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DILLON ON FILM
Saving Private Ryan: 25 Years On
Steven Spielberg’s World War II classic changed the way war films are made
Warning: Contains spoilers.
When Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan was screened to World War II veterans ahead of its US release in July 1998, they claimed it was the most accurate depiction of D-Day ever put on film. Despite the traumatic scenes triggering horrific memories, the veterans were hugely impressed by a film that honoured their bravery with vivid realism. They said the only thing to make it more accurate would have been to actually be there, amid the relentless gunfire, terror, blood, and stench.
Armed with this ringing endorsement, Spielberg’s war masterpiece went on to critical acclaim and huge success at the box office, eventually winning an Oscar for Best Director. Although I wanted The Truman Show to triumph that year, I had to admit Spielberg deserved his win as much as Peter Weir. As for Best Picture, in the end, neither film won, with Shakespeare in Love stealing the big prize from both; a travesty from which I have yet to recover. (Incidentally, another deserving winner would have been Terrence Malick’s Pacific conflict-themed World War II film The Thin Red Line.)
