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Saving Private Ryan - DTS Customer Reviews (28 - 30 of 37 Reviews)

Battlefield Metaphor
The opening sequence of this film alone is worth the purchase price. Without doubt it is the most wrenching, realistic combat sequence ever filmed. Many of the incidents associated with the landing are lifted from Steven Ambrose's excellent book, D Day, since he was a technical advisor to Speilberg. However, to a military man what gives the landing scene amazing verisimilitude is the professionalism of the company commander and his first sergeant, each in separate landing craft. Hanks, who plays the Ranger company commander, is shaking from accumulated combat stress to the point that he is barely able to drink from a canteen. Yet he maintains his composure, cares for his men, and most importantly focuses on accomplishment of his mission despite a landing degenerated into chaos.
Next to a parachute drop the most confusing entry into a battlefield is across a hostile beach. No where is this better portrayed than in Saving Private Ryan. Throughout the film the character, courage and depth of American fighting men is exemplified and respected.
The plot is taken from fact. A soldier in the 101st Airborne lost a brother in the China-Burma-India Theater, another on Utah Beach and a third with the 82nd. In reality a message was sent to the commander of the 101st, General Max Taylor, and the soldier was evacuated across the beach. In Saving Private Ryan, the story becomes a metaphor for the war itself. In what seems a confusing statement Hank's sergeant says 'This could be the best thing we've ever done.' The viewer is uncertain if he is referring to the last, frantic battle to defend a bridge - a critical invasion choke point - or saving Ryan. Or both. That is just one of several mysterious facets that keeps you coming back to the film. What does he really mean here? It is much more than simply an adventure story though as such it can hardly be equalled.
Speilberg has said that he intended this to be an anti-war film. That is also confusing in that his Jewish prisoners were rescued by an Allied advance in Shindler's List and would have died without victory in the war. Perhaps he is caught up in some PC. Nonetheless, these are nits and do not detract from the overall impact of the film.
You will want to see this again, so you need to own it.

"Saving Private Ryan" Delievers! The Years #1 Movie!
From Director Steven Spielberg (Schindlers List; Band of Brothers) comes the most talked about film of 1998 Saving Private Ryan! With A Star Studded Cast, This Film Delievers, In More Ways Than One! In the last great invasion of the last great war, the greatest danger for eight men...was saving one. Internationally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike; Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is an unforgettable film achievement that has profound and lasting impact around the world. Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. More than 70 critics (including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time, Roger Ebert and Entertainment Weekly) and critics' groups in New York, Chicago, FT Worth-Texas and Great Britain named it Best Film of the Year, with the Los Angeles, Toronto and Broadcasting Film Critics honored it with Best Picture and Best Director. In Addition, Steven Spielberg recieved the third Directors Guild of America Award, the American Legion "The Spirit of Normandy" Award, a USO Merit Award from the USO of Metropolitan Washington, as well as the highest civilian public service award from the Department of the Army. Selected for more than 160 Top Ten List's, Saving Private Ryan's other honors include Golden Globes for Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director, the Producers Guild of America Award and ten nominations from the British Academy Film Awards. Saving Private Ryan was also the highest grossing picture of 1998. Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, this story begins with WWII's historic D-Day invasion, then moves beyond the beaches as the men embark on a dangerous mission. Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) must take his squad made up of a battle hardened Sergeant Horvath (Tom Sizemore), relegious sniper (Barry Pepper), a Jewish soldier (Adam Goldber), a cocky Yankee (Edward Burns), a big hearted medic (Giovanni Ribisi) and a "rookie" to battle (Jeremy Davies), to find a Private James Ryan who lost his other three brothers in combat. Faced with the impossible each man starts to question orders. Whats the sense in risking eight men just to save one? Surrounded by the brutalities of war, each man must search for his own answer and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, deceny and courage. One thing that did bug me when I was watching the Academy Awards of 1998 was the fact that this was beat out by American Beauty (also won Best Actor Kevin Spacey, which was a fluke). American Beauty was an absolute delight of a film, but it didnt measure up to the emotional power of Saving Private Ryan. When I bought a DVD Player, this was the first DVD I bought and it was worth every cent, times 1,000. For one of the best war pictures ever, don't miss Saving Private Ryan, its a life altering experience!

bad film for dummies to enjoy
Seeing all the glowing reviews for this terrible cliched film made me depressed. It just shows how no one appeaciates good art-they just want to be spoon fed easy, linear-minded, John-Grisham meets WW 2 storytelling. Orson Welles is rolling in his grave to know what movie making has come to. But for a funny review that is right on, check out the link and think about it...

http://www.beckerfilms.com/spielberg.html

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