Saving Private Ryan

10

Toasty87Jul 12, 2020

This is the film that shows the world Mr Hanks can be a serious actor brilliant from start to finish.

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10

KilliomadnessAug 7, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is for those war vets who survived the war im sad vin diesel died tho but Tom hanks did a good job… Expand

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10

FalroPedusFeb 19, 2022

A masterpiece of war movies, one of If not the best war movie ever made....

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10

FilmFlickCriticMay 5, 2021

This movie does everything its set out to do. Nothing short of a masterpiece. I give all the side role characters just as much credit as Hanks for there performance. For the few that cant be open minded enough to see just how brilliant thisThis movie does everything its set out to do. Nothing short of a masterpiece. I give all the side role characters just as much credit as Hanks for there performance. For the few that cant be open minded enough to see just how brilliant this film captures the feels and reality of the time and the place in which these events actually happened all i can say is maybe this movie just wasn't for you.… Expand

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10

AlpiinooMay 5, 2021

Best WW2 War movie. You realize how horrible D day is...I can say I really cried in some scenes

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10

shumatMay 20, 2021

i saw it last year and i just watch it again, fully recommended as a war film

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10

Rmartin2684May 21, 2021

One of the best movies of all time, not just war movies!!! If you haven't seen it watch it, if you have, watch it again!!

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

HabibiehakimJul 17, 2021

There is no war movie so powerful, so special, so amazing, so impactful, so long but incredible, than 2 hours and 50 minutes of Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, it's not like watching a movie, it's like watching a real war with an amazingThere is no war movie so powerful, so special, so amazing, so impactful, so long but incredible, than 2 hours and 50 minutes of Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, it's not like watching a movie, it's like watching a real war with an amazing camera work that always follow the soldier wherever they go, we are like one of them but we can't do anything besides watching them in pain and die, Spielberg's did it again, making another Masterpiece.… Expand

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10

kartik1Nov 10, 2021

amazing movie.
visuals were great.
acting was superb of every actor.
it makes me think about what happened in WW 1 AND 2

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10

realjaytheboomMar 8, 2022

Saving Private Ryan: When you have Steven Spielberg directing, John Williams doing the score and Tom Hanks staring what could go wrong the answer nothing. I really can’t explain the way this movie make me feel, everything has weight in it, ifSaving Private Ryan: When you have Steven Spielberg directing, John Williams doing the score and Tom Hanks staring what could go wrong the answer nothing. I really can’t explain the way this movie make me feel, everything has weight in it, if these people can’t save Ryan then their screwed. Everything about it is amazing the cast, everyone does a fantastic job obviously Tom Hanks is the standout. I have never seen Tom actually be in a really serious role, I mean in Green Mile he was still serious but still was a light hearted character but in this he’s full on more serious then I’ve ever seen. The score it’s John Williams obviously it’s amazing. Overall just go and watch this movie please. Ranking Masterpiece… Expand

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10

liamexeAug 8, 2022

This is unquestionably the greatest war film I have ever seen! Every time I watch it, I can't help but cry, and just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. What makes it so exceptional is that "Private Ryan" seems to have understood the valueThis is unquestionably the greatest war film I have ever seen! Every time I watch it, I can't help but cry, and just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. What makes it so exceptional is that "Private Ryan" seems to have understood the value of "EARN THIS!" and appears to have truly respected a dying man's request. Regarding the movie sequences All due respect to Steven Spielberg, whose talent makes it seem as though he was present.… Expand

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10

MaveriicJul 16, 2022

It's a masterpiece. The gruesome scenes that accurately depict the horrors of war do make you realise how devastating a war is not just at national level but at personal level as well. The actors were splendid and I couldn't keep my eyes offIt's a masterpiece. The gruesome scenes that accurately depict the horrors of war do make you realise how devastating a war is not just at national level but at personal level as well. The actors were splendid and I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen.… Expand

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10

AmadouIraklidisNov 10, 2022

Really good movie. Incredibly good action, compelling story, good characters, compacted plot. Incredible, iconic scenes.

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10

AravghostthisedMay 14, 2023

I just rewatched this film, well... it is a masterpiece of a film. I love how the ope. scene of Norman beach so good

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10

anddiazSep 2, 2023

The battle for Normandy is one of the most realistic ones in movies, a must-see for the people that like world war 2 stuffs.

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9

DanielDApr 22, 2009

A true work of art and masterpiece in every sense of the word. Maybe it's just because I'm a fan but I don't think I'm being biased when I say that this is one of the greatest motion pictures in the history of the cinema. A true work of art and masterpiece in every sense of the word. Maybe it's just because I'm a fan but I don't think I'm being biased when I say that this is one of the greatest motion pictures in the history of the cinema. The only thing that prevents me from giving it a perfect rating is because I feel the graphic detail of violence, however realistic and brutal reminder of how horrific war can be, leaves no room for imagination. But other than that this is an exceptional film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

ArkonBladeOct 27, 2010

a great war movie set in WWII . although not based on a true story outside the fact of its WWII and the showing of D Day which was brilliantly shot. a very intresting plot of a group of soldiers trying to find private ryan to inform him alla great war movie set in WWII . although not based on a true story outside the fact of its WWII and the showing of D Day which was brilliantly shot. a very intresting plot of a group of soldiers trying to find private ryan to inform him all his brothers died in the war. the acting is great and the visauls are fantastic . my hats off to speilberg for making this great war film .… Expand

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9

TheNewSpielbergApr 28, 2011

Watching this movie drew me in and shook me to the very core with a gritty, realistic and bloody vision of WWII that makes you think "was it justified?". I usually think that Spielberg's earlier Schindlers List was superior, but seeing thisWatching this movie drew me in and shook me to the very core with a gritty, realistic and bloody vision of WWII that makes you think "was it justified?". I usually think that Spielberg's earlier Schindlers List was superior, but seeing this for the first time has changed my outlook completely. One minor complaint is that too many parts of it feel like a full on action movie that could be viewed as disrespectful to the veterans. All in all, a cinematic experience that isn't afraid to shock.… Expand

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9

BlogDog123Jun 14, 2012

I believe that Saving Private Ryan is one of the more accurate portrayal of WWII in film history. It has a stellar cast, incredibly deep character depth (you know, characters that you'll actually care about), and a surprisingly poignant story.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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9

davenbettridgeFeb 5, 2012

Saving Private Ryan was one of the most powerful, intense movie experiences I have had in the cinema. I originally watched this movie in the cinema while sitting next to a WW2 veteran - his reactions were very interesting. Its a great movieSaving Private Ryan was one of the most powerful, intense movie experiences I have had in the cinema. I originally watched this movie in the cinema while sitting next to a WW2 veteran - his reactions were very interesting. Its a great movie with great acting, setting and props and characters to care about. Perhaps its only downside is some of the over done action in the second half. Must See Movie.… Expand

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9

DGDrocks7Aug 25, 2011

Would you risk 8 soldiers for 1? Or vice versa? It's a sad question, but one we can't avoid. This movie show that a death is a death. Unfortunately, it shows that we must pick one or the other, but someone still dies. This is my second timeWould you risk 8 soldiers for 1? Or vice versa? It's a sad question, but one we can't avoid. This movie show that a death is a death. Unfortunately, it shows that we must pick one or the other, but someone still dies. This is my second time watching the movie and it was worth it.… Expand

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9

grandpajoe6191Sep 7, 2011

One of the most realistic WW2 movies, "Saving Private Ryan" has everything; a powerhouse cast, smart action, deep character depth, and a poignant sacrifice.

