Very good picture with unfortunate ending.

Rating: Null/10 (9 November 2004)

This was a great film, however, I think the message of the film was to try and relay the waste and horror of war. This message was clouded by the typical Hollywood ending. To have a Panzer Division obliterated almost instantly by a couple of P-51's and to have dozens of German ground troops surrendering to the nerdy translator was very unrealistic, and typically American. The film would have served a better purpose if Hollywood had not insisted that the calvary once again saved the day. Had Ryan been captured at the end to become a prisoner of war would have allowed the film to maintain the Old Ryan/Young Ryan plot without all of the last minute heroics which made a very powerful film somewhat cheaper.