Main Task 2.5 - (Comparison of Sequences)

The two sequences that I will be analysing are the opening sequences of Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Pineapple Express (2008).
Saving Private Ryan has won 5 Academy Awards® and 11 nominations. The plot follows the efforts of Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and his company as they search for Private Ryan to remove him from the front line in France following the D-Day landings. The opening sequence is of an unidentified man at a cemetery in Normandy.
In Pineapple Express is a comedy film featuring Seth Rogen from the makers of Super Bad. It follows the main character, Dale and his 'dealer' Sol as they look to clear their names. Dale witness a rival drug gang murder and is traced by the gang. The opening scene of Pineapple Express is the introduction of Dale. The films contrast one another through many factors.
A key difference between the two films in terms of characters is that in Pineapple Express the audience is presented with details of their central protagonist. This is done through dialogue as he is driving and speaking on a call-in radio show. At the first glimpse the viewer sees of the protagonist behind the wheel of the car he is introduced by the radio presenter as Dale Denton. However, in Saving Private Ryan, there is no dialogue which means there is inclination as to who the character is. This creates an atmosphere of dramatic tension - leaving the audience thinking and in suspense wondering whether they find out who this person is.
Another difference stemming from the previous point is that in Pineapple Express the audience is introduced to their central protagonist, yet, in Saving Private Ryan the character the audience is presented to is not the central protagonist.
As well as being introduced to Dale the audience is also presented with his lifestyle; from where he speaks of the legalising of marijuana and the awkwardness of talking to a 'dealer'. From this the viewer is presented with the idea that the plot will have relevance to marijuana. Likewise, in Saving Private Ryan, we, as an audience, can gain some foreboding of the narrative. With the little information the viewer is given - the setting of a cemetery - and preconceived knowledge of the film in relation to the genre, one can assume there will be a reflection of past events. This happens as the camera zooms into the man's eyes; from this point the story of actually Saving Private Ryan begins.
Whereas in Pineapple Express the viewer is introduced to their initial character instantly, the audience only finds out that the man in the opening of Saving Private Ryan is actually Private Ryan himself relieving the dramatic tension set out at the beginning.
When, in Saving Private Ryan, Captain Miller finds Private Ryan, Ryan appears to be ungrateful, disrespectful and unwilling; however, returning to the opening sequence, he appears respectful, contrasting his character later in the film. In Pineapple Express, Dale appears happy go lucky and at the end of the film following 'the showdown' he doesn't seem to alter his attitude like Ryan does. This could be down to the genre and moral of the respective films; Saving Private Ryan is emotionally driven and is considered a serious film in terms of its moral whereas Pineapple Express, on the other hand, is viewed as a fun film and is shown not to be taken seriously as the events portrayed are farfetched and exasperated unlike those of Saving Private Ryan which have been considered relatively accurate by historians in terms of its context and 'real' properties.


Pineapple Express; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaw8bjNjtQ0
Saving Private Ryan; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJANhWizUY