Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan follows a group of American soldiers as they embark on a quest to find and rescue the title character during the Second World War, with the film detailing the various problems that crop up for the grizzled squadron during their increasingly perilous journey. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg kicks Saving Private Ryan off with an intentionally disorienting sequence detailing the chaos of the infamous Normandy Landings, with the effectiveness of this impressively conceived and executed opening hindered by Spielberg’s aggressive reliance on shaky camerawork. (Spielberg’s decision to launch directly into the action without first introducing the characters also makes it difficult to wholeheartedly care about their plight, admittedly.) It’s the emotional resonance of the movie’s main plot thrust that eventually proves instrumental in capturing the viewer’s interest, as Spielberg, working from Robert Rodat’s screenplay, slows the proceedings down considerably and begins transforming the various protagonists into increasingly compelling (and sympathetic) figures – with this vibe heightened by the stellar efforts of a flawless cast that includes Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, and Tom Sizemore. The deliberate midsection, which seems to contain an equal balance of superfluous and engrossing sequences, paves the way for a protracted final battle that’s admittedly quite well done, although, like everything else within the proceedings, this stretch feels as though it could’ve been substantially trimmed without losing anything significant. By the time the heartwrenching finale rolls around, Saving Private Ryan has established itself as a sporadically gripping yet persistently erratic war drama that could (and should) have been so much better – with Spielberg’s typically overindulgent sensibilities muting the impact of the film’s more overtly captivating moments.

*** out of ****

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