Saving Private Ryan

My friend told me that during the opening scene of the landing on Omaha Beach, she wanted to run out of the theater, but she was so hypnotized by what was happening on the screen that she stayed seated. This is a film purely for the big screen and good sound, where bullets fly around you and you feel that you are physically there with them, that you are part of the action. The first half hour has become legendary. (13/04/2003)

It is certainly not a flawless film, but technically it is so brilliant that I’m happy to forgive all its shortcomings. Steven Spielberg shows us a real war like nobody has before. Tom Hanks is a genius, as well as Spielberg and Janusz Kaminski. For me, the best war film of all time. (08/11/2003)

Steven Spielberg directed undoubtedly the most impressive film about World War II. The opening D-Day landing alone shocked me with its brutal depiction, clearly showcasing the horrific slaughter it was. Then we got to know the main combat group that guided the viewers through the film. The cast is top-notch, led by Tom Hanks’s outstanding performance as Captain John Miller. In supporting roles, others also impressed, especially Jeremy Davies (his final near-redemption for a critical mistake was flawless) and Barry Pepper. The journey of all these characters was filmed so authentically by the creators that I believed their struggles with all the obstacles thrown in their path without reservation, and I experienced their encounters with Nazi forces fully, with no shortage of emotions. Technically, I simply have no words. The harmony of every image with accompanying sounds and music is rarely seen... I understand the Oscars received for this. And of course, the battles, which I believe still hold the status of the most successful in the history of cinema in this genre. The ending is epic but not exaggerated, and it is emotionally powerful, squeezing every bit of emotion out of the viewer, you can believe that. My heart swelled at many of the amazing scenes presented by this film. Spielberg made a genuine treasure that should be protected by all available means. Truly a masterpiece. I give it 93%. (02/09/2019)

From the first to the last scene, amazingly conceived, every shot engrosses you, to the point where you feel that a bullet might fly towards you at any moment, and the impact is so significant that I can't get it out of my head for a few days after watching it. I only have a slight issue with how enormous and somewhat unnecessarily grandiose it is, that Steven Spielberg doesn't hold back on his desire for epic stories even a bit. But that would be complaining about something I usually praise. I do appreciate, though, how the director, who is often criticized for being family-oriented and kind, can brilliantly turn all these criticisms upside down. (21/01/2006)

I'm neither a fan nor a great connoisseur of war movies, but show me one that is more emotionally packed than this Spielberg masterpiece. The opening with the Normandy landings will deservedly go down in film history as one of the most impressive scenes ever. The final battle is another perfect display of military strategy, and the film as a whole is a relentless exhibition of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Amazing atmosphere, amazing actors, brilliant camera work and harsh reality in every way. No one will ever make something like that again, I'll bet. (31/05/2012)