Saving Private Ryan
In 1993, a film popped up in theaters that was so astounding, so incredible, so moving, so emotional (etc. etc.) that it became my all-time favorite film. Now, this does not mean I like to whip out a copy of Schindler's List every now and then and watch it. The power of Steven Spielberg's first serious drama was more than I had ever seen portrayed on the screen before. So I could not consciously put it anywhere but at the top. A few years later, Spielberg would try his hand at a more intense drama than his usual standard-fare. Amistad didn't quite work, and he found out when the Academy didn't give him an Oscar nomination for Best Picture or Director. And now, in 1998, he returns to his favorite subject: World War II. And guess what? It's one of the best films of 1998.
I have not seen a more skilled director to portray wars more fully than Spielberg, ever. He's a director who used to be a purely escapist artist, but now has veered to something which has put him into high esteem among everyone, critics and audiences alike. His subjects are never easy, but with all of his technique, all of his expertise, and all of his money, he manages to make films like no other. I doubt I will ever see another film quite like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN ever again. Sure, there are bound to be copies and clones, but none will approach the pure awe and tension that this film does. I can safely say that out of all the years and decades that films have been produced, Spielberg is the best director for a war film.
Why? What makes his films so much better than say, Oliver Stone's Platoon or Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket? It's mostly in the intensity that the director has when approaching his subject, and Spielberg is the most committed. His films are so realistic that they sometimes turn away audiences in pure fear of watching these real life incidents portrayed once again. And if the theater I saw SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is any indication, he hasn't changed.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN opens with a touching moment at a memorial for victims of World War II. Inspired by a real life event which Spielberg witnessed while attending the memorial, this sets up a nice frame for the film's flashbacks to have pertinence. The old man standing, staring at the rows of white pillars, has tears in his eyes, but is left nameless. Then, the camera zooms in cautiously, almost like a frightened child afraid of going somewhere they don't want to go, and the film jumps back to 1944... the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach.
Every critic has been raving about this sequence, and it's completely clear when it unfolds before you. I can not describe anything in this opening 24-minute sequence accurately. However, I will say this: the opening scene of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is possibly the most gruesome and horrific scene ever caught on film. It feels, literally, like an eternity. The camera work is mostly handheld (one being operated by Spielberg himself) and the colors muted. The film stock matches that of old war footage and the sped up action makes it seem even more realistic. But out of the entire film, the one image that will haunt me for the rest of my life is the very first few seconds of the battle. Higgins boats arrive on the beach, filled with sea-sick men and vomit, and then the doors are opened. The first few cracks of the Germans' bullets are ear-splitting. Suddenly, the men in the boat drop like flies, not even having a chance to touch the water. This moment is so shocking, so involving, and so utterly emotional that many people in the theater actually stood up and walked out. The rest of the scene plays out like a bad nightmare, and then, all is quiet. The tide is red with blood, the bodies litter the beach, and the survivors shoot the unarmed Germans out of anger. There is nothing, in the history of film, that could ever prepare you for this scene. It's more realistic than anything I have ever seen. Because of the incredible amount of gore, the film almost earned an NC-17 rating. Thankfully, the MPAA opted to give it the R.
One of the Normandy victims was Pvt. Ryan, one of three brothers killed in battle. The fourth one, Pvt. James Ryan (Matt Damon), has been dropped inland, but no one knows where. The mother of the four boys is scheduled to receive all three telegrams on the same day. As a result, General George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell, Fargo) demands that a team be sent in to rescue the fourth son. The team consists of Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) who survived the Omaha Beach invasion. Other members include a German/French translator Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies), Reiben (Edward Burns), a cynic who thinks the war is more important than finding one man, and Sergeant Horvath (Tom Sizemore) as Miller's good friend. The eight man team sets out to find Ryan, and the conflicts along the way provide parallel themes that will play out in the final battle.
