My Grandfather, and all of his brothers, volunteered for the Second World War because they felt it truly was a battle of good vs. evil. They all talk about their fears that one day people will forget what they did over there and the sacrifices they made. Films like "Saving Private Ryan" help ensure that no one will forget about the Greatest Generation.
I was only 15 years old when I first saw this movie and I have watched it many times since that day. The opening sequence of this film, which shows soldiers landing in Normandy, is without a doubt one of the greatest scenes of all time. I am not a soldier. I have never been to war. I hope to God that I never have to go to war. But upon seeing this film, I felt for the first time in my gut, the horrors and savageness of battle. No film has ever come close to making a viewer truly understand what battle is like until this movie. Spielberg does an amazing job of showing how the brave and cowardly can fall with equal regularity when a rain of steel is falling on you. To this day I still do not truly have words to describe the emotions that scene evokes within me.
However, I feel this movie is judged too much on the opening sequence alone. Hanks, Sizemore, and the rest of the actors do a wonderful job of showing the highs and lows of battle throughout the film. The spirit of the fighting man, the fear and hopelessness of battle, and the voice inside that keeps telling them to go despite how desperate situations may seem are all on display in "Saving Private Ryan."
Perhaps Spielbergs greatest victory is in simplifying a war that spanned the entire world, took millions of lives, and changed the world politically for the next generation, into a story about one man. War movies always discuss the big picture and what it all means to the overall effort. While there are times in Saving Private Ryan where such things are discussed, the overwhelming majority of the plot devotes itself to the search for one man in the chaos. They are given a mission to do the impossible, and we in the audience are granted the joy of watching them work toward that goal.
The ending of this film can bring a tear to the eye of anyone, and when it concludes, you will sit there trying to wrap your head around everything you just saw and find yourself completely unable to do so.
Saving Private Ryan redefines what a "powerful" film is all about.