Saving Private Ryan

Movie review by Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media
Saving Private Ryan Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Bloody, tragic war epic doesn't hold back.

R 1998 170 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 72 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 281 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is Steven Spielberg's most violent film, especially in the opening 25-minute D-Day invasion massacres. There's no sugar-coating, no "cartoon violence," no nameless, inconsequential casualties like LucasFilm Imperial Stormtroopers. This is unrestrained, ugly, and dirty combat, meant to make the viewer appreciate the monstrous human cost and tragic sacrifice of the Allied beachhead -- a price mostly paid by young men. Stunned, vengeful U.S. soldiers are seen committing what would be considered atrocities (shooting surrendering Germans, as well as innocent non-Germans who can't speak English). Even though characters are religious -- one prays fervently before killing with his sniper skills -- everyone swears a lot, too. Some "special editions" carry supplementary documentary material, including clips of Steven Spielberg's own 8mm war movies he made as a kid.

Community Reviews

Apersonthatdoesstuff ..
Apersonthatdoesstuff .. Adult
February 22, 2021
age 14+

GREAT

Violence 5/5 Language 4/5 Sex 0/5 Drugs/Drinking/Smoking 1/5

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
4 people found this helpful.
steelewool
steelewool Adult
November 5, 2021
age 13+

Only 2/5 for positive messages?

Yes, this is a very violent movie, with very realistic depictions of violence and war. At times this movie is truly horrific, Spielberg refuses to cut away or turn the camera to spare you having to witness the pain and trauma these soldiers endured. BUT THAT'S THE POINT. **Mild Spoilers Ahead** The final message of the movie, delivered by Tom Hanks' character sums up what I consider to be one of the most powerful commissions ever in cinema: "Earn this." Having witnessed the anguish these soldiers bore to purchase our freedom from tyranny, the least we can do is to spend some time contemplating the request. Definitely not a film for young ones - make sure that whatever their age, your kids are mature enough to appreciate this film for it's message and not just revel in the violence. This film is a DRAMA - not an ACTION MOVIE. Aside from that word of caution, I think it is an extremely important film and one that teens SHOULD see and come to appreciate the sacrifice of previous generations and the privilege we enjoy at their immense expense.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
See all 72 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN opens with a harrowing, blood-soaked depiction of the WWII Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Countless young men are cut down, turning the ocean red. When the smoke clears from the worst of D-Day, we meet the characters. Capt. Miller (Tom Hanks) gets orders to lead his platoon into a dangerous zone swarming with Germans, to find a low-ranking soldier named James Ryan. Ryan was one of several brothers who went to war, and all the others are now dead. The U.S. top brass believes the Ryan family has suffered enough, and that their remaining son should be brought home safely. While it's a mission of "mercy," it's going to cause the Americans even more danger and death, with no perceptible strategic goal. A prologue and epilogue are set in a present-day cemetery -- with acres and acres of graves to mark the dead. And it pretty much asks the viewer what the soldiers ask themselves: if rescuing one man was worth all this carnage.

Is It Any Good?

The opening D-Day scene is not exploitation, but rather a master filmmaker's true-life recreation of one of the bloodiest battles in human history, to make one appreciate the bravery and the loss. Star director Steven Spielberg, who sought the input of war historians and survivors to make Saving Private Ryan as authentic as possible, tries to show the viewer, after decades of restrained and bloodless Hollywood-backlot war movies, propaganda flag-wavers, and fluffy WWII film musicals, that war is a terrible thing. Even the "good war" to smash the undeniable Axis of Evil that was Germany and Japan.

Expecting younger kids to sit through the horror at the beginning is too much, but the movie isn't all surface gore and sensation. It raises very complex issues of morality and ethics under fire. And often the circumstances are literally under fire, where there's no time for Miller and his squabbling men to think over life and death matters or debate how to do the right thing. Indeed the most well educated and thoughtful American freezes up and has a breakdown in the thick of the fighting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the D-Day invasion, and especially the troop makeup of WWII -- a lot of fighting and dying was done by soldiers who were hardly more than boys. The behavior of characters under fire includes cowardice and vicious homicide, unleashed even at surrendering enemy. Do you think those man can be excused for such a breakdown of discipline? What about soldiers in the field today? Was the mission to save Ryan worth the risk after all? What other war movies and documentaries have you seen? Do they seem true to life? How about the coverage you see in the news? Is it balanced? How would you be able to tell?

Movie Details

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