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Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition, right?

Previous Spielberg reviews:

• Schindler's List
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• Jurassic Park
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Raiders of the Lost Ark

# Review

I rewatched this film because my girlfriend likes WWII films but hadn’t seen this masterpiece yet. The film follows a group of American soldiers in Normandy during and after D-Day. The soldiers are sent on a mission to rescue Private Ryan (Matt Damon), the last of four Ryan brothers potentially still alive, so that Ryan’s mother doesn’t have to lose all four of her sons.

My favourite aspect about this film is how visceral and accurate the portrayals of the Normandy Landing and the subsequent Allied invasion of France. The film not only portrays the macabre fighting but also the brutal psychological toll it takes on the men who had to do the fighting. The entire cast is phenomenal, from Tom Hank’s empathetic Captain Miller to Damon’s conscientious Ryan. Every member of the squad, such as Giovanni Ribisi’s diligent Wade, Edward Burns’ rebellious Reiben, and Barry Pepper’s religious Jackson, were memorable in their own way. Even minor supporting cast outside of the squad, such as Paul Giamatti’s Hill, were fantastic. This movie is definitely best enjoyed as the first watch, subsequent watches do dull the shock and surprise factor, but one can notice more details.

# Conclusion

One of the heaviest war films ever made.

# Overall rating: 8.3

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