Spielberg's Soft Heart and a Solid War Movie

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2010)

After discovering that three of his brothers have been killed in battle, the War Department orders a group of soldiers to "save" Private Ryan and send him home to his mother. This act creates a fair amount of conflict, and from there the story really picks up.
Steven Spielberg, while a fine director, often becomes sentimental and smarmy. This is no exception. But for the most part, the battles are fierce, the wounds are bloody and the death toll is high. Considered by many to be the greatest of all war films, it easily ranks up there in my book.
What I loved most about this film? The casting of Nathan Fillion and Jeremy Davies. Oh my, I can never get enough of those two gentlemen. Beyond that, the realism and the brutality shines through. I appreciate that the Americans executed surrendering Germans (and on one occasion, Czechs) rather than took them prisoner. Is it right? No. But it's realistic.