The perfect war movie..

Rating: 9/10 (25 July 2006)

"Saving Private Ryan" is one of those movies you can't believe didn't win the picture Oscar. That didn't stop it though from reaching such a huge audience and touch the lives of millions. The movie has one of the best introductions ever put on screen. The attack on D-Day is immensely powerful and painfully well directed. Steven Spielberg knows exactly how to make this movie strong and action-driven while focusing on the psychology on the characters and the cruelty of war.
The movie is about 8 men searching for a soldier by the name of James Ryan (Matt Damon), who's the last of four brothers still left alive. After the attack of D-Day most of the soldiers still suffer the war syndrome and seem very doubtful of finding one person in a whole war-zone. Back at home, Ryan's mother gets a letter about three out of four of her sons dying in war, and begs the soldiers to find her last one.
It's a beautiful film that depicts war as it should be. Vicious, disgusting, violent, heartbreaking, unfair, and tragic. Spielberg's use of the hand-held camera is almost breathtaking, as he gets right into the action and swings left and right to create a sense of realism and panic. His incredible editing and beautiful cinematography is unforgettable and is strongly influential.
Tom Hanks gives an incredible performance as Captain John Miller, a dedicated and loyal soldier who's on the verge of losing his mind. The pressure from being a captain and enduring the worst attack in history sends him in mental torture, trying to covering his pain and suffering from the rest of the soldiers.
The story doesn't focus on the heroic aspect, but rather the truth about war. Spielberg knows that even though you get to know the characters, they have a chance of dying. There is a unique subtlety in that these characters seem to have the drive to save private Ryan so they could go home.
Definitely one of the best directed films in a long time, "Saving Private Ryan" is a bright gem in recent film-making. Robbed of the Picture Oscar, the movie is a true representation of D-Day and post D-Day. It's a movie that inspires above all else.