A review on saving private ryan - Saving Private Ryan Reviews

I have only ever cried at three films. You could say I have a hard heart, but honestly I just find it hard to connect with a film so much as to feel as if I'm really there. Out of the three films I have cried at 2 featured Tom Hanks, and 2 were war films. I am seeing a pattern emerging here. Saving Private Ryan was the best film I have seen this year easily. The story was brilliant; it's a heart-wrenching endevour to save a mother the loss of 4 sons and follows the journey of 8 soldiers who are chosen to undertake the mission of retrieving Private Ryan from the battlefield. Dropped somewhere in Normandy, after flying in with the one hundred and firsts, finding Private Ryan is like "finding a needle in a pile of needles." Each member of the search party has their own opinions of the mission, and has to face them head on, with bravery and courage. The film features many grussome images which may deter people from watching it, but if they were not included, it wouldn't be the same film. As Spielberg said, 'war isn't glamerous' and without the amazing effects and sounds, this film wouldn't be a war film anymore. These bloody scenes, of deaths and violence are what makes Saving Private Ryan a cut above Pearl Harbour, another film I cried at. In Saving Private Ryan, I can actually see, smell and feel war, feel the destruction, feel the agony. However in Pearl Harbour it is more the twist in the story line at the end which is sad. Plus Josh Hartnett is extremely fit and it isn't really fair for his character. I find the special effects in Saving Priavte Ryan amazing which is probably why it received so many oscars including Cinematography, Film editing, Sound and Sound Effects Editing. Personally I think the ending was amazing... unexpected on the surface, but deep down you knew it would happen. The most moving part... other than the end, was the sequence of events at the radar station, which had me, and my friend, in floods of tears. The acting in this film is magnificent. Tom Hanks does the film justice, and I have always felt he is an amazing actor and am thoroughly looking forward to The Terminal coming out on thursday. I also felt that Tom sizemore (Seargeant Horvath) and Giovanni Ribisi (T/4 Medic Wade) were brilliant and I thoroughly believed their roles. However I think the film would have not have been the same without the brilliant cast and everyone was outstanding. Overall, a thoroughly brilliant film, I'd recommend it to anybody. My advice is bear with the first 20 minutes, don't let yourself be put off, the violence is integral to the film, and by the end, it will be one of your favourite films aswel. Felicity Butler