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*All of Saving Private Ryan's special features are found on disc two, spread out between two categories: Saving Private Ryan and Shooting War. *The latter (480p, 1:28:05), narrated by Tom Hanks, is a fascinating documentary that chronicles World War II through the lens of the film camera, the first war to be so extensively be captured on film. The piece begins with the U.S.' unpreparedness for Pearl Harbor and the unpreparedness of cameramen to shoot the coming multi-front war. The documentary looks first at Director John Ford's Oscar-winning short films on Pearl Harbor and the battle of Midway and follows to look at the history of the war through both black-and-white and color combat footage and still photographs on land, sea, and air, and the role of combat cameramen in the war effort, all the way through to the end of the war in the Pacific theater in 1945. The piece examines combat photography in both the Pacific and European fronts, and like Saving Private Ryan, it features several disturbing and graphic scenes. *The Saving Private Ryan tab opens up a long list of additional extras. *An Introduction (480p, 2:35) features Director Steven Spielberg sharing scenes from the World War II films he shot as a child, his fascination with the era, and the picture's place in film history for the veterans who fought in the war. *Looking Into the Past (480p, 4:40) again features Spielberg, this time discussing his research for the film, the events on which the film is based, and his approach in making the film an authentic recreation of war. *Miller and His Platoon (480p, 8:23) examines the collaboration between Spielberg and Hanks and continues on to look at the additional characters and the attributes they display in the film. *Boot Camp (480p, 7:37) examines the contributions of Military Advisor/Actor Dale Dye and the difficulties of the cast's physical and military training in preparation for the film. *Making 'Saving Private Ryan' (480p, 22:05), a solid examination of the process that was the construction of the film, featuring Director Steven Spielberg speaking on his style, the film's place in his career, and how the shooting experience differed from other pictures he's made; an examination of the shooting locations used in the film and the authenticity of the sets, props, and wardrobes; the work of Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and the look of the film; and the importance of creating an authentic World War II chronicle. *Re-Creating Omaha Beach (480p, 17:58) begins with a brief historical overview of the Omaha Beach invasion and moves on to look at the authenticity of the sequence, shooting in Ireland, the use of Irish troops in support roles in the film, the collection of weapons issued to the actors, shooting the landing scenes, the realism of the shoot and the chaos of the set as an authentic military engagement recreation, the stunts of the sequence, the importance of safety and capturing the finest of details for the sequence, and more. *Music and Sound (480p, 15:59) features Composer John Williams speaking on the role of music in the film and how it fits within the realm of the Spielberg/Williams collaborations, while Sound Designer Gary Rydstrom speaks on how the absence of music enhanced the realism of the battle scenes, his research to create the most realistic period sound possible, the process of editing the sounds together, and the construction of the sound design for the film's epic climactic battle in Ramelle. *Into the Breach: 'Saving Private Ryan' (480p, 25:01) is a quality behind-the-scenes piece that features cast, crew, World War II veterans, and Historian Stephen Ambrose speaking on the real-life events surrounding the Normandy invasion; stories of brothers killed in combat; the story and themes of Saving Private Ryan; the picture's realism; Steven Spielberg's early films, inspirations, and fascination with the World War II era; the actors' physical and military training for the roles; the picture's legacy; and more. Some of the material in this supplement repeats parts of other extras found elsewhere on the disc. *Parting Thoughts (480p, 3:43) features Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg sharing a few final thoughts on the picture's themes and importance. *Saving Private Ryan theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:16) and the film's Re-Release trailer (1080p, 2:05). |
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