 ""Am I A Good Man?" ~ Lessons In War, Lessons In Life" | 2009-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By kerubu |
Well, I've put off watching 'Saving Private Ryan' for quite a long time. I'm not exactly certain why, I guess I simply burned out on the genre (the same can be said concerning mafia/gangster films). Now after finally relenting and giving this WWII war film a viewing all I can say is it's fantastic! It succeeds on every level, unique and well conceived storyline, sharp, insightful dialogue, impressive production values, outstanding ensemble cast and of course a magnificent soundtrack by the legendary John Williams.
There's definitely an unending string of accolades you could bestow upon this film and all would be undeniably deserved, this is most certainly one of the great war films of all-time. Watching these American soldiers deal with the crisis and chaos that is part and parcel of everyday life on the front-lines is both exhilarating and heart wrenching as the audience slowly comes to realize that acts of bravery and heroism are nothing more than the innate desire of mans will to survive made manifest. Spielberg goes one step further in his analysis of the human condition as he posits the ultimate question to those who where blessed with the gift of life; what did I do to deserve this and what can I do to show myself worthy of a second chance? The answer; live a good life, be a good man. |
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| "Spielberg's come a long way, baby." | 2009-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3573V4ZA8SOWW |
| From what is undoubtedly the most realistic filming of the D-Day landings made to date; to the many harrowing incidents encountered throughout, this film is a gem! Top notch Tom Hanks. Just plain excellent! (NOTE:) Not for young children to see. |
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| "Great Movie! And a good DVD Quality edition." | 2009-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By mycenius |
| Saving Private Ryan was the movie that finally took War Movies from the Hollywood of old (Longest Day, Dirty Dozen, Dam Busters, etc) the final step after movies like Apocalypse Now & Platoon endeavoured to bring the true face of war to the big screen - SPR went the rest of the way taking that to it's next stage and adding even greater levels of detail & historical accuracy and realism - it was the movie that led to a whole new generation of movies in the last decade (Band of Brothers; Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima; We Were Soldiers; Days of Glory; Saints & Soldiers; Max Manus; and more). Good to see it given the high quality 'Superbit' style treatment - the ultimate & preeminent DVD version, at least until a new Blu-ray version is released. |
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| "A Masterpiece that I never want to see again" | 2009-09-02 |
| - Reviewed By pink19666 |
I saw this movie during its theatrical release in 1998, and have adamantly refused to see it again. I suppose that probably sounds negative, but any slight against this film is unintentional. After completing this movie, Spielberg and Hanks could comfortably state to the world that their best work was probably behind them.
I have never seen a movie that was so powerful that I shook throughout the entire viewing. By the end, I was not crying, but tears were forcibly running from my eyes from the disbelief and the shock. I could barely walk out of the theater as the credits rolled.
It is the film equivalent of staring clearly into the pit of hell and, for a moment, feeling its unrelenting heat without succumbing to it. You could learn something deeply insightful from such an experience, but it is not pleasant and not an event you'd wish to repeat often. Afterward you likely feel grateful if you were spared from its subject. I cannot imagine how you would feel if you weren't.
And that's really all I have to say. This can never be among my favorite movies, but my respect for it is unrivaled. It is a horrible masterpiece, not because of its quality, but because of its refusal to compromise its subject. |
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| "Tremendous" | 2009-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By d_mikels |
Well, what can you say that 1700 other reviewers haven't said before? I doubt I can add a new angle, but wished to express my thoughts regarding this exceptional Steven Spielberg film. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN must be the most realistic war movie ever made (and no, I've never been in combat, yet I feel very comfortable that the sights, sounds, grit, grime, tension, brutality, and horror of actual battle are aptly conveyed in this epic); it's all the viewer can do to get through the first half hour, an unbelievably gruesome and violent depiction of D-Day. Spielberg definitely hooks his audience, even though (and I've seen this film several times) I find myself grimacing and looking away from some of the most disturbing carnage.
We all know the story: A platoon is dispatched deep into Nazi France to find, and then remove, a Private Ryan (Matt Damon). This is a PR move by the War Department, as Ryan's other three brothers have all been killed in action. The journey to find Private Ryan's outfit, and then one final confrontation with German forces before Ryan can be removed, is riveting, compelling, horrific--poignant. The action is powerful but never pretentious, and once again, extraordinarily realistic (including a knife fight when a German soldier, his face dripping with sweat, attempts to calm his American victim as the knife enters his chest). All of the cast is exceptional, headlined by Tom Hanks as platoon leader Captain Miller--an everyday man just trying to hold his group together and make it to the next sunrise. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is an elite epic, and when combined with Schindler's List Spielberg has paid everlasting homage to World War II.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning |
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| "Best War Film You'll See" | 2009-07-25 |
| - Reviewed By djblackhat |
This film has become a classic for combat realism & intensity. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially the first 25-30 minutes.
For many years I considered THE LONGEST DAY, the best film about the Normandy invasion during WWII. That was an excellent film for its time, but this Spielberg production takes the invasion & ensuing days to a much more intense, gut-wrenching level, with a story that not only is based in fact but also shows the horrors of combat in a way that few films ever have. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN develops the characters in such a way that any harm that befalls them has a greater impact on the audience than most war films.
There are a number of breakout performances by this star-studded cast (Sizemore, Diesel, Pepper, Davies, Goldberg, Ribisi) with some fine "cameos" by Giamatti, Ted Danson, Dale Dye, and Dennis Farina, to mention some of the more better known actors. Tom Hanks EARNED his Oscar for best actor. His performance as Captain John Miller was BETTER THAN "spot on"; it was masterful.
While other excellent war films have been made since this one was released in '98, such as BLACKHAWK DOWN & the HBO series BAND OF BROTHERS, this one will rank at the top of anyone's list of gripping war stories for years to come.
The extras in this set are top notch as well. You can't go wrong with this DVD version unless you get the Blu-Ray release. |
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