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Responsible for some of the biggest blockbusters in motion picture history, Spielberg has always been accused of producing cinematic Big Macs, always ready for mass consumption and over five billion served. It would not be until 1993, with Schindler's List, that he would at last satisfy the critical contingent which for so long had challenged him to make a movie about adults, one free of childhood fantasy and sentimentality. Spielberg seized upon this newfound respect and maturity following his Oscar-winning triumph with Schindler's, alternating the expected blockbusters (Lost World, Catch Me If You Can) with darker more challenging fare (Amistad, Minority Report). The most successful of his post-List experiments was Saving Private Ryan. His goal? Only the most visceral and realistic portrait of war ever put on film.

The film opens like a blitzkrieg. In a highly-lauded sequence recreating the legendary D-Day invasion - a virtuoso piece of film that runs nearly 30 minutes and is not for the squeamish - Spielberg places us so directly in the middle of the action it is the very definition of cinematic verisimilitude. This sequence alone earned Spielberg his Oscar, and it remains an astounding achievement. If we don't know who the characters are or what exactly is going on, it only heightens the impact: in the space of 1,800 seconds, we are literally plunged into hell itself. It is just unfortunate that once the battle is over and the story begins, it is comparatively disappointing.

Saving Private Ryan is the road movie at war. It is a travelogue that follows the search for the last remaining Private Ryan, whose other four siblings have all been killed in combat. A crack team lead by everyman Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) begrudgingly accepts the mission, and their search will serve as a metaphor exploring the themes of honor, sacrifice, duty and nobility. By the time of the even more ferocious climax, many lives will be lost and blood shed to find one single man.

Spielberg will sum up his entire attitude towards the war and the mission in a single shot. His approach reflects a newfound restraint all but inconceivable if you have ever seen such cinematic atrocities as Hook or 1941. Only the mawkish bookends and John Williams score rankle - it is as if, following 150 powerful minutes of documentary-like realism, Spielberg couldn't completely let go of his established bag of tricks and not add a dollop of sentimentality. Also somewhat threadbare is the script by Robert Rodat, which often suffers from contrived and obvious plotting, overblown speeches and a trite sequence that unwisely removes us from battle and detours to Smalltown, USA.

But if Saving Private Ryan is complicated and flawed, it also undeniably powerful. It is impossible not to forgive the occasional "Spielberg moment" (and take those awful bookends - please) given the often staggering juggernaut that are the battle sequences. Yet it is not just the technical brilliance and quality of craft that haunts - there are enough unforgettable moments that, long after the memory of what didn't work fades, you will never think of war the same way again. Saving Private Ryan may not always work as a dramatic narrative, but as a document of war, it is unparalleled.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Saving Private Ryan has been released twice before on DVD, both in 1998 and limited editions: a Dolby Digital version with a few extras, and a DTS edition san supplements. This new D-Day 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition utilizes the same high-definition master as before, and is again presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

It is tough to discern the quality of the image given the wide range of cinematic styles employed: Spielberg and director of photography Janusz Kaminski utilized an arsenal of photographic tricks to achieve a kind of heightened realism. Grainy, overexposed film stocks, desaturated colors, dropped frames and other techniques are brilliantly executed: the film is meant to be a visual and aural assault, and such flourishes are entirely appropriate to the material. However, it makes for one helluva difficult DVD to judge. It sometimes looks whacked out, even crappy, but then it is supposed to.

The transfer throughout is highly contrasted, with overblown whites that often mar detail, but give the film a very effective you-are-there appearance. Colors vary in saturation, but are quite clean, clear and free of noise and grain (surprisingly so, given the wide disparity of film stocks used). Black level is perfect, and shadow delineation very sharp considering the level of overt stylization. Thankfully, no edge enhancement is forced upon us to try and "improve" sharpness. And the print used is pristine, with no scratches, nicks or dropouts, aside from any defects that were supposed to be there.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Quite simply, this soundtrack is reference quality, and just about destroys everything in its path. The film justifiably won an Academy Award for Sound Design, and the battle scenes are nothing short of a sonic maelstrom. (I almost hate to say it given the subject matter, but if you distance yourself from what is on the screen and just listen to the sound, it is a great deal of fun.) This is an amazing, completely immersive juggernaut of a soundtrack that just can't be argued with on a technical level.

