Saving Private Ryan

[Finn]

I didn't see a thread on this one. I think this is one of the great movies (next to Apocalyspe Now in the war genre). It's very powerful, violent, disturbing and truthful about the war experience.

[matt35mm]

Sure.

The writing isn't GREAT (Robert Rodat's kinda eh), but the direction is, as you say, "very powerful, violent, disturbing and truthful about the war experience."

I also feel that this is one of the great war movies, and has undeniably revolutionized the way war has been depicted on screen (although that's largely a result of many copycats).  No one really cares about the saving private ryan plot, or the characters, most of whom are uninteresting, but the battle sequences have etched themselves into the social consciousness (thus all the copycatting).  In 1997, no one had seen anything like this before (Mel Gibson upped the gore-anti with Braveheart, but his gore was nothing compared to this, until he upped the gore-anti again with Passion), and I remember that everyone in the theater was just slack-jawed stunned.  That's a rare experience in modern cinema, but this movie did it.

[rustinglass]

yeah, I can relate to that, matt.
all the tv spots of the battlewere pretty soft. I remember wanting to go see the film simply because "how cool! the bullets hit the water and splash, HOW THE HELL DID THEY DO THAT?"; So, I went with a friend and got some popcorn... I quickly put the popcorn away (everybody did, in the same way that they did in the passion recently), my neck got hard and all I could think was "ohmygodohmygodohmygod, THEY CAN'T STOP DYING!" I really got the feeling that I was to be shot at any second.
It also made me want get off my ass and actually read something about D-Day and the allied assault... I knew nothing about it before.
I like the film very much.

[Alethia]

it's okay.  the old man bookends and things like the tom hanks speech in the middle of the film are examples of what's wrong with it, as well as the sun soaked american flag waving, etc.  the battle scenes are extraordinary, however.  not one of spielberg's best films, but it contains some of his best work as a director.  but also some of his worst...so yeah, im kinda 50/50 on the film...mayb 60/40, i dunno...

[Just Withnail]

I'm a 70/30 myself. It's not a coincidence that the film consits of 30% stunning battlescene, 70% warflick-so-by-the-numbers-its-disgusting. I agree wholeheartedly with ewards points on its faults, but I dislike it more for them.

[SHAFTR]

I guess i'm 99/1 on this film.  I definitely think it is one of the top 3 war films of all time.  I understand the complaints about the bookends but I kind of feel they are necessary.  Everyone praises the battle scenes, and I'd have to agree but I also find that the film's best scenes are the lulls between battles.  My favorite scene is where Ribsi's character starts talking about his mother and how he would act like he was sleeping.

I know everyone criticizes the symphathetic side of the film, but I see nothing wrong with it.  I don't see why all war films need to be cynical or have an dettached view of war.

[Gold Trumpet]

It isn't that war films have to be cynical or detached, but an honesty in objective should be clearly noted. The film is a loose adaptation of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, an epic war film that shows the loss of life in war always overweighs the original objective. Speilberg does end the final battle on this note. Its just in the process, Speilberg does little to hinder the American flag waving of ideals that so many bad war films have advertised to. Actually, it's in pure contradiction to the 'Seven Samurai' ending. When a war film proudly holds up images of American ideals, it paints the objective of a higher culture in America. Saving Private Ryan is also trying to get rid of this with the scene of sympathy to the lone Nazi soldier who is sparred his life and the realization that war for the average American didn't make them heroes.

Artistically, I think Speilberg's filmed version of the D-Day Invasion is mastery. Its just the rest of the film has little to do with that introduction and is quite an average film. I got the impression Speilberg wanted to make a WWII combat film but never knew where to center the film. He obviously wanted to give his touch to trying to capture the D-Day Invasion, but I'm sure he also wanted to make a film that drew on the sympathies of war created by Kurosawa. Its just his history with WWII in film has been obviously balanced to show his contempt and outrage toward Nazi Germany. For this subject, he can't let the protoganist have a truly neutral perspective or emphasize with the enemy the way Kurosawa could.

[Gamblour.]

Not to get into a discussion of the film as a whole, but I think the bookends are great. The little trick is a good one. It invites the viewer to bring traditional ideas of war films and ideas of heroism, and turns it on his head when the reveal shows the lifetime of suffering and questioning Ryan went through. It's about the weight of war, and sure movies do it more powerfully and disturbingly and more poetically, but Spielberg makes it the most accessible, which is his thing, and I think he does it well. It also centers the movie emotionally. Actually, I don't even know, I just think it works and it never bugged me. I need to see The Big Red One, this guy said that that's the war movie to watch.

[Redlum]

I watched this again last night and despite all the bashing Ive read about it here I still think its brilliant. Im annoyed by the criticisms of everything post d-day landings. I'd almost forgot Giovani Ribisi's amazing performance, Uphams cowardness, and little moments: depsite how little I like him - Edward Burns' silent acknowledgment of Ryan before the bridge defense begins.

And if you think the in your face American Flag is annoying, think what its like for Brits and any other country that fought in WW2. I'm willing to give Spielberg and for that matter, most Hollywood movies some slack on that issue but I know it ticks off most of my friends and family. I just wish my country would retaliate with a home grown war movie that would wave the union jack in everyones faces. I wish I could make/see made a film about the Gloucesters last stand in the Korean War.

[Pubrick]

I wish I could make/see made a film about the Gloucesters last stand in the Korean War.

[marketing genius] that name will never sell. maybe G-Day? [/marketing genius]

[Gamblour.]

And if you think the in your face American Flag is annoying, think what its like for Brits and any other country that fought in WW2. I'm willing to give Spielberg and for that matter, most Hollywood movies some slack on that issue but I know it ticks off most of my friends and family. I just wish my country would retaliate with a home grown war movie that would wave the union jack in everyones faces. I wish I could make/see made a film about the Gloucesters last stand in the Korean War.

Hmm wow, I totally understand. Have there been any overly jingoistic moments in other films, non-American?

Btw, I'm really, really sorry our country made U-571. That pisses me off to no end.