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Saving Private Ryan (1998)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
24 July 1998 (USA) moreTagline:
In the Last Great Invasion of the Last Great War, The Greatest Danger for Eight Men was Saving... One. morePlot:
Following the Normandy Landings, a group of US soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 52 wins & 53 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(264 articles)
July 4th Holiday Movies To Celebrate Your Independence With (From MTV Movies Blog. 4 July 2009, 6:00 AM, PDT)
Exclusive: Interview with Clifton Collins Jr.
(From Atomic Popcorn. 2 July 2009, 1:08 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Excellent despite some Spielberg slips into sentiment moreUS Showtimes:
(register to personalize)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Tom Hanks | ... | Capt. John H. Miller | |
| Tom Sizemore | ... | Sgt. Mike Horvath | |
| Edward Burns | ... | Pvt. Richard Reiben | |
| Barry Pepper | ... | Pvt. Daniel Jackson | |
| Adam Goldberg | ... | Pvt. Stanley Mellish | |
| Vin Diesel | ... | Pvt. Adrian Caparzo | |
| Giovanni Ribisi | ... | T-5 Medic Irwin Wade | |
| Jeremy Davies | ... | Cpl. Timothy P. Upham | |
| Matt Damon | ... | Pvt. James Francis Ryan | |
| Ted Danson | ... | Capt. Fred Hamill | |
| Paul Giamatti | ... | Sgt. Hill | |
| Dennis Farina | ... | Lt. Col. Anderson | |
| Joerg Stadler | ... | Steamboat Willie | |
| Max Martini | ... | Cpl. Henderson (as Maximilian Martini) | |
| Dylan Bruno | ... | Toynbe |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence, and for language.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
170 minCountry:
USAColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
USA:R (certificate #35942) | Taiwan:GP | Malaysia:18SG (DVD release) | Malaysia:(Banned) (theatrical) | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:14 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (re-rating on appeal) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 (re-rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Italy:VM14 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R15 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating on appeal) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The opening and closing of the film features a US flag backlit by the sun. This is exactly the same as a shot in Leni Riefenstahl's Tag der Freiheit - Unsere Wehrmacht (1935). In that film, a Nazi flag gently sways in the wind, with the sun shining through it from behind, rendering the flag somewhat translucent. moreGoofs:
Factual errors: After the horrific D-Day scene, when Captain Miller gets his mission some days later, a panorama of the seascape shows no ships in view. The area ought to have been teeming with ships bringing more units to the front, supplying those already present, and protecting the supply line. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Ryan's son: [running to comfort his father] Dad?
[flashback to D-Day]
LCVP pilot: Clear the ramp! Thirty seconds. God be with ya!
more
Soundtrack:
Solitude moreFAQ
Out of the squadron, who actually dies?Why didn't the soldier who killed Mellish kill Upham?
Is it possible to shoot a sniper through his scope like Jackson did?
more
more
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During the Normandy landings during WW2 two brothers are killed. In another part of the world another of the Ryan brothers is killed in action, leaving their mother with one remaining son and three telegrams due to be delivered. A group of men, led by Captain Miller set out to reach Private Ryan and not only break him the news but to safely return him for return to the US.
What can I say it is an excellent film despite some minor flaws. The plot is based on a real life situation during WW2 and allows for us to follow a group of men as they take part in the horrors (and humanity) of war. This is the film's strength and it is never stronger than in the first 25 minutes and, to a lesser extent, the final 20 minutes. The opening of the Normandy landing is simply pure emotional power and is really well done it is so powerful that the actual plot itself is a bit of a letdown. I love Band of Brothers because the focus was on the war and what it was like to be involved rather than a sort of soap opera story. Here the plot is still very good but can't really follow that opening.
It also sinks into sentiment a tad too often. For example Ryan's mother lives in this sort of Norman Rockwell painting that is Spielberg's vision of middle America. Also there is a little too much use of gawkish dialogue as well although it's hard to criticise the death scenes for being emotional, because they should be.
A minor flaw that is easy to get over is the lack of Brits. Like Band of Brothers (which had a few cockney accents) this is an AMERICAN film so of course they will focus on the American experience. However it would have been nice to have some British (or any other) voices or faces among the Allies. I can understand why the film opens and closes with the stars and stripes and why the film focuses on the yanks but a little bit of perspective would be useful. There's nothing wrong with focus but when it totally excludes huge bits of information then it's a problem. It always makes me think of the way that Michael Caine took his children back to the UK when they were taught in an US school that WW2 started in the 1940's (ie when America joined).
However this is a minor flaw as, in fairness, it's an American film why be surprised when it's focus is Americans! Of the cast Hanks is good he is much more subtle than his Oscar roles where he played to the crowd. He benefits from having a great support cast of good actors, current actors, old faces, up and comers etc. Sizemore, Burns and Farina are the good current actors. Damon, Ribsi, Diesel, Martini etc are all very good on the way up although Damon has one of the simplest characters. They may all be slight stereotypes of Americans but it's not a major flaw just a screen writer wanting to cover all bases I think, although it does grate that they cover all these backgrounds but can't squeeze any other Allies in to the edges.
Overall it is excellent despite some stereotyping, US flag waving and the usual Spielberg love of sentimentality. Even if the actual plot is flimsy Spielberg expertly puts us as close to experiencing the horrors and the humanity within war as I hope we'll ever be.