“Saving Private Ryan” (1998) – Matt Damon’s Magnificent Masterpiece About World War II

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns

‘Wonderful War Epic’

Few filmmakers in the world are as celebrated as Steven Spielberg. There’s not a person in Hollywood that doesn’t know about Steven Spielberg. This director has dazzled people with masterpieces such as “Schindler’s List”, “Jaws”, “Jurassic Park”, “The Indiana Jones Trilogy” and “E.T.”. He’s also known today as one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world.

Spielberg has crafted several unforgettable movies throughout his career, but few have impressed me like “Saving Private Ryan”. “Saving Private Ryan” is by far one of the best war films I’ve seen, as well as one of Spielberg’s best. It features outstanding acting, terrific cinematography, a powerful storyline, and of course, captivating direction.

Tom Hanks delivers one of the best performances of his career as Captain John Miller. He plays the character with determination, fear, and dedication. It’s challenging to capture the trauma faced by war veterans but Hanks succeeds. One of the greatest performances I’ve seen from him. Matt Damon is great too, in his brief, yet convincing role. Edward Burns and the rest of the soldiers are simply terrific.

Well-done cinematography is evident throughout the film. The camera angles are just so captivating and terrific, that you simply cannot keep your eyes of this film.

Storyline makes this film what it really is. It’s powerful in a brutal and unforgiving way. I almost cried in the end, but it’s a true story and highly realistic in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes painful to watch the war scenes. Bloody and extremely violent scenes, but again, worth watching.

Overall, this film is a must-see and cannot be missed by any movie-goer. The type of impressive direction Spielberg pulls off and Hank’s astonishing performance make this film worth watching. Though beware again, this film is outright bloody, so don’t go see it if you don’t like these kinds of films.

Nearly 80 years after the Battle of Normandy, it’s a soul-stirring tribute towards courageous soldiers that sacrificed their lives saving the country in the most devastating war in history.

5/5 stars