An utter masterpiece of visuals and sound, resulting in one of the most immersive war experiences ever created

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2018)

The 90s is arguably the greatest decade for master filmmaker Steven Spielberg, with possibly his three greatest films emerging from this era. Saving Private Ryan is one of these three films, and once more shows Spielberg's versatility as a director.
Saving Private Ryan consists mostly of a constant use of Steadicam shots, which is these days often confused with 'Shakycam'. When comparing Saving Private Ryan's camera movements to those of the modern action movies of today, what stands out is that it is seemingly only used to heighten the immersion of the scene ( Unlike shakycam ). For example, if there is an explosion, the camera will often move with the tremor of this, and the same is true for heavy gunfire. All of this makes the audience seemingly 'present' in the inhuman war setting that is displayed, and the result is that SPR is undeniably one of the most realistic and immersive war films ever created. This is why, even though the camera is shaking a lot, the situation is still clear, and the audience doesn't miss a whole lot in the overview of the battles. SPR utilizes a lot of long takes that frequently differ from being a complete wideshot to a medium or a close-up, which creates a great variety in shot compositions, and the long takes ofcourse significantly increase the immersion, as every little detail and every piece of movement is there in a single shot, while not having to adjust to the new image of an edit.
Yet SPR is not just a constant stream of chaos, as there are also many reflecting scenes between the lines. Many of these 'calm' moments between battle sequences such as the conversations at night in the church, the discussions right before the final battle, Tom Hanks's speech after the bunker attack about his prior job result in a lot of fantastic characterization. All of these conversations will significantly enhance the audience's connection with these characters, as every one of the main characters in the SPR squad is fleshed out and developed, with all of them having defining traits, such as Miller's shaking hands, or Jackson's kissing of the cross. Thus a lot of reason is given to care for the fates of these characters, which ofcourse heightens the emotional core of this film to a high degree.
Tom Hanks is, as usual, once again Brilliant as Captain Miller, from the slow motion reflection scenes during battles to his conversations between them, his acting is top notch and once again proves his versatility as an actor, since he has played roles varying from a very low IQ individual, a loner on an Island & a mobster with a lot of conviction. Be it Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Matt Damon or Edward Burns, there is not a single unconvincing acting performance in the film. The dialogue is ofcourse also a fantastic addition ( Particularly the Lincoln quote ) to a good script. John Williams's score is superb, and is one of the most American sounding scores ever created for a film, which makes you wonder if any other movie score could ever be more fitting to the subject in question.
With all its technical marvels in the use of the camerawork, there is also a fantastic use of sound, and the battle sequences always feature bombastic sound effects which are usually pitched higher than conversations to truly make the audience hear the terror of WWII. The sound of bombs or gunfire is as terrifying as possibly in SPR, which truly makes the audience feel as if they were there with the characters. Even after all this mayhem, the film still feels as if you are going through Hell, which is ofcourse an extraordinary feat for a film so heavily reliant on extended battle sequences.
Saving Private Ryan is a rare example of an action filled anti-war statement, and Spielberg's impeccable direction allows the audience to live and breathe the experience of it, all the while there is also a lot of characterization going on that makes the audience care significantly about what happens to the main characters.