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9

eagleDec 4, 2011

Saving Private Ryan is an awesome action and realistic movie with heart-pacing plot. It had captured the realism of the WWII and turn it into a movie with exciting plot. It catches your attention and have a ending that will make you remember forever.

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9

pauljohnsonJun 6, 2012

One of the most realistic war movies I've ever seen. There is not a single bad performance from the cast, all of them give solid, sterling performances in their roles, most notably Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon and Jeremy Davies. TheOne of the most realistic war movies I've ever seen. There is not a single bad performance from the cast, all of them give solid, sterling performances in their roles, most notably Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon and Jeremy Davies. The battle scenes are frighteningly real, the opening half hour scene of the vicious Omaha Beach landings are well deserved to be called one of the best movie battle scenes of all time.… Expand

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9

SkYrimzbeastzMar 5, 2012

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this movie, because normally I see a war movie and I don't like it e.g. War horse, platoon etc. I thought the camera angles were good, the acting, the story and best of all the action. This movie is my top ten moviesSurprisingly, I enjoyed this movie, because normally I see a war movie and I don't like it e.g. War horse, platoon etc. I thought the camera angles were good, the acting, the story and best of all the action. This movie is my top ten movies of all time.… Expand

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9

SpangleJan 15, 2014

Phenomenal film. While extremely graphic, it is nice to see a war film that does not sugarcoat anything and this certainly does not sugarcoat a thing. It's tragic, tormenting, and a mixture of being impersonal and personal, all of the thingsPhenomenal film. While extremely graphic, it is nice to see a war film that does not sugarcoat anything and this certainly does not sugarcoat a thing. It's tragic, tormenting, and a mixture of being impersonal and personal, all of the things it should be. Ultimately, it is hard to think of how a war film could be done better.… Expand

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9

Iky009Dec 30, 2013

Raised with a strong performance from Tom Hanks and the entire cast. A Spielberg movie brings firmness to realism and redefines the war genre .

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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9

bradtheman123Jan 5, 2015

For the year t came out (1998) I think it is/was one of the most realistic war movies. The plot was something that was greatly thought of by a mastermind. I think at times the story overtook some action that a typical war movie would have.For the year t came out (1998) I think it is/was one of the most realistic war movies. The plot was something that was greatly thought of by a mastermind. I think at times the story overtook some action that a typical war movie would have. But overall one of the best movies that are certainly on my top 25 list of movies, (Which I don't have something dedicated as a list.)… Expand

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9

spollardMar 8, 2014

What a masterpiece. The depiction of fighting in World War II is incredible to watch and feels very realistic. The set decoration is amazing and with Tom Cruise as lead actor it is tough to go wrong here. However, the movie is almost threeWhat a masterpiece. The depiction of fighting in World War II is incredible to watch and feels very realistic. The set decoration is amazing and with Tom Cruise as lead actor it is tough to go wrong here. However, the movie is almost three hours and does drag on a bit but it has many really terrific scenes. This is a must see and I give it an 89.9 out of 100.… Expand

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9

sammieteeOct 24, 2013

This movie was amazing. Hanks was spectacular and Speilberg did a absolutely amazing job directing. The movie was horrid and hard to watch which makes it an effective war movie. It also pulls at your heart strings in just the right way.This movie was amazing. Hanks was spectacular and Speilberg did a absolutely amazing job directing. The movie was horrid and hard to watch which makes it an effective war movie. It also pulls at your heart strings in just the right way. Couldn't ask for more.… Expand

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9

ScorpionMay 19, 2013

His synopsis may sound stupid and pointless, but its execution makes the movie almost the best of Spielberg, bringing the realistic side of war and hard, and with the performance of Tom Hanks and his platoon the movie becomes an epic ofHis synopsis may sound stupid and pointless, but its execution makes the movie almost the best of Spielberg, bringing the realistic side of war and hard, and with the performance of Tom Hanks and his platoon the movie becomes an epic of stories drama action and sacrifice.… Expand

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9

JmsbppAug 13, 2013

Totalmente y simplemente una buena pelicula, las cosas que buscan varios directores que espesializan en este tema son sorprendidos por el gran director Steven Spielberg quien saca esta produccion al estrellato del exito.

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9

diogomendesMar 21, 2015

"Saving Private Ryan" is a realistic war film that proves itself to be worthy of its own genre, thanks to richly directed performances and tension setup.

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9

RainbowDenixAug 5, 2016

Прекрасный,интересный,крутой,замечательный фильм,кхм что ж начнём,актерская одна их самых лучших что я видел,спецэффекты на высоте,интересный сюжет,как не посмотри этот фильм просто прекрасен,смысла рассказывать о всех плюсах нет,так-как всеПрекрасный,интересный,крутой,замечательный фильм,кхм что ж начнём,актерская одна их самых лучших что я видел,спецэффекты на высоте,интересный сюжет,как не посмотри этот фильм просто прекрасен,смысла рассказывать о всех плюсах нет,так-как все уже давно сказано 10/10… Expand

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9

EpicLadySpongeJan 19, 2016

It doesn't take completely like almost hours for the movie to finish up without hating on it or being bored of it. Likely, Saving Private Ryan is a success that lives up the name of war.

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9

MovieManiac1994Jan 4, 2016

Despite receiving universal critical praise in the US, Saving Private Ryan is not as perfect as everyone's claiming. Yet Spielberg's fourth foray into World War Two does deserve much of the hype, as it contains the most believably shockingDespite receiving universal critical praise in the US, Saving Private Ryan is not as perfect as everyone's claiming. Yet Spielberg's fourth foray into World War Two does deserve much of the hype, as it contains the most believably shocking combat sequences ever seen. It's also the kind of movie that attracts review quotes which pant: "Powerful, honest, moving..." But is this description accurate?

Without doubt, the intensity, attention to detail and sheer volume of combat footage make it a powerful and disturbing experience. The opening 25-minute Omaha Beach battle may be the largest in scale, but it's a blip compared with the closing conflict, which rages for 50 minutes. Around half the total running-time is combat.

And what combat it is, with the visceral madness of warfare highlighted by a jittery hand-held documentary style. Shots of wildly differing exposures are cut together as the viewpoint trips and stumbles across the battlefield without pause to wipe mud, blood and water off the lens. The way each dismemberment and explosion is almost missed gives the impression that Spielberg is capturing only a fraction of the carnage.

Omaha Beach is a shambolic strip of misery bordered on one side by barbed wire and on the other by red waves and dead fish. Soldiers are burned up or chopped into meaty slabs rather than being punched by neat Hollywood holes. Ryan's war is relentless and breathtaking, its battle scenes an exemplary example of faultless movie-making.

But whether or not this is an honest account of World War Two is some-thing the glowing American reviews have ignored. And although the combat realism and period authenticity can't be questioned, other things will stick in the throats of non-American audiences.

Take the no-show of any Allies. While this is forgivable for Omaha Beach (a uniquely American cock-up), it's harder to explain as Captain Miller's eight-man unit move inland. Where are the British, the French, the Polish or the Canadians?

German audiences will likewise be weary at the continuing portrayal of the `master race'. The Americans are a likable blend of doe-eyed teenagers, corn-fed midwesterners and Deep South good ol' boys. When they're killed it's tragic, when they're wounded they cry out for water, morphine or their mothers. But when a German's killed, it's just another dead Nazi, shot down despite his shaven-head, jutting square jaw and piercing, blue eyes. An unbiased historical document? Yeah, right.

