We had the chance to sit down with Oliver Moore, the director of the up and coming gender swapped remake of Saving Private Ryan (1998), and ask him a few questions. Our interviewer began by pointing out that Saving Private Ryan is a genre defining film based on real history, and asked how he planned to do it justice. Excited to be directing his first big studio film and to be at the cutting edge of an important social movement, Moore responded. “Let me begin by saying no one is a bigger feminist than me, and I believe Saving Private Ryan is Steven Spielbergs greatest film. In making Saving Private Rachel: Full throttle I can only hope that the filmmaking, that is to say my technical ability and my willingness to pay homage to his masterpiece can do him justice and satisfy audiences.” Our interviewer pointed out that the movie business is just that, a business, and suggested that this remake was driven by making money more than genuine sympathy for the fight for equality. Moore said in response. “Right now there is a little girl dreaming of the opportunity to bayonet fascists that has historically been denied to her. That is as true a test of Womanhood that every little girl should be allowed to have. If we can help give her that opportunity through parity in representation who is to say doubling our target audience at the same time is a bad thing.” With a wave, he also dismissed the follow up question about wether the merchandising, such as action figures and a clothing line associated with the remake was just another attempt to create a brand, only this time it was at the expense of the still living memory and dignity of peoples actual grandparents. When pressed about the historical aspect and cultural relevance of the film, Moore continued. “In terms of the history we will be faithful to every detail except the fact that there were no women present on Omaha beach. A detail of historical sexism that was reflected in Spielbergs film and has until now has gone unaddressed. Our update, if I may call it that, will provide a much needed feminine touch to the inhumanity and terror of war. For example, in the iconic opening scene, it will be absolute carnage on the beach. As it was historically and in the original film. American soldiers will break down and cry for their mothers. They will see their best friends shot to pieces in front of them. They will scream for a medic while trying to stuff their own intestines back into their guts. While Germans continue to mow down soldiers with impartiality from their fortifications. The Americans will prevail due to their training and through collective and individual acts of bravery. But not before the futility and waste of war is fully exhibited. My point is that poignantly, they will all be women, the Americans, the Germans, the victors, the defeated, the heroes, the cowards, the thousands of dead, all of them.” He paused to let that sink in and then added. “And with modern movie-going technologies like 3D visuals, and the D-BOX vibrating chair it will bring World War Two to life and really make it pop. You will get the authentic World War Two experience for your money. It will feel like you were there.” Moore also told us. “Scarlett Johannson was cast to play the lead role of Captain Miller, the one Tom Hanks played in the original, because its important to us to say that not only can women establish a beachhead in Normandy, liberate France, and set the stage for the eventual outcome of the Western European theatre of World War Two, they can be sexy while doing it as well.” Returning to the historical angle but changing perspectives, our interviewer commented that women had an important role during that period of history. Indeed they were indispensable to the war effort, both on the home front and in uniform. Women worked in factories and produced the materials of war necessary for defeating the fascist war machine. Munitions. Ships. Airplanes. Women served in the auxiliary services as air-raid wardens, evacuation officers, drove fire engines as fire officers, operated trains and trams as conductors, and served as nurses. Traditionally male occupations like engineering began to be filled by women. He also mentioned the 350 000 American women who served at home and abroad in the women’s army, navy, airforce, nursing, and coast guard corps, and that Eisenhower himself said “The contribution of the women of America, wether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non of the invasion effort.” And finally, though many women saw no combat, it was after all their fathers, their brothers, their husbands, and their sons being sent into the meat grinder. He concluded by asking if it would not be more legitimizing to tell their real stories with original movies rather than simply swapping the gender of the characters and pointed out that this is well studied, a powerful story in the fight for equality, and that there is a dearth of films on the subject. Moore paused with a look of sudden clarity, before shaking his head and continuing. “That is beyond the scope the film I am making. Saving Private Ryan doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test. That is the sexism that it will address as well as making the point that women deserve equal opportunity to be conscripted to charge into machine gun fire. Nobody can deny them that.” Finally, Moore was asked again how he responded to the accusation that this is a cynical and tasteless exercise by a studio to cash in on both a financially proven film and a legitimate social movement. Grinning, but visibly frustrated Moore said. “Listen, people love winning World War Two, and Feminism has become quite popular.” He said as he enmeshed his fingers together to illustrate harmony between the two ideological heavyweights, and continued. “There is a robust historical tradition around The Second World War and the staggering loss of life has been described as many things, but never ‘Woke.’ Until now. That’s all we’re doing, we’re just speaking to the kids in their own language to make that period of history relevant again.” Chatting informally, our interviewer asked that though principal photography had just wrapped, and the film still had to go to post production, wether Moore had any plans after this remake. “Oh, the possibilities with this new trend are endless. 12 angry men? A triumph about the role of reasonable doubt and personal biases in a court case? yes. A Tour de force in filmmaking that was ahead of its time? yes. Sexist? yes. Think Twelve angry Women.” He continued. “Psycho. 1960. Arguably the peak of Alfred Hitchcocks oeuvre and his sexism. I look forward to making the gender swapped remake where a women dresses up and role plays as her dead father in order to convince herself to stab a man to death in the shower.” He went on. “American history X. About a female neo nazi. Commando. Originally starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is ripe to be replaced by a female bodybuilder.” He breathed in to catch his breath. “Beautiful.” And added quickly that “The Studio has also expressed interest in an indefinite number of sequels if Saving Private Rachel: Full Throttle is as successful as we think it will be. We might be seeing the launch of a new franchise.”