While we get to know the characters through dramatic pauses in the action, we realize that war pictures have been sanitizing films for decades. Every war film seems to have these heroic figures that could have come right out of a Stallone picture. However, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN portrays these eight men as innocent kids thrown into battle against their will. Capt. Miller was a teacher before he was drafted, and has now since lost 94 men to battle. His reasons for finding Ryan provide a lot of conflict and show that war is more about getting home than winning or losing. "Everytime I kill a man, I get further away from home," he states. Perhaps by rescuing Ryan, he will be awarded a trip back to his wife. But of all the characters, Upham is the most complex of them all. His frightened expressions mirror the audience's. He's our link to the film. We watch all this through his eyes, because most of us younger people have never experienced war. Upham has never been in battle, and when he sees the horror, he enters a state of paralyzation and shock. The German soldiers are right around the corner, and yet he can not bring himself to kill them. In any other war movie, Upham would show his courage and become victorious. Here, it's real, and almost aggravating. We want him to kill the soldiers, but we sense his fear when he doesn't. By the end of the film, he has changed, but not in a way you might expect.
The battle scenes are some of the most meticulous and spectacular scenes caught on film. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, who won for Spielberg's Schindler's List, uses handheld camera work which gives the viewer a sense of anxiety and confusion. Because of the muted colors and similar uniforms, it's hard to determine who is shooting whom. But Spielberg maintains a tight grip on things and never allows things to escape his control. The opening sequence is gut-wrenching, but the smaller battles in between are just as important. In essence, they allow the group to bond and come into grips with how much their mission really means. It could be just a ploy to ease the mother's pain and suffering, but it could also show that their is still a human connection--that we aren't just killing to win. One subtle plot element offers us a view of how superior officers are oblivious to the horrendous conditions these soldiers go through. Questions are raised about the mission's validity, such as "Is one man's life worth more than the life of eight?" The complexity of these questions remain lingering throughout the film, and they are really never answered. By the end, we are left to examine all the points and answer them accordingly.
Tom Hanks is perfect for this character, and I am sure he will get an Oscar nomination (if not the win). While it isn't his most outrageous character, it's his most realistic one. Subtlety brings a whole new level to Miller's character, and Hanks exudes subtlety. Tom Sizemore is outstanding as a man committed to his leader. Sizemore hasn't been this good in years. But most important is Jeremy Davies. While Davies' performance probably won't get him an Oscar, he does the best work in the movie. Because the performance is mostly one of cowardice, it will be underestimated by Academy voters who usually like to see strong figures win. Matt Damon has one of the more interesting characters in the film, since he is more of a symbol than a human. His smile and optimistic outlook is a result of not witnessing Normandy's slaughter. However, his one fateful decision gives the entire film another twist and layer, and I literally got chills by Damon's response to going home. Edward Burns is superb and has cynical down to a craft. Barry Pepper gives a very good but sad performance as a sharpshooter blessed with good skills. Adam Goldberg and Vin Diesel are the only two who aren't really given as much depth as they could have. But they are still well-developed characters. And Giovanni Ribisi must get special recognition for providing the best monologue in the film, relating the experiences of his mother. As a whole, the cast is one of the best of the year.
There are really only two things that bothered me with the movie, and they are such minor elements that I probably am better off not even bringing them up. However, I feel I should, and will. The music by John Williams is excellent throughout, but sometimes the blaring trumpets and horns undermine scenes that would be better left silent. However, the score is only about 48 minutes long, which is much shorter than the film length itself, meaning that most of the film is played out without music. My other quibble is with the ending which tends to lean towards the melodramatic. Thankfully, the actors compensate by standing tall and proud. Also worthy of note, the film begins and ends with a partially-transparent American flag. If anything, this is the perfect way to tie up a film of this kind.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is rated R for extreme and prolonged war-type graphic gore and violence, and profanity. In the weeks to come, I am positive that this film will remain lingering in the back of my mind (and sometimes right up front). A drama of immense proportions, this film does one thing I have never seen done: it retains the same amount of intensity and tension throughout every single second. Even the dramatic moments are filled with emotional content. When critics complain that films these days aren't near as good as those back in the 40s or 50s, I will just point out to them that both Schindler's List and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN are two of the best films ever made. And they came right out of our postmodernistic society of the 90s. Come March, expect a slew of Oscars to be handed out of Spielberg and crew.