film excellence

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 1998)

I am quite disappointed to hear that Saving Private Ryan is being described as "the greatest war film ever made." It is very simply, "the greatest film ever made." I, personally, have never viewed a film that inspires more raw emotion than this gripping tale of risking eight men to save one. I am glad to see that Dreamworks SKG has finally gotten its act together and developed a high caliber motion picture. The graphic quality of this WWII tale exposes war for what it is: not some heroic venture in the realm of personal glory, but a horrific combination of death and destruction. The use of hand held cameras and dulled color themes only enhances the experience almost to the point of suggesting that the audience is there with Capt. Miller and his men to witness the terror first hand. I truly regard Steven Spielberg as a genius and at the same time cannot imagine any circumstance that would prevent this film from receiving the academy's "best picture" award. In short, Saving Private Ryan is an amazing work of art that cannot be adequately described in words. So go see it, you'll cherish the experience.