Is Saving Private Ryan moving? Unaccountably, no. Beyond the horror of the visuals, the intervening hours fail to tug the heart strings. We're given a single defined sympathetic character, Hanks' Captain Miller. His inner torment is etched on Hanks' face in what must be another Oscar nominee role. But his unit are presented as a sketchy band of combat clichés: a cocky New Yorker, the dependable Sarge, a whining Jewish kid and a cowardly translator. As Ryan, Damon has barely a scene to act before he's plunged into the fighting.

The 'plot' is nothing more than a sequence of events glued together. Between the opening and closing mini-apocalypses, there's a slow-paced, occasionally dull and average meander that pales in comparison with many older war movies. That Edward Zwick's brilliant Glory packs a dozen rounded characters, three massive battles and heart-swelling scenes of horror, courage and sacrifice into two hours really does expose Saving Private Ryan as a bloated and frequently empty experience.

The end result is frustratingly patchy, equally brilliant and lacklustre, and delivers a profoundly mixed message. Are we meant to think that war is an impersonal meat-grinder as in the opening battle, or that a few good men can make a difference, as in the climax? Spielberg set out to make the definitive war movie. He ended up making a grown-up Indiana Jones film with several must-see combat scenes.

Spielberg's triumph is to confront a blood-lust audience and make them flinch at the horror of non-Hollywood reality. But this is no Schindler's List. Technically, it may be the best-made war movie yet, but dramatically, it barely delivers.… Expand

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9

PachekoviskMar 16, 2016

EXCELLENT
The Best World War II movie I've seen yet and one of Spielberg's best.
It' just a great and realistic war epic that will be remembered forever.

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9

MovieMasterEdMar 22, 2016

You can forget both the creepy "The Last Great Invasion Of The Last Great War" tagline and the slow-motion, feel-good trailers created for Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. They're advertising a different movie. Saving Private Ryan is aYou can forget both the creepy "The Last Great Invasion Of The Last Great War" tagline and the slow-motion, feel-good trailers created for Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. They're advertising a different movie. Saving Private Ryan is a brutal film, free of the gooey-eyed romanticism suggested by its promotional campaign. In fact, large portions of Saving Private Ryan are given to calling into question the attitudes played upon by its ads. Tom Hanks plays an American army captain who, after taking part in the invasion of Normandy—portrayed here in what are likely some of the most viscerally affecting scenes ever put to film—is ordered to find the titular Private Ryan (Matt Damon), a paratrooper whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose three brothers have died in the war. As they travel deeper into the war zone, the soldiers Hanks leads on the mission (Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Jeremy Davies, and others) question their public-relations-oriented task. Packed with about as many moral ambiguities as a Spielberg movie can handle, Saving Private Ryan provides a startling grunt's-eye view of war, refusing to subscribe to simplistic, blindly patriotic notions of honor and duty while working toward an understanding of what those words really mean. Of the many fine supporting performances, Davies (Spanking The Monkey, Going All The Way) is particularly notable as a dangerously innocent translator. By the time Saving Private Ryan wins the Best Picture Oscar next year, it will probably be smothered in the sort of overstated, reverent praise that can obscure any movie, no matter how good. Calling it the greatest war movie ever made does a disservice to other, equally worthwhile, lower-profile films (Sam Fuller's The Big Red One, for instance). But it's still an excellent movie, as effective in battle scenes as it is in that of soldiers ruminating on an Edith Piaf song. It should be seen for what it is while it still can be.… Expand

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9

ThatGoonerMar 31, 2016

What a stunning piece of film by Spielberg who pulled yet another show-stopper with this one, and although I'm very much late to the crowd, that matter certainly did not take away from how breathtaking this film really is. From the openingWhat a stunning piece of film by Spielberg who pulled yet another show-stopper with this one, and although I'm very much late to the crowd, that matter certainly did not take away from how breathtaking this film really is. From the opening scenes to the final scenes, from start to finish you're enthralled in this battlefield full of non-stop action and guns and despite the continuous carnage, you remain engaged and that comes down to the phenomenal cast list, which features the talents of Hanks, Damon, Cranston, Vin Diesel and many, many more that tie together to form such a chemistry that you feel a connection, a sense of empowerment and togetherness about it all. Not only this, but you have the dynamic techniques used in the way that this is film and the epanalepsis of this blurred vision for Miller when it seems as though all is lost. It's a film that really has you on the edge of your seat and despite it all being for one mere soldier, who's family have looked death right in the eye, it keeps you going and wanting to know how this will all unravel. There's only so much I can say, and that certainly doesn't imply that that is a bad thing because this movie has quickly become one of my favourites of all time.

So, if you're a late viewer like me and your yet to watch this marvel of film by Spielberg then be sure to free a night and sit back and enjoy a masterclass in film-making because it is something to behold, that's for sure.… Expand

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9

FilmClubMar 27, 2016

Saving Private Ryan” relates the kind of wartime stories that fathers never tell their families. A searingly visceral combat picture, Steven Spielberg’s third World War II drama is arguably second to none as a vivid, realistic and bloodySaving Private Ryan” relates the kind of wartime stories that fathers never tell their families. A searingly visceral combat picture, Steven Spielberg’s third World War II drama is arguably second to none as a vivid, realistic and bloody portrait of armed conflict, as well as a generally effective intimate drama about a handful of men on a mission of debatable value in the middle of the war’s decisive action.

Plunging the viewer headlong into battle in a manner akin to some of the more intense Vietnam films, such as “Platoon,” “Full Metal Jacket” and “Hamburger Hill,” but quite rare for a World War II drama, Spielberg wrenchingly presents combat from the grunt’s p.o.v. as it is fought inch by inch, bullet by bullet, in all its arbitrariness and surreality. Whatever else there is to say about the picture, what remains in the mind is the transforming fear, the sound of ammunition ripping into flesh and metal, the sight of bodies being blown apart, the relentlessness of the pressure and tension, the immense suffering, the feeling of always being on the brink. In retrospect, qualities such as heroism and bravery can be ascribed to the actions of soldiers, the film suggests, but in the moment there is only necessity.

After a brief prologue featuring an older man silently leading his family into the vast military cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy, pic drops the audience onto a U.S. landing craft getting ready to unload the first GIs to hit the beach on June 6, 1944. From the opening moments, the anxiety and fiercely discomforting conditions are underlined, and as soon as the gate opens, the German artillery comes raining down.

Many men are mowed down before they can take three steps, but Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad — Sgt. Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Pvts. Reiben (Edward Burns), Jackson (Barry Pepper), Mellish (Adam Goldberg) and Caparzo (Vin Diesel) and Medic Wade (Giovanni Ribisi) — painstakingly make it past the many obstacles and are finally able to take one of the enemy’s concrete pillboxes on top of the bluff. Nonstop action lasts 24 minutes, and every one of them is infinitely more intense than anything in the standard work on D-Day, “The Longest Day.”

Robert Rodat’s original screenplay thus transforms to a mission format. Taking on a skinny, timid translator, Cpl. Upham (Jeremy Davies), who has never seen combat, the group, which has previously seen action in North Africa and Italy, treads gingerly through territory that is still riddled with Nazis, as they discover when they come upon a bombed-out village and the first of them is killed.

Such tentative attempts at philosophizing and stabs at profundity succeed in raising some issues that aren’t often considered these days, but they still don’t begin to lend the film the kind of weight in the intellectual arena that would match the action of its purely physical sequences.

