, I see your point now.

But it's still wrong. Why do you think that Hanks' last words to little Jimmy Ryan are "earn this"? Basically saying your ass better be worth me getting blown to hell...

You say this:

The mission is very controversial, but if by doing it he earns the right to go home to his wife, then that is fine by him and this must be the right thing, for HIM to do.

While the movie is saying this:

The mission is very controversial, but if by doing it he earns the right to go home to his wife, then that is fine by him.

Also, it seems you are making your words weaker now. Your original posting hinted at the mission being The Right Thing. Now it's just the right thing to do for just one guy...

Anyway, let's drop this movie, as you were trying to make a point. All I'm saying is that the movie had nothing to do with your point. But that does not take anything away (or add) to your point. In my opinion you just used a wrong example, that's all.

 

[Skeet]

Haha, I see your point now.

But it's still wrong. Why do you think that Hanks' last words to little Jimmy Ryan are "earn this"? Basically saying your ass better be worth me getting blown to hell...

You say this:



While the movie is saying this:



Also, it seems you are making your words weaker now. Your original posting hinted at the mission being The Right Thing. Now it's just the right thing to do for just one guy...

Anyway, let's drop this movie, as you were trying to make a point. All I'm saying is that the movie had nothing to do with your point. But that does not take anything away (or add) to your point. In my opinion you just used a wrong example, that's all.

Cool

Nah, not the mission being the right thing in itself. Point being, "if I do this thing, maybe I will get to go home to my wife".

I started by saying that I try and do good deeds for people, in the hope that it may come back to me somehow.

It is a Good Deed, to Ryan's mother, I think is my point. Whether the the sacrifice of many men is right or not, is not the point, but the intended result, is a good deed.

The balance (Karmic) is brought about after Ryan is saved. Ryan recognises what people went through to ensure his survival and so, led his life in a way befitting of that sacrifice. Ryan's debt to (that's it, Miller!)...Miller and his men is paid (he hopes).

"Tell me I am a good man...."

I thank you for you words Buddha

 

[vmaxnick]

I love the way this thread refuses to leave Shaving Ryans Privates alone!

It is a damn fine film though!

Nearly as good as "Deliverance!"

Now theres a film we should be quoting from! It's got everything; Crackers, Rednecks, Homosesexologisticals, religion, philosophy, Burt Reynolds! No Black people though as I recall, and no Chuck Norris, mores the pity!

 

[Skeet]

I love the way this thread refuses to leave Shaving Ryans Privates alone!

It is a damn fine film though!

Nearly as good as "Deliverance!"

Now theres a film we should be quoting from! It's got everything; Crackers, Rednecks, Homosesexologisticals, religion, philosophy, Burt Reynolds! No Black people though as I recall, and no Chuck Norris, mores the pity!

I have to see that sometime...just never seen it... can play a bit of the tune though

I'm not sure. Buddha has said I chose a bad example for what I wanted to say. However, I think SPR, has quite some relevance to this topic, now that I think about it.

Take Jackson. Jackson is the sniper with the southern accent. He quite clearly believes in God and talks to him constantly during the film.

His Belief is that God, made him a "...fine instrument of warfare...".
Has his choice of Religion made him a good sniper? I doubt it very much, but his faith in God gives him the focus that a sniper needs, in which to do his job well.

He talks to God, while he is killing his enemy.
I had to resort to Googling quotes here:

Bleesed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to the war, and my fingers to fight.

My shield, and he in whom I trust

I don't think we find anything of Ryan's belief or religion in the film, but I think his final speech makes my point and mirrors my approach to life.
So I shall end with that and go find someplace quiet to cry

My family is with me today. They wanted to come with me. To be honest with you, I wasn't sure how I'd feel coming back here. Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me.

 

[MissyQ]

Yes we are.

But when we're done, we'll be moving on to Pooty Tang, Don't be a menace to South Central while drinking your juice in the hood, Houseparty and the latest Katt Williams stand up, so you'll feel right at home.

Sa-da-tay my brother. Let me know when you're ready and I'll shine my kitty on the runny kine.
wa-da-tie.

 

[Buddha 3]

Cool

Nah, not the mission being the right thing in itself. Point being, "if I do this thing, maybe I will get to go home to my wife".

I started by saying that I try and do good deeds for people, in the hope that it may come back to me somehow.

It is a Good Deed, to Ryan's mother, I think is my point. Whether the the sacrifice of many men is right or not, is not the point, but the intended result, is a good deed.

The balance (Karmic) is brought about after Ryan is saved. Ryan recognises what people went through to ensure his survival and so, led his life in a way befitting of that sacrifice. Ryan's debt to (that's it, Miller!)...Miller and his men is paid (he hopes).

