Rating: 
Summary: I will stand the test of time
Review: Haunting...memorable...gut wrenching...sobering...that's Saving Private Ryan. It gets right to the heart of the horror of war and never lets up. It is a moving tribute to my parent's generation, many of whom paid a terrible sacrifice for our freedom. It made its point directly and succinctly.Saving Private Ryan is not an entertaining film. It wasn't meant to be. It is a wake up call. It is a reminder. It is also about rising above adversity triumphantly, adversity in many forms. It is compelling viewing. With its touch of Hollywood heroics, it is also classic Americana. I have seen it in the theater and numerous times on my new 50 inch tv and each time I feel humbled and battered and yet I come back for more. The first time I saw it, I was haunted for a week. Then I found I wanted to know everything I could about the film. I notice some Amazon reviewers denigrate the film with their griping and nitpicking. I find this to be petty and inconsequential to what SPR has accomplished. Most of us already know the accomplishments. Yeah, I'm also aware of some of the imperfections, the most notable detraction to me is the near vilification of German soldiers. OK, so name me a perfect film. For those who think The Think Red Line is better or perfect, try again. I understand and appreciate TRL's attempt to touch on the horror of war, but it was too convoluted to be effective. I hope the producers elect to release a "directors version" of SPR soon. If you've observed the film's overall editing (I's just the slightest bit abrupt in a few places) as well as the ending creditrs, red the novel, or seen photos of the movie, you will have noticed the likelihood of footage which was not included in the curent 2hr and 50min version of the film. Maybe the producers wanted to keep the running time down for the first go round. Steven Spielberg has created a masterpiece wich will stand the test of time. It is simply one of th finest films ever made. By the way, have any armor enthusiasts out there noticed the small, sprocketless front drive wheels on the Tiger tanks in the film? Very curious.tAD
Rating:
Summary: just a simple comment ... not really important
Review: everyone has their opinions about this movie, good and bad (the majority good)... what urks me is how many people through different venues have expressed how, to put it simply, they don't like the final scenes of the movie -- specifically how the USAF comes in, as one critic expressed it, "in the nick of time". Some one please explain to me how, after Pepper, Goldberg, Sizemore, and subsequently Tom Hanks are all killed off, -- the arrival of the USAF is in the nick of time. Are we missing the big picture? War is random and cruel. Can the fact that the tank explodes at the moment Hanks fires his last shot be called a Lucky Coincidence? How lucky is it if half of his men die before the USAF arrives?
Rating:
Summary: A Gut Wrenching, Tear Jerker of a film.
Review: Well i have seen many great war films in my short life, "The Longest Day", "A Bridge too Far", to name but a few, but this film has to top the lot.In the opening Omagh beach sequence, I was shocked, and moved at the scenes shown.Never has a film touched me like that before, and in so many different ways. Also in the final battle when they are waiting to attack the Germans,I felt tense and nervous when I heard the roar of the tanks coming closer. The acting was brilliant and so to was the camera work. The only quibble I have with this film is the way they make Field Marshall Montgomery and the British sound inept. Apart from that this film is another jewel in Spielberg's already glittering crown. Awesome!
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Summary: I WILL NEVER SEE A BETTER MOVIE.
Review: I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A MOVIE.THIS WILL BE MY FIRST. IT WAS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN.HANKS OUT DID HIMSELF.HE WAS A EXCELENT PICK FOR THE PART.I CRIED MORE THAN I CRIED IN YEARS.IT MADE ME APPRICATE LIFE AND FREEDOM.THERES ALOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO NEED TO SEE THIS AND LEARN WHAT OUR BRAVE AMERICAN AND ALLIED FORCES WENT THREW.MY WORST DAYS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE HELL THES MEN WERE THREW.GREAT JOB SPIELBURG AND ALL THE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES.MOST OF ALL THANK-YOU
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Summary: Amazing Sound!