Unquestionably, the picture strives to delineate a morality of decency and righteousness in a context defined by hate and inhumanity, but the speechifying here can’t compare in power to the brute force of warfare, which is sufficient commentary by itself.

Finally, nearly two hours in, the squad locates Pvt. Ryan (Matt Damon), who complicates the mission even further by refusing to return, insisting that he has orders of his own to continue fighting. As it happens, a devastated village nearby contains a bridge that must be held, and Miller orders Ryan to stay by him as they try to prevent the Nazis from taking it. What follows is yet another ferocious and protracted battle sequence, small in scale and numbers but gripping in its details, surprises and the way the chaos of fighting is strikingly conveyed. Epilogue connects once again to the personal tribute being paid by the contemporary visitor to Normandy.

Using his technical virtuosity to the utmost, Spielberg is pushing here to claim new ground for himself and for a revival of the World War II film, and scores strongly on both counts. Opting out of the black-and-white of “Schindler’s List” and the longstanding images of the war, Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski have desaturated the color in a way that strikingly emphasizes the pale greens of the uniforms and landscapes, blue-grays of the water and skies, and flesh tones; in this context, the red of the blood always jumps out. Frequent hand-held shots add to the intimacy and impact, while a shuttering device makes some of the action appear a bit jumpy, even pixilated, creating an effect that is both ultra-vivid and somewhat jarring.

John Williams’ score is sparing, with music avoided entirely for long stretches but coming into its own elsewhere, notably over the final credits.

Essentially, Spielberg has made an amazing piece of pure, visceral cinema, akin to a great silent film, in which the words are basically superfluous. No further commentary is needed when the raw brutality of combat is presented as indelibly as it is here.… Expand

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9

MovieMasterEddyApr 4, 2016

'Saving Private Ryan': A Soberly Magnificent New War Film.

When soldiers are killed in "Saving Private Ryan," their comrades carefully preserve any message he left behind. Removed from the corpses of the newly dead, sometimes copied over'Saving Private Ryan': A Soberly Magnificent New War Film.

When soldiers are killed in "Saving Private Ryan," their comrades carefully preserve any message he left behind. Removed from the corpses of the newly dead, sometimes copied over to hide bloodstains, these writings surely describe some of the fury of combat, the essence of spontaneous courage, the craving for solace, the bizarre routines of wartime existence, the deep loneliness of life on the brink.

Steven Spielberg's soberly magnificent new war film, the second such pinnacle in a career of magical versatility, has been made in the same spirit of urgent communication. It is the ultimate devastating letter home.

Since the end of World War II and the virtual death of the western, the combat film has disintegrated into a showcase for swagger, cynicism, obscenely overblown violence and hollow, self-serving victories. Now, with stunning efficacy, Spielberg turns back the clock. He restores passion and meaning to the genre with such whirlwind force that he seems to reimagine it entirely, dazzling with the breadth and intensity of that imagination. No received notions, dramatic or ideological, intrude on this achievement. This film simply looks at war as if war had not been looked at before.

Though the experience it recounts is grueling, the viscerally enthralling "Saving Private Ryan" is anything but. As he did in "Schindler's List," Spielberg uses his preternatural storytelling gifts to personalize the unimaginable, to create instantly empathetic characters and to hold an audience spellbound from the moment the action starts. Though the film essentially begins and ends with staggering, phenomenally agile battle sequences and contains isolated violent tragedies in between, its vision of combat is never allowed to grow numbing. Like the soldiers, viewers are made furiously alive to each new crisis and never free to rest.

The film's immense dignity is its signal characteristic, and some of it is achieved though deliberate elision. We don't know anything about these men as they prepare to land at Omaha Beach on D-Day, which might make them featureless in the hands of a less intuitive filmmaker. Here, it means that any filter between audience and cataclysm has effectively been taken away.

The one glimmer of auxiliary information is the image of an elderly visitor at a military cemetery, which opens and closes the film (though these brief sequences lack the film's otherwise shattering verisimilitude). Whoever the man is, he sees the gravestones and drifts into D-Day memories. On the evidence of what follows, he can hardly have gone to sleep since June 6, 1944, without reliving these horrors in his dreams.

Though "Saving Private Ryan" is liable to be described as extremely violent for its battle re-enactments, that is not quite the case. The battle scenes avoid conventional suspense and sensationalism; they disturb not by being manipulative but by being hellishly frank. Imagine Hieronymus Bosch with a Steadicam (instead of the immensely talented Janusz Kaminski), and you have some idea of the tableaux to emerge here, as the film explodes into panoramic yet intimate visions of bloodshed.

What's unusual about this, in both the D-Day sequence and the closing struggle, is its terrifying reportorial candor. These scenes have a sensory fullness (the soundtrack is boomingly chaotic yet astonishingly detailed), a realistic yet breakneck pace, a ceaseless momentum and a vast visual scope. Artful, tumultuous warfare choreography heightens the intensity. So do editing decisions that balance the ordeal of the individual with the mass attack under way.

In another beautifully choreographed sequence, shot with obvious freshness and alacrity, the soldiers talk while marching though the French countryside. On the way, they establish strong individual identities and raise the film's underlying questions about the meaning of sacrifice. Spielberg and screenwriter Robert Rodat have a way of taking these standard-issue characters and making them unaccountably compelling.

The sparing use of John Williams' music sustains the tension in scenes, like these, that need no extra emphasis. But "Saving Private Ryan" does have a very few false notes. Like the cemetery scenes, the capture of a German soldier takes a turn for the artificial, especially when the man expresses his desperation through broad clowning. But in context, such a jarring touch is actually a relief. It's a reminder that, after all, "Saving Private Ryan" is only a movie. Only the finest war movie of our time.… Expand

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9

daviddelnorte23Apr 1, 2017

Esta película tiene un 'inconveniente' para mí, y es que existe la serie 'Hermanos de sangre' que me llegó más. ¿Qué 'Salvar al soldado Ryan' es la original? Sí.

'Salvar a Ryan' me parece una fabulosa película. Siempre se habla que si elEsta película tiene un 'inconveniente' para mí, y es que existe la serie 'Hermanos de sangre' que me llegó más. ¿Qué 'Salvar al soldado Ryan' es la original? Sí.

'Salvar a Ryan' me parece una fabulosa película. Siempre se habla que si el desembarco de Normandia es lo mejor de la película y el resto no está a la altura. Yo creo que sí, pero el resto de la película está más que a la altura también de esa GENIAL primera escena.

La evolución de los personajes durante todo el film es muy coherente y buena. Con alguna frase de guión mítica.

Las actuaciones están muy bien, sí, Tom Hanks también me gustó a pesar de que no le soporto mucho. Mención especial en este apartado para el personaje del francotirador, brutal y muy carismático.

En conclusión, peliculón que para mi gusto tiene el mencionado 'handicap' pero que a pesar de ello Spielberg logró hacer una auténtica joya, donde se reflejan perfectamente las penurías de la guerra. ¡Ah!, la escena inicial y final sobra e incluso puede engrisecer un poco la película. No se puede hacer uso de ese patriotismo absurdo. A pesar de todo un 9.… Expand

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9

Popcorn55Jun 8, 2019

Groundbreaking must-see war film, which in parts crosses the line from entertainment to immersive simulation -- enough so that several combat sequences, when seen for the first time in a theater, actually begin to induce subliminal panic andGroundbreaking must-see war film, which in parts crosses the line from entertainment to immersive simulation -- enough so that several combat sequences, when seen for the first time in a theater, actually begin to induce subliminal panic and distress for the fully-engaged audience.

