Review of Saving Private Ryan (1998) by Jason Z — 26 Jan 2017

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN review: I don't thank I have ever had a harder time watching a film. Saving Private Ryan is about a make-shift task force, led by Captain Miller, assigned by the highest rank to search for Private Ryan and bring him, the last sibling of his family alive, home to his mother following the Normandy landings.

This is probably the most patriotic movie ever made, in all seriousness, but is not for the faint of heart. The opening invasion scene ALONE showcases absolutely horrifying depictions of injuries, chaos, emotion, and all around extremely disgusting imagery, shot in hauntingly beautiful handheld cam, often held by Spielberg himself, in hands-DOWN, the most visually immersive film I've ever seen.

The characters are very realistic as well, with layers, and not just one definitive personality trait, but rather agreeing with one another, and subduing emotion during scarring moments, and for the most part, we don't rely on backstory to relate to the heros, but rather their acting and live delivery in intimate conversations.

The narrative is beautifully woven in with subtle thoughts expressed between characters to build up to the extremely powerful message near the end. Overall, this is a nearly flawless film with world class camerawork and cinematography, Oscar worthy performances, and home-hitting themes and moments.

Saving Private Ryan is a 10/10.