Religion in Pop CultureFinal EssayPlatoon, directed by Oliver Stone, and "Saving Private Ryan," directed by Steven Spielberg, are two films steeped in Christian symbolism. Both films feature scripture, Platoon opens with it, and in Saving Private Ryan there is a character who quotes scripture often. Although there are some similarities between the two films, such as the presence of a Christ figure and a conflict between good and evil, certain metaphors make the films different from each other. Platoon features more complex metaphors and focuses on a power struggle between two characters who represent good and evil. The metaphors in Saving Private Ryan are obvious and focused more on returning the lost home, rather than the struggle between good and evil. Saving Private Ryan strongly presents the theme of "God's work" and "God's will" while Platoon addresses the greater struggle between good and evil, and more so the chaos of war; Although both films display Christian metaphors, the films differ in the presentation of their Christian themes. “Saving Private Ryan,” directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1998. The film, set in France during World War II, follows a small squadron of men. led by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) on a mission to find Private James Ryan (Matt Damon.) and send him home. Ryan has three other brothers who were killed in action and the U.S. government has issued orders for his return. The dichotomy of good and evil is a common theme in Christianity and the Bible and plays an important role in this film. World War II was a conflict between the Allied Forces (United States, United Kingdom, etc.) who represent "Good" and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) who represent "Evil." ... middle of paper ......ated. There is no aspect of "Gods Work" in Platoon, as in Saving Private Ryan. Both films feature Christian metaphors, but the two films handle them in different ways. Cited1. Advent, Beck. “The Christian allegorical structure of “Plato”. » . Web.2. April 24, 2014.3. Religion to Save Private Ryan." Brianboyleshistorythroughfilmblog. Np, nd Web. April 24, 2014. 4. Allbritton, Jay M. Religion and Politics in Vietnam War Films. Thesis. University of Flordia, 2003. Np: np, nd Web.. .