Full of sound and fury, signifying... not much.

Rating: Null/10 (27 September 1999)

You can say what you want about Spielberg, but you can't deny he's consistent. He dazzles the eyes, the ears, the guts... but the brain remains untouched. I don't think any film has ever given a more realistic rendering of being under fire, but after the action there are only platitudes and more platitudes.
I suggest that those who think this is the greatest war film ever made take a look at Kubrick's "Paths of Glory". Economy of means, sobriety of tone, only the slightest touch of sentiment at the end to humanize the story. Spielberg seems to be a fan of Kubrick's (I noticed some discreet visual references to Full Metal Jacket in the sniper scene) but he's still very far from reaching that level. And he doesn't seem to be making any progress (similar comments can be made about the vastly overrated Schindler's List).
Briefly, Spielberg is a technical master who simply cannot escape the trap of syrupy middle-class sentimentality (with heavy string orchestration by John Williams, bless his heart) that always dissipates the potential impact of his films...