Relevant element: Standard-bearer for the Spielberg-Hanks project of re-envisioning World War II
Why it resonated: The 1990s saw a surge of interest in mainstream retrospectives about WWII, epitomized by a few prominent films and Tom Brokaw's paean to "The Greatest Generation." Why this cultural wave swelled at that time is a question for another day, but the result is that for an ever-increasing percentage of the American population, their vision of the war is significantly defined by historical films--especially this one, thanks to its graphic depiction of battle and Spielberg's usual emotional manipulation.
General comments on the film: I've been avoiding this film because I have a fairly strong allergic reaction to unmitigated earnestness and non-nuanced sentimentality, which are hallmarks of Stephen Spielberg's directorial style. So when the movie opened with a proudly fluttering American flag and an aged veteran leading his family into a seemingly endless and perfectly manicured cemetery, let's just say I was not heartened.
At times, however, another of Spielberg's hallmarks--his consummate craftsmanship--distracted me long enough to let my inflammation subside. For every two overdone elements (like the Ryan homestead in Iowa being the picturesque living embodiment of the American heartland) there is a finely shot piece of visual storytelling as an antidote. The Normandy invasion scene is a nice example of this balance: moments like a soldier's helmet saving him from a bullet, followed by him taking it off to marvel at it and being shot in the head feel gratuitous to the point of verging on slapstick, but the cinematography is spectacular. All in all, I'm glad I finally watched this film, but I don't think I'll ever see it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment