Saving Private Ryan (1998) Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CiW_DgxCnQ

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

You never really know what you’re fighting for until someone tells you it’s over. 


PLOT


1998’s Saving Private Ryan begins in the Normandy invasion of WWII, showing 2nd Ranger Battalion Captain John H Miller lead a surviving group to neutralize German coastal defenses firing onto the beach to ensure successful airborne allies for his allies. The US Department of War has discovered 101st Airborne Division’s James Francis Ryan to be the last of four brothers remaining and is ordered to return him home to spare his family from losing all sons. Miller assembles many soldiers to accompany him on this rescue mission that includes: Mike Horvath, Richard Reiben, Adrian Caparzo, Stanley Mellish, Daniel Jackson, medic Irwin Wade and inexperienced interpreter Timothy Upham. When traveling through Neuville-au-Plain, Caparzo gets killed via sniper when trying to save a young girl. This makes everyone resentful that they’ll all die for someone they’ve never met. They would then meet a James Ryan, but realize his middle name is Frederick (Nathan Fillion) when explaining his brothers are too young to be drafted. When resting in a chapel, Miller would tell Horvath how much his hand shakes uncontrollably after he joined the war. The next day do they start looking for dog tags of Ryan at a rallying point until one soldier tells them he got reassigned to defend a bridge in the town of Ramelle. As they move forward, Miller’s team tries neutralizing a German near nearby, but it gets Wade killed. They consider killing the one remaining German who surrenders, but Upham prefers him to surrender to an allied patrol. All of this makes Reiben want to desert and it causes tension with everyone else until Miller defuses the situation that he reveals being a teacher before he got drafted. He admits to them how he always wanted to keep his life disclosed, mused no one was able to guess it before and implies how the war has changed them all to the point where he wonders if his wife will still recognize him when it’s over. Eventually, they reach Ramelle and find the Ryan they’ve been looking for. He does of course get overwhelmed with heartbreak upon the news his brothers have died but doesn’t want to abandon his post, believing he doesn’t deserve to go home yet. With Horvath convincing Miller that saving Ryan would be the most decent thing they’ve accomplished, the captain takes command to prepare for the next German assault. When the enemy arrives, casualties continue; Horvath & Jackson get shot while Upham freezes in shock to see Mellish get stabbed. Sadly, Miller would be shot by the same German they spared, that they nicknamed after Steamboat Willie. Upham avenges the captain by shooting him back. As Ryan is able to retreat with Upham & Reiben, Miller’s last words would be to ‘earn this’ as in earn their sacrifices that would bring him home. Decades later, Ryan would visit Normandy Cemetery with his family to pay his respects to Miller and the film ends with him being reminded by his wife that he has indeed earned it after living the best he could.


THOUGHTS


I think it goes without saying Steven Spielberg was in his prime during the 90s because his consistency back then was phenomenal when you’re making masterpieces like Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. The same can be said here because this was an adventure for the ages. At this point, he was a natural at adapting period pieces and this arguably had the most intensity due to the constant action that ensues like the opening Normandy battle or the Ramelle climax. Thanks to Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography and Michael Kahn’s editing give great solidification in how intense WWII was for those who lived it. The combined costume/production design is also outstanding in creating an immersive setting. With another powerful John Williams score, you’re able to understand the lesson writer Robert Rodat is teaching that there will always be profound weight when it comes to wanting to live a worthy life. We only have one and we got to make it count or we’ll be bitter by the end of it. So when people make sacrifices for you to do just that, it’s all the more motivation to do your best while you can. This is the whole point of one soldier lucky enough to come home sooner than later. The moment we finally see Matt Damon in the third act as Ryan himself, we immediately are sentimental towards him not just for his loss, but for the fact that he has so much pride that he doesn’t want it to excuse him from fighting. He wants to be remembered as a hero the way his brothers were, which is a lot to ask but it paid off because those who died fighting by his side were able to make sure he had it both ways. Captain John Miller is a personal favorite Tom Hanks performance of mine because apart from using one pistol to defeat a tank in badass fashion, he was the most reluctant hero given the fact he was an average joe before becoming the most compassionate leader there could ever be. He goes out of his way to save Ryan because he understands the paratroopers are the only family he has left and stays with him until the end out of respect to the duty he wants to commit to. He may have not gotten back to his wife like he wanted, but his sacrifice wasn’t in vain as Ryan having a family of his own was enough proof of him earning the life he got to live as played by the older Harrison Young. On top of that, there were others who may have doubts of the rescue mission being worthwhile since they didn’t know Ryan in advance, they too got to do something that wasn’t in vain. Tom Sizemore blew me away as Horvath because while being the most hardened, he was far more direct than the captain because it was the one way they can be on the same page mentally. He was right by saying saving ryan would be the most decent thing they’ve done because it’s an isolated sentimental mission that not many would have the privilege to receive. He’d be grateful too if that opportunity came his way, but I think he’d make the same decision in fighting until the end since there was nothing else for him to go home to as far as we knew. Moving on, I was really impressed with Barry Pepper making Jackson the one who uses religion to boost his confidence and similarly felt moved seeing Adam Goldberg portray Mellish as witty yet hardened-ly loyal, but I also felt stunned with Edward Burns as Reiben because he’s the only one willing to question authority which is fair because he doesn’t want to be blind with what he believes in hence his own toll as the mission progressed. With the mission a success, I’m sure that cynicism vanished as he became grateful to come home too. I was even fuming over how exhausting it felt to see Wade die since Giovanni Ribisi portrayed him as the most soft spoken compared to how Jeremy Davies showed Upham as one who had to build strength out of fear and let go of idealism in order to survive, I was actually crying over Caparzo’s death most. Played by Vin Diesel, he was tough yet had his own heart of gold since his last actions were trying to save a child and wanted to make sure his dad got his letter. If that doesn’t fuck with you, I don’t know what will. Miller couldn’t take his side in wanting to save the kid too because there were limits to their responsibilities and his death proved it wasn’t worth the risk. And if you ask me, I think his death was part of the reason the captain chooses to stay with Ryan the way he does otherwise who knows what would’ve been done differently had he and Wade made it that far. Nevertheless, I’m sure Ryan thanks everyone for what they’ve done in order to keep living to the fullest. In conclusion, Saving Private Ryan most definitely should have won the Best Picture Oscar instead of Shakespeare in Love as it was a stunning adventure film that gave incredible optimism in the midst of a gritty setting. If you’re looking for a film that’ll move you, see this now.