Gripping and intense war drama

Rating: 8/10 (27 February 2002)

If this movie is known for one thing, it's the opening D-Day landing scene. On the small screen, this loses a lot of its power. In the theatre there was no escaping the horrific sounds and images, whereas at home you can turn the sound down and perhaps be thankful the screen doesn't fill your vision. That this opening twenty minutes is the most harrowing and realistic depiction of the D-Day landings yet seen shouldn't be in doubt, although hopefully I'll never be in a position where I can make such a judgement based on personal experience.
This film says a lot with comparatively few words. The actions of the men speak for themselves, and its to the credit of the cast  including Hanks, whose acting ability I'm usually amongst the first to question  that their honest and understated performances are pretty much perfect.
It's said that Spielberg over-relies on playing with the emotions of his audience, but when a movie succeeds in making you feel humble, you know you've been experiencing a master filmmaker at the top of his game.