The Use of Visual Arguments and Aspects in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down"

Both of the previews are for war movies; however the ways that the movies are portrayed in the previews are vastly different. In the Saving Private Ryan trailer started with the scene where the mother is told about the loss of her sons. This sets the mood for the entirety of the trailer. Then when the men are on the beaches of Normandy, the viewer can really see the fear in the men’s eyes. The frantic motion of the cameras along with quick, jittery shots adds to the whole nervous, dangerous feel of the preview. The trailer then pans to the men walking over a grassy hill and through a destroyed town, accompanied by a change in music. This seems to lighten the mood of the trailer, until it shows the soldiers crying and the desperation on their faces. This image gives a seemingly real picture to the fighting and the emotions that the soldiers experience during the war. All of the text that plays through the preview builds up the anticipation to see the film, such as “Top Ten Film” and “Best Picture” awards, ending at the resolution with “Tom Hanks” and “A Film by Steven Spielberg.” The images leading up to the end of the trailer built suspense ending with the resolution of the preview with the title of the movie as well as a calming and resolution of the music.
Black Hawk Down, even though it too is a movie about rescuing people in a warzone, the trailer shows war in a very different connotation. The very first thing in the preview is “Based on an Actual Event” which builds credibility for the film. Then, the rundown houses are shown along with the line “This isn’t a war. It’s Genocide” give a very powerful message that the United States action was absolutely necessary. Then the flashing 18 image makes the war real for many viewers, because much of the targeted audience is around that age. It makes the movie “real” for many people. Then the image of the men repelling into battle shows that the war is real and entices the viewer to see the movie. The Blackhawks flying over the beach in formation give a sense of superiority and strength. Then when the helicopter takes a hit from the rocket, suddenly the camera jumps from person to build suspense and tension. Then the trailer shows the Unites States soldiers preparing to fight, and then shows a mass of the militiamen, which gives a feeling of fear of being outnumbered. The overall tone of this preview is much more positive and hopeful than the other trailer because it shows the soldiers banding together to rescue their stranded allies. The music constantly intensifies, and it is a much happier song than that of the Saving Private Ryan. There are several quotes about how fighting is about “the man standing next to you” and “Don’t let that man crawl! Somebody help that man!” show the opposite of the other trailer, which is that war is tragic, as opposed to this trailer which shows how war can bring out the best in people. The ending with the classic line: “No one gets left behind” really sums up the whole mood of the trailer.