A movie showing true courage in the face of fear - not macho Bruce Willis fare

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2000)

I can't get the image out of my head of the landing on the beach. I have always known that this was a tremendously bloody battle, but this scene really brings it home. The fact that anyone would willingly go onto the beach is amazing and demonstrates the level of committment that these young men must have had - this is courage with a meaning, not foolish, macho "courage" as it is so often depicted. Throughout the movie I found myself in awe of the way Spielberg presented these men as real people with emotions, fears, and flaws who were trying there best to serve their country and keep their sanity in such an awful and trying situation. It's so seldom that one gets the chance to see true character development that is subtle and adds to the movie rather than simply being written in as an afterthought. Forget Titanic, this should have been recognized as the best movie ever made. Everything about this movie is great, and a great misservice was done for the academy to not recognize it, not only for its technical excellence but for its purpose in trying to realistically portray the horror and courage of war. Kudos to Spielberg and everyone else involved in this movie!