This 1998 war epic has often been called “a masterpiece in every sense of the word” and it’s now available to stream on Sky.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan is often labelled the greatest war film ever made and it’s not hard to see why. Written by Robert Rodat, the two hours 49 minutes long film is set during World War II in 1944 Normandy, France.
It follows the journey of a group of soldiers — led by Captain John Miller, portrayed to perfection by Tom Hanks — who are on a mission to find (and save) Private James Francis Ryan, played by Matt Damon, and bring him home safely after three of his brothers are killed in action.
Spielberg endeavoured to make the film as authentic as possible, which is why the main cast went through a week-long boot camp in order to help them better understand a World War soldier’s experience.
The opening scene of the film chronicles the Omaha Beach battle and has often been called one of the greatest war scenes in history. It was reportedly the most demanding scene of the film, costing $12 million to film over a three to four week period, and employed approximately 1,500 background actors.
Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, and Adam Goldberg, the film was shot almost entirely in continuity order, with some of the crew said to have found that “a mentally demoralizing experience” as actors left the production as their characters perished.
Saving Private Ryan grossed $481.8 million at the worldwide box-office, which made it the second-highest-grossing film of 1998. It also received several accolades across the board including five Oscars, two Golden Globes, two BAFTAs and Saturn awards, making it both a commercial and critical success.
Boasting a 94 per cent critics approval rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, one reviewer said of the film: “One of the most impactful, immersive war movies of all time, Steven Spielberg’s cinematic achievement takes us as close to the front line as possible offering a human take on the chaos of war.”
While another commented about the opening sequence and wrote: “The 24-minute sequence at the start of Steven Spielberg’s Second World War drama is one of the greatest pieces of combat cinema yet made.”
A third critic said: “Not simply a 1990s classic or among the better prestige films of my generation, Saving Private Ryan is a stone cold masterpiece ranking among the very best war films of all time.”
While another glowing review reads: “Saving Private Ryan is the war movie to end all war movies. It’s the ultimate combat film, far outdistancing what until now had been the genre’s World War II classics.”
With a smashing 95 per cent audience approval rating, the film was loved by viewers as well, with one fan writing: “Honestly i can’t see any flaws in this movie, it’s perfect! Always worth a watch.”
While a second viewer gushed: “This was one of the most intense and heartwrenching movies I have ever seen. It pulled me into the hardships and brutality endured by the soldiers of World War II, and it heightened the importance of ‘no man left behind’. This was an incredible movie, and everybody should see it at least once in their lifetime.”
Saving Private Ryan is available to stream on Sky Cinema and Amazon Prime Video.