Moving but misses the point

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 1998)

I went to see Saving Private Ryan for more or less one reason. It was supposed to be movie that portraits war as it really is and that it opposes war. However I was dissapointed.
This movie is big rumble, but it fails to deliver. The battle sequences are horrific, but the end seems to be slapped on it for marketing purposes. This movie is about how horrific the war is for its first two thirds and then turns into romantic mush about how great it is to be a hero. The ending sequence has nothing to do with opposing the war.
Also where is the human side of the other side? Where is the human side of Germans? Spielberg fails to show that the soldiers are the same no matter what side they fight. This is the true horror of war. That humans are fighting humans. And usually those whoe are fighting are not the ones that are in command. Where are all the generals and admirals and what not I ask? This movie was not supposed to be about the politics it was supposed to show the inhumanness of the war. And that it didn't.
Other then that, of course Spielberg once again has outdone himself on the technical side. To shoot the whole movie without a tripod and make it look good too... well that takes a genius. Script, editing -- all is superb. A true Oscar movie.