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Review by AlexI
4 stars out of 4
An elderly man stepping into an endless sea of white crosses. He finds one
particular cross amidst thousands and falls on his knees before it. Suddenly
we're transported to Omaha beach, it is June 6th 1944. Landing crafts are
breaking the dark waves. Men are silently praying, some are throwing up,
partly of fear, partly of seasickness. A shaking hand is reaching out for
the water cannister.
"30 seconds...God be with you...". A soldier kissing a silver cross in the
sun light and then all hall breaks loose. The unprepared soldiers are met
with overwhelming gunfire. Now the camera, masterfully handled by Director
of Cinematography Janusz Kaminski , is running, twisting on the beach.
Chaotic flashes of light, the ground going up and coming down, confused
soldiers, half crazed by fear, are helplessly trying to stay alive. Some of
these scenes will forever burn into your mind. A soldier picking up his
severed arm, wondering off in shock. A German bullet fired from the bluff
above gazes a GI helmet, making a harmless clang, but before the soldier can
registrate his luck, another bullet catches him in the forehead, tearing out
the back of his scull. Another soldier, a young boy, is lieng on the ground
with his belly wide open, holding his silver cross. Burning men thrown many
feet in the air by mines and grenades, land with missing body parts. Whether
you live or die is a matter of luck, not survival tactics or experience.
Severed heads, limbs, terror, screams and panic are everywhere - this is the
real apocalypse now. No one dies heroically, pretty or mercifully. There are
no John Wayns or Rambos. These soldiers are ordinary men in extraordinary
sercomstances and they behaved extraordinary. When
ends with success and the gun fire stops, Kaminski's previously furious
camera, elegantly flyes over the beach. The sea water is red with blood and
the shore is covered with uncountless bodies. And while the majestic and
powerful score kicks in, you can whipe off your cold sweat and start
breathing normally after the most intense, graphical, terrifying as well as
artistic combat sequence ever created. This is the beginning of Steven
Spielberg's nightmare vision of the "last good war" - "Saving Private Ryan"
.. Slowly the plot begins to take shape.
Capt.John Miller ( Tom Hanks ) and his troop: a sensitive army medic
Giovanni Ribisi ), a language specialist that has never been in combat
Jeremy Davies ), a jew that takes the subject of war very personally ( Adam
Goldberg ), an understanding and loyal sarge ( Tom Sizemore ), a Godfearing
southern sharpshooter ( Barry Pepper ), a Brooklyn loud-mouth ( Edward
Burns ) and an Italian-American ( Van Diesel ) have survived the carnage of
the D-day assault and have been ordered new mission: to find and retrieve
Pvt.James Ryan ( Matt Damon ), whose three brothers have been killed in
action. Ryan is a paratrooper that has been dropped somewhere behind enemy
line, in the german territory. Miller's men openly question why the life of
an unknown soldier should be more valuable then their own. As they move
deeper into hostile territory, difficult decisions must be made. Should they
save a little French girl from a war torn village at the expense of their
mission? Should they execute a German POW for killing their fellow soldier
or should they let him go at the risk that he will rejoin his forces and
continue fighting?
Actually the whole film is one big moral dilemma.
You can say that the plot is pure Hollywood - risking the lives of seven men
to save one. But it is extremely effective as it displays the meaningless of
war itself.
The cast could not be better, consisting of a few well known actors and
fresh, new talents. Spielberg has masterfully recreated the bondage between
the soldiers in the squad. We get a peek into their confused minds and
tortured soals; we get to know them. This makes it extremely hard
(emotionally) to see them die before our eyes for nothing and no one.
The visuals are breathtaking and award worthy. Incredibly original
cinematography by Janusz Kaminski ("Schindler's List") bases itself mostly
on handhold cameras that plases you right in the middle of the carnage of
battle. This creates a much stronger effect than if you film from the air as
in "The Longest Day" and several other films. Tom Sanders' historical art
direction is equally spectacular - ancient churches and historical buildings
ruined by explosions. Sanders has been very careful with details. The
dramatic score by John Williams is not disappointing, however it sometimes
pushes to hard. Williams' work in "Amistad" I enjoyed much better. The sound
is as nothing I've ever heard before - you feel bullets around you, you have
to turn around and check if the person beside you is still alive. The visual
effects are likewise spectacular and absolutely convincing. But in
comparison to last year's Oscar winner "Titanic", the real strength of
"Saving Private Ryan" lies not in its visual beauty and marvelous effects,
but in its deep and emotional plot and wonderful performance of the cast
(especially by Tom Hanks and Giovanni Ribisi).
When the film ended I sat, cold sweltering and deeply moved by what I have
just seen, or better described - experienced. "Saving Private Ryan" is
probably the best and most powerful war film that has ever been made. Its
achievement lies in its openness, its uncovered, graphical display of
insanity and heroism of ordinary people that made the difference and
eventually won the war. It's a monument to those who fought and died and to
those who survived. It's purpose is not only to show us how the war was
like, but also to realize that behind every cross there is a man, a life,
dreams, hopes and family. "Saving Private Ryan" is a tale about humanity and
self-sacrifis among the horrors of war.
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