A visual experience 10 years later

Rating: 7/10 (12 September 2009)

I saw this when it was first released in 1998 and wrote a review which for some reason never got posted. 500 films later, and seeing Tarantino's very idiosyncratic war movie, "Inglourious Barsterds" I was reminded of this one, where the story is played absolutely straight in a way to give the average American patriot goosebumps. Yet the rescuing of Sergeant Ryan (Matt Damon) is actually a cynical effort by the High Command to boost morale which puts eight brave men into jeopardy. Spielberg's battle scenes are really something – ten years later I still vividly recall the first 20 minutes on the Normandy beach – the audience is put right in it. Other than that I remember a vivid fire fight in a ruined French village and the final scene 40 years later. I had to be reminded that it was Tom Hanks who led the rescue team (I do recall Vin Diesel in it too), so the acting didn't leave much impression. The actors were overpowered by all the action.
Perhaps comparing this blockbuster with Tarantino is not fair, Both films entertain in there own way – Spielberg, who gives us splendid visuals, is utterly conventional and offends very few viewers and Tarantino does things his own way and doesn't care who he offends (though he does not make light of atrocity). Has the second world war movie run its course? Even if the answer is "yes" we have not seen the end of war movies in general. As long as there are wars there will be movies about them. "Ryan" at least tells a coherent story, and survival stories are usually both pretty gripping and mildly uplifting. Tarantino, on the other hand is inclined toward nihilism, but he does have fun getting there. Spielberg is more hard work, but "Ryan" has to be one of his better films.