At the time it was released, people in the theater expected a typical glorified war epic. So for many, the raw carnage of the opening sequence was a shock, outside the bounds of what they'd seen on screen before. Yet this is not the end of the terrors of this film. Much later on, when the squad is resting at last in the ruined town having accomplished their primary mission, we think (somewhat gratefully) that it's over and credits are about to roll.

Then we hear the TANKS.

Clanking in the distance, getting louder as they approach. German tanks. And then, for the exhausted viewer, begins another relentless, nonstop, seemingly endless combat sequence every bit as brutal as the opening scenes. By the time it was finally over, when I first saw this, there were people crying in the audience, not from sentimentality but from nervous reaction.

Of course times and expectations have changed, so this won't have the impact on DVD in your living room that it did at the time of release on the big screen with a big sound system.

Some of the secondary characters and minor sub-plots feel unnecessary and should have been trimmed; they bring a slight corniness to some of the middle of this story. And, the present-era intro and outro scenes tend to distance and defuse the otherwise overwhelming experience. But these are small flaws in a great film.… Expand

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9

FilipeNetoDec 1, 2019

A solid film, very well made, but with some weaknesses.

This film is located in Northern France during the Allied landing in Normandy and the weeks following it. According to the script, after the death of three brothers in combat (two inA solid film, very well made, but with some weaknesses.

This film is located in Northern France during the Allied landing in Normandy and the weeks following it. According to the script, after the death of three brothers in combat (two in Normandy and one in the Pacific), the US Army decides to send a detachment with the mission of finding the last brother, who was launched with an infantry company. Skydiver somewhere in northern France. Only recently, after some research, did I discover that the film was based, very slightly, on a real event. The script is good, full of action scenes and will surely delight the lovers of war movies and WWII movies. Personally, I highlight the opening scenes, in which "D-Day" was recreated in all its raw glory, and the final part, where it all comes together in an almost perfect climax of action.

The director's chair was taken by iconic Steven Spielberg, who is spotless once again. He is one of those directors who no longer has to prove anything. More than established, he was already one of the best directors of our time when he directed this movie. Even so, he did not cease to strive and to provide us with careful, attentive and thoughtful direction. At his side, in the starring role, Tom Hanks in one of the films that marked his career. Hanks is a renowned actor. Attentive to detail and emotional when it has to be, she shone once more, earning another Oscar nomination for Best Actor (though attributed to the equally remarkable Roberto Benigni, in one of the most hilarious and emotional moments the Academy ceremony has ever seen. in many decades). The supporting cast is equally good, containing names like Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon, Paul Giamatti, etc. Actors who, as we can see, are established and generally have solid careers today.

The film shone equally on the technical details. It's a Spielberg movie, and we couldn't expect anything else. Let's look at the careful way in which the historical details were mostly recreated. The uniforms, military equipment, combat tactics were all carefully studied, and despite some flaws (such as the predominance of the Americans and the absence of other allies in the theater of war), all went well. I especially liked that they used the German language for the German soldiers. I also highlight the excellent photography, with breathtaking scenes and original camera angles (one moment we are looking through a sniper sight, and the next moment a bullet crosses that same sight towards us, to name but a few). an example), as well as the sound effects, with all those absolutely realistic bullet sounds and shots. The characterization, the special effects, the soundtrack ... all meticulously well done.

Personally, I liked this movie a lot. It's one of those movies that I like to see again after a few years, but which has disappeared without a trace of the television circuit, perhaps because of its length and the fact that it is no longer a new movie. It also has some minor flaws, such as some concessions to sentimental lamechas and scenes of strong emotional appeal, but I confess that I handled it very well. The scene that seemed to me the most out of context was, in fact, a passage involving a French family with their young children. Another problem with this movie is that, with the exception of the character of Hanks, most of the characters have been underdeveloped and the actors have little to work with, just playing wars.

This movie has garnered several awards. Of all, I highlight his good performance at this year's Oscars, with five statuettes collected in the technical categories (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Edition, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects). He also won the Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Film.… Expand

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9

merijnjFeb 21, 2018

(95/100)
A very realistic and strong story about friendship doubt of authority and leadership.

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9

Cristofer21Aug 1, 2018

Saving Private Ryan is the best War movie in the history (Sorry Apocalypse Now).

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9

MartyMcFlyOct 2, 2018

My score 99
Metascore / User score 90 / 89
Tomatometer / Audience score 93 / 95
IMDB 86
(92)

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9

quadartDec 8, 2018

2nd best movie ever made only surpassed by Stanley kubricks masterpeace eyes wide shut. awesome movie because it shows the awesome shooting and fighting and explosions. the only downside is it does not contain female nudity and/or shapely2nd best movie ever made only surpassed by Stanley kubricks masterpeace eyes wide shut. awesome movie because it shows the awesome shooting and fighting and explosions. the only downside is it does not contain female nudity and/or shapely rear ends. overall I give this a 9.5 out of 10 because it is awesome… Expand

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9

zNeverSleepingJan 22, 2020

Direção e cinematografia bem estruturados; fotografia linda; cast interessante; atuações variam, sendo umas boas e outras... nem tanto; Personagens carismáticos, principalmente o Cap John Miller, que foi bem construído; Cenários e figurinosDireção e cinematografia bem estruturados; fotografia linda; cast interessante; atuações variam, sendo umas boas e outras... nem tanto; Personagens carismáticos, principalmente o Cap John Miller, que foi bem construído; Cenários e figurinos são excelentes; Os momentos de alivio cômico são hilários e o realismo que foi bem retratado quanto a crueldade da guerra, apesar de não ser o foco.
9/10… Expand

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9

MrJurassicYTMar 30, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love this movie so much that I re-watch it every month its one of the few movies thats actually made me cry especially during Wades Death… Expand

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9

yungmuvMar 29, 2021

Masterpiece , all that people must watch this movie!

so realistic ww2 scenes.

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9

CringlepringlesApr 30, 2022

this is one of the best war movie there is. Tom Hanks was good for the role he played, everyone else did their best like he did. I love how emotional the movie gets as well. One of my favorites.

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9

HappyliveMay 7, 2022

savaş filmlerinin piri gerçekçi gerilim dolu sahneleri ile savaşın acımasız yanları bir bir anlatan destansı filmdir.

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9

Richard552Aug 10, 2022

No need to say about film scenes, you live together with this film.
$1 to buy a Netflix account, Google search: vtvshare

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9

RockvalevolMay 12, 2023

Probably the most realistic war movies of all time. My grandfather fought in WW2 and never talked about it. But when he watched this movie. He broke down and started talking about it. If that doesn't say something. I don't know what does.

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9

Rockvalevol1May 17, 2023

One of the best war movies of all time. Veterans beware. This movie made my grandfather bring back memories of WW2. He never talked about it until watching this movie.

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8

JackBOct 4, 2005

A teriffic movie which saw another vintage Hanks performance, yet somehow i did not consider it an "epic." Although it had all the elements i felt it possibly a little too gritty for this status.

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8

JeremyE.Apr 18, 2006

you know what, i am Sick and Tired of seeing war films that are so realistic. It's really disgusting and unessecary to see someone's face getting blown out. rest of the film's great though.

