Spielberg puts us in the midst of war!

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2005)

You know why this is one of the best war films of all time? Because Spielberg puts us right in the midst of the war! We experience the unvarnished, direct, and all the nitty-gritty details that went on in battle. I can't think of any other film of the same genre which has done this. He does this by using shaky POV camera shots, showing us graphic images of soldiers getting blown up or getting shot, brutal sound effects, etc. We also get a solid storyline with an actual plot. Our heroes have a goal and a mission to complete (besides winning the war). After a grueling 20-minute opening that depicts the horrors that went on D-Day, Capt. Miller and his crew of soldiers are assigned to rescue private Ryan, a paratrooper lost behind enemy lines. His three brothers have just been killed in action and the Army wants to send him home. This leads Capt. Miller and his crew to undertake a dangerous task with an uncertain outcome.
Tom Hanks and company are excellent. They all give convincing and rather low-key performances. Giovanni Ribisi and Matt Damon are particular standouts. Another thing I loved about the film was the pacing. The balance between the ghastly battle scenes and the quiet scenes which gives us time to get to know our heroes is perfect. You hardly notice that it's a 2 hr and 50 min film. The photography by Janusz Kaminski is incredibly distinctive. It has this "washed-out" look which makes it look like an old war newsreel. John Williams' musical score is also appropriately effective. It's not his most memorable nor as haunting like the one he did for Schindler's List but good enough to appreciate. Without a doubt, all this wouldn't have been achieved if it wasn't for Steven Spielberg's expertise. Once again, he shows us his versatility and mastery as a director to let audiences experience a story rather than just see it. I can live with the fact that the film didn't win an Oscar for Best Picture but it would have been an injustice if he hadn't won for Best Director. A great war film and one of the best of the 90's!