Saving Private Ryan (DVD)

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The summer of 1998 saw the release of two great war films, Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line" and Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan." Malick's film was the more intense, overall, and the more distanced. His detached, ethereal voice-overs made the film largely a series of philosophical queries on the meaning of life. Spielberg's film is more down-to-earth, more rooted in the here and now, its objectives more clear-cut; yet it, too, assumes universal themes. Both films merit being added to one's list of best war movies of all time.

My primary thoughts as I watched "Private Ryan" were ones of pride and thankfulness and sorrow. Pride in the selfless heroism of so many young soldiers to keep our world free; thankfulness for their courage and dedication; sorrow for the loss of so many of their lives. The story begins on June 6, 1944, D-Day, Omaha Beach, the allied invasion of Normandy. The first thirty minutes or so provide a vivid, almost documentary recreation of that ferocious battle, and for most viewers this part may be the highlight of the film.

Once having shown us the establishment of a beachhead, the film formally introduces its main character, Captain John Miller, played by Tom Hanks. Miller is assigned the unenviable task of leading a small squadron of eight men behind enemy lines to find a Private James Francis Ryan, who parachuted into German-held territory the day before. Private Ryan's three brothers having been recently killed in action, the War Department is determined to save the life of at least one of the siblings. The long, middle section of the film chronicles the squad's search for Ryan, who has become separated from his company. Here the film establishes the kind of group camaraderie found in other war films, most notably in one of my favorites, Lewis Milestone's 1945 classic, "A Walk in the Sun." Once Ryan is found, the story focuses on Miller and his squad keeping him safe while at the same time trying to destroy a vital bridge.

Hanks, as always, is ideally cast as the common man we all respect, admire, and relate to. He plays a good and decent man; a man who simply wants to get back to his wife; a man who feels that whether or not saving the life of one man is worth the risk of losing many others, if it takes him one step closer to going home, he'll do it. But as he says, "This Ryan better be worth it." Accompanying Hanks are Tom Sizemore as Sgt. Horvath; Edward Burns as Pvt. Reiben; Barry Pepper as Pvt. Jackson; Adam Goldberg as Pvt. Mellish; Van Diesel as Pvt. Caparzo; Giovanni Ribisi as Medic Wade; and Jeremy Davies as Corporal Upham. Matt Damon plays Pvt. Ryan. Other familiar faces one encounters are Ted Danson as Capt. Hamill and Dennis Farina as Lt. Col. Anderson. It is a fine ensemble crew, and although the film is rather long at nearly three hours, it utilizes most of its time well in establishing personal relationships among the men.

What, asks the film, is the worth of a single human soul? When we look at the billions of people encircling this globe, to say nothing of the endless worlds of our universe, is one life more or less so very important? In a special message, director Steven Spielberg says that he made the film to honor the men who fought at D-Day. Certainly, that is the film's clearest intent, but one cannot escape the import of the initial question. It's why the film begins and ends with an older Ryan of today revisiting the graves of those who fought so bravely to bring him to safety. He asks, "Am I a good man?" Have I led a life worthy of all those other lives? His family stands behind him in silent answer to his uncertainty. Perhaps he comes to represent all of us today who should ask ourselves how worthy we are to have had so many pay the price of their lives for our happiness. Like Spielberg's other distinguished war drama, "Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan" forces us to understand that every life is meaningful, and that every person can make a difference.

I read that at the time of "Private Ryan's" premiere, Spielberg invited groups of D-Day veterans to attend showings and provide comments. Two apparent discrepancies the vets noticed were ones that I suppose a little poetic license dictated. The first was that the captain would never have displayed his bars of rank so prominently on his helmet. It would have made him too easy a target as the group's leader.