Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2019)

Saving Private Ryan (1998), starring Tom Hanks and Jeremy Davies, represents an impeccable display of 90's practical effects and cinematography. While the plot sometimes borders on cliche, WWII realism is buoyed by dramatic performances from a talented supporting cast (including Tom Sizemore and Giovanni Ribisi). The film depicts a surprisingly accurate recreation of Nazi occupied France - during the initial phase of Operation Overlord (1944). A particularly moving shot features heavy rain drops on the leaves of Normandy hedgerows - your ears first interpret gunfire. Sharp direction by Steven Spielberg mirrors real life war reporting adding a level of grit and documentary terror not seen before or since. The first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan cannot be forgotten and may function as a tool to familiarize future generations on the scenarios of endless brutality generated by an environment of total war.