Saving Matt Damon

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 1999)

Saving Private Ryan is the recent film directed by Steven Spielberg. A director known for his audience manipulation and subsequent audience appeal, he has stated in interviews that like Schindler's List (1993), Saving Private Ryan is a story that is meant to objectively portray war.
The story begins on Tuesday, June 6th, 1944: D-day. At 6:30am that fateful morning, an initial assault wave lands at Omaha Beach. The story proceeds to follow the story of Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and the men he commands. The first thirty minutes of the film includes some of the most graphic violence known to the screen. With the aid of cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List), Spielberg dispels any preconceived 'romantic' notions of the 'last Great War.' The pace is quick and the film visually mimics news cameras of the period. The fighting is presented as grim and unglamorous. With use of various hand-held camera techniques and astounding sound effects the audience becomes part of the war. Another fresh technique employed is intermittent periods with Hank's character is surreally caught up in the moment. One must see this film just for it's visual and aural aspect. It truly is a lesson of history. After surviving the initial attack, Captain Miller is given a new objective. To save the life of one, Private Ryan (Matt Damon). This comes to be due to the fact that of the four Ryan's that entered the war, one remains alive, or at least is thought to be alive. His life is worth risking that of Miller's and his men. From this point onward, I reconsidered the film's title to be "Saving Matt Damon". The contrived Hollywood plot was presented thus forth. Perhaps the life of the one is worth saving considering the lives of the many. I sure as hell would like to be that one life. And although a few characters suffered poignant moments, adding to much of the film's humanity, my mind could not get over the added fiction within the history.