Saving Private Ryan

I just happened to notice that Saving Private Ryan was on TV and thought I'd give it a go. I know it is supposed to be good, but it looked to be way too long.

SPOILERS

I liked the fact that you start with a survivor visiting war graves in the present day, but don't know who he is. Especially when we go back in time to the D-Day landings and immediately see Tom Hanks character, who could be the guy... or not. For most of the movie I actually thought it would turn out to be him.

The long scene on the beach (20 minutes) is some of the most harrowing cinema I have ever seen. It is intense, frightening, sad and relentless. You start to wonder if any of the US soldiers are going to survive. It just goes on and on. If you ever thought war films over-glorify war then watch this. It almost had me in tears.

Then we get 2+ hours of something else. Obviously there has to be some respite, but after the opening battle everything seems pretty dull thereafter.

The fact that Private Ryan is one of the few survivors in the battle at the end was just a bit too unbelievable. And the planes turning up just in time to blow up the tanks, but too late to save Hanks and crew... apart from the quivering translator who grows enough balls to shoot a German, again just too late to save Hanks.

So, in summary, watch the first half hour then skip to the end if you want to know who the guy visiting the cemetery is.