Title – Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Director – Steven Spielberg (Jaws)
Cast – Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Jeremy Davis, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon
Plot – Recently surviving the Normandy landings of World War 2, Captain Miller (Hanks) and his team of men must travel the occupied lands of Europe in search of Private Ryan (Damon), who is the last remaining member of the Ryan family after his three other brothers are killed during the great war.
“Every man I kill the farther away from home I feel”
Review by Eddie on 11/11/2015
It’d be implausible to think that anyone who wasn’t involved in World War 2 could ever understand the true horrors or hardship the men and women of the time went through in that terrible time. Over the years we’ve had countless documentaries, novels, movies, games and TV series that have looked to offer an insight into what it felt like to be a part of the World War that claimed millions upon millions of lives, and arguably the most visceral and heart pounding take of them all is Steven Spielberg’s incredible Saving Private Ryan.
A film unlike anything Spielberg had made before or has made since, Ryan, with it’s as close to real opening stanza on the beaches of Normandy and journey culminating in a speaker shattering finale in the crumbled ruins of the city of Ramelle, is a downright masterstroke of movie making craft that to this day near 20 years on from its initial release has lost none of its impressive and heartfelt power.
Spielberg accomplished his impressive feat by surrounding himself with the cream of the crop of film-making wizards. Employing the services of now famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski who single-handedly reinvented the way in which war films and action in particular was shot, the keen eye of long standing editor Michael Kahn, the screenwriting abilities of The Patriot scribe Robert Rodat and of course the musical accompaniment of a John Williams score, Ryan had at its disposal the A-team of Hollywood and it shows.
All around Saving Private Ryan is quality, pure unbridled grace and confidence that fills the film’s every frame and it extends to its eclectic cast of established and at-the-time up and comers which was led by the almost never better Tom Hanks. After Hanks’ leading man Captain Miller we have Ed Burns’s cocky Reiban, Barry Pepper’s religiously inclined sharpshooter Jackson, Tom Sizemore’s gruff Horvath, Adam Goldberg’s wisecracking Mellish and Jeremy Davis’s jittery language expert Upham. It’s a great team and when you throw in Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel and of course cinemas most rescued, Matt Damon with added bit parts by a one armed Walter White in the form of Bryan Cranston, a slim lined Paul Giamatti, a non-CSI Ted Danson and even a baby faced Nathan Fillion, Ryan acts as a who’s who of recognizable actors that each for a small period or large period made sure the film was one of the most well-acted of the modern era.
Filled with heart, stunningly filmed sequences of confronting warfare and a cast of memorable personnel, Saving Private Ryan is one of a handful of quintessential war films that have managed to somehow in various states capture what it may have been like to be among the countless wars that have raged over our planet in years gone by.
A deserving Oscar winner that in many ways can be seen as a faultless exercise in big budget film-making and the perfect example of a men on a mission movie done well, Saving Private Ryan is one of, if not the greatest film in Steven Spielberg’s outstanding and loaded filmography.
5 greased up socks out of 5
I am still steaming that this lost to Shakespeare in Love for Best Picture at that year’s Oscars.
It truly does not make any sense ha! Love is barely even spoken about these days but Ryan has lost none of its impressive power. The Oscar voters should be ashamed.
E
After watching Bridge of Spies recently, I have curiosity to watch this movie. Heard only good about it.
Its a ripping epic mate, well worth the time investment! And a league above Spies even.
E
Easily the best war/military movie I have ever seen. Band of Brothers [mini-series] is right there with it.
Your absolutely right! We can thank Ryan for Band of Brothers and they both work well together in many ways.
E
Saving Private Ryan is Spielberg’s best. Such a powerful movie that succeeds in every area. Filmmaking at its best for me.
Very much agree mate.
E
Great review. I love this right alongside Terrence Mallick’s Thin Red Line. Like you said, this movie was so influential too. The cinematography is amazing. The opening battle sequence sets the stage rather dramatically. What a great film from start to finish.
So right man never lets up once and everything is so well done
E
Great review, and one of those few films that you can watch again and again.
I feel the same mate
E
Brilliant review, and don’t forget about Dennis Farina!
Haha how can I forget about sir Denis!
E
Pingback: Day 5: Favourite New Blogs | A Voluptuous Mind·
Pingback: Film Review – Deadpool (2016): Eddie’s Take | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·
Pingback: Top 10 Films – Matt Damon | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·
Pingback: Top 5 Director/Actor Partnerships: Eddie’s Take | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·
Pingback: Film Review – Hacksaw Ridge (2016): Eddie’s Take | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·
Nice review. One nit to pick. Although Tom Sizemore’s career might be “late”…he’s still kicking. 😉
So true mate haha I thought I fixed that one up. I always get him confused with Chris Penn!
E
Pingback: Film Review – 1917 (2019) | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·
Pingback: Film Review – The Outpost (2019) | Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)·