Release Date: July 24, 1998
MPAA Rating: R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence, and for language
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina, Joerg Stadler, Max Martini, Dylan Bruno

Plot:
Steven Spielberg's grisly realistic account of a squad of D-Day survivors sent behind enemy lines on a PR mission to rescue the last son of a devastated Iowa family. Tom Hanks gives a staggering performance as the squad's tormented leader, but be warned, the carnage is as explicit as it is persistent.

Review:
Steven Spielberg is a masterful filmmaker and he has been considered one of the best directors of all time. His latest feature is certainly a film that will go down on his resume as one of his best achievements. Saving Private Ryan is a World War II drama film. A group of army members are set to search for a special man named Ryan...James Ryan.

Matt Damon plays James Ryan and he brings a very nice touch of innocence into the film. While a good man at heart, he stands up for his country and serves the brutality toward the enemies. Along with Matt Damon, actor Tom Hanks plays the role of Captain John Miller. He is a strong, righteous and sometimes obnoxious leader, but always a joy to watch as these characters were being developed.

One of the many achievements in this film is the character development. Each character is very different and unique in their own way. Some of them you will end up loving and others you will end up disliking. Whichever it may be, the process of doing that was very well done with clever dialogue. Saving Private Ryan's strong script comes from a man named Robert Rodat. Robert actually has nothing before this film that stands out as a great achievement, the script for Saving Private Ryan can definitely be his first.

You also know that when you match a great script and a Director such as Steven Spielberg, who is the man behind the classics such as Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, then the result is more than likely to end up very promising. And in result, the film delivers in almost every aspect that makes a film great.

The entire way through Saving Private Ryan, you can see the detailed materials that Spielberg paid close attention too. A war film is surely hard to make and to be completely believable to the audience. However, Spielberg doesn't let the budget for the film go to waste and it shows with the beautiful visuals there are to be witnessed in this film.

Besides the beautiful in Saving Private Ryan, there is the horror side so to speak of the war. The men dying in battle and being shot in simply every part of their body. One thing is also for sure, this film does not hold back when it comes to blood and gore. While it truly is disturbing to watch, their is admiralty to be given to Spielberg for not holding back.

Saving Private Ryan never gets to smart for its own good as well. Its point was made perfectly and all it wanted to do was give the audience a taste of how it would feel in the shoes of these men that put their lives on the line for the sake of our country. It is not about how clever it is or about if it goes too far, Saving Private Ryan gives you enough to experience the feeling, but its how you digest what the film hands you.

From the weapons, tanks, explosions and shooting to the smooth camera shots, Saving Private Ryan is just great filmmaking. Besides the war itself, it never loses its touch and delivers powerful dialogue and comic relief at times as well. Just a bit of comedy is actually needed for the stress it is to experience the images that it shows on screen.

There are many emotional instances in Saving Private Ryan. It slowly illustrates to the audience the life and struggle of each man in the group. It particularly struck me quite hard as scenes were very touching as these mens would explain their past experiences with their families to the group. The men were laying it all upon their friends of the war as if they were destined to die in battle.

You can't help but feel for the characters because the realism the film brings is truly remarkable. At times, you can feel yourself in each of their positions and let me tell you its a scary thought. Anyone that experienced the actuality of World War 2 can't probably go past the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan. Once this film begins, it quickly captures the audiences attention, not necessarily for entertainment, but because of its accuracy and filmmaking.

By the end of Saving Private Ryan you have felt this sensation that you were part of the war and all the tragedies that occurred. The film also keeps you entirely focused for the entire running time that the film almost seems like it was a regular length film when it reality the film runs at one hundred and seventy minutes, equivalent to two hours and fifty minutes.

Simply put, Saving Private Ryan is an amazing told War epic. Its moving, brutal, powerful and without a doubt magnificent. Not only are you experiencing a story that easily had happened in World War II, but you are getting the vision that you are going through the pain with the characters. This film just simply worked out amazingly, from the violent scenes to the cinematography and direction, Saving Private Ryan is an all around stunning picture.