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![Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51raX%2BcY0GL._SL160_.jpg)
List Price: $99.98Price: $50.49You Save: $49.49 (49%)Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
Actors: Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Ron Livingston, Scott Grimes, Peter Youngblood Hills
ASIN : B00129H7VS
Sales Rank : 37
Director : David Frankel, David Leland, David Nutter, Mikael Salomon, Phil Alden Robinson
Studio : HBO
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DTS Surround Sound, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen
Binding : Blu-ray
EAN : 0883929023936
UPC : 883929023936
Release Date : December 11, 2008
Publisher : HBO
Manufacturer : HBO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : HBO
Running Time : 705
Product DescriptionStudio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008 Run time: 705 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.comAn impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer
![Buy Band of Brothers [Blu-ray] online](/images/buy.jpg)
Reviews for the Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
List Price: $79.98Price: $42.49You Save: $37.49 (47%)Band of Brothers
Actors: Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg, Frank John Hughes, Neal McDonough
ASIN : B00006CXSS
Sales Rank : 51
Director : David Frankel, Tom Hanks
Brand : BAND OF BROTHERS
Studio : HBO Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783120638
ISBN : 078312063X
UPC : 026359920523
Release Date : December 05, 2002
Publisher : HBO Home Video
Manufacturer : HBO Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : HBO Home Video
Running Time : 705
DescriptionBased on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elete rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend. DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features:Weblinks to the orignal Band of Brothers website and more!
Documentary:"We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company" - 80 minute documentary featuring interviews with the real men of Easy Company
Featurette:30-minute "The Making of Band of Brothers" The Premiere On The Beaches of Normandy - includes interviews with Easy Company vetrans and heads of state for the United States, Great Britian, France and Canada.
Interviews:Ron Livingston's Video Diaries - The experience of making "Band of Brothers" through the eyes of one actor.
Other:Interactive "Field Guide": An extensive reference feature that details the people, places and events associated with Easy Company's campaigns through Europe, and World War II as a whole, including sections such as: soldiers, timelines, maps, chain-of-command and glossary of terms.
Scene Access
Amazon.comAn impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the Band of Brothers
List Price: $12.95Price: $9.99You Save: $2.96 (23%)The Christmas Card
Actors: Edward Asner, Brian Robinson (XV), John Newton (II), Alice Evans, Lois Nettleton
ASIN : B000TGUUFA
Sales Rank : 139
Director : Stephen Bridgewater
Brand : WELLSPRING/GENIUS
Studio : Rhi Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0796019805988
UPC : 796019805988
Release Date : December 23, 2007
Publisher : Rhi Entertainment
Manufacturer : Rhi Entertainment
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Rhi Entertainment
Running Time : 84
DescriptionOnce in a while, a movie comes along that reminds us how powerful love can be. In the midst of war in Afghanistan, Captain Cody Cullen (John Newton, "Desperate Housewives") is touched by lovely card sent by Faith Spelman (Alice Evans, "The Chris Isaak Show") from the small picturesque town of Nevada City, California. As months pass, the card never leaves his side, giving him the strength to survive and setting him on a mission to find her. The Christmas Card has received massive critical acclaim and audiences are raving. Now for the first time on DVD, Emmy-nominated (TBD) The Christmas Card is available with great bonus features and is the perfect gift for this holiday season!
Reviews for the The Christmas Card
List Price: $59.99Price: $38.99You Save: $21 (35%)Generation Kill
Actor: Generation Kill
ASIN : B001AQO3WY
Sales Rank : 175
Brand : Generations
Studio : HBO
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929029280
UPC : 883929029280
Release Date : December 16, 2008
Publisher : HBO
Manufacturer : HBO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : HBO
Running Time : 470
Studio descriptionBased on the national best-selling book by Evan Wright, Generation Kill is an authentic and vividly detailed 7 part HBO mini-series event that presents a uniquely epic and intimate portrait of the first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines of the First Recon Battalion – a new breed of American soldiers. The mini-series tells the story of these young Marines physical and emotional journey into the heart of Baghdad in those initial weeks, and how the war reveals to be much more complicated, problematic and tragic than anyone had contemplated. Many of the complications and problems that arise are due to the unwieldy military bureaucracy which the Marines confront in the midst of the war, the challenges of over-zealous and incompetent commanding officers, ever-changing rules of engagement, a non-existent strategy, severe deficiencies in necessary armor and supplies, and an enemy they don’t understand. Generation Kill is a humorous and frightening first hand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the brutality, camaraderie and bureaucracy of a new American war. It is a profoundly insightful and realistic look at the risk, costs and ultimately, the failures of the war. Written and produced by Emmy-award winner David Simon (the Wire), and also produced by the award-winning George Faber (Elizabeth I).
