"Saving Private Ryan" Delivers Horrors of War
Saving Private Ryan (R)This Steven Spielberg WWII epic stars Tom Hanks as a captain who leads seven men on a mission to find and retrieve the last surviving Ryan brother from behind German lines only days after the D-day landings.
DM: How does one begin to describe a masterpiece?
DT: Easily one of the best and most accurate war movies ever made and this isn't just my opinion. I saw two U.S. Army Rangers on TV, who had been on the beaches of Normandy, say exactly the same thing. From the unflinching portrayal of the D-day carnage to the squeaky German Tiger tanks, Spielberg and crew went to great lengths to get all the details right and it's all on the screen. Of course there have to be some concessions to the requirements of storytelling but they've been kept to a minimum.
There is no glamour or anything that feels fake on the screen; Spielberg's camera doesn't look away from the violence, but stands right in the thick of it, sparing nothing and no one.
DM: I can't argue with that. The first half hour was so intense that you had to remind yourself to breathe. At one point during the invasion I looked around and everyone was totally engrossed by what they were seeing on the screen; you could have heard a pin drop.
Do you remember when the Americans finally broke through the German defenses?
DT: Yes. A guy behind us couldn't help but to clap his hands together and exclaim "Yeah!"
DM: I think he was so exasperated at the onslaught of American soldiers that he reacted without even thinking. He simply was relieved and excited that the Allies had finally done something positive. That's how involved a person can get in this movie.
DT: I think the D-Day invasion goes a long way toward making you identify with the characters in the film. The camera work coupled with an incredibly sharp and detailed picture on the screen put you in the action. A few minutes into the film, whenever I saw someone with his helmet off I got nervous. I wanted to tell him to put it back on his head before it's too late.
DM: I don't think you can say too much about how well made and detailed this movie is. The fact that Spielberg made it so graphic, to the point that some people might not be able to handle it, only makes it better.
DT: You couldn't make an accurate war movie that appeals to everyone without removing some of the horrors of war. Once you start taking things out, you're no longer being honest.
DM: Honestly, you won't see a better picture this year.
DT: While this is a great film and I believe it's going to win tons of awards, it's not for everyone. If you're squeamish at all you probably should give this one a miss. And I would hesitate to recommend this to a veteran; you've probably seen this all before, many years ago.
Score: DM 100, DT 100