Saving Private Ryan

This is officially the perfect war movie and honestly one of the best films I’ve ever seen. The opening D-Day sequence depicting the Normandy landings is absolutely perfect. Some people say the scene is too violent, but that criticism completely misses the point. War especially during World War II was incredibly brutal, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing that reality. Instead of glorifying combat, the scene shows how chaotic, terrifying, and devastating it actually was. The movie also has an incredibly stacked cast. Each character feels real and extremely likable, which makes you care about what happens to them throughout the mission. The cinematography is also phenomenal. Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński make you feel like you’re right there with the soldiers. Even though the film is about three hours long, it never feels that long. The pacing, the tension, and the emotional moments keep you invested the entire time. Every scene feels important, and the journey the characters go on never loses momentum.