Masterpiece is an Understatement!

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2013)

To call this movie a masterpiece is an understatement. What Spielberg has done here has transcended the viewing of a motion picture and created an experience in movie making. This is emotional, unbelievable storytelling and a depiction of a war that makes you feel like you are there.
Now is this the most original story ever told? No. The storm of Normandy has been shown before. The story has been told before. (This is pretty much another story like that of the Brother's Sullivan, who are talked about in the movie)
However - It has NEVER been depicted like this EVER! The first thirty minutes of this movie will have you glued to the screen. If there is popcorn in front of you it will NOT be getting touched let alone passed anywhere. It is brutal, real, amazing, shocking, TRUE and for a movie the most real battle scene ever put on screen. Spielberg puts you on the beach. The sounds alone envelope you. This is a movie for the big screen and surround sound. Also, I must mention the amazing John William's musical score is nothing less then brilliant accompanying the visuals on screen. That music alone tells such an emotional fantastic story!
Actual War veterans who lived through this part of our history said for the most part that what you are seeing on screen by Spielberg is the closest thing ever depicted of that war besides actually being there. (Some could not finish watching the scene) So if you want to see a movie that is so much more then a movie. See this! It centers around one of the most important wars if not the most important for this country and the rest of the world. To be clear though, this movie is not just about that war. The story is told during that time period of our history centering on this one battalions search for a man.
OK, how about the rest of the movie? The searching and hopefully the rescue of Private Ryan? Excellent! You will be interested and want to know what happens. A great cast and masterful movie making keep you glued to the end. Oh and Mr. Spielberg does a fantastic job in book ending this movie with two wonderful scenes that tie it all together.
I original saw this with my dad on it's original release in theaters. After the movie I asked him what he thought. He literally could not speak for like twenty minutes. You walk away experiencing something so much more then a movie. A small glimpse of our history and US as human beings enduring all the horror, war, laughter, tears and ultimately family and love that keep us wanting to go on.