What is strange about this new release is that, despite being a two-disc set, no DTS soundtrack is included. Given Spielberg's aggressive support of the format, the omission is doubly strange. In any case, the Dolby 5.1 track here still packs a wallop.

This soundtrack is incredibly aggressive in its use of the surrounds. I don't think I've heard a more alive and active surround mix before or since, and both the first and last battle scenes are staggering in just the sheer number of sounds coming from all directions. Which often makes it hard to judge some aspects of the soundtrack, like frequency response and balance between channels, due to all the movement and activity in the mix. Many of the effects are intentionally harsh and brittle, such as gunfire, explosions and screams of panic, so this is hardly a "warm" or inviting mix most of the time. But, the strong dynamic range is immediately apparent, and dialogue was surprising intelligible, and usually not drowned out by overly-loud surrounds or effects (except when intentional). And, no surprise here, if any soundtrack was designed to give your subwoofer a workout, this is it. The LFE kicks serious ass - it is that good.

But lest you think it is all bombast, there is a bit later in the film before the final battle sequence, when a opera is played amid the rubble of bombed out town. Here a more subtle approach was used, which is a nice respite from all the combat - and shows that this mix is also capable of delivering a more discrete, warm feel with subtle ambiance impressively rendered. However, most won't be listening to this one for anything but the action, and on that level, it is one of the best soundtracks yet heard on a DVD, bar none.

Also included is a French Dolby 5.1 dub, plus English and French subtitles, and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Did the world really need another DVD release of Saving Private Ryan? Yes, probably - the previous editions were pretty sparse, save for the 30-minute HBO First Look special Into the Breach. It was formulaic and glossy, but pretty good, and did include recollections from real D-Day survivors. Alas, it has been dropped here, which wouldn't have been a problem had the new extras replicated all of that information. But unless you invest in the mega World War II Collection box set that DreamWorks is also releasing along with this D-Day 60th Anniversary Edition (and includes the WWII documentaries Price For Peace and Shooting War) you may find this release to be a bit anemic on its own.

All of the extras are located on the second disc, which is comprised solely of a new 75-minute documentary divided into the requisite little parts: Introduction (2 min.) features Spielberg on set, recounting his first memories of the war; Looking into the Past (7 min.) tells us how Spielberg and Hanks were initially reluctant to test their friendship by working together but were too compelled by the material to say no; Miller and His Troop (8 min.) examines the development of the story, characters and script; Boot Camp (7 min.) reminds me of why I never joined the military; Making Saving Private Ryan (22 min.) is just what you would expect by its title; Recreating Omaha Beach (18 min.) dissects the acclaimed opening sequence; Music and Sound Effects (14 min.) is an interview with John Williams and sound designer Gary Rydstrom; and Parting Thoughts (1 min.) is Spielberg again, reminding us how powerful an experience making the movie was. All of the above are presented in full screen and offer optional English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Like the recent Schindler's List DVD, this is a tough one to criticize, but unlike List, an attempt has been made to actually document the making of the film. Unfortunately, judging by the nature of where the material was shot, all of the interview footage (with the except of Williams and Rydstrom) appears to have been taken from the original onset EPKs. Neither Spielberg nor Hanks (nor any of the rest of the cast) appear to have contributed anything new. Yet it is a credit to the documentary that it is as good as it is despite such dated material. All of the bases are covered, and the subjects chosen offer nice snapshots of the essentials - production, effects, the story and post-production. Nothing here even approaches offering anything we haven't seen before, but in light of the sparse previous DVD editions, it is better than nothing. I know fans hoped for more, and so did I.

Shockingly for a major studio release in this day and age, there are no other extras at all - no trailers, filmographies, production notes, stills or premiere footage. A major oversight.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts