Watch it for yourself

Rating: Null/10 (8 January 1999)

I'm happy so many people have seen this film, and am also quite happy to see many different opinions expressed as to the merits of "Saving Private Ryan." I myself thought the movie was quite exceptional. I enjoy the film for it's honesty. This isn't a film with a political agenda (such as the "War turns innocent children into mindless killers" of Stone's "Platoon," or the corny pro-American schmaltz of "The Green Berets")... Any governmental politics would have definitely hampered this film; instead, it focuses on war and war only. It focuses on the attitudes of soldiers and the fat cats who sent them in to battle. More importantly, SPR is about the thoughts and actions of eight men as they search for Private Ryan: We see them as they're crying, we see them as they're killing, we see them as they're laughing... Encompassing all these facts, the film provides a monumental look at the attitude of Americans towards war back in the day, and the attitude of Americans towards war in the present.
The battle sequences at the beginning and ending of the film are some of the most powerful sequences ever caught on celluloid. Yes, they are indeed technical marvels, to be sure... However, to say that the movie depends too much on the technical proficiency of its director is not true in the slightest... The film is exemplary all around. Likewise, to say that this film relies solely on Hanks' star power and Damon's looks is also untrue. The supporting cast, especially Ribisi, Goldberg, and Davies, more than hold their own, if not overshadow the also great performance of Hanks.
More importantly, in it's general honesty regarding the attitudes of Americans during and after the war, SPR succeeds in being one of the greatest, if not THE greatest war film ever produced. True, the script is not exactly the greatest ever written, but the raw power of the war sequences, the superb performances from all involved, and the humanity given to all soldiers who fought in this war more than make up for it.
And to those of you who denounce it for demonizing Nazis: 1) What of the scene where Davies screams for the release of the bawling German soldier? 2) This movie is shot from the perspectives of those fighting the Nazis; anyone trying to kill you is going to be perceived in a negative light. 3) Remember: The Nazis were the BAD guys.
And for those denouncing it for it's solely American perspective: the film followed only eight American soldiers and STILL clocked in at three hours... I'm sure Spielberg would have loved to encompass the entire story of World War II into this film, but I don't think that was quite possible.