One of the most realistic WWII movies ever made

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2000)

This film has been mentioned as the greatest WWII film of all time. It was very good, but nowhere near that good. It probably qualifies as the one of best WWII films made after 1970. There were dozens of great films with better stories made in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's when the war was still fresh in everyone's minds.
The story was about a rescue mission to find a paratrooper behind enemy lines and bring him back alive, because all his brothers had been killed in the war. The platoon was commanded by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) who had to take his men through enemy controlled territory to rescue Private Ryan (Matt Damon). It is a combination character study and action film, more about the platoon than about Private Ryan himself. Other than Captain Miller, there wasn't very much character development, but there was a good deal of time devoted to the human dynamics within the platoon, which was excellent.
What really stands out about this film is the direction. Steven Spielberg has created probably the most gut wrenchingly realistic war movie ever made. The scenes on the beach at Normandy were terrifying. This should be required viewing for all politicians and generals before we commit men to battle. Spielberg's attention to detail and willingness to show the grisly and horrifying results of men being thrown into a fusillade of projectiles is unparalleled.
The entire ensemble cast did a terrific job. Tom Hanks, as always, was masterful as Captain Miller. He struck just the right balance between the sympathetic commander who understood what his men were going through, and the hard-nosed military man who had to force them to do a job they didn't want to do.
I rated this film an 8/10. It wasn't the greatest WWII story ever told, but it may have been the greatest telling of such a story. This film shows explicit battle scenes that are brutally gory. It is definitely not for the squeamish.