A Timeless Piece of Filmmaking

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2019)

I just recently had a chance to re-watch this film in a cinemaplex. Not exactly Imax, but it was a larger screen than my home TV, and theatre audio was superb. I saw this film when it originally came out in theaters in 1998. The opening sequence gained notoriety for it's unflinching visceral photography and shockingly graphic violence. I have watched this film a few times since then, but seeing it on a larger screen, I had an appreciation for the realism that Spielberg insisted on. If it was virtually any other filmmaker, the expense of realistic production with extra attention to detail would not have happened. Instead we would have been presented something not as noteworthy.
These efforts were the reason it won several Academy Awards. There is so much depth to the story. The film zips along with small set pieces that provide some kind of insight to the enigma of war. Not only are there some classic performances, there are classic faces. Bryan Cranston, Vin Diesel, Matt Damon, Paul Giamatti, Ted Danson, Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Dennis Farina, Barry Pepper. Very recognizable faces.
Tom Hanks, now less of an A list star compared to the 90s, gives a very natural performance. He shouts commands as a confident captain taking part in the most incredible feat attempted by our country. We get to witness these events, partially through the gun-shy eyes of Corp. Upham, played by a meek looking Jeremy Davis. He reacts as most of the audience would to the cacophonous noise and chaos. He flinches as much as anyone would with bombs going off right next to you. He also represents the humane approach to the war, which of course goes against reason at times.
There are accolades to go around, including a detailed script. Capt. Miller's unknown career back in the states. Searching through a pile of dogtags. A glider landing that went FUBAR. A genuinely funny anecdote about the Ryan brothers before the war. Coherent explanation of strategies and improvised weapons. When confronted with a dilemma, the script smartly explores it to find a piece of wisdom that the audience can learn from. So we get a history lesson about the first few days of the D-Day invasion, while being entertained with believable and memorable characters.
The cinematography can be considered a landmark in visceral storytelling. The use of high shutter speeds removes the normal blur when there is an explosion. In this case, the explosion particles are vividly in focus, and feel all the more real and lethal. I lost track when watching the more technical aspects of the film of how many shots were done in a single take. In the final battle, there is a shot following Upham from cowering from an explosion, tracking him to another building on another block, with a tank a soldiers approaching, returning back to the previous street, and ending with a conversation with Sgt Horvath (Sizemore). There are many more long shots like this throughout the film that go unnoticed. The shots are staged so well they feel like a documentary, with no deliberate use of shaky cam needed.
Lastly, the density of the soundtrack must be noted. There is a never ending barrage of gunfire, explosions, objects flying in the air, footsteps, weapons being loaded, and on. The immersion of the sound (again with the advantage of hearing it on a well tuned sound system in a theatre) makes the experience even more intense. Such as the quiet rumble of German tanks approaching. The spare music score gives the perfect backing when the moment requires it.
The 2 hour and 49 minute running time goes quickly, with each set piece as part of the journey providing something new and intriguing as the squad of soldiers encounter the war. The longer script gives character depth, and glances at small details that might have been otherwise excised for time.
I give this film a 9 out of 10, and is not only one of Spielberg's all time best films, but a timeless work on it's own. How would I rate it as one of the best war films? I would put it up there with perhaps "Patton", but I believe, that every well made film about war can each provide a unique insight into war. Such as "Apocalypse Now" is one the best war films in the way it shows the perversity of war.