Review of Saving Private Ryan (1998) by Jake H — 03 Aug 2014

Before Saving Private Ryan came into theaters, warfare was portrayed in a manner that was quite contrary to its true nature. On the big screen, war was always made out to be some sort of grand spectacle.

A sweeping spectacle of action and heroism, where tales of brave individuals and nefarious villains reigned supreme. They rarely touched on the sheer pointlessness and brutality of war, or the emotional trauma it could bring forth.

Now enter Saving Private Ryan. When the movie opens up on Omaha Beach, June 6th, 1944, this film immediately redefines a genre. The action is depicted as violent, brutal, insane, and downright savage.

In other words, it shows war for the thing it always will be: absolute hell. Apart from its depiction of war, the story is quite straightforward, but that by no means signifies that it's poorly told or acted.

The cast did an amazing job, and one often wonders how the hell they were able to function with all the highly realistic carnage occurring about them. This movie sets the standards for all war films, and I really don't see any future competitors to challenge its well earned status.