VERY DISAPPOINTING FILM

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 1999)

Having viewed all of Steven Speilberg films over the years, I was extremely disappointed in Saving Private Ryan. The first hour of the movie was very intense and unique. The D-Day landing was captured with realism and superb direction. Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore give a very good portrayal of men in combat. As the film progressed, it became stagnant and eventually down right boring. From the time they leave the crash site of the airborne paratroppers....to the "Ted Danson" village segment....through the destruction of the heavy machine-gun....right up to meeting Matt Damon as Private Jim Ryan, THE MOVIE BECOMES CONTRIVED, ARTIFICIAL AND PLODDING. In all honesty, I can`t understand what all the fuss is about. At no time did I consider this in any way a patriotic war movie. While Speilberg gives a good directing effort, in no way should this movie be considered in the same class as "Shindlers List". I don`t think it builds very good characterizations. By the final battle scenes, I got the impression these actors were only going through the paces. They had lost that 1940`s feel for the times, that was neatly instilled during the first half of the film. Saving Private Ryan, in my humble opinion, will never rank up there with the greatest war films of all time. Even "Full Metal Jacket" with its second half letdown, was a superior motion picture endeavor then Saving Private Ryan. The best war films about 20th. century conflicks ever produced are: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI; THE LONGEST DAY; THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES; THEY WERE EXPENDABLE; PATHS OF GLORY; BATTLEGROUND; TWELVE O`CLOCK HIGH; FROM HERE TO ETERNITY; PATTON; THE DEER HUNTER; APOCALYPSE NOW; A WALK IN THE SUN; GUALALCANAL DIARY; SAHARA; PORKCHOP HILL; IN WHICH WE SERVE; THE DAWN PATROL(1938); IN HARMS WAY; FULL METAL JACKET; OPERATION:BURMA; DESTINATION TOKYO; SAHARA; 30-SECONDS OVER TOKYO; THE STORY OF G.I. JOE. To many observers most of these films are old, in black & white and just not real enough. In my book, realism should be left to the documentaries and people should use their imagination more....films/movies/motion pictures should be more surrealistic than realistic....and of course, above all, ENTERTAINING. There are probably several more I`m overlooking, but these remain the mainstays in the 20th. century war film genre.