Saving Private Ryan Is My Favorite Movie

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2006)

I am a harsh critic of movies. I bash everything. There is rarely a movie that I can sit down and watch and enjoy because most are crude and bland. I never pay attention to the hype, I don't care.I judge a movie on what it is about, what it is portraying, and how well it is made. Before I saw it, Saving Private Ryan didn't interest me. I liked dramas and war flicks and stories but I was just never interested in seeing Saving Private Ryan because of the title.
One day however my mother rented the flick and I decided to watch it. Man....the opening scene was a shocker. It also really showed how that day went down. I find it fascinating how Capt. John Miller takes charge. A soldier asks him, "Where's the rallying point?" Miller responds,"Anywhere but here". I mean thats how you feel right there, like they need to get off that forsaken beach. It's neat how you get to see the characters in action on the beach before you even get into the main plot. So many different things happen in the movie. I pay attention and every time I watch it I see something new. I've probably seen it 20-30 times. I don't know why anyone would want to bash it. It is well directed, and well acted. It takes place during a time that should be well respected. It wasn't weak because it left so much of the other fighting in the war out. It is called "Saving Private Ryan", not "the Documentary of World War 2". Even though it is almost like a documentary. It's about a mission that is unlike other missions. It's about finding a soldier, and getting him the hell out of there. It's not about fighting with the British to save France and the whole Allied powers from Hitler. It was based on something smaller, but at the same time larger. A mother's love for her son, and how even in the military they respect that. We all got mothers and how terrible would they feel if they lost all their son's. even Cpt. Miller's squad was taught respect from the matter. They questioned it and some disagreed and sure they would rather be out fighting the war, but that was their orders, and they had to follow. After all, if they found Ryan, and made it out of that forsaken crap whole of a mess, maybe then they would all earn the right to go home.
Anyway I would just like to say I think all the characters are great. It was Vin Diesel's best movie, I think his only good movie even though he was the first of Miller's men to die. Pvt. Jackson, I think he is many people's favorite. The way he takes down the sniper that kills Caparzo (Diesel) and battles in the Church tower at the battle for the bridge. Nothing can describe the way Tom Hanks reacts when he see's the Church tower get hit by the tank round. He feels sorrow, because of the loss of such a fine sniper, but he just keeps shooting. I like how Reiben doesn't care about the mission at first and even steps out of line. He learns what it's all about though, and he even saves Ryan at the end from a tank. Sgt. Horvath, what a great actor. Tom Siezmore. Hanks couldn't ask for a better partner. You can really feel the relationship between Miller and Horvath. Like when Capt. Miller steps out to create a diversion and Machine gun Fire rains down but Miller gets out of the way in time and Horvath says,"Captain if your Mother saw you do that she's be very upset." Then Hanks replies,"I thought you were my mother". Lol.I believe out of all the men in Miller's squad Horvath is hit by the most rounds. He showed the mentality of a brave soldier that died for his men. Obviously Upham was the sensitive type, that finally killed someone in the end. Mellish portrayed a good soldier, that did also seem a bit sensitive, as he cries while finding a Hitler Youth Knife.(He is Jewish so I guess he's not really sensitive, just effected greatly by the events because of his ethnicity) Of course Wade was also well portrayed. When he died it was the saddest.
Anyway, in the end, Captain John Miller tries to blow up the bridge but a tank round launches debris and sends everything into chaos. Miller then tries to retrieve the detonator and is shot on the bridge where he falls. He then sits up and takes his pistol out and starts shooting at the tank that is about to cross the bridge. The tank explodes and in amazement Miller looks up to see the "Angels on our shoulders" P51 tank busters fly over head. Then with his last breath he says to Ryan "James, earn this.....earn it" And then it goes to James as an old man in the memorial in France with thousands of crosses. And he is of course kneeling down in front of Miller's cross with the rest of Miller's squad's crosses trying to make peace with their sacrifice for his life. James then looks at his wife and says, "Tell me I've lead a good life, tell me I'm a good man" Then She replies,"You are" And it really makes me think about how I should live, that those died to save me. That I need to be a good man, and respect what I have because so many others lost their lives, just so I could go home.
To wrap it up, Saving Private Ryan had everything. Some comedy, drama, love, action, and even some good looking dames. You can't deny that James Ryan's daughter's were some good looking ladies. Anyway I didn't know a movie could be that good until I saw Saving Private Ryan. Go Stephen Spielberg!