We had the chance to sit down with Oliver Moore, the director of the up and coming gender swapped remake of Saving Private Ryan (1998), and ask him a few questions. Our interviewer began by pointing out that Saving Private Ryan is a genre defining film based on real history, and asked how he planned to do it justice. Excited to be directing his first big studio film and to be at the cutting edge of an important social movement, Moore responded. “Let me begin by saying no one is a bigger feminist than me, and I believe Saving Private Ryan is Steven Spielbergs greatest film. In making Saving Private Rachel: Full throttle I can only hope that the filmmaking, that is to say my technical ability and my willingness to pay homage to his masterpiece can do him justice and satisfy audiences.” Our interviewer pointed out that the movie business is just that, a business, and suggested that this remake was driven by making money more than genuine sympathy for the fight for equality. Moore said in response. “Right now there is a little girl dreaming of the opportunity to bayonet fascists that has historically been denied to her. That is as true a test of Womanhood that every little girl should be allowed to have. If we can help give her that opportunity through parity in representation who is to say doubling our target audience at the same time is a bad thing.” With a wave, he also dismissed the follow up question about wether the merchandising, such as action figures and a clothing line associated with the remake was just another attempt to create a brand, only this time it was at the expense of the still living memory and dignity of peoples actual grandparents. When pressed about the historical aspect and cultural relevance of the film, Moore continued. “In terms of the history we will be faithful to every detail except the fact that there were no women present on Omaha beach. A detail of historical sexism that was reflected in Spielbergs film and has until now has gone unaddressed. Our update, if I may call it that, will provide a much needed feminine touch to the inhumanity and terror of war. For example, in the iconic opening scene, it will be absolute carnage on the beach. As it was historically and in the original film. American soldiers will break down and cry for their mothers. They will see their best friends shot to pieces in front of them. They will scream for a medic while trying to stuff their own intestines back into their guts. While Germans continue to mow down soldiers with impartiality from their fortifications. The Americans will prevail due to their training and through collective and individual acts of bravery. But not before the futility and waste of war is fully exhibited. My point is that poignantly, they will all be women, the Americans, the Germans, the victors, the defeated, the heroes, the cowards, the thousands of dead, all of them.” He paused to let that sink in and then added. “And with modern movie-going technologies like 3D visuals, and the D-BOX vibrating chair it will bring World War Two to life and really make it pop. You will get the authentic World War Two experience for your money. It will feel like you were there.” Moore also told us. “Scarlett Johannson was cast to play the lead role of Captain Miller, the one Tom Hanks played in the original, because its important to us to say that not only can women establish a beachhead in Normandy, liberate France, and set the stage for the eventual outcome of the Western European theatre of World War Two, they can be sexy while doing it as well.” Returning to the historical angle but changing perspectives, our interviewer commented that women had an important role during that period of history. Indeed they were indispensable to the war effort, both on the home front and in uniform. Women worked in factories and produced the materials of war necessary for defeating the fascist war machine. Munitions. Ships. Airplanes. Women served in the auxiliary services as air-raid wardens, evacuation officers, drove fire engines as fire officers, operated trains and trams as conductors, and served as nurses. Traditionally male occupations like engineering began to be filled by women. He also mentioned the 350 000 American women who served at home and abroad in the women’s army, navy, airforce, nursing, and coast guard corps, and that Eisenhower himself said “The contribution of the women of America, wether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non of the invasion effort.” And finally, though many women saw no combat, it was after all their fathers, their brothers, their husbands, and their sons being sent into the meat grinder. He concluded by asking if it would not be more legitimizing to tell their real stories with original movies rather than simply swapping the gender of the characters and pointed out that this is well studied, a powerful story in the fight for equality, and that there is a dearth of films on the subject. Moore paused with a look of sudden clarity, before shaking his head and continuing. “That is beyond the scope the film I am making. Saving Private Ryan doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test. That is the sexism that it will address as well as making the point that women deserve equal opportunity to be conscripted to charge into machine gun fire. Nobody can deny them that.” Finally, Moore was asked again how he responded to the accusation that this is a cynical and tasteless exercise by a studio to cash in on both a financially proven film and a legitimate social movement. Grinning, but visibly frustrated Moore said. “Listen, people love winning World War Two, and Feminism has become quite popular.” He said as he enmeshed his fingers together to illustrate harmony between the two ideological heavyweights, and continued. “There is a robust historical tradition around The Second World War and the staggering loss of life has been described as many things, but never ‘Woke.’ Until now. That’s all we’re doing, we’re just speaking to the kids in their own language to make that period of history relevant again.” Chatting informally, our interviewer asked that though principal photography had just wrapped, and the film still had to go to post production, wether Moore had any plans after this remake. “Oh, the possibilities with this new trend are endless. 12 angry men? A triumph about the role of reasonable doubt and personal biases in a court case? yes. A Tour de force in filmmaking that was ahead of its time? yes. Sexist? yes. Think Twelve angry Women.” He continued. “Psycho. 1960. Arguably the peak of Alfred Hitchcocks oeuvre and his sexism. I look forward to making the gender swapped remake where a women dresses up and role plays as her dead father in order to convince herself to stab a man to death in the shower.” He went on. “American history X. About a female neo nazi. Commando. Originally starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is ripe to be replaced by a female bodybuilder.” He breathed in to catch his breath. “Beautiful.” And added quickly that “The Studio has also expressed interest in an indefinite number of sequels if Saving Private Rachel: Full Throttle is as successful as we think it will be. We might be seeing the launch of a new franchise.”
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