Typical saccharine pap from Spielberg

Rating: 3/10 (23 October 2003)

The greatest war movie ever? Come on, folks, who are you trying to kid. While SPR is certainly a technical tour de force, in emotional, spiritual, historical and narrative terms it stinks, for the same reason most of Spielberg's films (with the exception of Schindler's List, marvellous) stink: the man has no vision, and little or no artistic integrity. (Why else does he churn out rubbish like Jurassic Park II? I'll tell you why - money.)
SPR is dishonest, silly and trite, an insult to the men who died in the real D-Day landings. The story premise, as others here have pointed out, is risible, the framing device unnecessary and stupidly sentimental. How anybody over the age of 9 can rate this film higher than genuine masterpieces such as Paths of Glory, All Quiet on the Western Front or Cross of Iron is beyond me. Still, a lot of people who visit this site think Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are the greatest films ever made, which probably explains something.
Watch the first 20 minutes, and then switch off. Pants.