Reviews for the Generation Kill
List Price: $99.95Price: $54.99You Save: $44.96 (45%)The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition)
Actors: Laurence Olivier, Anthony Eden, Averell Harriman, Albert Speer, Siegfried Westphal
ASIN : B0002F6AH0
Sales Rank : 167
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Black & White, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767065757
ISBN : 0767065751
UPC : 733961713749
Release Date : December 24, 2004
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 1357
Amazon.com essential videoSir Jeremy Isaacs highly deserves the numerous awards for documentaries he has earned: the Royal Television Society's Desmond Davis Award, l'Ordre National du Mérit, an Emmy, and a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. His epic The World at War remains unsurpassed as the definitive visual history of World War II. The Second World War was different from other wars in thousands of ways, one of which was the unparalleled scope of visual documents kept by the Axis and Allies of all their activities. As a result, this war is understood as much through written histories as it is through its powerful images. The Nazis were particularly thorough in documenting even the most abhorrent of the atrocities they were committing--in a surprising amount of color footage. The World at War was one of the first television documentaries that exploited these resources so completely, giving viewers an unbelievable visual guide to the greatest event in the 20th century. This is to say nothing of the excellent, comprehensible narrative. Some highlights: - A New Germany 1933-39: early German and Nazi documentation of Hitler's rise to power through the impending attack on Poland
- Whirlwind: the early British losses in the blitz in the skies over Britain and in North Africa
- Stalingrad: the turning point of the war and Germany's first defeat
- Inside the Reich--Germany 1940-44: one of the most fascinating documentaries that exists on life inside Nazi Germany, from Lebensborn to the Hitler Youth
- Morning: prior to Saving Private Ryan, one of the only unromanticized views of the Normandy invasion
- Genocide: this film is one of the most widely shown introductions to the Holocaust
- Japan 1941-45: although The World at War is decidedly focused more on the European theater, this is an important look into wartime Japan and its expansion--early 20th-century history that lead to Japan's role in World War II is superficial
- The bomb: another widely shown documentary of the Manhattan Project, the Enola Gay, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki
The World at War will remain the definitive visual history of World War II, analogous to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. No serious historian should be missing The World at War in a collection, and no student should leave school without having seen at least some of its salient episodes. Rarely is film so essential. --Erik J. Macki
Reviews for the The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition)
List Price: $19.98Price: $14.99You Save: $4.99 (25%)Rescue Dawn
Actors: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies
ASIN : B000WMA6R8
Sales Rank : 1465
Director : Werner Herzog
Brand : RESCUE DAWN - WIDESCREEN (DVD MOVIE)
Studio : MGM Home Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0027616093578
UPC : 027616093578
Release Date : December 20, 2007
Publisher : MGM Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : MGM Home Entertainment
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : MGM Home Entertainment
Running Time : 125
DescriptionReal-life story of a US fighter pilot Dengler, shot down and captured during the Vietnam War. Christian Bale as Dengler, plans a death-defying escape. Amazon.comIn the tradition of The Great Escape and The Deer Hunter, Rescue Dawn is Werner Herzog's take on the pulse-pounding POW genre. Unlike most such efforts, however, his isn't just based on a true story, it's a remake of his 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly. German-born Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale, who first made his mark in Steven Spielberg’s prison camp drama Empire of the Sun) has longed to pilot a plane since he was a boy. When he joins the Navy during the Vietnam War, he gets his wish. Then he's shot down over Laos. Though he survives, Dengler is captured by the Pathet Lao. Through his internment, he meets Duane Martin (Steve Zahn in his finest performance), with whom he becomes fast friends. While Dengler is arrogant and resourceful, Martin is patient and humble. With Dengler's assistance, the prisoners escape, but the untamed wilderness turns out to be just as dangerous (cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger ably captures its cruel beauty). Those who've seen Little Dieter know how this tale ends. Suffice to say, Herzog's reenactment makes for rousing entertainment. If the film has a flaw, it's that the rah-rah finale plays like something from out of a mainstream sports movie. That quibble aside, the actors, including Jeremy Davies as a delusional campmate and Toby Huss as a fellow flyer, are aces. And Herzog, who's been concentrating on nonfiction, like Grizzly Man, proves he can direct a Hollywood-style action epic with the best of 'em. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Beyond Rescue Dawn 
Little Dieter Needs to Fly | 
Christian Bale Films | 
More from MGM | Stills from Rescue Dawn
Reviews for the Rescue Dawn
List Price: $129.99Price: $79.99You Save: $50 (38%)The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
Actors: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies
ASIN : B000R7NBMK
Sales Rank : 484
