Saving Private Ryan UNEDITED REACTION (early access)

This is actually the first 'serious' film I've watched from Spielberg. I've known him mainly for Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and ET but the one thing he always did well were characters and making you care for them. I think that is what he brought to this film and what made it so powerful. This is definitely my favourite Spielberg film now too having seen it in full. I also like your point about Upham...he adds so much complexity to this film about how right and wrong is not so black and white when you're in a war facing death in the face.

Effie

Saving Private Ryan is my favourite Steven Spielberg movie & I say that being a big fan of his others too. It’s just a masterpiece. I know it might not be 100% accurate to what happened in real life & I’m sure if you look closely enough there might be little mistakes throughout but I won’t ever look at it like that. It’s extraordinary filmmaking. The cast, the set design, the sound effects… everything about it works seamlessly. But I love the story the most. It’s not just any war film. This company mission is such a complex situation. I really liked the dilemma of a bunch of men risking their lives to save 1 man. A man whose mother has lost so much. Again it happens when the Captain and Upham let the German soldier go, only for him to come back in the end and kill one of them and it changes Upham stance on taking life. There are just so many thought provoking questions and opinions in Saving Private Ryan.

Jamie

Yeah it is an impressive feat as a film and really helps you understand veterans and their struggles much more.

You guys made amazing points in the discussion. I'm so glad this was made in the 90s.....today a lot of it would not be practical effects. I've always felt a certain detachment to war.....you see it on the news often and even in films they can focus so much on the chaos and the carnage. You have sympathy but you can't really know. This film is truly the closest I've felt to really understanding what it must be like in that situation as a human and that unimaginable fear when you're literally standing at the edge of death. Every single death had an effect on me and that is truly a credit to the script, the actors and Speilberg. It's been years and I never saw all the scenes so it was amazing rewatching this again with you guys :)

Effie

they wanted the bridge intact so the allied tanks can use it, but if a germans came with tanks, they would blow it to slow there tank assault. giving time for the allied tanks come up from normandy. thats why they parachuted in to secure the bridge before the germens use the bridge against them with the same tactic

Devin Grant

Such a good movie, I cannot use any words to say how this movie makes me feel

Zach Winters

Very good war movie. Whilst not 100% accurate in some areas, a lot of it was absolutely spot on, including the landing part. A lot of the German beach defenders were mostly second rate garrison troops made up of 17-year olds, returning wounded, Ost Truppen (Eastern Troops recruited throughout the different countries of the Soviet Union that were conscripted or volunteered to fight communism) and even a Korean. The Korean, who survived, was originally conscripted by the Japanese army, then captured in a border war with the Soviet Union, sent to a prison camp, conscripted by the Soviets to fight the Germans, was captured by the Germans and was pressed into service to fight the Americans. They still put up stiff resistance, but they were quickly wiped out on most beaches. Omaha beach was a tough slog and lasted many hours.

Benny