Saving Private Ryan

Is Private Ryan a terrible person who got a bunch of people killed for no reason? Is this film lowkey propaganda? Does this movie have questionable, sometimes bordering on cheesy, dialogue? Were Captain Miller and Horvath forbidden lovers?? These are all questions I’ve pondered in the decade since I first watched Saving Private Ryan, and yet I keep coming back to this film despite its flaws. Why? For one thing, this was one of the films that truly got me into cinema, and it inspired me throughout some dark times. You never really forget the pieces of media that helped saved your life.  On the other hand, this film is full of interesting creative decisions that fascinate me. It’s true that this film is influential; watching Dunkirk, 1917, and basically every war movie of the 21st century proves this. Saving Private Ryan was made by a team of creatives at the height of their powers, and while the writing doesn’t quite match up to the other aspects of the production, I’m glad projects like this exist.