Here is director Steven Spielberg at his best, and at his worst. "Saving Private Ryan" contains some of the best war battle scenes in motion picture history, thrillingly realized by Spielberg. This movie is also gratuitously mawkish - a flaw that has not conflicted Spielberg's earlier works as much as this one does.
"Private Ryan" begins on D-Day at Omaha Beach, amid a flurry of bullets and cannon blasts, as the American troops approach the beach to fight the Nazis. The graphic, brilliantly choreographed footage shows dismembered bodies, in all their blood, guts and glory. Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, the leader of his troop that underwent the furious Omaha assault. Along with the members of his troop (Edward Burns as the Brooklyn-accented, arrogant soldier, Tom Sizemore as the tough, devoted Sergeant Horvath, Barry Pepper as the Bible-quoting sniper Private Jackson, Giovanni Ribisi as the pale medic Wade, and Jeremy Davies as the bony, scared Corporal Upham), they go on assignment to find a Private Ryan from another platoon stationed in the French countryside. It turns out Ryan is the sole surviving brother of the enlisted four who died in action. As one soldier remarks, "This Ryan better be worth it" - he better be if they are going to fight more Nazis.
"Saving Private Ryan" is terrifically frightening and compelling in its battle scenes, particularly the final epic battle in Normandy amid rubble and wobbly tanks. It's the dramatic scenes between the platoon soldiers that reeks of clichés and sentimental hogwash - Oliver Stone could have given Spielberg a couple of pointers on how to frame these talented actors against such a hellish landscape. The movie's framing device, involving a prologue and coda set in a cemetery in remembrance of D-Day, is nonessential considering the genuine power of the story itself.
What works extremely well in "Private Ryan" is the maturity and frailty of Captain Miller, wonderfully played by Tom Hanks. Miller's trembling hand and sorrowful glances suggests that he's only human and can surely fail in such a mission. Hanks also suggests that even in an apocalyptic frenzy, a heroism can still exist, however unwanted considering he's an English teacher, not John Wayne.
My other favorite character is the arrogant soldier played by Edward Burns ("The Brothers McMullen") who refuses to play by the rules. I also enjoyed Jeremy Davies ("Spanking the Monkey") as the cowardly Corporal Upham who loves hearing Edith Piaf on the radio, but is choked with terror by the possibility of picking up a rifle.
"Saving Private Ryan" brings us as close to the mechanics of battle as any other war film, but Spielberg and screenwriter Robert Rodat seems to think that any war, no matter how unjustified, still warrants a hint of heroism and bravery. By now, we know that any war is not worth dying for, even for your own country - a sentiment I thought had long died with the heroics of John Wayne and the Green Berets and all those romanticized propaganda films. Just look at the war on Vietnam broadcast to millions in the 60's that left a bitter taste in every American's mouth. For a true look at the dehumanizing effects of war, check out "Platoon," "Paths of Glory," "Manchurian Candidate," and "Full Metal Jacket."
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