Best War Movie Ever?

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2003)

No. That is all in the opinion of the viewer. The AFI can hail "Citizen Kane" the best movie of all time, but then cast a blind eye towards "Aliens" in their 100 Thrillers. Moral: No one is infallible.
To be blunt, there are good war movies (Das Boot, Apocalypse Now) and there are bad ones (almost anything with John Wayne fits here). Saving Private Ryan is a good war movie, even great at some points, but once again Spielberg falls into the "sentimental showman" trap that frequents his films. Whether in Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, or Indiana Jones 3, he starts trying to evoke an emotional response by trying too hard. As they say "the harder you try, the dumber you look."
As far as general film quality goes, this movie is superb. Kaminski's tight camera angles coupled with the color desaturation gives "Private Ryan" an almost black-and-white archaic look reminiscent of a WWII documentary. The characters look gaunt and pale, enhancing the sickening look of the movie.
Is this better than "Shakespeare in Love"? Certainly, but not as good as "Life is Beautiful". Unfortunately, "The Thin Red Line" does not match up because Malick winds up making just an art film. Should Hanks have gotten the Oscar? Yes, compared to "Forrest Gump", he is far above that level here.
Seen one war movie, seen them all. That's what you should understand before watching this. There is no difference between "Platoon", "Full Metal Jacket", and "All Quiet on the Western Front" compared to this. They all have the same characters, the same morals, the same conclusions. Bummer.
John Williams: someone give the guy a complementary Oscar. I have yet to hear a bad composition on his part other than "Midway". In addition, the makeup and production design are far superior to the "Shakespeare in Love".
Most compliments go towards the opening 25 minutes of the movie--and it deserves it. I feel that the final battle should seriously get more credit than it has. Michael Kahn's editing and the super sound work enhance the fight in an almost "Wild Bunch" fashion.
Overall, very good example of Spielberg in his serious mode despite many flaws in both plot, character, and continuity. 4.5 out of 5. It still isn't the best war movie ever made.