This has become my favourite film, period.

Rating: Null/10 (23 June 2004)

I have seen this film twice in the theatre and countless times on DVD at home. It never fails to incite deep emotion within me.
The film is riveting as you follow the actions of 8 soldiers through Normandy as they try to find and retrieve Private Ryan.
The opening scene on the beach although brutal and relentless is ultimately satisfying as the men eventually knock out the German positions and move inland. The cost is very high but they achieved their goal and have made the beach behind them safe.
I must admit I never truly accepted the argument of whether or not it was right for the men to risk their lives to save Private Ryan. They were given an order (by General Marshall no less) and it must be carried out. If they weren't fighting the Germans to reach Ryan they would just have been fighting and risking their necks somewhere else in France.
I can't think of another film that manages to bring the true horror and destruction of war right into your face. From the opening twenty minutes of the film right to the final battle the audience is never given a chance to rest or catch their breath.
Great performances by several actors including Tom Hanks, it is a film that will surely be highlighted when Tom Hanks receives a lifetime achievement award near the end of his career. He is the calm and methodical everyman caught in the maelstrom of war and conflicting loyalties amongst the men he leads.
Ironically I cannot bring myself to watch the final battle any longer. Here the sacrifices don't seem to lead anywhere and the action is so real I can almost feel it myself. Anyway an amazing film and truly a feather in the cap of Steven Spielberg as well.