A Film of Honor and Sacrifice

Rating: 10/10 (23 February 2016)

Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" is a film that is illustrated with such magnificent detail that it helps grasp your attention right from the beginning and doesn't let go until the credits start to roll. The hard work and dedication put in by the director, cinematographer, and actors in this film will make you leave the theater completely enthralled with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. This film is set during World War II, particularly the Invasion of Normandy. As four brothers of the Ryan family enter the war their mother receives the news that three of them have died right at the start. Devastated at her loss, she sends orders to have them find her fourth son. This leads into the whole mission of the movie which is to find Private First Class James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) and bring him home. Tom Hanks is known for his work in dramas so it was no surprise that he was the perfect fit to play the leading role as Captain John H. Miller. He takes it above and beyond when he allows his voice to tremble and even get this glassy look in his eye as if he was experiencing war first hand. He plays the leader that everyone looks to when they are in desperate need for direction but he also portrays the man whose hands tremble due to the effect of war which makes him that much more fascinating to watch. Another character that catches your eye is that of Private Richard Reiben, played by Edward Burns. Burns' portrays a new new demeanor never seen by him before as he is not known for his acting in epic war dramas but comedies. Throughout the film, he is seen yelling into men's faces and giving off facial expressions that makes him look arrogant but then becomes soft as he realizes he can't do anything else to save Captain Miller. Seeing Burns play such a new role gives him that much more credibility and respect for his acting career.
The credit of this film should go not solely to the actors, but to director Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński who display so many different perspectives and angles that pull the film together. For example, when they show the death of Captain Miller they use an angle that shows who shoots him and him getting shot, pulling together the commotion of war and show his men avenging his death. They also took real footage from what actually happened during WWII and copied almost exactly how they saw it. By knowing that you just witnessed what actually happened in history makes the film that much more alluring than it already is. Considering the film starts off with a very graphic 27-minute battle scene at Omaha Beach, it sets the expectation that the rest of the movie would not be a waste of one's time. The reality of the film is one that needs to be rewarded due to the accuracy of the little details. Some of these details are the boats that replicated the ones used during WWII, the blood they used to completely engulf the water, and the scene which shows soldiers trying to find their severed limbs. Spielberg did not sugarcoat the harsh realities of war but instead used it to capture the audience's attention. Spielberg has definitely outdone himself in this film. It teaches one about American history but also one about honor and sacrifice. Through the agony and the loss, it is a film that will be shown to people for centuries to come.