"Earn this." Considered by many to be the greatest war movie ever made (or that ever WILL be made, for that matter), Saving Private Ryan opens with a bang - an orgy of graphic, horrific violence that was known as Omaha Beach. There, American soldiers fought against well-entrenched German forces to secure a beachhead to help with the invasion of France (other Americans, Brits, and Canadians took the other four beachheads) on June 6, 1944 - a.k.a. "D-Day."* The frighteningly realistic (according to a number of actual vets) invasion soon gives way to a somewhat more traditional war story - a family has lost all but one of its sons in combat, and the sole survivor (if he is even alive) is missing, being a paratrooper in France. U.S. Army Ranger Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad - including a religious sniper, a darkly humorous BAR** gunner, a nervous desk worker, and others - are assigned to locate this man - Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). Often tense, frequently gory, and always grossly engaging (pun intended), Saving Private Ryan is an excellent film that everyone should make an effort to see. Although it has lost some of the luster that surrounded it for quite some time after its release, Saving Private Ryan is still a powerful film.
Rating: 4/4
*There were actually many "D-Days" throughout the war.
**Browning Automatic Rifle
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