Director : Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
Brand : Paramount
Studio : PBS
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0841887052122
UPC : 841887052122
Release Date : December 02, 2007
Publisher : PBS
Manufacturer : PBS
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : PBS
Running Time : 900
DescriptionThe War will be a seven - episode series, produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, that will examine the myriad ways in which the Second World War touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America. By telling the stories of ordinary people in four quintessentially American towns – Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and the tiny farming town of Luverne, Minnesota – the series will portray this enormous worldwide catastrophe on an intimate, human scale. The War will intertwine vivid eyewitness accounts of the harrowing realities of life on the front lines with reminiscences of Americans who never left their home towns, and who tried their best to carry on with the business of daily life while their fathers and brothers and sons were overseas. The film will honor and celebrate the bravery, endurance, and sacrifice, of the generation of Americans who lived through what will always be known simply as The War. Amazon.com Creating epic documentaries about war is nothing new for Ken Burns, nor is the subject of the Second World War, which never ceases to be a popular subject of films and TV shows. Yet with The War, Burns has definitely succeeded in breaking new ground, exploring in depth the effect of the war on common Americans, and not just the soldiers of The Greatest Generation that fought it. As the narration says at the beginning, "The war affected people in every house, on every street in every town in America." This is nothing less than an attempt to show how the war altered the lives of an entire nation through the portrayal of four individuals from four communities--Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alambama; Luverne, Minnesota; and Sacramento, California--that could represent any town in the country that went through the war. The result is another stunning achievement for Burns and co-director Lynn Novick. Together the filmmaking team succeeds in bringing the war home through the testimonies, letters, and footage of the people from these towns. The storytelling is compelling--Burns and Novick manage to find the most vivid, intimate, and personal dimensions of a global catastrophe--and brought to life with exceptional voice work from marquee stars like Tom Hanks, Alan Arkin, and Samuel L. Jackson. Much of the footage is brilliantly restored; even the most die-hard History Channel buff will see clips here that they've never viewed before. Many old grainy family films look almost as clean and bright as if they were just shot using a modern camera with black-and-white film (keeping in mind that most of the footage was shot without sound, the audio effects work on The War is particularly impressive and should bring attention to the underappreciated work of the foley artist). It took Burns and Novick six years to make this seven-part, 15-hour film--not surprising, really, considering the miles of footage they must have accumulated in the course of their research--and the time and effort shows in the results. The DVD also includes a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, extensive commentaries, and more, in addition to a companion book, The War: An Intimate History. --Daniel Vancini
Reviews for the The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
List Price: $14.98Price: $7.99You Save: $6.99 (47%)The Marine (Unrated Edition)
Actors: John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ray Parker, Abigail Bianca
ASIN : B000KX0HIW
Sales Rank : 2735
Director : John Bonito
Brand : TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Studio : Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543406891
UPC : 024543406891
Release Date : December 30, 2007
Publisher : Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Manufacturer : Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Running Time : 92
DescriptionWWE champion John Cena dominates the big screen as Marine John Triton. Wherever there's danger, Triton is usually smack dab in the middle of it... and he doesn't play by rules! After he's unwillingly discharged from Iraq, Triton's beautiful wife Kate ("Nip And Tuck's" Kelly Carlson) is kidnapped by merciless jewel thieves led by a vicious killer (Robert Patrick)! Now, Triton must fight to save her, utilizing his most powerful weapon ? himself! Amazon.com The feature film debut of wrestling superstar John Cena, The Marine offers an agreeable smorgasbord of slam-bang action for viewers willing to swallow whole their disbelief for the sake of enjoying the plot. Cena, who is one of the most animated performers in the wrestling arena, is saddled with a taciturn role as a former Marine with an authority problem who tangles with dangerous jewel thieves (led by Robert Patrick) after they take his wife (Kelly Carlson of Nip/Tuck) hostage. Cena handles the physical duties of his role with ease, and former commercial director John Bonito offers him a frantic array of situations in which to display his prowess. On the whole, however, the picture is very light in the logic department, and filled with cardboard characters that quickly wear out their welcome (save Patrick, who tosses villainous one-liners with scene-stealing brio). Extras include a making-of featurette, which includes talking-head interviews with the cast, crew, and WWE head/producer Vince McMahon, as well as a barrage of shorter featurettes on Cena's rise to fame and the film's premiere at Camp Pendleton. --Paul Gaita