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8

JohnC.Mar 17, 2006

Pretty damm good movie. The cinemetography was effin amazing. Tom Hanks gives a solid performance. Good script, well directed, brutal and real. It drags in areas, but other than that, a real worthwhile film.

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8

asylumspadezNov 20, 2011

I enjoyed it but I think its a bit too overrated. Yes it does well to capture the realism of WW2 and its interesting through out but I just didnt enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Solid cast, Good acting as well.

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8

JAM123Jul 19, 2011

I thought it was a really good movie. It was realistic and it was really cool. The action sequences were cool like in the first twenty minutes and it got better from there. It was really cool to see a group of American soldiers overcome aI thought it was a really good movie. It was realistic and it was really cool. The action sequences were cool like in the first twenty minutes and it got better from there. It was really cool to see a group of American soldiers overcome a stronger German army in a cool way. Way to go Steven Spielberg, you've done it again.… Expand

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8

TyranianApr 13, 2019

Spielberg at his best, this film has great acting and visuals, a high degree of realism and moving story.

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8

RikiegeJan 24, 2013

A great movie both in entertainment and in argument.

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8

WriteFilmLive21Nov 30, 2012

"Saving Private Ryan" is a stunning and emotional powerhouse of a war film. Featuring a cast of great actors and performances, and helmed by the masterful Spielberg, this movie is a gritty, harsh and shocking look at WWII through the eyes of"Saving Private Ryan" is a stunning and emotional powerhouse of a war film. Featuring a cast of great actors and performances, and helmed by the masterful Spielberg, this movie is a gritty, harsh and shocking look at WWII through the eyes of a group of soldiers sent behind enemy lines to save a stranded private. The opening D-Day sequence is visceral and brutally intense, full of gruesome and disturbing imagery, and communicates the true horror and scale of the invasion. The time shared between these soldiers, through both stories they tell and arguments they have, is genuinely authentic and you become attached to every character. And of course, the final conflict is where it all comes to a head, in probably the most intense, dramatic and realistic battle scene ever made. It may be pretty dark and depressing, but ultimately you are left with an incredible cinematic achievement - a solid 5-star war film that communicates with frightening efficiency the true brutality that must have been one of the world's darkest chapters in history.… Expand

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8

BrendanCogs99Mar 12, 2013

Steven Spielberg's masterpiece is not only the greatest war film ever created but possibly the greatest film ever made. The stellar directing brings you into the film and does not let you go until the very last scene. This is truly a greatSteven Spielberg's masterpiece is not only the greatest war film ever created but possibly the greatest film ever made. The stellar directing brings you into the film and does not let you go until the very last scene. This is truly a great film that will be remembered.… Expand

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8

UnurautareMay 4, 2014

The movie has some cool battle scenes but it starts off a ridiculous premise that people would stop in the middle of a World War and send men in danger to "save a private" that they don't even know if he's alive or dead, just because hisThe movie has some cool battle scenes but it starts off a ridiculous premise that people would stop in the middle of a World War and send men in danger to "save a private" that they don't even know if he's alive or dead, just because his brothers died in the war(which was a very common thing back then). It also has the stereotypical stupid American that becomes a brave (stupid) American at the end and takes out the "bad guy"(and lets the other go free). Despite the constant logic fails with the story, the battles are very realistic and the movie is worth watching.… Expand

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8

russiangamerMay 9, 2017

Не являюсь супер патриотом своей страны - России, что даёт мне здраво оценивать зарубежные работы, будь они о повседневной жизни или о войне.
Фильм хороший, красивый, мясной, местами душевный... но скучный. Диалогам не хватает какой-тоНе являюсь супер патриотом своей страны - России, что даёт мне здраво оценивать зарубежные работы, будь они о повседневной жизни или о войне.
Фильм хороший, красивый, мясной, местами душевный... но скучный. Диалогам не хватает какой-то весёлой задоринки что-ли, да, война, но в тех же сериалах "Братья по оружию" и "Тихий океан" местами проскакивали очень смешные диалоги, которые не давали заскучать и разбавляли всю серьезность.
Итог: Американцам точно понравится абсолютно всё в этом фильме, мне, русскому человеку, фильм в целом понравился, но, к сожалению, не так уж и сильно.… Expand

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8

kyle20ellisMar 10, 2022

This is definitely one of the more powerful war films out there, if not the most powerful. I will admit, when I first saw it at school, I found the first half-hour extremely upsetting to watch.

The acting is outstanding. Especially from TomThis is definitely one of the more powerful war films out there, if not the most powerful. I will admit, when I first saw it at school, I found the first half-hour extremely upsetting to watch.

The acting is outstanding. Especially from Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, and the music alongside Schindler's List is John William's most haunting score I've heard.

It does drag in the middle and the dialogue doesn't always flow as well as it should, but what we have is a historically accurate, extremely well made and directed and unashamedly brutal film. I mean, in the stabbing scene, towards the end, my English teacher had to leave the room. It was like watching Frankenstein's monster tearing out Elizabeth's heart.

8.5/10 for a truly emotional and appropriately sombre war-film, that is a little slow at times. But it deserves to be in the top 250, really it is that good! Bethany Cox… Expand

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8

sooper_walrusAug 29, 2017

There is no doubt that Saving Private Ryan is a great film. The highlight of the film is most definitely the cast, which could quite literally not be better. The film is a terrifyingly real, visceral view into the lives of soldiers duringThere is no doubt that Saving Private Ryan is a great film. The highlight of the film is most definitely the cast, which could quite literally not be better. The film is a terrifyingly real, visceral view into the lives of soldiers during World War II, and you find yourself pulled into the action whether you want to be or not. It almost feels a little too real, at times. It's horrifying, but effective and fascinating. However, Saving Private Ryan's biggest flaw lies in its pacing. The film begins with the brilliant D-Day sequence, which is a masterpiece in itself. Unfortunately, that is the best, most exciting scene in the entire film. After that long action-packed scene, the movie quickly tapers off into a much more subdued take on the lives of soldiers. The action is spread out and underwhelming, and though the main characters are definitely well-rounded and multi-faceted, you can't help but feel disappointed that none of the rest of the film lives up to the first scene. Nevertheless, this movie is a must-see, and one of Spielberg's greatest works.… Expand

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8

TheEventsOf1989Jan 12, 2020

Probably the best realistic war film of all time. "Saving Private Ryan" reflects all the themes that war deals with, and it really focuses on the bonds between soldiers. The visuals are creditable, and the story had powerful emotional stakes.

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8

MrPajamasJun 28, 2023

I enjoy war movies, so this was an obvious choice. Finally, the classics are behind me. It was absolutely brilliant. Long, but it didn't bore me. It changed pace. One minute of action. One minute it's quiet. It would alternate like that andI enjoy war movies, so this was an obvious choice. Finally, the classics are behind me. It was absolutely brilliant. Long, but it didn't bore me. It changed pace. One minute of action. One minute it's quiet. It would alternate like that and then suddenly it would be over and I really enjoyed these almost 3 hours, especially the action sequences, which I really enjoyed and I thought were very well done. That's what won me over. With its excellent action, which stopped for a while, but then always came back in full force. Story-wise I wasn't particularly impressed, although I liked very much that it wasn't a fairy tale and that it was grittier. The main draw for me was the aforementioned action, of which there was plenty. A great film that I can recommend to fans of war themes.… Expand

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8

JJ2FAS4UDec 29, 2021

----------------------------------8.2/10-----------------------------------

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8

AgentLviJul 5, 2023

Great movie. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing

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8

nikos3194Jul 24, 2023

One of the best war movies ever made in the movie history, since is very realistic and shows how the war is very ugly and there’s nothing heroic about it.

