Almost Great

Rating: 9/10 (13 July 1999)

I finally saw SPR on video last night. What a valiant attempt by Spielberg to realistically depict the sacrifices of the allies during the Normandy invasion and its near aftermath! This is almost a great movie. I had trouble hearing some of the dialogue, and granted some of the scenes seemed a bit trite, but mostly this film succeeded. I'm also sorry that Blacks and Hispanics were not included. Yes, the Germans were portrayed as being brutal, particularly Steamboat Willie, but on the other hand there were also scenes where Americans ruthlessly shot surrendering Germans. It just goes to show that war really is hell!
None of the comments that I read here focused on the Lincoln letter which General Marshall quotes by heart in the early part of the film, and later incorporates into a final letter to Mrs. Ryan. I found this to be extremely effective in establishing the overall theme, which was the sacrifice of our fathers (grandfathers, uncles, etc) on the "altar of freedom." In the end, it was not the brutality of war, but the self-giving sacrifices of the WWII generation which is the main point of SPR.