Best WWII movie thus far

Rating: Null/10 (14 August 1998)

I've heard many people say that Vietnam was the most horrific and vicious war of this century. I always said, yes, it was bad, but no worse than any other war. I think that this film proves my point better than any book or essay.
I've always been fascinated by World War II, and have enjoyed many of Steven Spielberg's WWII-era films as a result. After seeing this one, I see every other WWII movie before it as almost an insult to the reality of war. But I don't think a true account of what it was like on Normandy beach would be possible before now.
Unlike other war movies, this one shows a larger picture, as seen from the perspective of individual soldiers. The characters in Saving Private Ryan are certainly the emphasis of the story, but Spielberg does not shy away from showing us the countless others they meet along the way. ALL of the characters in the movie are believable, not exaggerated as in many other war movies.
Anyone who "enjoys" the battle scenes is so completely desensitized to violence that even this movie won't be able to resensitize you. Anyone who says the movie's story is weak or that Spielberg's direction is a problem has either not seen the movie at all or made their minds up before they saw it. To fully appreciate Saving Private Ryan, one must put themselves in the soldiers' shoes, which in this case is made excruciatingly easy.
This film's only weak point is far stronger than most American WWII movies. The German's perspective is represented here, but could still be better stated. I suggest Das Boot as a movie which shows what the enemy really thought about the war.