Lacks the sustained impact of the classics

Rating: Null/10 (2 November 2003)

The first 20 minutes of this movie are indeed the most horrifying images of the reality of War.Although many viewers complain that the facts are not historically correct,this liberty can be accepted as a means of portraying the pure horror that is experienced on any battlefield, past or present.The impact of the confrontation with the destructive nature of man and his senseless killing however is spoiled to a degree by the ensuing story itself. The movie becomes a remake of so many other Hollywood war epics."Saving Private Ryan" had the potential of being an ode to all those soldiers who have given their lives for their country in often questionable circumstances.It certainly doesn't have the same impact as classics such as "Paths of Glory" which succeeded in portraying war as a cruel reality without the need of adding any fictitious elements to engage the viewer.