Film Review

Rating: Null/10 (12 February 1999)

After his self-imposed 5 year exile from film, Steven Spielberg returns with a graphic account of World War Two and eight men's mission to find one man. The film's beginning is one of the most realistic and draining
that I have seen. The US marines land on Omaha beach to a constant barrage of fire from German troops on the cliffs. It's a truly graphic part of the film and one which holds your attention with masterful use of the camera. A recurring piece of cinematic genius in the film is when the camera focuses on Captain Miller (Hanks) and the sound is distorted. It's a terrible dream-like moment of being as his face shows he cannot comprehend why he is there. Another scene is when Sgt Jackson (Barry Pepper) is attempting to shoot down a sniper which has already claimed the life of one of his comrades. The shot is reversed and we see the view of the German sniper-shooter. It's a thrilling piece of cinema. It is a film which underlines the futility and horror of war but also mixes in the humour which kept up the men's moral, e.g. FUBAR, and the bets they place on their captain telling them about himself. A superb example of brilliant cinema.