The story opens with a prologue in which a veteran brings his family to the American cemetery at Normandy, and a flashback then joins Capt. John Miller and GIs in a landing craft making the June 6, 1944, approach to Omaha Beach to face devastating German artillery fire. Miller's men slowly move forward to finally take a concrete pillbox. On the beach littered with bodies is one with the name "Ryan" stenciled on his backpack. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall, learning that three Ryan brothers from the same family have all been killed in a single week, requests that the surviving brother, Pvt. James Ryan, be located and brought back to the United States. Capt. Miller gets the assignment, and he chooses a translator, Cpl. Upham, skilled in language but not in combat, to join his squad. Having previously experienced action in Italy and North Africa, the close-knit squad sets out through areas still thick with Nazis. After they lose one man in a skirmish at a bombed village, some in the group begin to question the logic of losing more lives to save a single soldier.
This was a great, powerful film. The first 30 minutes which depicts the Omaha Beach invasion is the most action-packed, intense and disturbing part of the film, but also the most historically accurate according to what I have read. I certainly have a whole new respect for the mental and physical obstacles that soldiers must overcome in order to enter the battlefield. The plotline of the mission to save Pvt. Ryan is mostly fictional, but based on a kernel of truth. None the less, it was a gripping story that kept my attention for the entire 2hr 45min film. All of the actors were excellent, believable, had good chemistry and provided just the right amount of machismo, anger, sadness and fear. I recommend this film for anyone who likes action movies, war movies, realistic special effects, suspense, blood & guts and even history buffs. Basically, it's a must see - I'm just sorry it took me this long to watch it.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, Matt Damon
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
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