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Saving Private Ryan (D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition) Customer Reviews (61 - 63 of 89 Reviews)

Powerful, stunning, emotional and memorable
This is a movie for the ages but certainly not for the faint hearted or the squeamish. From the explicit bloodshed and graphic violence of Normandy, to the casual grousing of the enlisted men, to Ambrose's band of brothers mentality that clearly emerges, one can't help but admire this generation and the deft handling of the topic by Speilberg. Small, overwhelming scenes include Ryan's mother collapsing on the porch upon the appearence of her minister bearing obviously terrible news and George Marshall's somber reading of Abraham Lincoln's letter to another war mother, eighty years earlier. As Captain John Miller, Tom Hanks' mission is the basis for the film, to save the one survising brother of the decimated Ryan family, a mission both simple yet daunting. And as great as Tom Hanks filled this role, my helmet goes out to Ted Sizemore for his "we're in business!" gung ho attitude and skills.

Miller may have died due to his own humanity in sparing a German prisoner. Private Ryan had to be haunted by Captain Miller's dying whisper, "Earn this!" When Ryan, fifty years later, turns to his wife and pleads: "Tell me I've lived a good life," my eyes well with tears of respect and admiration for all concerned with the real and imagined Private Ryans.

See it. Buy it. Remember it.

Shakespeare in Love?
This movie was shafted at the 1998 Academy Awards. Just goes to show you that Hollywood doesnt have the depth to understand a film of this magnitude. Gross injustice is the best way I can describe the snub. Sure there are some parts of the film that appear to be a little unbelieveable and perhaps a bit embellished. All in all the film is an amazing portal into the Normandy invasions and spares us the Hollywood glitz that too many war movies in the past have shown. Tom Hanks best role and Stephen Spielbers finest moment on the silver screen. The tandem is golden and certainly showed in the "follow up" Band of Brothers. This ranks in my top 5 films of all time. Words cant express its emotional stranglehold on your heart and soul. The buzz is there will be an HBO miniseries preimering in 2005 focusing on the Pacific theater of WWII. Should make for some mind blowing viewing.

A Tribute to Heros
I was compelled to write this review based on some of the incredibly ignorant, self-serving reviews listed below. It always strikes me how some viewers will see a movie and then are appalled when it isn't 100% historically accurate. In the movie "Field of Dreams" Joe Jackson is depicted as a right handed hitter, so I guess this movie should be considered a bomb, after all Shoeless Joe was a lefty. Perhaps if you cynical viewers out there lightened up a little and came down off your high pedestals you might actually add a little enjoyment and enrichment to your lives. It's funny, I don't ever recall Mr. Spielberg, or Mr. Hanks or anyone else associated with this film spouting on about how Saving Private Ryan was intended to be 100% historically accurate. Yet people are peeved when an incorrect tank, half- track or weapon is used in a battle sequence. Gee the movie stinks because the sky was a bit too sunny during the landing sequence on Omaha beach. It's a movie folks not some history class at Harvard, get over yourselves already.

The movie recreates the landing on Omaha beach in a horrifying manner. It does a very good job conveying to the viewer the many mishaps the men encountered. Despite all the planning, preparation, war games, etc., the landings were in many ways haphazard. Unfortunately Omaha was a very heavily fortified beach head in Normandy and the Americans landing there where cut down by the thousands. Men landed in the wrong sectors, equipment didn't work, lines where crossed. Ultimately the Americans finally did get off Omaha beach but not without a tremendous cost.

The movie is loosely based on a factual occurrence. During WW II an American soldier was in fact pulled off the line in the Normandy theater and sent home because three of his brothers where killed in action. The movie takes the liberty to build off this to allow the viewer to enter the world of the WW II combat army ranger. Going forward a small unit of army rangers embarks on a mission to find a 101st airborne solder (Matt Damon) who has lost 3 brothers (KIA). The orders are that he be found and then sent home to the states so that his family will not have to endure the loss of another son. As the movie progresses the viewer is drawn into various combat encounters culminating with an intense battle which takes place in a small French village. The battle scenes are outstanding, especially the last epic WW II battle in the village. I thought the acting was very well done. Tom Hanks as usual was excellent, as was Ed Burns, and Tom Sizemore. Matt Damon also was excellent in his supporting role.

The message here is plain and simple. This movie was meant as a tribute to a generation of brave men who put their lives on the line for all of us. Men who's lives were interrupted and taken away at much too young an age. The film does an excellent job conveying the horror and hell these men encountered. For me, this is the films message, and I think it more than accomplished its goal. I've seen some people pan this film because it too clearly defines the lines between good and evil, or that it glorifies war. Sorry, that notion is nothing more than a bunch of bunk. I just don't see anyone running to sign up for the Army or Marines after watching the first 20 minutes of this film. The fact is, there has never been a time in the history of the world where the lines between good and evil where more clearly defined than in WW II. The estimated death toll in WW II (military & civilian) is listed at "48,231,700". Almost 50 million lives lost; let that number sink in a little before you blowhards out there write another one of your ignorant reviews about how over blown the notion between good vs. evil is depicted in this film.

The films focus is on a small American Army Ranger unit, it wasn't intended to be a modern day version of "The Longest Day" or a comprehensive narration of D Day. The direction the film takes should in no way be perceived as a slight toward the other brave allies who fought to rid the world of Nazi tyranny. A collective fighting will was needed to prevail, and we must never forget the great sacrifices all of the allies made to defend our freedoms. This film offers the viewer a lasting image of the level of sacrifice that was made.

Thank you to the WW II Generation who preserved our freedom and liberty.

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