The Second best war movie ever made is a timeless experience!

Rating: 10/10 (7 November 2013)

Spielberg during his career has always shown a certain interest for the World War II, in movies like "1941", "Empire of the Sun", "Schindler's List" and of course "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Last Crusade" that was perfect clear. He affirmed that in a interview that he considers the WWII one of the most significant events of the last hundred years, and always sought to portray it somehow. It took the screenwriter Robert Rodat and Tom Hanks to show to Spielberg a story almost like "Apocalypse Now", inspired by an event of the civil war, taking place during the Second World War, to the master retract the war in the best way (possibly) ever made.
"Saving Private Ryan" is takes place soon after the invasion of the Normandy at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. With Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) getting a mission, coming from the General George C. Marshall itself, to rescue a paratrooper private James Ryan (Matt Damon) who lost three brothers in combat, two on D-Day and one in New Guinea. Now the Captain along with 7 of his best men have to travel in the middle of the war in France and cross enemy lines to save the life of a man who doesn't even know. But the dangers and sacrifices will bring challenges and moral dilemmas to the soldiers and their mission.
When I said that Spielberg retracted the WWII in the best way ever made I wasn't bluffing. Of course he showed the consequences of the Holocaust in a terrifying and brilliantly in his masterpiece "Schindler's List". But here, Spielberg completely redefines the genre of war films forever. What was always shown (except for "Apocalypse Now") always with a romantic and patriotic story, Spielberg manages to show its brutality.
Many today consider this film the best war movie ever made, and others think "Apocalypse Now" already occupies this place. Both films follow different paths and tones, but tell a story very similar with almost the same dilemma: "The sacrifice of many lives by one live". But Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" went much further than that, exploring the psychological and disturbing side of the Vietnam War including its origins without ever taking a patriotic side as Spielberg does here momentarily. So "Apocalypse" is by a far superior film.
What Spielberg and screenwriter Robert Rodat do is follow a simpler path but still excellent. Showing for several moments in the film dilemmas about saving a man in the middle of hell. And that leads to relationship of the soldiers, that early in the film was a brotherhood of partnership, begins to fade with the sacrifices being made by a soldier who they never saw or met and it is probably dead. But there is where one of the few of the problems in the film appear, some of the characters deserved a better development but anything ruins our feelings at the end of the film.
Well, so far I've only been talking about moral dilemmas and comparisons. Now let's cut to the part where Spielberg revolutionizes everything, in his direction. Coppola gave in "Apocalypse" the classic "nalpam" bombing of the village, followed with marines stealing surfboards and surfing. Spielberg gave the best battles and shootings ever made and put in a war movie. Literally putting us in the middle of the flying bullets and explosions hurting our ears. And for the people that still criticize Spielberg for making children's and cheesy films, get ready to see bodies being mutilated and blood splash on your face. Showing the terrible reality and brutality of war, the real hell.
In the performances level, the film doesn't disappoint at all. Each of the 8 (9 if you count Ryan at the end of the movie, oh, spoiler). Since Barry Pepper as the best sniper in a movie since Robert De Niro; Tom Sizemone as the best partner to have in a battlefield, and Tom Hanks as Tom Hanks is, simply brilliant.
While not be the best war movie ever made (thanks to Coppola), "Saving Private Ryan" is a essential viewing film. Spielberg through another magnificent direction shows the cruel reality and brutality of war, coated with bright dilemmas thanks to Rodat's script, presented with yet another brilliant performance by Tom Hanks. "Saving Private Ryan" is not perfect or the best war movie ever made, but it is sure a timeless war and movie classic.
10/10