Real heroes in the real hell of war

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2014)

If it is possible to make a majestic film about a hellish war Steven Spielberg has done so. With Saving Private Ryan Spielberg beautifully blends the arts of filmmaking and storytelling. With such an accomplished director at the helm it is no surprise that this is such a technically proficient film, that it looks so spectacular, so real. But this film is so much more than the stunning, often horrifying, visuals. This is a film with a magnificent, inspiring story. And Spielberg tells that story so well, taking you through the emotional wringer. Tom Hanks leads an outstanding cast, Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is breathtaking, John Williams provides a powerful and at times haunting score. And credit must also go to screenwriter Robert Rodat whose story is so incredibly compelling. So many people contributing so brilliantly to an absolutely fascinating film. Everyone did their part and Spielberg put all the pieces together perfectly.
The film begins on D-Day with the Normandy invasion which of course could be an entire film in and of itself. This sequence is unrelenting, Spielberg sparing nothing in his depiction of the inconceivable violence on Omaha Beach. Never has any film so brutally illustrated that war is indeed hell. Thousands of men bravely face what for so many must seem to be a certain death. As the bodies fall and blood turns the sea red Captain John Miller continues to push his company forward. They make a critical breakthrough but at such cost. Miller, and we, look down at the carnage below on the beach. So many men lay there, having made the ultimate sacrifice. The camera focuses in on one of the dead, on his backpack we see the name: S. Ryan. And we know that this film, even as it tells the tale of a conflict which engulfed the whole world, is going to tell a very personal story.
The Ryan we see lying on the beach is one of three Ryan brothers killed in action. A fourth Ryan brother, James, is missing in action having parachuted behind German lines. From Washington comes a very unusual, but very clear order. Captain John Miller is to find James Ryan. And send him home. Miller assembles a small unit from his company. Eight men will go out into the French countryside, still occupied by Germans mind you, to find and save Private Ryan. Eight men will risk their lives to save one. Suffice to say not all of the eight are particularly happy with this assignment. But orders are orders and off the men go, into the great unknown. No simple mission this. Danger lurks at every turn. Spielberg ratchets up the tension, keeping you on the edge of your seat. You care so much about these men because Spielberg, certainly with a great assist from screenwriter Rodat, has done such a fine job of allowing you to know them. These characters come fully formed. You feel you know them, really understand them, almost from the moment you first meet them. So many different personalities in the group. Credit of course must go to the actors portraying the squad, the performers bring these soldiers brilliantly to life. Hanks is the star, the leader, and he is excellent. But the other actors match him stride for stride. Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi and Jeremy Davies...none put a foot wrong. An amazing cast which does justice to an amazing story.
It is the story which really sets this film apart. It is a film about war but really it is a film about one man. But maybe that one man is not Private Ryan. Ryan plays his part but is this story really about Captain Miller? An ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary situation. A leader of men, doing his duty. Doing whatever is necessary to get his men, and himself, home. Hanks does such a terrific job portraying this man who remains an enigma even to his own men. Sometimes you get the sense he is an enigma to himself. He has lost the sense of who he is, or at least who he used to be. War will do that to you. The worldwide conflict is ultimately fought by individual men. And Spielberg allows you to get to know some of these men. Ryan and Miller. And Horvath, Reiben, Jackson, Mellish, Caparzo, Wade and Upham. Each has his own story to tell. And seeing each of their stories play out takes us back to the film's opening, to Omaha Beach. So many men died there. No film can tell every one of their stories. But with this film Spielberg has honored them all. A film of staggering scope and awesome power but with a personal touch. That Saving Private Ryan did not win the Best Picture Oscar is sad, quite frankly absurd. But honoring the film is not really important. Honoring the men who died so that we may be free is what really matters. And this film does just that.