Simply superb. An epic film.

Rating: 10/10 (9 October 2002)

I can't believe how many people have given this a bad review. They complain about it being unrealistic. OK, I ask, based on what? The movie is based on James Jones novel which is partly autobiographical, to my understanding. I can see some of being done for dramatization, but being unrealistic, come on! The next bit of nonsense is the idiotic comparison the "Saving Private Ryan". Apples and oranges. "Private Ryan" is nothing more than one giant cliched war film by Hollywood Spielberg. Had Spielberg directed this film instead of "Private Ryan", you all would be saying the same crap about that film. This movie has better acting, WAY better cinematography, and a much more talented director at the helm. I think the people that hated it don't understand it at all. It's not a war film, in the traditional sense. It's about the effect war has on nature and the men involved. The fact that this lost out to "Ryan" at the Oscars is the biggest tragedy. Shows you that Spielberg runs Hollywood.
This is a thinking man's film. Essentially, the people who have the brain power to understand this film play chess, the rest play checkers. They read novels. The rest read comic books. Apples and oranges. Think about it.