Review of Saving Private Ryan

Introduction

Set during the WW-II D-Day invasion, Saving Private Ryan follows Captain John Miller and his men in a quest to find Private James Ryan (whose 3 brothers have been killed in action) and return him safely home. Initially, this sounded a bit far-fetched to me but it is apparently based loosely on a true story.

From the opening assault on Omaha Beach, through to the climactic battle to prevent a bridge being captured by the Germans, Saving Private Ryan presents what must be one of the most realistic and unflinching portrayals of the horrors and human waste of war. This is not a gung-ho, heroic war movie. People die. Casually, brutally and painfully.

This is not easy viewing but must be seen.

Video

In making the film Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, decided on a stylised look for the film. Lenses were especially ground and distressed to create an image that is variously desaturated, grainy and overexposed. This conceit works exceptionally well, both recreating a “war footage” look and heightening the sense of unreality that the participants must have felt. The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer presents these imperfections perfectly. Extremely good.

Audio

The sound in Saving Private Ryan is superb, winning an Oscar for Sound and Sound Effects Editing. This is recreated perfectly on the DVD. The DD 5.1 soundtrack is weighty and detailed, accurately capturing every explosion, shot and ricochet.

Unlike the US, we have no DTS option on Region 2. Normally the purist in me would automatically favour a DTS soundtrack; it is usually crisper and more accurate. In this case, however, I don’t know what could have been done better in DTS, the DD track is that good. Listening the DVD at home, with a decent system, gives you a much more visceral experience than in the cinema; the LFE is put to good use. You will duck and flinch as shot whizz past you only to take down the soldier at your side. Scarily good.

The score by John Williams is good and appropriate for the film but it is not one of Williams most memorable. It is well captured on the disk though.

Features

Extras are fairly basic. You get 2 trailers, an “Into the Breach” documentary which is pretty interesting and detailed production notes and biographies. All the info available is good quality and there is no filler but you wish there was a little more. Still it is a minor complaint with an otherwise superlative DVD.

Conclusion

Saving Private Ryan is undoubtedly flawed. Characterisation is not particularly good. Even the main character, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), is little more than a cipher. Also, players like Hanks and Matt Damon (the titular Ryan) never seem to fully settle into their roles; every minute they’re on screen, you think, “There’s Hanks and Damon”. Tom Sizemore and Vin Diesel give more believable performances but they aren’t given much to work with. The plot, such as it is, is little more than an excuse to move from set piece to set piece (but, what set pieces).

But, it doesn’t matter. As a portrayal and indictment of the horrors of war it works superbly. Never having experienced war (and never wanting to), I can’t comment on how realistic the battles are. But, they feel real and survivors of the military action portrayed have paid tribute to its veracity.

Where the film scores is in its visceral power. You can FEEL the chaotic maelstrom of battle. The superb sound and visuals of the DVD only serve to enhance this. The sound is especially fine on this disk. It is benchmark stuff. Mind you, it is maybe not appropriate for a casual demo of your system – leave that for something lighter like T2.

Despite light extras, Saving Private Ryan is an absolute must-buy on DVD.