The most stunning war film in cinematic history.

Rating: 9/10 (14 April 1999)

The most stunning war film in cinematic history. Steven Spielberg has crafted an unbelievable recreation of the Normandy Invasion and story that follows. By using bleached out lighting and a guerrilla style of camerawork, Spielberg thrusts the viewer into the battle. Januscz Kaminski's camera seems to be everywhere at once without losing the viewer. At the center is the performance by its cast. They perform with a quiet sense of dignity not seen in films today. Tom Hanks gives his most memorable performance to date as Capt. John Miller, a battle-weary citizen-soldier who has seen too much. Hanks is without a handicap in this role, unlike Forrest Gump and Philadelphia. The character he creates is one who is faced with an insurmountable task and in carrying it out, must keep himself and his men alive, and without losing his own sanity and decency. This performance easily surpassed Oscar winner Roberto Benigni's. Alongside Hanks' performance is beautiful portrayals by Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel, and Matt Damon. This was by far the best film of the year, easily beating Shakespeare in Love. It is sad to see that an ad campaign can buy a film an Academy Award.