Saving Private Ryan(1998)- User Reviews

First off I have to congratulate the cinamantography team for a great job. Saving Private Ryans visuals are staggeringly beautiful. The film uses over-sharp hand-held cameras that are jerkier and definetly wouldn't suite any other film. But as a war film it's so sharp it looks as though it could be a camera of real color footage of the war. That is amazing. I like how Spielberg had it shot low to the ground so it looked more like the war was seen. No one ever saw the war from the sky so it real visualises the battles well and is the most realistic, well-shot WWII movie ever. It is the closest this generation will ever get to see of what the mysterious war was like.

Although it is extremly graphic it is still outstanding. People criticize movies like Gangs of New York for their ruthless violence and depression. Although Saving Private Ryan has something else, a great story, a bond of characters, extremly realistic action scenes which draws you in every way possible. I have to say though that some of the gore probably could have been excluded to save us the chills and the movie would remain as realistic and enjoyable. Although, it's just trying to show the real horror of the war.

The acting is terrific, Hanks best work in a while and that's a real compliment because he ALWAYS does a great job. The actors truely act as though death is around every corner. Every thing is that much more tense because this is such a real movie you feel as though each character has an equal chance to die unlike many unrealistic films where characters seem to dodge bullets.

Spielberg deserved his Oscar for this, well-cast and each character reacting correctly, cameras moving realisticly and frightfully (a handheld appeal where the camera jerk and isn't on a perfectly supportive base make the feel there is a character in the war taping this making it as though this wasn't filmed as a film but as actual WWII footage.

More than once I was fooled into believing this wasn't a set, these wern't actors and this really was WWII, few movies can do that. With the special effects and massive sets, Saving Private Ryan is one of the most tense, action packed definetly most realistic take on WWII. Impressive and near perfect on every side. A strong recommendation.