'Saving Private Ryan' Is As Real As It Gets

A movie about soldiers in World War II, “Saving Private Ryan” is so strikingly authentic that it made me tense. 

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 Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, the movie is about a group of soldiers who must find a specific soldier, Private Ryan, because his brothers have been killed in action. The United States government will not allow every son in a family to die fighting over seas, so Ryan must go home.

Soldiers on the Search for Private Ryan

The soldiers that are sent to search for James Ryan are under intense pressure from the realities of war and are on the edge of sanity. Traumatized by the deaths and battles they have seen, they struggle to stay motivated. 

 

Captain Miller is the mysterious, persistent leader of the team, and the main character in the story. His enthusiasm is disintegrating from all of the chilling experiences he has been through while he has been away from home.

Tom Hanks as Captain Miller

The soldiers don’t agree with the mission from the start, but they follow orders. Throughout the story, they realize the importance of this assignment and hope that, “Someday we might look back on this and decide that saving Private Ryan was the one decent thing we were able to pull out of this whole…mess. Like you said, Captain, maybe we do that, we all earn the right to go home.”

Captain Miller, Private Ryan, and Private Reiben

Leading Sergeant Horvath, Private Reiben, Private Jackson, and others, Miller is successful in finding Ryan; however, Ryan isn’t ready to leave his fellow comrades in distress. The team is forced to stay with Private Ryan as he helps his team follow through with their mission of guarding a bridge. 

Private James Francis Ryan makes it home safely, but with great cost; many members of Captain Miller’s unit die along the way.

Barry Pepper as Private Jackson

The acting is unparalleled, with stars such as Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, and Vin Diesel. 

  “Saving Private Ryan” is undeniably difficult to watch because of the battle scenes, but I believe that this is what distinguishes this movie from many other war movies. The film does not sugar-coat the tragedies of war. Absolutely a 5 out of 5.