Page 1 of What do you think of "Saving private ryan" ?

I watched it last night. I`ll agree it was a good film, but not to the point of fantasticness. It is high up in the imdb top 250, but I thought it wasn`t as good as that. What do you all think?

The first hour is a piece of film history, but it soon disentegrates into pompous American chest beating sentiment.

A very good film, thats once again shows that the Americans have no fear of re-writing history.

I`d recommend the box set of Band of Brothers over SPR anyday.

This item was edited on Monday, 20th January 2003, 09:44

I think its a pretty essential watch, but more for the spectacle and quality of the film-making, rather than the story itself.

Don`t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film, but I certainly wasn`t as engaged in it as I was when I watched "Apocalypse Now" or even "Platoon". For me, the realism with which the film is associated - notwithstanding the "re-writing of history" - the camera work, the fantastic sound etc. is what makes the film.

And I`ve yet to hear DVD sound any better than it does with SPR.


EVH

What version do you have?
Regardless of what you think of the movie,
the region 1 dts copy has one of the finest multi-channel
soundtracks currently available on dvd. I`d go as far as to
say that it adds a completely new dimension to the film
and is worth getting for the dts track alone.
Anyhow, I thought the movie was great even though I don`t
usually care much for war films.

Yes, I think you have a different version of the film to me. Although a little sentimental in parts, the audio is thunderous, the filming superb and the action intense.

Who went ashore on Omaha beach in your version of history? And what was Montgomery`s plan for the invasion of Normandy, particularly his focus on Caen (as commander of the ground forces, SHAEF)?

May I suggest you read:

Carlo D`Este`s "Decision In Normandy"
Max Hasting`s "Overlord"
John Keegan`s "Six Armies in Normandy"
Stephen Ambrose`s "D-Day"

before you answer.

"And I`ve yet to hear DVD sound any better than it does with SPR"

AOTC has a superior DD 5.1 track.

And I like SPR, but agree that it is not brilliant. The "other" 2nd World War film released that year was much better - The Thin Red Line.

I think that the Thin Red Line is one of those films that most deffinately falls into your kind of taste... I hated it in every way, was bored out of my brains and actually fell asleep in the cinema while watching it !!! (1st and only time I have ever done this! oh I lie - in the ads before watching Minority Report after a Night shift and no sleep in 30 hours... But the film kept me awake once it started)

Saving Private Ryan is a good film, although I do struggle to watch the first ten minutes as it makes my stomach churn (Not particularly what is shown but the imagery in conjures up in my mind and the thought of what those people really did) But as already stated by others it isn`t anything special imo either!


Tim

i liked private ryan alot when i saw it at the cinema and still do today, especially the last 30mins or so in the town seige. but for me the thin red line was far superior, but hey i love all that arty crap. does anyone no if there will ever be a proper release of the thin red line, i remember when it was being made,before it was cut down, it ran at around 6 hours and many actors did not even make the final cut, i think gary oldman was one who never made the final film, at least clooney and travolta got screen time. i love the whole 15-20 minutes of the journey to the line bit i think it was right in the middle of the film, the music starts slow but then builds as the troops take the hill.
it was just the complete opposite to ryan but much more powerful.

Saving Private Ryan is excellent, and, IMO, portrays the characters as more human than a lot of films in this genre, while managing to stay interesting at the same time...

Platoon takes some beating (from what I remember... long, long time since I saw that), and Full Metal Jacket was another good film that doesn`t get the recognition it deserves. Born on the Fourth of July was another classic, although I suppose not quite the same genre as a lot of the story is post-war.

The Thin Red Line was the biggest pile a cr4p I`ve ever seen - I kept waiting for it to get good, then it finished :(.

neal 73 - how you can dismiss SPR for pompous American chest beating sentiment and then recommend Band Of Brothers is kind of beyond me... I didn`t see all of BoB, but I saw maybe the first third and then decided that I`d rather watch The Thin Red Line...

All the above is IMO, naturally.... before I get flamed...

I prefer Shaving Ryan`s Privates