I had heard about Saving Private Ryan but never felt compelled to watch it. All I knew was that it was a war movie starring Tom Hanks. On July 3 I watched it for the first time on TBS and was shaken to my very core by the power, grittiness, and at times disturbingly realistic portrayal of the ugliness of war.
Steven Spielberg, who would win Best Director for this film, provided what I feel is his greatest work in this movie. He made us feel like a soldier on the bloody battlefield. He made us feel the horror of seeing fellow countrymen killed mercilessly in battle. He made us begin to care for the characters and their internal struggles. He made us watch wide-eyed as the story continued, delivering gut punch after gut punch until the end.
Saving Private Ryan is a masterpiece. An utter masterpiece of filmmaking, specifically for the war movie category. I’ve seen Glory, I’ve seen Dunkirk and 1917 (by the way, 1917 is a total modern ripoff of Saving Private Ryan but isn’t nearly as good) but I have never quite seen anything like this movie I was fortunate enough to watch a couple of days ago.
Let me tell you, this movie is not for the weak. Its violence is on another tier of horror, showing war in a non-glorified light that reminds us why soldiers come home with so much trauma. But beyond the extreme violence lies a tale of bravery that is a testament to the character and virtue of the United States and what we are willing to do to protect our countrymen.
I’m giving this movie 100 out of 100 and 5 out of 5 stars.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautiful day.