Amazing portrayal

Rating: Null/10 (5 September 2001)

This movie had it all.
On the positive side, the most outstanding feature was the sound and the camera work. We have often seen battle scenes that would depict the bravery, the madness, the brutality of war. But never before were we so much "included" in the experience, and I attribute it to the amazing way the sounds were worked in, and the ever moving camera work: nothing stands still in such fierce battles. It was so gripping and so effective that I felt sort of trapped, like the soldiers would, like I was in an amusement park's ride that made me dizzy, but I could not get out of. And yeah, the whole opening Omaha beach scene made me a little dizzy.
On the negative side, I wish Spielberg (or the story editors) would have taken out the returning German soldier (Steamboat Willie). This is the weakest (IMO) point of the movie. It taints an otherwise very credible story, and I'm disapointed that such a Hollywoodish turn found its way in the script.
All in all, a very very good movie, albeit of a very very sad and disturbing subject.