disappointing in its greatness

Rating: Null/10 (14 July 1999)

"Saving Private Ryan" is a great movie. It contains the best battle scenes I have ever seen in a film. Merely on the merits of the film's first half hour, SPR will deservingly have an important place in film history.
And although I think the movie was great, a couple things about it fell just a little short:
1) The contrived bookending sequence with the old man at the cemetary. Wouldn't the story have been just as powerful if told entirely during the war? 2) The script was good, but it pales in comparison to the directing, cinematography, and acting.
This movie had such high ambitions, that it was disappointing to not see Spielberg reach them entirely. It's like a team that has an amazing season then loses the superbowl. This film came very, very close to being a nearly flawless masterpiece.
My rating: 4/4 stars 95/100