"Saving Private Ryan" may be the most realistic depiction of war ever to invade the silver screen. This is a brutal, harrowing film. Never before has the brutality of war been so clearly presented. But after one gets past the already well-publicized gore, "Ryan" is about human beings. It's about regular people doing the hardest thing in the world, making sacrifices most of us can't comprehend, leaving home, loved ones and sometimes life itself, all to fight naked aggression. It's about the little people involved in the historical event. The greatest strength of "Saving Private Ryan" is its ability to make real the struggles of everyday men in an unearthly situation.
The plot of "Saving Private Ryan," as most know by now, is as follows. Young Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) loses his three brothers in various battles all across the war. War Department policy says that when only one brother remains, he receives a ticket home. Unfortunately, this brother is a soldier in the legendary 101st Airborne and was dropped behind enemy lines before D-Day began. He could be anywhere. To find him, a crack squad of U.S. Army Rangers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), is sent from the Normandy beach inland. The Germans are all over inland France and the eight men are risking everything for their mission: one man.
"Saving Private Ryan" begins with a 35-minute depiction of D-Day. The opening scene has more blood and a higher bodycount than some entire John Woo movies. The difference comes in Spielberg's presentation. Never does the audience see a God's eye view of the battle. The highest officer we hear from during the whole scene, and indeed most of the picture, is Captain Miller.
In other words, it's a grunt's-eye view of the world of war. It's more like watching a documentary filmed on the battlefield than a big budget motion picture where the director can pick each shot at leisure. The net effect is that the audience is a participant in the battle rather than a spectator. We take Omaha Beach inch by inch, staying close to Captain Miller as we make our way from landing boat to the top of the ridge. The effect is astounding.
By the time D-Day has ended and the film is ready to begin, the audience feels as exhausted as the soldiers. It's a relief that the battle (the scene) is over. By bombarding the audience with a combination of horrors, both aural and visual, Spielberg manages to create a singular experience for his viewers.
While "Saving Private Ryan" is indisputably Steven Spielberg's film through and through, it would not be the masterpiece it is without the actors' evocative performances. Tom Hanks will certainly receive a nod for Best Actor come March and will probably walk away with the statuette. His portrayal of Captain John Miller is perfect. He is reserved but caring. He is commanding, but he knows when to let down his walls to show the men that they're all fighting this war together.
Tom Sizemore turns in an effective, subtle performance as Sergeant Mike Horvath, the closest thing Captain Miller has to a fellow officer on their mission. It helps that Sizemore is built like a tank, the man just looks like a warrior. Ed Burns is surprisingly believable as one of Miller's soldiers. He plays himself, as usual, but that is World War II, regular men, likable guys thrown into horror.
A major highlight is relative unknown Barry Pepper. His performance as God-fearing sniper Private Jackson may be pure Hollywood, but he is a major new movie bad-ass. Prefacing each deadly shot with prayer, Jackson is the coolest rifleman since Daniel Day-Lewis's Hawkeye. As for the much hyped Matt Damon, cast before "Good Will Hunting" made him the man-of-the-moment he is today, he seems like a movie stereotype. Also, his current state of overexposure almost makes his presence seem like stunt casting. In a lesser movie, he would overshadow his role. Luckily, "Saving Private Ryan" is not that movie.
In the end, it is the humanity of this movie that makes it so moving. The actors create believable people caught up in an unbelievable war. Spielberg's direction puts us right there for the ride. The thought-provoking script makes us ask questions about human life that normally only come out in philosophy class.
Most important of all, Steven Spielberg has created a masterpiece which will bring the reality of World War II to an entire new generation. Ours.
