Saving Private Ryan Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies
DVD - Wide Screen Learn more
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- DVD Release Date: 11/02/1999
- Original Release: 1998
- Rating:
- Sales Rank: 3,202
FOR PARENTS
- Common Sense Rates this for Ages: More
| More Formats | |
|---|---|
| DVD - Wide Screen / DTS | $17.99 |
| DVD - Special Edition / Wide Screen / Special Packaging | $14.99 |
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Scenes
Features
Exclusive message from Steven Spielberg; "Saving Private Ryan: Into the Beach"; Two theatrical trailers; Production notes; Cast and filmmakers' bios
Full Product DetailsScene Index
1. Memorial.
2. Omaha Beach.
3. Rallying.
4. Breakthrough.
5. Letters.
6. A Public Relations Mission.
7. Pool.
8. Private James Ryan.
9. Choices.
10. Fubar.
11. Dog-Tags.
12. Radar Station.
13. Big Mystery.
14. One Decent Thing.
15. Piaf.
16. Born Lucky.
17. Ammo.
18. The Alamo.
19. The Bridge.
20. Duty Roster.
Editorial Reviews
Steven Spielberg's 1998 film Saving Private Ryan instantly took its place in the pantheon of great war movies by setting a new standard for its shockingly realistic D-Day sequences -- scenes that redefined the graphic depiction of film violence. When a platoon, led by Tom Hanks, receives orders to rescue the title character (Matt Damon) from behind enemy lines, the value of a life is questioned. Can Ryan be worth the potential sacrifice of eight men? Spielberg put his young actors through a modified boot camp, and their harrowing real-life experience informs their portrayals. Tom Sizemore (one of the many psychos in Natural Born Killers) displays great humanity as Sergeant Horvath, while Giovanni Ribisi and Barry Pepper turn in career-making performances as a medic and a sniper. Through it all, Spielberg's remarkable, unfussy technique keeps the narrative's preachiness from overwhelming the film. He and Academy Award-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski always place the camera in exactly the right perspective to the action, providing even the quiet moments with great power. Squeamish viewers be forewarned: The violence here is truly brutal. But that is part of Spielberg's point: War is hell. Or, as Hanks puts it: "Every time I kill somebody, I get farther away from home." Ben Wolf, Barnes & Noble
More reviews and recommendations
Why We Rated This Appropriate for Ages 16 and UP
What to watch out for
- Language:
Lots of F- and S-words, "asshole," God's name in vain (or prayed to before killing), and the profane military acronym F.U.B.A.R. is eventually explained.
- Violence:
Graphic, savage battlefield violence, as men are blown up, shot, and dismembered by artillery fire, and bayoneted, beaten, and stabbed in hand-to-hand fighting. Unsparing death comes to sympathetic characters as well as ones we hardly know.
- Drugs:
Social drinking, smoking.
- Consumerism:
Not an issue.
- Messages:
Not an issue.
- Sex:
Dirty jokes and salty stories cracked by members of the platoon.
What Parents Need to Know
About Saving Private Ryan
Parents need to know that this is Steven Spielberg's most violent film, especially in the opening 25-minute D-Day invasion massacres. There's no sugar-coating, no "cartoon violence," no nameless, inconsequential casualties like LucasFilm Imperial Stormtroopers. This is unrestrained, ugly, and dirty combat, meant to make the viewer appreciate the monstrous human cost and tragic sacrifice of the Allied beachhead -- a price mostly paid by young men. Stunned, vengeful U.S. soldiers are seen committing what would be considered atrocities (shooting surrendering Germans, as well as innocent non-Germans who can't speak English). Even though characters are religious -- one prays fervently before killing with his sniper skills -- everyone swears a lot, too. Some "special editions" carry supplementary documentary material, including clips of Steven Spielberg's own 8mm war movies he made as a kid.
Families Can Talk About
Families can talk about the D-Day invasion, and especially the troop makeup of WWII -- a lot of fighting and dying was done by soldiers who were hardly more than boys. The behavior of characters under fire includes cowardice and vicious homicide, unleashed even at surrendering enemy. Do you think those man can be excused for such a breakdown of discipline? What about soldiers in the field today? Was the mission to save Ryan worth the risk after all? What other war movies and documentaries have you seen? Do they seem true to life? How about the coverage you see in the news? Is it balanced? How would you be able to tell?
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