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7

TheApplegnomeJan 12, 2016

One of Spielberg’s longest and finest, and that first part might be its major disadvantage. ’Saving Private Ryan’ captures the realistic darkness of humanity and its struggle against the basic morality of right and wrong. Spielberg portrayalsOne of Spielberg’s longest and finest, and that first part might be its major disadvantage. ’Saving Private Ryan’ captures the realistic darkness of humanity and its struggle against the basic morality of right and wrong. Spielberg portrayals death through his smart directing, and never stops to seize the audience through these never ending up-growing characters, due to the fact that we barely understand what they’re going through, but somehow never stop to relate to them. It definitely is Oscar-worthy, but it got much more to tell about the dark side of humanity rather than on the war itself; so don’t expect a Michael Bay flick, and it sure isn’t flawless. The motivation why to save Ryan isn't perfect, and the vast amount of characters drags the depth of the main & excellent ones down. But it’s both a major technical & moral achievement.

Personal rating: 74/100
Critical rating: 92/100… Expand

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7

dlmartinoAug 3, 2013

This is a good movie, Set in WW2. Tom Hanks and Matt Damon gave good performances. There is a good cast as well. Its worth watching if youre a history and war buff.

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7

AndremaxOct 30, 2018

Despite the spectacular cast, about movie can't be told the same. I don't know the reason why movie is so overrated. Saving Private Ryan is a good movie, but not full-time. Movie variate in raw and necessary brutality for a war movie andDespite the spectacular cast, about movie can't be told the same. I don't know the reason why movie is so overrated. Saving Private Ryan is a good movie, but not full-time. Movie variate in raw and necessary brutality for a war movie and excess of melodrama not too necessary.… Expand

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7

deepfocusreviewMay 4, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Throughout film history, there’s been a constant fascination with war. As new documentaries on the two great World Wars appear every year, so do films on similar events. From All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) to the recently released Fury (2014), Hollywood’s interest in depicting war shows no signs of slowing down. Spielberg’s 1998 epic Saving Private Ryan fits in a long line of war epics attempting to depict the horrors of war in a realistic manner. SPR does this exceptionally well…for the duration of roughly 20 minutes.

The film starts with an old man visiting the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial with his family. He stops at a specific gravestone and collapses in tears. The camera focuses on his eyes and the film flashes back to D-Day with a depiction of the Omaha Beach landing that has to be seen to be believed. This prolonged sequence is the film’s and Spielberg’s crowning achievement. After the allied forces break through, the film cuts back to events on American soil. At the War Department of the United States it becomes apparent that three of four sons of the Ryan family have been killed. The mother is about to receive this tragic news in the form of three letters being sent simultaneously. A General has this brought to his attention and – remembering how Abraham Lincoln offered his heartfelt condolences to a mother in similar circumstances – orders his officers to find the remaining son (Matt Damon), who’s somewhere in Normandy, and bring him home. Enter Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) who, having just survived the beach landing, is given the mission, gathers a small group of soldiers and – with some reservations about the importance of the mission when juxtaposed with the big picture – they all head further into Normandy in search of a single soldier.

As I suggested in the beginning, the extensive Omaha Beach sequence is (unsurprisingly) the reason why we're still talking about this film. The amount of planning required for this scene must have been incredible and yet the entire scene still feels ‘unplanned’ and appropriately chaotic. It wouldn’t be a stretch to name this sequence the reason the film’s been showered with Academy Awards. Other aspects like acting and especially the cinematography and production design are also praiseworthy, but that’s pretty much where it ends for me.

I find the rest of the film to be something of a mixed bag. It chronicles Miller and co’s search for Private Ryan and all the hardships they endure along the way. The main problem I have with the rest of the film is that it feels contrived. The Omaha Beach sequence is at once the film’s saving grace and the reason the rest of the film pales by comparison. Not that the rest of the film has nothing to offer dramatically, it does, but it all feels too calculated, too contrived and convenient as opposed to the radical and chaotic opening scene. For instance, you expect the soldiers to bond over the course of their journey before some of them die and how this is all supposed to elicit our sympathy. You see this coming long before it happens and it’s thus not as impactful as it should be. And what about the oh-so dramatic pause right before the sniper in the tower is shot by a tank’s cannon, designed so that we can symbolically say goodbye; Miller’s clichéd reference to his wife gardening with his gloves (all that’s missing are the images of white-picket fences); Ryan’s two-minute monologue – supposed to elicit our sympathy – which comes across as incredibly awkward; the fact that Miller is shot by the same German whom he showed mercy to several scenes ago and that it’s the bookish Upham (of all people) who ‘earns his stripes’ by conveniently killing him; old Ryan saluting Miller’s grave while trumpets hum patriotically in the background; the fact that the filmmakers did the oh-so (for lack of a better word) ‘American’ thing by bookending the film with shots of the American flag softly lit by the afternoon sun, etc, etc. All these scenes and more reveal a script purposefully crafted to the point of dramatic perfection…and that’s not a compliment. Why does the Omaha Beach sequence still amaze after all these years? Because it represents the horrors of war in purely visual terms. There is no dramatic logic, only chaos; bodies and limbs flying everywhere, soldiers whimpering and screaming. There are no allied soldiers and Nazis, just people trying to survive. The rest of the film with all its carefully calculated drama doesn’t come within a country mile of effectively conveying the same sense of horror.

Lucas Versantvoort
http://deepfocusreviews.blogspot.nl… Expand

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7

Ryousei29Aug 20, 2020

Ignore this, i just wrote this in all my reviews to have in somewhere a list of all cottent thats i've saw or played in my life. Just that, sorry if you see this and you are looking for something seious.

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7

geewahFeb 2, 2021

Outside of the opening scene which is stunning and unforgettable, the rest is a quite dull and tedious journey.
I hear people say it's the greatest WWII movie made, hell it's not even the best WWII movie released in 1998.

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7

AJ_13Jul 10, 2021

It depicts greatly the rawness and violence of wars, even though being a bit long and too melodramatic at times.

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6

AndrewR.Jul 18, 2008

Good movie, but I don't see what the big deal is.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

6

gm101Jun 27, 2011

I kinda have mixed feelings on this movie. On one hand, it had the most awesome looking war scenes ever on film, and Tom Hanks is just as good as he is in all of his movies. On the other hand, many of the characters were annoying, and theI kinda have mixed feelings on this movie. On one hand, it had the most awesome looking war scenes ever on film, and Tom Hanks is just as good as he is in all of his movies. On the other hand, many of the characters were annoying, and the plot was kinda weak. I wouldn't highly recommend it, yet it shouldn't be completely overlooked.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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6

CoreGamer1408May 15, 2021

2021 re-watch ah war is a meat grinder of men. No crap Sherlock, writers. Ok so what of the actual story? Honor, duty and sacrifice for the greater good. So a pretty formulaic war movie story. Just with a ton of gore thrown in all through the2021 re-watch ah war is a meat grinder of men. No crap Sherlock, writers. Ok so what of the actual story? Honor, duty and sacrifice for the greater good. So a pretty formulaic war movie story. Just with a ton of gore thrown in all through the movie for audience shock and awe factor. However it gets to the point so many mangled bodies and bits all over the place the gore ends up oversaturated. I zoned out a lot on re-watch and tapped out when they found private Ryan. Sometimes the attempt at realism numbs the experience and it doesn't work on a emotional level. Like Hacksaw Ridge worked better, because the intense gore was only in the final battle scenes at the end of the movie. It built up the contrast of the civilian home life first. Then thrust the audience into the shock and awe battle scenes later. So no constant oversaturation of gore all through the movie like this one. Hacksaw Ridge showed it didn't tell. This movie did a lot tell with the characters backstory. So no deep connection to characters. The intense gore cannot the hide the formulaic war story with shallow characterisation. That being said "Thank you for your service". Nope not the actors, but the IRL vets past and present.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

