Review of Saving Private Ryan (1998) by Sarah C — 06 Feb 2017

(Spoilers) The movie is about a platoon ordered to search for Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) during World War 2 while fighting the German army in France. In the beginning of the movie you see an old man heading to the grave a fallen soldier and that soldier is Captain James Miller (Tom Hanks) the captain and his platoon ordered to take James home. The memories come to James as the scene was taken to the bays of France, D-day. The first soldier on the American side was shot on the head, so it started the action of the movie with bombs going off while the Americans and other allies tried to storm towards the beach eventually with the allies succeeding on the assault. Later that day James Miller got the orders to get a soldier named Private James Ryan to take him home because his other two brothers died in action. Private Ryan was a few miles away so Captain Miller throughout the movie along with a few other soldiers tried to get Ryan in the processes two soldiers died. They found Ryan and found out where he was stationed, they tell him the news and he doesn't want to go home he wants to stay there with his brother which is noble of him. Captain Miller agreed to stay and fight till reinforcements arrive against the German army. Ryan was still young, but mature enough to realize I need to stay here and fight. The whole platoon dies and reinforcements come at the last minute, now at this Miller was shot and Ryan stands in front of him as he laid dying, that's when the scene changed to the present day when Ryan is an old man. He never forget what Miller did and he reflects on it everyday of his life.

This movie had its intense moments along with moments that made you feel more connected with the characters. Those moments that had its reality check making us realize that these men just enjoy the little things and are just wanting to go home to their families. The effects of War can leave lasting memories like it did with Ryan, but at the same time during the War others see them as superhuman, but they are just humans that are stressed and paranoid out of there minds. Even though Miller was a Captain and is supposed to show leadership and no fear, he takes his time to mourn and cry for his fallen soldiers because the pressure is just too much for him to take and just wants to go home. The movie had a good interpretation of D day in the beginning by applying the gun fire, landmines, and the sounds of soldiers using their battle cry, screaming in pain, or just shocked on the dead laying on the shore. That is the scene that got me hooked to the movie, also including the final battle in the town in France having that Alamo feeling being outnumbered by the Nazis. Overall the movie is worth watching and it makes you appreciate more for what these service men and women have to sacrifice, the story itself is good with good characters to back it up going more in depth to how they are feeling mentally and physically and the backlash it can have later in their lives.

-- Fernando V.