A powerful, moving film about a group of soldiers sent to save a mother's only surviving son caught in the middle of a brutal war.

Rating: 10/10 (22 March 1999)

WOW! That's all I could say as I left the theater after seeing Saving Private Ryan, this movie is what film making is all about. As I walked out of the dark theater with my grandfather, who experienced the horror of Omaha Beach first hand over 50 years ago, I turned to him and said, "Was it really like that?" What he told me was just about the best way to describe this movie you can get, he said "Mathew, that movie was just about as close to war as you can get without the fear of taking a bullet." I must say that Stephen Speilberg has outdone himself once again, not only was Saving Private Ryan the best war film ever made, I'm trying to decide if I think it's the best movie ever made. Of course the movie's highest points are the brilliantly realistic war scenes, especially the Omaha Beach scene but the visuals aren't it's only good parts. The story is quite well thought out and the reactions from the charecters are very realistic, ie. The soldiers aren't too happy about having to risk their lives for one private who no one has even heard of. The charecters are very well developed and you really get to know and love (or hate) each and every one of their personalities individually. Speilberg got his point across so well that by the end you're screaming "KILL SOME NAZIS, THEN KILL MORE NAZIS, THEN AFTER THAT KILL EVEN MORE NAZIS." Believable story, amazing visuals, top notch acting, superb directing, touching dialog. All in all a true masterpiece, see this film at all costs I recommend it to everyone.