IAO123Jun 8, 2011

Some interesting direction in the opening and climactic battle scenes, but the film is let down by the plot, which is too simple and implausible to engage the viewer. It's a long and cliched Hollywood blockbuster war film and not much more,Some interesting direction in the opening and climactic battle scenes, but the film is let down by the plot, which is too simple and implausible to engage the viewer. It's a long and cliched Hollywood blockbuster war film and not much more, I'd give it a miss unless you're a blindly patriotic American.… Expand

5 of 26 users found this helpful521

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5

thebombMay 18, 2015

There is exactly one good scene in Saving Private Ryan and that is the Normandy invasion battle. It was beautifully done in fact. Apart from that, most of the film is average, often even below that. It is very, very predictable. StevenThere is exactly one good scene in Saving Private Ryan and that is the Normandy invasion battle. It was beautifully done in fact. Apart from that, most of the film is average, often even below that. It is very, very predictable. Steven Spielberg somehow managed to create soldiers you don't care about, a plot you don't care about and most of all, a Private named Ryan who's fate you don't care about. Overrated.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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5

vicky_logicalOct 20, 2015

at first it doesn't feel like a spielberg movie but an ordinary war movie.the movie is too much sentimental
the battlefield scenario is heavily overrated.Tom hanks does his job very well and matt damon doesn't seem to fit the role of private ryan

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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4

Everybody-Jun 9, 2020

The Omaha beach scene is excellent and likely to be the first thing someone brings up when you ask what's so great about the film? in fact it's the only thing, problem is the movie never picks up after that, it was boring and overlyThe Omaha beach scene is excellent and likely to be the first thing someone brings up when you ask what's so great about the film? in fact it's the only thing, problem is the movie never picks up after that, it was boring and overly sentimental with a scene involving Tom Hanks at the end that was trying so hard to be emotional and fell so flat I cringed at it, a nicely polished well filmed movie with no emotional power so ultimately a failure, thumbs down but I have seen much, much worse.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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3

NazguleroNov 18, 2010

I think the first 20 minutes were truly fascinating, you felt like you were in the middle ot it. After that, and that is a LONG after that, the movie really became rather boring and stereotyped, at times even unrealistic. The trick is to keepI think the first 20 minutes were truly fascinating, you felt like you were in the middle ot it. After that, and that is a LONG after that, the movie really became rather boring and stereotyped, at times even unrealistic. The trick is to keep the moments of reflection to a bare minimum, to make them really count. There was WAY too much reflection here. It takes away all the dynamic. I can think of only one movie that masterfully accomplishes that balance: Die Hard, the first one.… Expand

3 of 26 users found this helpful323

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3

bilyboby1Aug 9, 2013

This is a typical Hollywood movie with lots of flash but no substance. The story is a joke and the characters are as one-dimensional as you can get. There's lots of big explosions, blood, and body parts, so if that's your thing, this is forThis is a typical Hollywood movie with lots of flash but no substance. The story is a joke and the characters are as one-dimensional as you can get. There's lots of big explosions, blood, and body parts, so if that's your thing, this is for you, but if you're looking for something more, you'd best look elsewhere. Try Platoon, Thin Red Line, the Dirty Dozen, or even Patton for a more worthwhile experience.… Expand

1 of 15 users found this helpful114

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3

ThomasSmithsonJul 21, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Technically brilliant, a total misfire in characterization, hence, Matt Damon's brothers died, who cares! Tom Hanks dies, who cares!

Don't try and push my buttons with cardboard cutouts for characters, Spielberg, I'm not that easy.

And the Anne Frank lookalike implanted in the bombed out French house scene...? Really dude?… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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2

JamesMNov 19, 2005

What struck me as odd about Saving Private Ryan was that it was an action movie. It was the equivalent of some Michael Bay blockbuster that just happened to be loosely based on real evens and directed by a pretigious director. I never liked What struck me as odd about Saving Private Ryan was that it was an action movie. It was the equivalent of some Michael Bay blockbuster that just happened to be loosely based on real evens and directed by a pretigious director. I never liked Steven Spielberg, and whenever I did, it was for his more brave efforts such as Close Encounters. The film takes real events and turns them into an excuse for a ridiculous and unrealistic piece of hollywood crap. Don't believe the hype, Saving Private Ryan represents everything that I don't like about the movie industry, and worst of all, it's just plain bad.… Expand

3 of 34 users found this helpful

1

JimS.Aug 3, 2008

This is the most dull movie ever. There's like no action and the story sucks.

0 of 4 users found this helpful

1

ChrisJ.May 16, 2008

Horrible movie that was not fun to watch at all. Complete waste of time.

0 of 3 users found this helpful

1

NickTheCritickApr 6, 2022

Ok, the opening scene of the Normandy landings is a masterpiece of directing. One of the best scenes ever shot. But from that moment till the end, the film becomes a sponge full of clichés, hateful rhetoric and pure exaggeration that make theOk, the opening scene of the Normandy landings is a masterpiece of directing. One of the best scenes ever shot. But from that moment till the end, the film becomes a sponge full of clichés, hateful rhetoric and pure exaggeration that make the desire to see it pass. Never want to watch it again.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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0

TimS.Oct 9, 2007

This movie only appeals to those who have absolutely no knowledge of history. It's absolute garbage. Historically inaccurate, Spielberg bullcrap which makes Germans look like stupid, cowardly, deceptive, inhuman animals. They may have This movie only appeals to those who have absolutely no knowledge of history. It's absolute garbage. Historically inaccurate, Spielberg bullcrap which makes Germans look like stupid, cowardly, deceptive, inhuman animals. They may have been America's enemies but they certainly weren't unskilled fighters with no hearts. They were normal soldiers doing their duty who talked and laughed just like the American soldiers. The movie is just more Hollywood propaganda to make all Germans look evil. If you REALLY want to know why and how Spielberg does this, search "Saving Private Ryan review by Michael A Hoffman II" in google, go to the first link and then to the bottom of the page where it will have a link to his review. This review points out everything that I'm talking about. This is simply a movie for entertainment and doesn't help history just like every other war movie coming out of Hollywood! Don't people get tired of this same kind of garbage?… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful

0

FionaP.Aug 12, 2008

Seriously, I could give this gratuitious film a worser score, a negative 1, for it was based on many stereotypes (Germans) and had improbable sequences, such as the mirror in the D-Day scene, I didn't think it would have that much Seriously, I could give this gratuitious film a worser score, a negative 1, for it was based on many stereotypes (Germans) and had improbable sequences, such as the mirror in the D-Day scene, I didn't think it would have that much reflective power, also, for Upham, how could he not've been in combat? The rescue mission was in vain, I'm sorry Spielberg, but you shouldn't have gotten an Oscar for Saving Private Ryan (bleh!).… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

0

DirtyPooAug 26, 2006

crap!!!!!!!!

0 of 18 users found this helpful

Saving Private Ryan

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