Visually graphic and disturbing war epic.

Rating: 8/10 (23 September 2007)

Saving Private Ryan is a WW2 film that begins on the Normandy beaches of France on D-day, June 6th, 1944. The first 20 minutes are the most intense and graphic depictions of war I have seen. The D-day beach assaults will never be recreated so elegantly ever again. The noise, carnage, and chaos overwhelms and deeply disturbs the viewer. Unlike anything I have ever seen.
So far through the film you have been following Captain Miller(Tom Hanks) and his company on the beaches of Normandy. After the intense battle the US Army counts its dead. Three brothers were killed on that same day in Normandy. The 4th and youngest brother is James Francis Ryan(Matt Damon), and he is not reported dead but his whereabouts are unknown. Private Ryan is a paratrooper who jumped behind enemy lines as a paratrooper the night before the landings. He is the last of the sons that his mother still has. The army wants him found and brought back home to safety. Captain Miller is now given this task to find Private Ryan and bring him to safety.
Captain Miller now travels across battle torn French country side to find Private Ryan. But he does not travel alone. He travels with seven of his own hand picked men from his company. On their journey they face hard struggles. The mission becomes deadly and now the question is why risk the lives of eight men to save the life of one? The men do finally find Private Ryan but Ryan does not want to abandon his fellow comrades who he has been fighting and holding out with. So now Captain Miller and his men stay with Ryan and the troops he has been fighting with in this bombed out town waiting to hold out until relief arrives. The Germans are advancing on the town with many more troops and with tanks. Captain Miller and the rest of the men are vastly outnumbered but are going to try to hold on. What develops is one of the most graphic and disturbing final stands I have ever seen in a war movie.
Spielber masterfully directed the battle sequences. The battle scenes attacked your senses. The special effects were mind boggling to say the least. The scenes were so realistic and brutally graphic. So much blood and carnage that truly disturbs the viewer. War is shown as what it is. Nasty!!!!!!!!!
The acting was very good all around except from I think Matt Damon. But Tom Hanks never ceases to amaze me as he turns out one great performance. The film also stars Tom Sizemoore and Edward Burns as part of the rescue mission. Throughout the film there are many great cameos from actors like Paul Giamatti and even Ted Danson. Overall the acting was very good.
The dialog was for the most part realistic but at some parts not as much. Captain Miller's character seemed to know to much about all the other operations that were happening in France. And some of the lines, although not many, were a little cliché.
I felt the film to be a little biased towards the Americans which I hate to see in movies. Spielberg seemed to convey the Germans as evil jerks. German soldiers were just like the American soldiers. There is a difference between the German Army and the Nazi SS. So I was ashamed to see the German soldiers representing evil. War should represent evil, not German soldiers. Both sides are committing unforgiving violence. Not just the Germans.
Saving Privazte Ryan is a very good film. Everyone should at least experience it once, especially if you are a WW2 buff. Very educational! Not the best movie of all time but still very good.