"This Ryan better be worth it"

Rating: 9/10 (25 September 1999)

Saving Private Ryan is an over-whelming thought provoking film which takes the baton from Platoon as the standard for war movies. Not that it is necessarily better, but it certainly raised the bar in technical achievement and graphic violence.
Another winning combination of Janusz Kaminski and Spielberg, the technical achievement of the opening act (D-Day invasion) is worthy of all the praise and awards the movie garnered. Spielberg again shows us, as in "Schindler's List", his unique way of depicting violent death as something that happens to real people, not simply a cool effect to rid the plot of bad guys. This 25 to 30 minutes of the film is one of filmmakings all-time great achievements.
Spielberg's real genius in his "serious" films is his knack for allowing us to enter inside and feel the chaos and emotions. SPR, Schindler's, The Color Purple and even Jaws surround you rather than hit you in the face.
There is a line spoken by one of the soldiers shortly after they receive their seemingly inane assignment to rescue one man: "This Ryan better be worth it". A sort of prophetic statement that to me commented on the man, the mission and the film itself.
A great film, for sure, but not perfect, and certainly not worthy of #7 on the IMDb top 250. The script is a little too clean and clever for a bunch of kids thrown into combat, and it so, so violent and depressing that it is physically exhausting. I feel that after the stellar and gut-wrenching opening act, SPR never lives up to the standard it sets for itself.
However, if the opening and closing acts are even 1% accurate in their depiction of combat, then this movie should be used as war deterrent.
Not Spielberg's best, but certainly a noble film and a technical watershed in movie making.
***1/2 out of ****.