Reviews for the The Marine (Unrated Edition)
![Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51o1MCFX8XL._SL160_.jpg)
List Price: $28.95Price: $14.99You Save: $13.96 (48%)Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
Actors: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner
ASIN : B000G0O5N2
Sales Rank : 345
Director : Ridley Scott
Brand : Sony
Studio : Columbia Pictures
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Binding : Blu-ray
EAN : 0043396150232
UPC : 043396150232
Release Date : December 14, 2006
Publisher : Columbia Pictures
Manufacturer : Columbia Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Columbia Pictures
Running Time : 144
SonyFrom acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Hannibal) and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) comes a gripping true story about bravery, camaradarie and the complex reality of war. Black Hawk Down stars an exceptional cast including Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor), Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!), Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan), Eric Bana (Chopper), William Fichtner (The Perfect Storm), Ewen Bremner (Snatch) and Sam Shepard (All The Pretty Horses). In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has lead to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives. Amazon.com essential videoRidley Scott's Black Hawk Down conveys the raw, chaotic urgency of ground-force battle in a worst-case scenario. With exacting detail, the film re-creates the American siege of the Somalian city of Mogadishu in October 1993, when a 45-minute mission turned into a 16-hour ordeal of bloody urban warfare. Helicopter-borne U.S. Rangers were assigned to capture key lieutenants of Somali warlord Muhammad Farrah Aidid, but when two Black Hawk choppers were felled by rocket-propelled grenades, the U.S. soldiers were forced to fend for themselves in the battle-torn streets of Mogadishu, attacked from all sides by armed Aidid supporters. Based on author Mark Bowden's bestselling account of the battle, Scott's riveting, action-packed film follows a sharp ensemble cast in some of the most authentic battle sequences ever filmed. The loss of 18 soldiers turned American opinion against further involvement in Somalia, but Black Hawk Down makes it clear that the men involved were undeniably heroic. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.comRidley Scott's Black Hawk Down conveys the raw, chaotic urgency of ground-force battle in a worst-case scenario. With exacting detail, the film re-creates the American siege of the Somalian city of Mogadishu in October 1993, when a 45-minute mission turned into a 16-hour ordeal of bloody urban warfare. Helicopter-borne U.S. Rangers were assigned to capture key lieutenants of Somali warlord Muhammad Farrah Aidid, but when two Black Hawk choppers were felled by rocket-propelled grenades, the U.S. soldiers were forced to fend for themselves in the battle-torn streets of Mogadishu, attacked from all sides by armed Aidid supporters. Based on author Mark Bowden's bestselling account of the battle, Scott's riveting, action-packed film follows a sharp ensemble cast in some of the most authentic battle sequences ever filmed. The loss of 18 soldiers turned American opinion against further involvement in Somalia, but Black Hawk Down makes it clear that the men involved were undeniably heroic. --Jeff Shannon
Reviews for the Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
List Price: $14.99Price: $9.99You Save: $5 (33%)Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)
Actors: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper
ASIN : B00001ZWUS
Sales Rank : 515
Director : Steven Spielberg
Brand : Paramount
Studio : Dreamworks Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Limited Edition, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783233536
ISBN : 0783233531
UPC : 667068443325
Release Date : December 02, 1999
Publisher : Dreamworks Video
Manufacturer : Dreamworks Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Dreamworks Video
Running Time : 170
Product DescriptionA small band of u.S. Soldiers are sent on a mission during the tumultuous battle at normandy to find the lone survivor of four brothers in steven spielbergs brutally honest world war ii epic. Special features: cast and filmmakers bios: production notes: interactive menus: two theatrical trailers and more. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/14/2006 Starring: Tom Hanks Tom Sizemore Run time: 169 minutes Rating: R Director: Stephen Spielberg Amazon.com essential videoWhen Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was a backyard war film. When he toured Europe with Duel in his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic--and maybe the best--war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds. A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance. The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Schindler's List, but it's more kinetic. Spielberg and his ace technicians (the film won five Oscars: editing (Michael Kahn), cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), sound, sound effects, and directing) deliver battle sequences that wash over the eyes and hit the gut. The violence is extreme but never gratuitous. The final battle, a dizzying display of gusto, empathy, and chaos, leads to a profound repose. Saving Private Ryan touches us deeper than Schindler because it succinctly links the past with how we should feel today. It's the film Spielberg was destined to make. --Doug Thomas
Reviews for the Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)
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