Saving Private Ryan

Rating:
Summary: Certainly not a nationalistic, one-sided trite
Review: Out of the entire 170 minutes of the motion picture, I was shaking- shivering- for 165 minutes of it. Nothing in the first five minutes of the show, the American flag, and the cemetery visit, prepared me for the mind numbing onslaught of senses. Despite all that has been said, I find it hard to believe that any person can watch Saving Private Ryan, and not be moved in some way.

I find the few rants here that the motion picture was nationalistic and apparently did little justice to the non-Americans involved in the Normandy landings untrue for myself. After the 3 hour experience, I was moved by the tremendous sacrifice made not just by the 17, 18 year old Americans; but by ALL the young men who gave their lives in the war. For folks who felt that the story too simplistic, the movie was based on closer to real-life than you can imagine. The four Niland brothers were involved in front-line action in World War II; two were killed on the same day on D-Day on different beaches, a third was killed earlier that week in Burma; and Mrs. Niland was to have received all three telegrams on the same day. The fourth brother, Fritz, incidentally with the 101st Airborne division (as in the motion picture), and was pulled out from the front line. All that is historical fact.

All in all, this is the singularly most powerful picture I've watched in my life-time. I think I'll be hardpressed to think of this picture being surpassed.

Rating:
Summary: The Americans won the war all by themselves.......again.....
Review: Great opening 10 minutes and then ...... nothing. What a total waste of film. A misguided, factually woeful and tediously dull piece of moviemaking. Who cares that he was a school teacher, who cares that the US Government cared more about PR than a cause that the rest of the world had been fighting for for 4 years already. It may have been worthy, but since when did worthy make a good film. All the critics gave it top reviews for being shockingly real...... so! You can film my postman and that would be real, it doesn't make me actually want to pay to watch it. If you want to part with your dollars to be harrowed and bored for 3 hours then feel free.

Rating:
Summary: DTS sound not working, washed out colors
Review: I loved this movie, however, the DVD failed to produce DTS digital sound, all I got was regular surround. Also, colors were washed out in several of the brighter scenes. I wonder if the publishers delay was because of poor quality they ended up deciding not to fix?

Rating:
Summary: Makes one Proud to be American
Review: As one born in 1962 and the son of a Marine shot up by shrapnel after following a tank during the Inchon Invasion during the Korean War, this movie reminded me of why freedom is so precious. These days if you take pride in America and what our parents and grandparents gave to the world in blood and sacrifice, you're considered trite and old fashioned. The reason we have the luxury and FREEDOM to criticize at all is because of the young men who sacrificed in blood and gore on the beaches and during the advance. These young men of the 1930s (your parents and grandparents) had no childhood. They went from poverty in the Depression, to WWII, and of those that survived, to working 60 hours a week to provide for their wives and babies. With no complaints. Only to be rewarded (after spoiling their children) with the Counter Culture of the 1960s. I only pray that if my generation were put in the same situation as they were, that we could fight and maybe die with as much dignity, honor and courage.

Rating:
Summary: A Visual Masterpiece
Review: A wonderful transfer of a first-rate film. The interactive menus are phenomenal, offering real-time clips of each scene in the scene selection menu. Definately much more interesting than the standard title blurb. The sound quality is first rate, allowing both 5.1 Dolby Digital or standard Dolby Surround for Pro-Logic compatible systems. Both are equally dazzling. The transfer is cutting edge, fully re-creating the color desaturation and shadows of the original theatrical print. Definately a collector's gem.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Great movie but, my machine, a Panasonic A300/A310 that I've had for almost 3 years now, has problems booting the movie up when the player is cold. Does anyone else have this problem? Please reply if so.

Rating:
Summary: The best movie I've ever seen!
Review: Every time I see this film, I appreciate the men who were willing to give themselves to the great cause of defending the world against the Nazis. I am grateful for their efforts and eternally thankful that I will never experience anything like D-Day in my lifetime. This film totally captures the essence of that experience and presents it in a format that the people of today can learn from and grow to appreciate those who came before them. The entire film is phenomenal.

Rating:
Summary: masterpiece
Review: Indeed, Spielberg should be voted into the top 100 most important/influential people of the millenium; for no one is more successful in portraying reality in such a way that makes us believe in the saying "if we do not learn of the past, we are doomed to repeat it." Saving Private Ryan is one of those films that forces us to look upon the true cruelties of humanity. Spielberg directs this film with great accuracy and tremendous emotion, leaning towards the gritty realism of war rather than glorifying it. If you were to buy only one DVD, let it be Saving Private Ryan.

Rating:
Summary: This film is fine, as long as you're American
Review: For those reviewers who think this film is a masterpiece, I urge you to consider one thing:

IF YOU WATCHED THIS FILM, HOW INSULTED WOULD YOU BE IF YOU WERE GERMAN?

We perpetuate stereotypes. We embrace jingoism. Have we really learned anything from the terrible atrocity known as war?

Rating:
Summary: My wife won't let me see it
Review: Fortunately for me, and the rest of the audience, my wife will not let me see this movie. I was in Vietnam from 1967 until 1970 in 9th Marines, 5th Marines, 7th Marines, 4th Marines, and 1st Marines, as a radio operator, and also in the Combined Action Program finally as an instructor in the CAP school. It took 5 years of counselling after that before I could even begin to be "normal," and now 30 years later, I still have a long way to go. You who have only experienced combat in the movies have no idea how lucky you are. Live it up.