Excellent Execution...Beautiful Sound

Rating: 7/10 (26 October 2009)

I read about how some people loved the movie and how some hated it. For those who didn't like it, well it is a movie. It is an effort to replicate the happenings of a long time ago when neither of us was around. Luckily, we do have a few directors who try to get real at such things – they try; some succeed, some make a fool of themselves and some go beyond what the people of then could understand and depict a story they feel is true, complete and powerful enough to support reason.
SPR is a beautiful movie. Yes, it does get a little slow and I did feel that Steven did try forcing out emotions a little in some scenes but that's me – I hate any person who portrays army generals or commanders- I can never understand why do they have to be the wisest of the lot. I'd prefer a more humane leader – some who'd be conflicted, guilty and in the spur of the moment resolve to send in a team, maybe of expendable soldiers to bring out a last son.
So leaving the movie aside, I'd comment on the technicalities. Sound – brilliant. I was way too small when this movie hit the theatres so I saw it at home on my Philips Dolby Surround and it hit me boom, bang & centre. It was piercing, jarring, ambient and well placed. As for the music, John Williams could've done better – it sounded very expected war hero symphony – So far I've not quite found a soundtrack that could outmatch James Horner in Apocalypto; if you find onelet me know.
Cinematography is beautiful. I've not seen a movie look like this. Very well set up and the reduced tones help bring out the sunlight and the serenity. You can see destruction and beauty side by side. The color disappears when it rain, appears in the mornings, the nights are darker so that distant firing can be made out. In all it was very well taught of.
Direction, well I am not going to criticize the man who made Schindler's and Jaws. Steven is the God of film making and he knows it. He has shown it. He moves with the camera, talks through his actors and is super fast at execution – you can feel the spontaneous takes in every scene. Still far from being Kubrick but I doubt there'd be anyone greater.
P.S: Please do not make another Indiana Jones movie. You totally are spoiling what you've earned you know. That goes from me, Stan, Kyle & Eric.
My vote for SPR – 8 / 10.