293. Saving Private Ryan; movie review

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
Cert 15
166 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, gory images, language

"Why did you take me to see that?", Mrs W cried with heavy sobs, as we stood in the car park at Nottingham Showcase.
That was 21 years ago and this summer, as we rewatched one the of the greatest films ever made, a tear slipped down my cheek.
Mrs W has recognised the brilliance of Steven Spielberg's Second World War epic since her highly-charged reaction to her first viewing.
And its re-release allowed us to remind ourselves of the standards it set for films set on the frontline.
Put simply, Saving Private Ryan remains in my top five films of all time. In common with It's A Wonderful Life, it can still elicit emotion after many viewings.
For example, we are still shocked by the opening sequences on the beaches. The sound of ricocheting gunfire and horror of body parts still blows our minds even after movies such as Hacksaw Ridge have attempted to up the ante.
There is also the Tom Hanks factor. Hanks remains one of the world's best actors but this was his golden period - his catalogue during the 1990s was truly stunning and this came after Philadelphia, Forrest Gumps and Apollo 13 (and Toy Story!).
Of course, there is the cruelty of war where one thoughtless moment (even if it is inspired by kindness) can cost a life or lives.
And then there is the reality of what happens if you survive. How do you compensate for those who have been killed?
Saving Private Ryan pulls all of the strands together and sets a bar for war films which, in my opinion, has not been reached during the past two decades.
But at least directors such as those of Hacksaw Ridge, Hurt Locker and many others, have tried their best.

Reasons to watch: In my opinion, the greatest war film of all time
Reasons to avoid: Those very hard opening scenes

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 10/10

Did you know? During the filming on the beach, extensive use was made of people with missing limbs. More than 20 of the extras used in the Omaha Beach scene were actual amputees; they wore prosthetic limbs that were blown off in the attack.

The final word. Tom Hanks: "By and large, it was all elbows and asses on that beach, guys scared to death. Maybe if you're really good, you're able to operate on pure instinct as opposed to pure panic. We won the war because of ordinary guys who did the right thing at the right time." Roger Ebert

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