Earn this...

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 1998)

In reading through the comments made on this page, I realize that people had several interpretations and opinions of what this movie was supposed to be (as people often do). However, here's how I feel the movie was intended, and why I say that this is by far the greatest war movie, and one of the greatest movies of any genre. The prevailing comments among nay-sayers is that the characters were too stereo-typical, and that a plot of one man being important enough to risk the lives of 8 was unbelievable. That's exactly what Spielberg wanted. First, the characters. They were _intended_ to be stereotypical. How could you represent every man that ever fought in this, and other, wars without being stereotypical? Unless, of course you wanted to have a cast of several million people. The point was to show the trevails that every man went through in the war, NOT to give a unique face to each. And it seems he did this with his usual mastery.
Second, the plot. The mistake that most are making is that they're thinking of Private Ryan as one man. He wasn't. He was everyone. Every person that was sitting in that theater. Every person that has ever been a part of this country. When he tells Ryan to "Earn this", he is talking to YOU. He is saying that we're not here today by accident. It took normal men (a school-teacher, for instance) to make sure that we could someday go on IMDB after seeing a movie and spout our opinions. He is telling you not to waste the precious life you've been given. So, yes, this is perhaps the greatest movie of all time, shaky camera or not. And they fought so that I could sit here on my soapbox and give my opinion. Thank God.