Religion in pop cultureFinal essay Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone, and "Saving Private Ryan", directed by Steven Spielberg, are two films rich in Christian symbolism. Both films contain scripture, Platoon opens with it, and in Saving Private Ryan there is a character who often quotes scripture. Although there are some similarities between the two films, such as the figure of Christ and the conflict between good and evil, there are metaphors that 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 the lost homecoming than the struggle between good and evil. Saving Private Ryan strongly features the theme of "God's work" and "God's will" as Platoon faces the greatest struggle between good and evil, and even more so the chaos of war; although both films display Christian metaphors, they differ in their presentation of 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 Ryan James Ryan (Matt Damon.) and send him home. Ryan has three other brothers who were killed in combat, and the U.S. government has issued orders for his return. The dichotomy between good and evil is a common theme in both 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.) representing "Good" versus the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) representing "Evil." ... middle of paper .... There is no "Gods Work" aspect in Platoon, like in Saving Private Ryan. Both films feature Christian metaphors, but both films handle it in different ways. It works Quoted1. Avent, Beck "The Christian Allegorical Structure of "Platoon".". Salisbury University, 1 January 1992. Web. .2. Hollydood Jesus. Np, nd Web. April 24, 2014.3. “The Role of Religion in Saving 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. .