War is hell. This film gives us such a vivid first-hand glimpse into that void of death, violence, and suffering that at times you feel so enthralled in the film that you are literally trembling with anticipation and foreboding. In stark contrast though, we’re also able to see the close bonds that form between such different personalities in times of war. Also, as is the whole basis of this film is a mission of redemption, which is an attempt at pulling off one single act of true kindness in this truly hellish environment, and that is of saving the last surviving brother of four so he can go back to his family. This man’s name is Pvt. James Francis Ryan.

I must say I’ve never seen this film, but it is one of the more truly epic war films I have ever seen. However, I would expect nothing else from such a great director as Steven Spielberg. This great film was nominated for 11 Oscars, but only won five of them. This film won Oscars for best cinematography, best film editing, best director, best sound effects and sound effects editing, and best sound. One thing that should however not be undercut is the all-star cast of this film.

Tom Hanks plays a leading role in this film as Capt. John H. Miller. He plays the reluctant yet steadfast and intelligent Capt. with the heavy burden of all the men who have fought and lost their lives under him. Tom Hanks is a great impersonation actor who allows the character he’s playing to completely imbue his personality until all we see is the character before us and very little of Tom Hanks himself (i.e. forest him, cast away, etc.). The lead and supporting actors in this film not only needed to perform action acting but also dramatic acting, which is quite difficult because most of the time actors are really only good at one or the other. However, as mentioned before many of the supporting actors in this film are themselves stars.

This film boasts an impressive cast. Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Paul Giamatti, Jimmy Davies, Dennis Farina, and Ted Danson are the said cast of supporting actors that went a great deal of authentic and quality acting to this film. I’m sure was no small feat to get all of these somewhat large personalities in acting to coalesce into the cumulative that is this film. Those who were particularly good were Paul Giamatti, Tom Sizemore, and obviously Matt Damon as Pvt. Ryan.

I feel that those who also deserve great credit in this portrayal of World War II are the extras, and particularly in the opening scenes on Omaha Beach at the invasion of Normandy. The extras do quite a great job in not only conveying the scope of the terror and fear that they felt, which seemed sincere. This opening scene was quite impressive, gruesome, and overwhelming. This scene has also been claimed by some as one of the best battle scenes of all time, and I think I might very well agree with that. This vignette is quite surreal and really sets the tone for the film as a brutal, unapologetic look at World War II.

They continually make it a point to show Capt. Miller’s shaky right hand. This is symbolic of the heavy burden that is then placed on the shoulders. That heavy burden being the lives of his fellow soldiers, of which he claims in the movie over 90 have died under his command. His thinning and nerve shows us that he feels responsible for the deaths of these men even if he was not the one that pulled the trigger. He even said at one point “every time I kill someone the farther away from home I feel.” The mission he was given, which was to save Pvt. Ryan, symbolizes the one saving grace or that one pure act of kindness or mercy amidst all the chaos and death of this war. Capt. Miller knew this, and that is why he was willing to sacrifice himself and his comrades to carry out this mission even though as a matter of practicality it made absolutely no sense. In the end, upon completion of this mission and the death of Capt. Miller, the director made a point to get a shot of his right hand showing that it was finally at rest and no longer weary and shaking uncontrollably. Also, just before the shot of Capt. Miller’s hand the director centers in on Pvt. Ryan’s steadfast right-hand. I think this is the show that Pvt. Ryan feels as though he completed his mission of standing by his only remaining brothers in defending the bridge.

One cannot write about this film without also mentioning the amazing visual effects and sound work of this film. From the macabre to the authenticity of the time and settings the visual effects of this film are both exquisite and disturbing. It is exquisite in its re-creation of the 1940s World War II setting especially those of the war-torn cities and landscape. As far as the sound goes, this film does have an original score, however, it is placed in so intermittently and subtly that one doesn’t even notice that it’s there unless you make it a point to listen for. This however does not diminish its usefulness in bringing a more dramatic feel to the film. The true soundtrack to this film were those of the sounds of war. From the explosions to the tanks to the bullets that sounded like their whizzing by your head (if you have surround sound anyway), the authentic sounds to this film were quite breathtaking and made the film that much more believable. Because of the realistic re-creation, the authentic sounds of battle, the subtle yet eloquent soundtrack, and even the film and shaky hand camera visual effect in which they use makes this film feel almost like a live documentary of a platoon at World War II.

This film gives us a sneak peek into the deep recesses and into that dark corner of the human mind where there is a capability for such violence that is exemplified in this film representation of World War II. The exemplary acting by all the actors in this film, the superb directing, and the commendable cinematography all coalesce into a truly wonderful yet disturbing film that in the end leaves us feeling somewhat fulfilled and satisfied. This film ends in exactly the same way it began focusing on the American flag and the freedom for which it stands not only giving the film symmetry but also giving us the symbol that makes this movie so meaningful to us Americans.