"Tell me I am a good man...."

I thank you for you words Buddha

The response here is also in response to your last post.

I forgive you for not knowing the state of mind of the avarage GI in WW2. It's pretty safe to assume that your library and interest in the period is not as big as mine (which is no problem, we can't all have the same interests).
I have a gargantuan pile of books detailing the personal experiences, feelings and thoughts of the soldier in the field, many of which were used extensively for the script and screenplay of SPR.
One thing that I like about SPR is that it just shows. It doesn't explain. Which is a fault with many movies. Many movies would have felt the need to explain why the Overlord landings would have to be done, why the airborne was as scattered as they were and so on. SPR just goes "it is what it is".

Bringing back Ryan would not earn captain Miller the right to go home to his wife. Only the end of hostilities would. The thought process of the avarage GI was that every mission would bring victory one step closer and victory would mean that big boat home (this is hinted at when Miller talks to the Airborne captain). The basic thinking was that "if I have to do X in order to bring victory closer, which will get me home, then that's what I'll do."
That's the context in which Miller's (Hanks) remark should be viewed.

Old-age Ryan's remark to his wife is a no brainer. Any loving wife would say that her husband was a good man. But in reality his life was most likely nothing special. The whole point of the movie is that no life is worth that kind of sacrifice. Miller even discusses this with Horvath, telling him how he explains away having his own men killed as saving the lives of more of his men.

The whole point of the movie is this: In war people die. Horribly. And no matter how you try to put some moral fiber to it, it's never good, always bad.

And that's the end of the discussion on this movie. I love the flick, even though it's full of mistakes, but this thread is going way off topic. Next person to continue the thread jack, gets a few days off.
Feel free to PM me about it though, or if you want to know about the historical mistakes.

 

[Polly]

As far as I am concerned, religion/god is a creation of the human mind to explain what we otherwise can't explain. Logical and rational thinking leads me to believe its all bull. If it works for you thats cool though.

 

[Kat]

As far as I am concerned, religion/god is a creation of the human mind to explain what we otherwise can't explain. Logical and rational thinking leads me to believe its all bull. If it works for you thats cool though.

I like that.

Polly you big philosopher!

 

[Echowitch]

As far as I am concerned, religion/god is a creation of the human mind to explain what we otherwise can't explain. Logical and rational thinking leads me to believe its all bull. If it works for you thats cool though.

Close to my anthropological view of organised religions that incorporate a deity. Its the "parent" system. We as children question what, why, how, and ask our parents. They are our primary point of reference. Later on we have teachers, and other sources of information but our parents are still really the most important. Even as we grow older and have children of our own we look to our parents for guidance.

But what happens when you are so old you have no one to turn to to ask why, what, how ? Et voila deities. A parental figure to look to for guidance, as an example of how to live our lives, why, what, etc. They might lead by example like the Roman and Greek pantheon's were setup to do via stories of the deities lives, or they might set down rules like the Abrahamic "God". Many of these deities have prophets. Individuals who believe themselves to be divinely inspired. Why do people listen to them ? Because they are one step up from a Priest, they are basically a big jump closer to the big cheese in peoples eyes and thats why its so easy for people to follow them. They are like big brothers/sisters who have more knowledge.

The whole point of the movie is that no life is worth that kind of sacrifice. Miller even discusses this with Horvath, telling him how he explains away having his own men killed as saving the lives of more of his men.

But thats human nature. To throw ourselves in harms way to save others. Star Trek said it best, "The needs of the One, outweigh the needs of the many." Afghanistan and Iraq (recently) have shown us that great expense of lives and resources mobilise to save just one friend/comrade. One example that springs to mind is a group of Royal Marines going in (clinging to the side of Apache helicopter gunships) to save one injured Marine. An risk analyst would say no way to that mission as it wasn't cost effective to risk multiple lives and millions of quid in hardware to save one man. But to those Royal Marines that one life was priceless and worth the risk. Its what we do as human beings. If they left him they'd be accused of being inhuman.

Ok the scenario with Private Ryan is slightly different, but the mentality isn't. Human emotion. One individual spotted that this poor mother had lost all but one of her son's, and a senior officer reacted to the same emotion.

 

[Buddha 3]

Sigh....

The only reason Ryan (the real life example was named Nylund by the way) was sent home, was PR. No more, no less...
Please don't discuss history based on movies. Really not a smart thing to do. Read a book instead.

And since you bother quoting me, but failed to bother reading the rest of my post, that's 24 hours off for you. Sorry.