Saving Private Ryan

It begins as one of the best of...

It begins as one of the best of all time, but the movie weakens every minute, but i have to admit, the last scene is breathtaking.

By jorgen - Sep 25, 2001

At the risk of sounding...

At the risk of sounding un-American, I wasn't all that impressed overall. I saw it with my father, a World War II veteran, and HE wasn't impressed overall. The opening combat sequence was intense, and viscerally effective, but the rest of the movie never seemed particularly realistic to me; it was much more like Spielberg's sanitized version of what World War II must have been like, or should...
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At the risk of sounding un-American, I wasn't all that impressed overall. I saw it with my father, a World War II veteran, and HE wasn't impressed overall. The opening combat sequence was intense, and viscerally effective, but the rest of the movie never seemed particularly realistic to me; it was much more like Spielberg's sanitized version of what World War II must have been like, or should have been like. Tom Hanks played a symbol rather than a role, as did the rest of the cast, in my opinion. A combat veteran I worked with mentioned the scene where the Jewish soldier walks through enemy territory singing Billie Holiday songs, and said contemptuously, "Yeah, that was realistic." I did think that Matt Damon, as always, gave an excellent, subtle performance. In fairness, I've never been a Spielberg fan, and the movie does have some powerful moments, but one viewing was more than enough for me, and I tend to watch movies that really resonate with me repeatedly as the years pass. If they are classics, I'll notice a different facet or quality about the film that I may have missed the first time around, or even the second. Each viewing of a masterpiece can be enlightening in a multitude of ways. Outside of "Jaws", which I'll concede is a masterfully done thriller, there really aren't any Spielberg films that I need to see more than once. Some of them I regret having viewed even once ("War of the Worlds" for example). "Saving Private Ryan" may be one of Spielberg's better movies, but it's still a Spielberg movie.

By edt4 - Dec 8, 2007

NOt just one of the best war...

NOt just one of the best war movies ever made, but one of the best movies ever made. Great acting, great story, great emotions. If you are crying at the end of this movie, then you simply ain't human. DAMN GOOD FLICK!!

By IgnatiusJReilly - Nov 5, 2006

Fortunately, I was never in a...

Fortunately, I was never in a war...and World War 2 was decided about 30 years before i was even born. But I believe the veterans when they say that "Saving Private Ryan" has the most realistic battle scenes ever displayed on film. I love movies with good battle scenes, especially ones that have something INTERESTING to watch in between the battle scenes. If you can relate, THIS is your WW2...
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Fortunately, I was never in a war...and World War 2 was decided about 30 years before i was even born. But I believe the veterans when they say that "Saving Private Ryan" has the most realistic battle scenes ever displayed on film. I love movies with good battle scenes, especially ones that have something INTERESTING to watch in between the battle scenes. If you can relate, THIS is your WW2 movie. This film is a knockout. I still watch it at least twice a week. War dramas are usually boring, but even the drama scenes in this film are inspiring and mesmorizing. My hat goes off to Hanks for proving he can play just about any role...he is 100% believable in his role in this movie. I could go on and on, but I'll cap it off with this: "Saving Private Ryan" is recommended to anyone and everyone who wants to see the best war movie ever made.

By Jeremy00081 - Nov 3, 2006

The 15 minute journey into hell...

The 15 minute journey into hell that was featured as the American forces stormed the beach at Normandy was perhaps the most riviting and horrifyingly true to life cinema that has ever been created. The audience is right in there amongst the carnage as bodies are being torn apart and young lives are lost in the most unnatural ways. I don't see any politics being played out here, just stark, naked...
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The 15 minute journey into hell that was featured as the American forces stormed the beach at Normandy was perhaps the most riviting and horrifyingly true to life cinema that has ever been created. The audience is right in there amongst the carnage as bodies are being torn apart and young lives are lost in the most unnatural ways. I don't see any politics being played out here, just stark, naked reality. Although the actual occurrences of DDay outstripped these terrible scenes a thousandfold, from the accounts of surviving soldiers who were there, the film comes closer than any of it's predecessors. The story is secondary to the horrors lived out on screen and Spielberg outdoes himself as a director of visuals. The progression of this great director's career has been amazing. As his budgets rise, his films seem to grow exponentially.

By Robbo59 - Jan 19, 2006