Saving Private Ryan Review
What makes a war film an epic? Is it the explosion scene? Or the vivid combat among enemies? Looking back at the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan, the techniques are not new and catchy any more, but it is still one of my favorite film ever, not because of the fancy scenes and special effects, but the characters in the film.
The story starts with General George Marshall in Washington DC. he received a letter saying that in Ryan’s family, three of four sons have died in the battlefield, and the fourth son is missing somewhere in Normandy. he ordered that ryan need to be found and sent home immediately. Caption Miller did not understand solely the importance of finding Ryan, but he still went on the journey with another six men from his company. Every of them showed different characteristics, and some of them are afraid of the suicidal attempts, but non of them ran away, they all showed the strong and vulgar personality that a solider should have. They all once doubt the necessity of sending eight men for the life of one, but just as Miller said : “I don’t know anything about Ryan, it is just a name, but if we find him, so he can go home, that earns me the right to go home and my wife, that is my mission. ”
Private ryan is just one single solider in the war among thousands of thousands of the war. It is right to say that sending a team of soldiers to find him is not rational. But he is the last son of his family, the only father of his child, and the only husband to his wife. This applies to every solider in the war. Every one fears death, but there is justice and freedom that need to protect.
Tom Hanks did an amazing job in the film, and I could not help but try to compare his performance in Saving Private Ryan with Forest Gump. Hanks really excels at acting roles, who are normal people but with great personalities and sparking points. Both Miller and Forest Gump are special because of their strength perseverance. It is what they did in the very situation that made them heroes.
The films centers on the brutality of wars as well as the great love of mothers. The image of home and mother are brought in the film several times. The one I remembered most is when Ryan’s mom looks at the army car driving to her home with the letters of her sons’ death. She fell and sat by the door crying. Ryan is back at home with her, but thousands of soldiers did not have the chance– just as Caparzo held his letter high when he was about to die– he did not want blood stains on the letter to make his parents sad.
I want to end the review with some words from Abraham Linclon, which also appears in the final scenes in Saving Private Ryan,
“I pray that our heavenly father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid a so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
For those of you who have seen the movie and want to review the final scenes, here you go. But you may want to save it if you have not seen the movie yet. 🙂
All about FILMS! 