Saving Private Ryan Review

Saving Private Ryan Review

Saving Private Ryan is a harsh document of reality, presenting the emotional turmoil and extreme violence of WW2. The very second scene of the film takes place on a beach in France, as American soldiers are forced to push back German soldiers from the beach while being shot at from all angles. 

What shines through in the film is the great script and sound design, as such important elements help to immerse an audience in a tense and action-packed environment. The three-hour-long film follows a captain and his team as they have to roam the French countryside in search of a Private Ryan, after receiving orders to bring him back home. Yet a seemingly simple premise snowballs into a battle for harsh survival as the soldiers are attacked by hundreds of German soliders, leaving them to hold them off for as long as they can. The film is particularly unforgiving in its killing off of characters, a sad reality of such a harsh war, the film ends with both a sad yet hopeful tone, as Ryan survives yet most die. 

The film is an important testament to the suffering endured by the soldiers of WW2 while keeping an audience interested throughout with great writing.

8/10