The Iconic Film Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary on July 24th

One summer evening 25 years ago, my then-17-year-old sister hosted a dress swap with her girlfriends at our home. My dad and brother took this opportunity to escape this D-Day of teenage estrogen to have a boys’ night out at the movies. The film in question was none other than Saving Private Ryan. Like many viewers of this intense and immersive war film, they came home both impressed and stunned. 

It would be 20 years before my dad would set foot in a movie theater again. When asked why he had no interest in going to the pictures, he replied, “After watching a movie as good as that, I just didn’t think there was anything worth paying to see that could top Saving Private Ryan.” 

An Honest & Realistic Depiction of Warfare

Steven Speilberg’s Saving Private Ryan shattered the conventional boundaries of war movies. It delivered an unflinchingly realistic portrayal of the brutalities of World War II. From its chaotic opening sequence that depicted D-Day, to its thought-provoking conclusion, the film achieved an unprecedented level of authenticity. 

Spielberg’s meticulous attention to detail captured the horrors and heroism of war. He immersed audiences in an emotionally charged journey that resonates to this day. So meticulous that Spielberg required his actors to attend a rigorous boot camp to get them into a soldier’s headspace. 

Once released, Speilberg instructed theaters to turn up the volume to amplify the sound effects and to let no one arrive late to showings. Anyone who wanted to see the film had to see it in full force from start to finish.

A Revolution in Filmmaking 

Beyond the incredible performances, Saving Private Ryan is renowned for its technical brilliance. The cinematography, under the masterful eye of Janusz Kamiński, effectively captured the hell of war. According to the Internet Movie Database, he adjusted the film shutter to render sharper, hyper-realistic footage and used an Image Shaker to rattle cameras whenever an explosion was shown. 

The sound design was revolutionary in itself. As bullets whizzed by and explosions jarred the senses, audiences were made to feel as though they were fighting alongside the soldiers. These scenes were so realistic and fierce that there were reports that WWII veterans in attendance could smell diesel fumes in the theater.

Awards & Accolades

Saving Private Ryan was robbed of the Oscar for Best Picture. To compensate for the loss, the film earned five Academy Awards, including Best Director. Saving Private Ryan has since claimed a spot on the list of 1001 Films You Need to See Before You Die. Thanks to its ability to captivate audiences from start to finish, Saving Private Ryan continues to remain a timeless masterpiece. 

Setting the Standards

The legacy of Saving Private Ryan forever altered the genre of war films. It’s rare now that you won’t see a war film that doesn’t depict the hell of war while still keeping a spotlight on the strength of the human spirit and acts of heroism. While some war films may be fiction or loosely based on actual people and events, they still act as a form of tribute to those who fought and died to secure the freedoms we hold dear.