Review: This is the best use of the DTS format I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Matching the top-notch transfer of video, this is one disc that is a must-buy for anyone who owns a DTS system.
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Summary: From one , who fought in small unit action; REAL!!!!!!!!
Review: outstanding)I believe many seens should be view in all history classes. Being a former marine in vietnam, the small unit action was very real, brought back many emotions. Of course we didnt have to be concerned about armor as did our fathers. But rockets, 82mm morters,artillery, automatic weapons, mines,booby traps, bunkers, jungle, heat, was all the same.I hope many younger people will realize what WW2 genteration did for them and the sacrifices they suffered, even fifty years later. There is a seen when the plt is going off the beach near the bunker. I over heard and older man tell his wife;(I rememember that).I pray to GOD that we as a nation never forget those that payed THE high price for freedom.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Amazing Film of the Decade
Review: In time, Saving Private Ryan will take its place as one of the finest films ever made. It boasts a strong cast, a strong script, and the revolutionary direction of Steven Spielberg. However, the film will probably be remembered for the brutal and brilliant D-Day scene. It plays out like an old newsreel, complete with shaky camera work and grainy images. The cast is full of up-and-coming stars, as well as the great Tom Hanks. He was sub-par here but still deserved the Best Actor Oscar as the mysterious Capt. Miller. Also good were Barry Pepper as the religious Jackson and Edward Burns as the hotheaded Reiben. The breakthrough performance, however, is Jeremy Davies. His portrayal of the cowardly Upham should have garnered a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, or at least a nomination. All in all, BRILLIANT AND BRUTAL.
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Summary: Where's the directors commentary?
Review: I'm filled with mixed feelings. I am incredibly happy that they are going to put out a DVD of this wonderful movie, and I am equally joyful at the fact that they've taken time to put in documentaries, featurettes, and such.....BUT...where's Spielberg's commentary? I know that i should be satisfied with what we get, but just imagine what insight a commentary could have provided! They could have put Spielberg, Hanks, and maybe Januz Kaminski on the disk with a feature length commentary! Darn! Oh well. Don't get me wrong, It's not that I'm not satisfied with this DVD. Far from it. It's just that I've been hoping for a Spielberg commentary for a long time, and i was hoping it would appear on this disk. Too Bad. But hey, i would've been happy with the DVD even with NO extra stuff, so i shouldn't be whining! Well, i guess beggars can't be choosers...
Rating:
Summary: Not entertainment.
Review: I saw this movie with a Marine buddy of mine ( I was Army ) in the theatre. An old man who must have been a WWII veteran sat on my left and cried almost throughout the movie. I've read many books, seen many documentries, and have had a general interest in our military history. It's been quite a while since I had any ideas about war being anything but hell. But this movie really brought it home. Its honesty, its brutality, and its realistic portrayal of how men do bond in combat, and the lack of phony John Wayne patriotism, made me have to fight back tears when it came out on video and I brought it home to watch with my family. I had to warn my son not to use the word "cool" during this one, or I might go berserk. It is not cool, and it's not entertainment. It's heroism, and honor, and duty. We have to grab every WWII vet and thank them for the hell they went through.
Rating:
Summary: An emotionally draining film
Review: This is one of those movies that, when it's over, makes you feel physically exhusted. One of, if not the best war film ever made. It's easy for some to say that it's a typical Spielberg film, made to manipulate your emotions, but those people don't see any deeper into it. "Full Matal Jacket" was all bravado, no emotion. "A Thin Red Line" was empty, with no direction. Maybe "Das Boot" and "Bridge On The River Kwai" can stand next to this one, but few others can even approach it's greatness. Every teen who thinks the army would be a fun life should be forced to watch this. The realism goes beyond what any normal director would consider. The only downbeat is the heroic death of Hanks, romanticised for the Hollywood crowd. Goes to prove why Spielberg is the premiere director of our, and maybe of all, time. Definitely the best film of 1998, despite what those morons in the Academy say.
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