7/14 #1
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
In the bitter days of 1944, following the Allied landing at Normandy, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) receives orders to track down Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), a soldier who participated in the massive airdrop on the eve of the Allied attack. Young Ryan is the last surviving son of four to serve his country. With three brothers lost or dead, the powers that be have issued a special discharge so that Ryan may return to his family. The problem is finding the young man. With the victory on the beaches of Normandy only hours old, and unknown outcomes from the airborne units that parachuted into enemy territory overnight, the only clue Captain Miller has is the original objective of the private's unit, which is miles behind the enemy's lines. Miller, a former schoolteacher, is accompanied by the remainder of his squad--survivors of the landing's bloodbath--and a terrified translator (Jeremy Davies). The men want to do the decent thing. They feel sorry for poor Mrs. Ryan back in the States who has received three bleak telegrams, and dreads receiving a fourth. But they also feel they have a more important role to play than traipsing through the French countryside in search of a man who might not even be alive. They were trained to fight, to kill Germans, and turn back the tide of evil. Last of all, they have mothers, too. Spielberg departs from a string of popcorn special effects extravaganzas, returning to epic WWII features like "Empire of the Sun" and "Schindler's List." Here, it's clear that he studied and built upon the great war classics of the past, like "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Longest Day," "Patton," "A Bridge Too Far," "Platoon," and "Full Metal Jacket." Spielberg's success isn't merely the result of easy access to Industrial Light and Magic's special effects. The coup de grace is his adaptation of Robert Rodat's script, which doesn't make a statement about the horrors of war, but instead depicts a human story about ordinary, decent blokes who must confront their own barbarism while confronting Germans lying in wait with guns. Not one actor in the film is a slouch, from dependable stalwart Hanks down to the extra meeting death in a rain of bullets. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski's use of handheld cameras during combat sequences immerses viewers in the action, especially the visceral half-hour battle on Omaha Beach at the film's beginning. The production is not without its weak points, like the heartstring-pulling framing device of the old soldier and his family visiting a war memorial years later. But in the face of such technical achievement, one can forgive the occasional hokey moment.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
In the bitter days of 1944, following the Allied landing at Normandy, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) receives orders to track down Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), a soldier who participated in the massive airdrop on the eve of the Allied attack. Young Ryan is the last surviving son of four to serve his country. With three brothers lost or dead, the powers that be have issued a special discharge so that Ryan may return to his family. The problem is finding the young man. With the victory on the beaches of Normandy only hours old, and unknown outcomes from the airborne units that parachuted into enemy territory overnight, the only clue Captain Miller has is the original objective of the private's unit, which is miles behind the enemy's lines. Miller, a former schoolteacher, is accompanied by the remainder of his squad--survivors of the landing's bloodbath--and a terrified translator (Jeremy Davies). The men want to do the decent thing. They feel sorry for poor Mrs. Ryan back in the States who has received three bleak telegrams, and dreads receiving a fourth. But they also feel they have a more important role to play than traipsing through the French countryside in search of a man who might not even be alive. They were trained to fight, to kill Germans, and turn back the tide of evil. Last of all, they have mothers, too. Spielberg departs from a string of popcorn special effects extravaganzas, returning to epic WWII features like "Empire of the Sun" and "Schindler's List." Here, it's clear that he studied and built upon the great war classics of the past, like "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Longest Day," "Patton," "A Bridge Too Far," "Platoon," and "Full Metal Jacket." Spielberg's success isn't merely the result of easy access to Industrial Light and Magic's special effects. The coup de grace is his adaptation of Robert Rodat's script, which doesn't make a statement about the horrors of war, but instead depicts a human story about ordinary, decent blokes who must confront their own barbarism while confronting Germans lying in wait with guns. Not one actor in the film is a slouch, from dependable stalwart Hanks down to the extra meeting death in a rain of bullets. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski's use of handheld cameras during combat sequences immerses viewers in the action, especially the visceral half-hour battle on Omaha Beach at the film's beginning. The production is not without its weak points, like the heartstring-pulling framing device of the old soldier and his family visiting a war memorial years later. But in the face of such technical achievement, one can forgive the occasional hokey moment.
