Saving Private Ryan

Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, et al.

Product Description

Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, the story begins with World War II's historic Omaha Beach D-Day invasion, then moves beyond the beach as the men embark on a dangerous special mission. Captain John Miller (Hanks) must take his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Face with impossible odds, the men question their orders. Why are eight men risking their lives to save just one? Surrounded by the brutal realities of war, each man searches for his own answer -- the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.

• Format: Blu-ray
• UPC: 097360748451
• Release Date: February 2014
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Publisher: PARAMOUNT
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Dennis Farina
• Runtime: 2 hours, 49 minutes
• Number of Disks: 2
• Other Video Info: blu_ray
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 5.3" x 0.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent WW II drama with a tearjerker ending.

All wars are different, but some contain similar elements. I was in Tet-68 and can relate to many of the attitudes in this picture. I also had a father who was in WWII. So, we compared stories. Because of the nature of the movie and the Spielberg effects, this movie lends itself to all the latest resolution, color, and sound equipment of the day and will probably adapt to future presentation features. Many people are more fascinated with the movie's sound, resolution, and color than the story, acting, or message. I saw the streaming 4K version, so I am more fascinated with the extra information on the screen that tells a lot about the background of the making of the movie and how it fared in various countries. We find out where the concept of the story originated. We learn that the main town is fictitious but is based on many other towns. We also get the filming locations and interest in the color filtering of the movie for artistic purposes. The basic story is that there are four brothers (Ryan) who go to war, and three are killed. After reading a letter from President Abraham Lincoln on the same situation in the American Civil War, it was decided that the fourth brother needed to be found and sent home. So, the overall theme is about doing just that. However, in the process, we are given a lot to think about as each soldier on the mission grows with each step they take. Will they find Private Ryan, and if so, what then? You can see Spielberg's hand in this, and among the great actors is Tom Hanks, giving a stellar performance. Yet I think that the process reminds me more of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s journey.”