D-Day Duty 2022 (#3 of 4) – Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Encore Review 10

Today is the 78th anniversary of the Allied forces landing in Normandy on D-Day, so I decided to watch 4 movies about that historic day that were each made in different decades which give a slightly different perspective on the events of that fateful day.

Here is the review of the 3rd film that I watched.

Enjoy!

“I wouldn’t venture out there fellas. This sniper’s got talent.” – Private Jackson

Number of Times Seen – Too many times to count (Twice in the theater, video, DVD, 2 May 2013, 1 Jul 2014, 22 Feb 2016, 2 Jul 2017, 9 Jul 2017, 12 Jun 2018, 4 Jun 2019, 7 Jan 2020, 7 Nov 2021, 31 Mar 2022 and 6 Jun 2022)

Link to original review –Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here

Brief Synopsis – After the D-Day landings in France, a squad of soldiers are tasked with crossing through enemy lines in order to save a young soldier who’s three brothers were recently killed in battle.

My Take on it – This is one of my all-time favorite films and I can watch it over and over and still enjoy it immensely each and every time.

I obviously have no clue as to how many times I’ve watched this film, but I would assume that the number is either very close to 50 or beyond it.

Steven Spielberg was able to create a story here that resonates so well even if it was filmed 50+ years after these true events.

The film doesn’t sugarcoat the way that battle can affect soldier both physically and mentally depending on what they have gone thru.

This film takes a very realistic and genuine look at the way battles are fought and thrust the viewer right into the action within minutes of the film starting.

Tom Hanks is perfectly chosen as the star of the film and finds a way to stand out among the vast cast here.

John Williams’ score is quite haunting and resonates so well throughout.

The way that the film manages to show the gruesomeness and pointlessness of war is superbly done especially given the fact that they attempt to show the horrors of war in a realistic manner.

This is one of the very best war films ever filmed due to the realistic nature of it all and is so powerful every time one watches it due to the way it all plays out.

The supporting cast is also great with Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Tom Sizemore, Ted Danson and so many others lending a helping hand as the story moves along.

The experience of watching this movie in the theater cannot be matched, but is still manages to be quite impactful even on a smaller screen.

I’m still shocked how Shakespeare in Love (1998) beat this movie for Best Picture at the Oscars. 😦

Highly Highly recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – All the principal actors, except for Matt Damon, underwent several days of grueling army training. Damon was spared so that the other actors would resent him and would convey that feeling in their performances. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (10/10) (no change from original review)