Not overly impressed on the whole...

Rating: 2/10 (22 January 1999)

A number of reviewers and people I have spoken to have described this film as the greatest war film ever. It is far from this. Whilst I will concede that this film contains some of the most brutal and compelling war scenes I have witnessed in any film it is underpinned by a weak storyline and laughable script.
Spielberg's camera direction is stunning and once again proves that he is a master of white-knuckle, tense action sequences but as is all too often the case with his flawed genius he feels the need to drown us in corny, unbelievable sentiment.
The sheer, graphic horror of warfare is captured with thrilling camera work and editing and seemed to send many stomachs churning amongst fellow cinema goers. However inbetween the brutal and gory warfare we were expected to swallow sentiment of a level that upset my stomach far more.
The scene where Hanks 'opens up' to the troops had me retching uncontrollably.
Worse still was the nationalistic theme of the film. Spielberg had his "Isn't the USA great" hat on and he was wearing it proud.
In summary this film though touched by genius was too long, too sickly-sentimental, too USA glorifying and on the whole too poorly written to ever be a film worthy of the superlatives that so many have bestowed upon it.
Worth a look though.