MovieChat Forums > Saving Private Ryan (1998) Discussion > *spoiler* Captain Miller's fate bungled

spoiler Captain Miller's fate bungled

posted 8 years ago by Rancor-3
3 replies | jump to latest

What was up with the direction of Captain Miller's death? He randomly decides to just wander aimlessly into a battlefield? Where did that come from?

And the way it played out was really unclear. There was no clear indication that it was Miller whom Steamboat Willie had shot. No reaction shots from Miller or his squad. It seemed like nobody even noticed. I assumed it was just another random soldier's death. When he sits down, it's barely apparent that, yes, he's been shot. Still nobody notices, or tries to help, or even calls to him while he sits in the path of an oncoming tank shooting ineffectually at it with a pistol.

He didn't even pick up whatever junk he wandered out to get, so what was the point? (What was he trying to get, anyway?) I had to rewind and watch it again to understand what had happened.

It was really out of character, and just grasping at an excuse to kill him off for added drama.

[–] RoadKillBill1 8 years ago

He was trying to get to the detonator to blow up the bridge. Yes, it was clear as day that Steamboat Willie was the one who shot Miller. None of the rest of the squad tried to get to him because only Reiben, and Ryan were still alive on that side of the bridge, and Upham was cowering in the crater behind Willie.

You should really pay closer attention to what was on screen before you go off half-cocked.

TNSTAAFL

[–] Rancor-3 8 years ago

I’ve seen the movie twice, and was paying extra attention the second time, because I was so confused the first time, and I still think it was unclear. I think that speaks to how it could have been better directed. It still would have been better if you could *tell* it was Miller who was shot instead of just another random soldier, since there are so many of them dropping like flies.

And what about those two soldiers on that side of the bridge you mentioned? There should have been some kind of reaction shot—from Miller at least! It completely cuts away to something else before we see him sit down.

It does make sense now that he was going for the detonator—I still think it was too unclear to tell what it was—but, still, why did he just wander into the middle of gunfire instead of army crawling to it, or at least making a dive for it? Maybe military training has learned a thing or two since WWII.

[–] phantom2-2 8 years ago

i didn't have any problem telling it was miller getting shot, i thought it was pretty obvious.

reiben and ryan are busy getting shot at and freaking out themselves to react to yet another one of their comrades getting hit.

miller wandered onto the bridge like that because he'd just been nearly blown up by the tank and was stunned/concussed yet still trying to do his assignment and blow up the bridge. this was more realistic than miller having an 88 shell blow up several feet from him and his doing a dramatic combat roll as if he was 100% uninjured. save that sort of thing for the schwarzenegger movies.