Reviews::Main

Director: Steven Spielberg Year: 1998 Language: English Country: America

Saving Private Ryan has to be one of the most famous war movies made recently (or even ever) and so requires little introduction. The plot follows Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) who after surviving a landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day is sent on a special mission along with a small troop of soldiers. Miller's mission is to find Private Ryan, a paratrooper who has landed behind enemy lines and is currently missing. Ryan is one of four brothers and the army have just received word that his three brothers have all been killed in action, they seek to send Ryan home as part of a P.R. campaign and to save distressing his family further.

The opening scene which sees a recreation of the D-Day landings is one of the most exciting and gripping scenes ever, with the true realities of the scarifice many men made that day brought home. While the rest of the film is pretty standard war movie fayre, it is all well executed and expertly directed by Spielberg.

Overall, an instant classic and one of the best war movies made to date.

Dave W - 22nd March, 2010 - 18:17