Rating: Summary: Sobering reflection on War Review: I am a Vietnam vet, a 35-year reservist on active duty in Saudi Arabia, and a college professor who teaches a course on the theory and practice of war. The film blew me away when I saw it on a Saturday afternoon with my wife. We didn't talk for awhile afterwards, just held hands very tightly. I will show the first part of the film to my class on war, after they have read Fussell's excerpts from his WARTIME in the Atlantic Monthly. Then they will reflect on military ethics under such circumstances--Can we expect people act "morally" in such conditions and hold them accountable if they don't?My dad and uncle fought in the Pacific in WWII. Their stories and my own brief encounters with combat conditions confirm the basic realism of the scenes Spielberg shot. Are there inaccuracies in this film? Yes. Is it PC (no blacks, German stereotyping, where were the Brits, etc., etc.) No. But the majority of people I have read here making such comments are twits. The horror of war eats up all its participants. The individual stories of most participants caught up in real wars are tragically mundane and pathetically "undeveloped." (Trying to make an "interesting" story out all the ordinary persons caught up in this sort of thing is a travesty).So Spielberg tells a simple story about ordinary lives smashed at random (or saved at random). What he ultimately accomplishes is to force us into alot of soul searching (at least those of us morally awake) about when and why we should continue to make war, about who we are and what we owe to our parents and grandparents, about whether we are willing to put ourselves or others through this, and if we have anything worth calling up such sacrifice to save. I guarantee that neither Saddam Hussein nor the Iranian ayotollahs want their people watching this and asking these sorts of questions. . . As to why this did not win BEST PICTURE? Because the Hollywood liberals did not want to raise questions about those who ran from sacrifice in recent history or to encourage pandering to patriotism? Who knows. Why not skip serious questions and award the title to a "really interesting story" about Shakespeare in adulterous love.
Rating: Summary: Profitable Propaganda Review: This video will be very popular among those who enjoy dressing their grown children in doughboy uniforms and listening to Connie Francis LP's which smell vaguely of mothballs. The play acting of a guilt ridden baby boomer, whose only beach he has stormed is the property in his front yard, when jogging with noted war criminal Bill Clinton, as one of the Nuremberg prosecutors described him.
Rating: Summary: Radar Fails to Find Flaw Review: Attention please...there is nothing wrong with your set! I repeat, there is nothing wrong with your state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology DVD player. There is, however, something sadly blemished within Chapter 12--"RADAR STATION". At 1:33:33, a momentary pause ensues; then a moment later the film continues---ooops... I hope they didn't notice that! No, I did not ask for a replacement "SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION" because the problem is not with that particular DVD disk; the problem is with Dreamworks' lack of quality control. No thank you... I'll wait for this DVD to be made available from the detail oriented folks at CRITERION. I have a feeling I'm in for a long winter's wait.
Rating: Summary: Materpiece Review: Probably the best film I have ever seen.Best sound, Best cinematography, everything is top notch.Also it is the most realistic violence portrayed in a movie, I warn you that you do not want to be eating a meal while watching this.The acting is also great, not exactly Tom Hanks at his best but still superb.I dont want to ruin the story too much,just get this. By the way, this film is NOT glorifying war or violence.Despite the realistic scenes,war and violence is depicted as ugly and painfull as opposed to other films that seem to "candy coat" it and make it seem like no big deal.A great, amazing film.
Rating: Summary: Stunning Review: A high standard against which all future war movies will be judged! No way around it, this film has revolutionized the war movie genre. The plot was nothing all that new, but like the acclaimed '99 war novel "The Triumph & Glory", "Saving Private Ryan" possesses a power far greater than the sum of its parts. The horrific realism of the film renders any other minor criticism of Speilberg's epic an exercise in irrelevancy. THE WHOLE POINT is to communicate the utter inhumanity of war to millions of people, to sear their consciences to such a degree that, at long last, a true appreciation of what our veterans have endured for our sakes will be engraved in all of our hearts.
Rating: Summary: Good Movie defective DVD Review: The movie is Great but my copy of of the DVD has a few flaws picture wise that do not show up in the VHS version. I do not know where they came from but some of the copies in the original release are flawed. check the scene at the end of the movie just after the corporal kills the German they released at the radar site. Really a disappointment. I hope Amazon has plans to fix this problem.
Rating: Summary: 5 Star DVD for a 5 Star film Review: The merits of the film are well known, but the superb picture and sound quality of the DTS DVD is nothing short of amazing. Like the theater experience, this DVD totally immerses the viewer into the action.
Rating: Summary: Best war movie ever made.. Review: If anyone had seen this movie before going into combat, they never would have gone! Especially if the were involved in the D-Day invasion. I loved war until I saw this movie. Get ready for the most gut wrenching 20 minutes of film you ever saw at the beginning of the film. These 20 minutes are NOT FOR SISSIES! I GUARANTEE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET THES SCENES! A lot of people found these scenes too overpowering to watch! This film is best viewed in a theater, so the sound is realistic. If you watch it at home, I hope you have a good surround sound system, because the sound is a VERY important part of the film. In fact, if you have been looking for an excuse to buy a surround sound system, this is it! Do it! You won't be dissapointed! For anyone out there who endured this type of combat in any conflict - I salute you!This movie should be required viewing by every citizen of the world. Next time, maybe the war wouldn't happen.......
Rating: Summary: One of the best DVD's Review: A brilliant film, certainly enhanced by the superior quality of the DVD version. Although the German battle tactics in the final battle sequence are very questionable, the story is fast paced and the characters believable. The DVD is the only way to experience the film short of the big screen.
Rating: Summary: An Absoloute Must See! Brilliant acting! Review: Saving Private Ryan depicts world war II better than any war movie I have ever seen in my entire life.The acting in this movie is brilliant.Tom Hanks and Giovanni Ribisi stand out in my mind.I hate war movies but this is la creme de la creme.You feel like your right there with them on the front lines.the opening 20 minutes are horribly sad and unforgettable.It will make you laugh and cry-but mostly make you cry.See it!
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