Not as perfect as expected

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 1999)

I agree that "Saving Private Ryan" is a good movie. Mostly because, to me, it was able to show the horrors of war in a quite realistic way. And how there are no heroes, in fact, for an American movie, its strength was that it showed the grays, not the black and whites. And the first twenty minutes I sat watching as the lump in my throat grew.
But why the present-past-structure? I think the message would have been brought across to me just as powerfully if it had been done in the past only. Without the manipulation of perspective, without the dreadfully over-the-top sentimental scene at the end at the cemetary. Without those frightfully unbelievable last words (wouldn't he have thought about his wife, maybe linked to that memory in the garden?). I could've done without it. And also without those glorious American flags that started and ended the movie.
Why claim this war? What I liked about it was that it was quite vague about all the different nationalities, making it more of a general protest against war. The American flags weaken that aspect. Other than that, it could've been a perfect and very powerful movie. That makes me, a post-war child, respect all people who've experienced and survived war even more.