Another Incredible Addition to Spielberg's Library of the Best

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2005)

As a large fan of war movies, I can easily say that this is the most realistic war movie I have ever seen. The sequences of battle, though gruesome, convey the horrors and intensity of combat surrounding World War II. Though the story is fictional, the invasion of Normandy was depicted accurately and powerfully in great detail. Mechanical and historical accuracy is evident most of the time. In the movie, Private James Ryan is a paratrooper during World War II. During the invasion, he is mislaunched and lands near a small French village. He has three brothers who are also fighting in the war that have been killed in action. When the commanders of the army realize this, they order a rescue unit to retrieve Ryan and bring him home so that his mother does not have to receive word that all of her sons have died in combat. The leader of this unit is Captain John Miller (portrayed by Tom Hanks.) The performances by him and the rest of the people he commands is outstanding and the drama of the war is not underdone or overdone. For those people who negatively criticize this move due to its gore should realize that World War II was like that and the facts are being shown as they are. They have not been tampered with which is an excellent thing. Spielberg combined his past experience with superb acting, special effects and history to create an incredible tapestry of absolute cinematic brilliance. Easily the finest war movie ever created.