Reviewed On : November 28, 1999

Expectations & Reactions

Every Allied country involved in World War II sets aside 1 day each year to remember the men and women who died in battle. That leaves 364 days where we carry on with our lives rarely giving a passing thought to the thousands upon thousands of people who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. As the sands of time try to wash the past away it's up to us to keep their memories alive. Saving Private Ryan is the ultimate testament to the people who endured the worst so we could have the best. Without having ever experienced the horrors of war there's no way we can fully comprehend the sacrifices that were made. No film before Saving Private Ryan has been able to capture so detailed an account of the rigors of war. As only Steven Spielberg could do, Saving Private Ryan pushes past the limits of a mere movie and re-creates a time where extraordinary tasks were accomplished by ordinary people. Each member of the cast and crew combine to create a special movie, which honors the countless individuals who delivered the world from tyranny and oppression. Considering the sheer number of awards Saving Private Ryan has won (including 4 Oscars®, 2 BAFTA® Awards, and 2 Golden Globe® Awards) it's fair to say this DVD has been highly anticipated. Fortunately, although not surprisingly, DreamWorks didn't let us down. The DVD looks and sounds great. The audio surpasses every expectation we've come to demand from DVD. While the extras are sparse the entire DVD package delivers a worthy addition to every DVD owners collection.

Look & Listen

DreamWorks has been a trailblazer in the arena of digital quality since their first release on DVD. Saving Private Ryan surpasses the levels previously set by everything that came before it driving the picture and sound on this disc well beyond what we have come to expect. At the helm of this digital masterpiece is a relatively new transfer process called C-Reality, the most accurate telecine process known to man. Technical jargon aside, it means the picture produced offers the highest resolution possible. With that said you're probably wondering why the picture quality rating not a perfect 5 out of 5, right? The imagery was not without its built in flaws. I say built in because they really were intended to be there. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski utilized several filming techniques throughout Saving Private Ryan to capture the desired effect. One of those techniques was to overexpose the film stock causing the picture to take on a grainy look. There are a few, very minor places where the compression shows some signs of pixelation. Remarkably, in this case it only adds to the look and feel to the movie and in no way detracts from it. The remainder of the picture is pristine in every aspect. In some cases, like the battle scenes, it's horrifically clear. From the streams of blood flowing down the beaches to the lush fields the colors are some of the most accurate I have ever seen on DVD. The entire movie from start to finish is stunning example of what every DVD should be like.

The audio is where this DVD will blow you away (no pun intended). I honestly would like to give this a 6 out of 5. It's that sensational! Without a doubt no other 'war' movie has been able to capture the raw sound of carnage, misery, suffering, sorrow, and triumph. The sound is so encompassing that you feel like you're in the thick of the action. The gunfire is the most frighteningly realistic sounding ever. As the bullets rocket past they put the 5.1 track through a series of rigorous tests. The sound swirls around the room as the bass rattles and shakes. In comparison previous 'war' DVD's like Platoon, Hamburger Hill, and Full Metal Jacket all sound like poor attempts at capturing what Saving Private Ryan does so well. The gripping action combined with John Williams outstanding score meld together to create a symphonic experience unlike any other. I hope this is the closest any of us ever get to the true sound of war. The dialog is as clear as the machine gun fire. Every word, syllable, and nuance comes across wonderfully. Forget everything you've come to use as a reference DVD when showing off your system. This DVD beats them all hands down.

Extras & Highlights

This disc is a little light on the special features. There are the standard cast & crew bios and production notes along with the theatrical and re-release trailers. One top of that there is a short message from Steven Spielberg (of which I won't spoil). The final and most outstanding extra is "Into the Breach: Saving Private Ryan." Running just over 25-minutes it's a mixture of what went into making Saving Private Ryan, the historical events behind it as told by the men who were there, and a rare look at Spielberg's early films (from when he was 13-14). While there's certainly room for more extras the quality of those included is exceptional. Hopefully when this DVD is re-released, more will be added. A commentary or isolated music track would be worthy additions.

Menus & Interface

The menus are touching in their own right. They capture the cascading drama of the movie while remaining creatively simple. Like the movie, the menus don't glorify war - they capture a time where innocence was stripped away. The main menu is full of motion and sound. Designed in a similar fashion as Artisan's Rambo 2 the selections are laid out along the bottom while scenes from the movie play inside a 'widescreen' strip centered on the screen. John Williams score plays softly in the background as images of the cast slowly fade in and out along the top. The chapters are in groups of 4 in the scene index and each one plays a short preview. The menus are extremely subtle. In this case it's exactly what was needed.

Storyline & Syllabus

How do you summarize a movie of this scale and scope? How do you accurately honor those who gave their lives so we would be free? 45 years ago tens of thousands of men made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our way of life would prevail. June 6, 1944 was the turning point for the free world. It was the day the German stranglehold began to slip. The rest, as they say, is history. Saving Private Ryan is about more than just D-Day. This is where the story starts. From there it moves into an epic struggle to find a piece of humanity in an inhumane war. Honor, valor, inner strength, and pain are all integral elements of this story. It would be wrong to simply say this is just a movie about a group of soldiers seeking out one of their kind. There are so many more elements woven into the cinematic tapestry. Saving Private Ryan is in a class all by itself.

Cast & Crew

Cast : Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg
Writer : Robert Rodat , John Williams
Composer : John Williams
Producers : Ian Bryce & Mark Gordon, Steven Spielberg
Director : Steven Spielberg

Conclusions & Afterthoughts

With so many praiseworthy elements in the digital quality it's impossible to mention them all. Simply put, you'll have to see the DVD to fully appreciate the work by DreamWorks. Saving Private Ryan is sure to stand out as one of the premier DVDs of 1999. The movie is certainly not a testosterone filled war adventure. It delves deep into the emotions of the men involved. The emotions it invokes in the viewer are beyond words. Labeled as a Special Limited Edition release this disc won't be around for long so make sure you get your copy before it's too late. Even with the limited special features I feel Saving Private Ryan is such an incredible DVD that it has made it's way onto my top 10 DVD list.

Specifications