Forget Matt Damon – this is the most important character to save Private Ryan

Matt Damon may play the titular character in Saving Private Ryanbut one could argue that another is more important to the film’s thematic explorations. For many reasons, Saving Private Ryan It is considered one of the best war films of all time. From the assembled cast and the intriguing, all-too-human characters they play to the spectacle-filled battle scenes that are equal parts thrilling and traumatizing, it’s clear from the moment Saving Private Ryanis ending which is a truly special film.

In the head of Saving Private RyanIt stars Tom Hanks as John Miller, a U.S. Army captain who is forced to venture into war-torn Europe to find a young soldier named James Ryan. As mentioned, Ryan is played by Matt Damon and serves as the focal point of the entire film. While this remains true and Ryan is an excellent character in terms of exploration Saving Private RyanDespite the many thematic elements of a war film loosely based on a true story, another character may be even more important, despite being less obvious.

Upham is the real main character in Saving Private Ryan

Upham’s journey is powerful and tragically real

The character in question is Upham. Timothy Upham is originally introduced in the film as a staff assistant who primarily acts as a translator, due to his knowledge of the French and German languages. Played by Jeremy Davies, Saving Private Ryan strongly advocates that Upham be the main character in the film. One of the reasons for this is how much he stands out compared to the other countless characters who are brought together as part of Miller’s team to find the titular soldier.

Although each of the characters introduced to Saving Private Ryan has their own time to shine, none of them are as focused as Upham. Most of the other characters develop due to their acts of bravery in the field, as well as their camaraderie with each other, which allows insights into their lives before the war. This allows them to become great characters, but none of them ever surpass Hanks’ Miller or Damon’s Ryan in importance – none, except Upham. Through Upham’s character arc, a solid case is made for him being the true main character of Saving Private Ryan.

Upham’s character is transformed throughout the film

From a shy man to a battle-weary soldier

A big factor in this argument for Saving Private Ryan What supports the idea of ​​Upham being the main character in the film is his character arc. Upham’s introduction into the film is excellent at conveying who he is as a person; he is confused when Miller recruits him, both in words and actions. He awkwardly tells Miller that he has never seen combat and should therefore be reconsidered for Miller’s team. He then knocks over a bookshelf before grabbing a German soldier’s helmet instead of his own, highlighting how shy, timid and awkward he really is.

Throughout the film, after this scene, Upham’s compassion for others shines above his queerness without diminishing it. This makes him a very sympathetic figure, as does the fact that he is somewhat intimidated by the more typical soldiers in Miller’s crew. Regardless of the situation, Upham’s compassion is highlighted, from filling the water canteens of comrades who belittle him to using his language skills to try to avoid conflict or comfort French civilians. affected by the war.

However, it is in the third act of the film that Upham’s transformation occurs through the character “Steamboat Willie”, a German soldier who is captured by Miller’s unit. Upham shows compassion for the German, sharing water and cigarettes with him before begging Miller not to execute him. Miller spares the soldier, taking him to Saving Private Ryanthe final action setting of the Battle of Ramelle.

During this battle, the crux of Upham’s arc takes place. The most important scene involves exploring whether Upham is a coward in Saving Private Ryan when he becomes paralyzed with fear and lets a German soldier kill his comrade Mellish. This scene has been controversial, with audiences divided between whether Upham’s fear is tragically justified or whether he is simply a coward who should have done more to help. This is the first step in your transformation, and the second will come shortly after.

After Hanks’ Miller is mortally wounded, Upham realizes that it was “Steamboat Willie” who did it. Feeling betrayed and hurt that his compassion for the German resulted in Miller’s death, Upham mercilessly shoots “Steamboat Willie”. This transformation from timid translator to hardened soldier is arguably the film’s most pronounced, providing further support for Upham’s argument to be made. Saving Private Ryanmain character.

Private Ryan hardly appears in the film

The titular character is only introduced in the final act

To further support Upham being positioned as the film’s main character, Matt Damon Saving Private Ryan character barely appears in the story. For the first two-thirds, Ryan is just a faceless soldier that Miller’s unit must catch up to. Ryan serves more as a presence for most of the film, only being introduced in the Battle of Ramelle. Even so, Ryan isn’t the focus of the battle, and it’s only the final scene that – because of how emotional it is – led people to see him as the main character in the Spielberg-directed war project.

Upham’s ending proves how important he is to saving Private Ryan’s message

Upham’s arc conveys the horrors of war as much as Ryan’s

Aside from these more superficial elements of Upham’s character that make him seem Saving Private RyanThe main character, his arc also conveys the film’s thematic messages. It’s worth noting that Ryan’s arc does as well, with his survivor’s guilt at the end of the film aptly portraying the horrors of war, given that several men gave their lives to save him. However, as previously mentioned, Upham’s arc is portrayed much more explicitly, proving that he is vital to Saving Private Ryanthemes.

By showing Upham’s transition into a soldier who will shoot someone without hesitation after being so averse to war and conflict previously, the exploration of how war can change people is typified. The horrors of war and the concepts of revenge, justice, and being a savior are all highlighted in Upham’s story. As such, he is not only more present in the film than Ryan and with a clearer arc, but he is equally important to Saving Private RyanUpham’s deeper elements, meaning the argument for Upham being the film’s main character can’t be easily dismissed.