Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)

With the first orders given by the commander and the lowering of the hatch of the boat, the merciless fight starts. Unbelievable effects and death scenes in slow motion create a perfect picture of a war. At first sight Germans who fire their guns from an upper level seem to have the advantage but we observe the strength of the Allied forces and their strong belief in glory. The Allied forces manage to pass through the German front. The next thing is to get in contact with the troops landed by air. At this very moment it'S understood that Private Ryan is the last son of a family whose three sons have been killed in other fronts. Private Ryan has to be saved. Captain John Miller must take his men behind the enemy lines to find Private Ryan. They're risking their own lives for him. In that emotional state other soldiers react strongly but the order was definite and signed by the President of the United States. Despite the several questions in thier minds they have to go and find him. They don't realize that they could have in this position. Here at this point we understand the importance of the continuation of a family for the American society.

After several attempts Private Ryan is found in a squad defending a bridge of strategic importance. He refuses to go back even after he learns the sad news. His aim is to fulfill his duty in the U.S. Army which he thinks is an horror. This is a very good example of mutual respect between the country and citizen. This is one of the very important reasons which makes the United States so powerful.

Even though there were several losses in his squad he was safe at the end. He thinks anybody in his situation would have to go back, too.

This film emphasizes the importance of individuals for the whole country. The feelings of loyalty and responsibility are the most important factors in a country's progress. Spielberg and his crew have given a very important message to people by making this movie.


A good film, not a great one   August 1, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

So much praise has been heaped upon "Saving Private Ryan," I feel compelled to meekly point out that Steven Spielberg's World War II epic, stirring as it is, really isnyt quite the unqualified masterpiece itys made out to be.

Letys start with the celebrated opening battle scene, which just about everyone immediately points to as the filmys highlight. On that Iym in complete agreement--this 25-minute sequence of carnage, an exhaustive recreation of the Normandy invasion, is so enormously convincing that it all but sucks the juice out of the rest of the movie. And yes, though some yRyany enthusiasts might prefer to think otherwise, there is still a two-hour movie to follow, and rarely is it as gripping or effective as its prologue.

Not that yRyany is a bad film--itys a rather good one, actually, shot with handheld cameras that bring a chilling immediacy and palpable texture to the story. Aside from Spielbergys excellent direction, all credit is due to the fine cast. Just when you think youyre going to be sick at the sight of Tom Hanks in yet another yOscar-worthyy role, the man surprises you--heys never shown deeper range, subtlety, or quiet intensity than he does as Captain John Miller. Equally impressive is Jeremy Davies as Timothy Upham, a stammering, vulnerable young corporal whose fear we can completely identify with.

There are individual moments in yRyany that are almost staggering in their intensity--and Iym not just talking about the battle scenes. Iym talking about an early moment in the film, when the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops on leaves consciously echoes the sound of bullets, and the sound of soldiersy footsteps. Iym talking about the slow-motion closeup of Hanksy face as he arrives on the beach, unable to comprehend the fiery chaos around him--the most penetrating and lyrical image in the entire movie. Itys moments like these that make you wish the entire film held together more convincingly; its cumulative power, though very real, feels more fragmented than organic, more sporadic than enveloping.

Where yRyany stumbles is where so many grand epic-minded films stumble--the script. This is, of course, a war film, so itys not fair to expect a lot of witty repartee. Nevertheless, I wouldnyt have minded had the dialogue been a bit more memorable, or if it had shown a bit more freedom from the conventions on which it falls so often. Other flaws kept nagging at me throughout--why did Spielberg feel the need to include those unnecessary present-day bookends? His film is pointed and emotional enough without having to resort to a device like that. Why introduce a young private that Miller and his men accidentally ymistakey for Ryan, when we in the audience know very well that thereys more than an hour and a half to go before the big climax? Why the constant refrain of John Williamsy score during moments when silence would be more effective? For every masterstroke there seems to be a minor but damaging misstep, and itys unnecessary punches like these that remind us that ySaving Private Ryany is still just a movie, and that Spielberg, as fine a storyteller as he is, has not risen entirely above the occasional cheap manipulation.

Much has been made about ySaving Private Ryany being yrobbedy at the Oscars, which is really a load of tomfoolery if youyve actually seen the film that beat it for best picture. The Academy was right to name Spielberg the best director, but they were even more right to name yShakespeare in Lovey the better movie. As a tribute to the men who gave up their lives on the battlefield, ySaving Private Ryany is an admirable and important film. As a cinematic achievement, it must be held to a higher standard.


NOT WORTH THE HYPE   July 29, 2001
 8 out of 19 found this review helpful

The only redeeming value of this film was the most hyped, that is, the first 30 minutes. After this we have a lethargic, unprovoking, 2 and a half hours of hollywood fantasy nonsense. There was apparently no script, so one has to look at the battle scenes in hope of seeing something realistic and true to history. The film fails miserably in this respect too. The germans were made to look like morons who don't follow any basic military protocol, thus getting slaughtered. Uhhhhh, weren't these guys known throughout the war to triumph in hopeless situations where they were outmanned and outgunned? The "tiger tank" mockups were just that, hastily dressed up t-34 russian tanks that looked something like a tiger if you looked at it from the right angle. And i found the way german soldiers were portrayed, as a bunch of mindless skinheads, to be unnecessary and irresponsible. Judging from flicks like this, america still have a lot to learn about portraying ww2 in a manner that does something else besides flatter it's own and dehumanize the other side.


SPIELBERG'S WORST FILM   July 28, 2001
 7 out of 13 found this review helpful

Overrated World War II drama, that somehow became a big hit, and won Spielberg his second Academy Award. The film starts and ends with two very realistic battle scenes, but what they put in the middle is meaningless and pointless; pure corn. I admire Spielberg the serious, older director, but somehow I miss the young director who made movies like E.T., Jaws, Duel and Raiders of the Lost Ark. His latter-day-work has lost that wonderful sense of wonder that made him so dear to movie buffs. Some of the action is very realistic, but if I will only want realism, I would watch a documentary. I prefer the poetic and more powerful Platoon, a film that reminds me of the young Spielberg.


30 Minutes of Action.   July 28, 2001
 4 out of 12 found this review helpful

As i refer in the topic, SPR it's only 30 minutes of the D-Day. The rest of the movie looks like American patriotism that is used in too many movies. An exception is The Longest Day that shows how the war really is. You don't really need to see the two movies, just look to the name of them and you understand what i'm saying.