The Bottom Line
A fictional story set during a very real war, Saving Private Ryan was heralded as the start of a new age in war film-making...and it really is that good.
Pros
- Solid characters.
- Two gripping, jarring battles.
- Emotive, brutal and honest.
Cons
- No lessons learnt here.
- Inaccuracies.
- Sags slightly in the middle.
Description
- DVD and VHS
- Making of Documentary on the DVD.
- DTS version also available.
Guide Review - Saving Private Ryan DVD
Beginning with the D-Day landings on Omaha beach, a 40 minute rush of carnage and chaos which only the terminally jaded won't find exhilarating and terrifying, Saving Private Ryan follows a group of US soldiers as they cross Normandy to find the eponymous soldier, whose brothers have been killed and whom the government is sending home. Unfortunately, Ryan's unit is tasked with holding a vital bridge. Initially praised, Saving Private Ryan is now undergoing a backlash against the historically dubious elements; nevertheless, veterans praise the realism and I still think it's a fantastic, emotive and brutal film, albeit with a major problem. Having shown a band of humans trying to rid the world of a tyranny, and having raised the issue of how we should use our lives in recompense, the director then flashes up a massive flag as the final shot. Never has a film destroyed its own potential profundity so quickly, and repeat viewings have done nothing to diminish my disappointment.
