"What the hell do we do now sir?" shouts one private, while others strip ammunition and weapons off dying comrades. One soldier scoops his severed arm off the sand, staggering on in a desperate attempt to keep up with his squad. As young bodies explode from enemy fire, the Allied Forces still somehow sweep forward, through the noise, confusion, and death all around them. Watching the unspeakable carnage, you wonder how any of the soldiers could possibly have survived the battle, let alone triumphed.
That`s just the beginning of one of the most powerful, visceral war movies ever made. Steven Spielberg`s "Saving Private Ryan" is an experience that left me shaken and deeply moved. Even though the screen is filled with the faces of familiar actors, Spielberg makes it seem real, thrusting the viewer right into the center of the nightmarish action. Hand-held cameras create a quasi-documentary feel. Occasionally the sound fades out and the action shifts into slow motion, giving you the eerie sense of sharing the experience of a soldier in shock. The film is remarkably effective at creating a horrific "you-are-there" feel.
The brilliant "Apocalypse Now" used war as a vehicle for a surreal journey into the depths of insanity. The film stays focused on what war does to the body and soul, as the men fight to stay alive, to accomplish their mission, and to somehow retain their humanity during a situation that screams for them to just be animals.
Only after the staggering extended battle sequence does Spielberg introduce you to the characters and story. Still reeling from Omaha Beach, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is given another assignment. Within days, three of the four Ryan brothers have been killed in action. The youngest, Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), is alive somewhere behind enemy lines. Miller is to take his squad to find and retrieve the soldier.
The film accompanies the men on their harrowing search, as they increasingly question their mission. While they understand the reasoning behind the assignment, they also see the cold reality. In order to soften the terrible blow for Mother Ryan, the military is putting their eight lives at GREat risk. Is the compassionate gesture worth the potential body count?
Steven Spielerg films are often heavy-handed, but he displays GREat restraint here. The harrowing war scenes never feel like director`s grandstanding, and the sentimental moments are heart-wrenching without becoming drippy. Similarly, John Williams` haunting score beautifully accents the film. Thank goodness they held themselves back from emotionally bullying the audience.
A crowning cinematic achievement, "Saving Private Ryan" doesn`t romanticize or condemn World War II. It is far more effective by presenting war with simple, stark honesty. Spielberg told the Los Angeles Times that he made the film for the men who survived, as well as those who perished. "It is to honor them with the truth and to hopefully teach something," he said. "Audiences today go to the movies, and they are often thrilled by violence. This is intended to show the other side of what violence does to human beings."
He achieved his goal.
在简短序幕之后，影片《救大兵瑞恩》镜头直接切换到战争场面，长达24分钟的战斗场景真实地再现了1944年6月6日奥马哈海滩登陆的情。场面及其残酷，逼真地再现了（英法）盟军涌向海滩时无数士兵被屠杀的真实细节。
“长官，我们现在到底要去干什么？”一个士兵问道，其余的士兵正从临死的战友身上扒下装备和武器。有个士兵从沙里挖出炸断的手臂，绝望地蹒跚向前，试图赶上小队。年轻的躯体在敌人的炮火中爆炸，盟军仍然缓慢向前移动，笼罩着他们的是（炮火）的巨响，迷惑和死亡。看着这难以表述的屠杀场面，你不禁会想，能有多少士兵能从战场上生还，更不用说打胜仗。
这仅仅是一部至今为止最感人肺腑的战争影片的开始。史提芬·斯皮尔伯格（Steven Spielberg）导演的<<拯救大兵瑞恩>>描述了一段令我震惊和深深感动的经历。虽然屏幕中出现的是很多熟悉的面孔，斯皮尔伯格却使电影看着那样真实，把观众置身于恶梦般战争的中心。手提摄像机拍摄的画面让人感觉象是纪录片。有时声音减弱，行动变成慢动作，给你一种奇异的感觉，感受一个身处惊恐之中的士兵的经历。影片非常成功地创造了令人恐惧的 "身临其境”之感。
才华横溢的“现代启示录”以战争为手段，开始了一段回到极度疯狂的过去的超现实之行。影片把焦点集中在战争对身体和精神的影响，人们为了生存而战，完成他们的任务，在要求他们变成野兽的环境中保存某种程度的人性。
在这一长段令人震惊的战争场景之后，斯皮尔伯格才将影片中的人物和故事展现在观众面前。仍在奥马哈海滩，约翰·米勒上尉（汤姆·汉克斯饰）接受另一项任务。数天内，瑞恩的另三个兄弟都在战斗中阵亡。最小的一个，士兵詹姆士·瑞恩（马特·达门饰）还在敌后某处身处险境。米勒的任务是带领他的小队寻找并拯救这个士兵。
影片一直围绕着这队人悲惨的搜寻过程，他们对任务越来越怀疑。当他们明白这项任务的真正原因时，他们也看到了冷酷的现实。为了减轻对瑞恩母亲的巨大打击，军队把这八个人置身于极度危险之中。难道说（军方表现出的）这种充满同情心的姿态真的值得以这些生命为代价吗？
史提芬·斯皮尔伯格的电影经常是大手笔，但他在这部影片中表现了很大的自我限制。悲惨的战争场面从不会让人觉得导演是在故意买弄，那些感伤的时刻令人感到心痛，而不是流泪。同时，约翰·威廉姆斯的萦绕心头的动人乐曲为影片增色不少。感谢他们从纯粹煽情的影片风格中回归。
作为电影史上的一个最高的成就，《拯救大兵瑞恩》没有美化或诅咒第二次世界大战。影片极其有效地以简洁、完全真实的方式展现战争。斯皮尔伯格在《洛杉矶时报》上说，他是为那些生还的人，同样为那些牺牲的人制作了这部影片的。“这是带着真实的态度给予他们荣誉，并希望告诉人们一些什么”，他说，“现在的观众去电影院，他们经常从暴力镜头中感受恐惧的感觉。这部影片旨在表现暴力对于人类的另一面。”
他达到了他的目标。
