Spielberg is back, but - there's something missing!

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 1998)

Spielberg is back, but - there's something missing! In his new movie, "Saving Private Ryan", Spielberg once again showed that he is one of the best directors in the world. But the problem with this movie is in the script. The beginning and the end of the movie, i.e. parts that take place in present time, are redundant and belong in soap opera, not in movie. In the scenes on Omaha beach solders die violently and realistically, but as the movie develops it becomes more "Hollywood" movie, and less an intensive and (relatively) realistic story about war. The most disappointing moment is the one in which captain Miller dies. Why should he give his little speech instead dying like all the others? Is he "better" than the others are? And even if he is better (I don't think that he is) - so what??? In my opinion the whole movie aims to justify war and tries to do so by proving that: a) people get killed so that other can live, and b), war was horrible, but it made this beautiful presence possible. And I don't like it when others impose their opinion on me - I prefer to make my own conclusions.