---
title: "Saving Private Ryan"
year: 1998
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/saving-private-ryan"
fi1m_id: "saving-private-ryan"
imdb_id: "tt0120815"
tmdb_id: 857
wikidata_id: "Q165817"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 18
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:20.853269+00:00"
region: "BR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed by Steven Spielberg · 2h 49m · ClassInd 16 · War, Drama, History

## Identity

Saving Private Ryan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/saving-private-ryan
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** saving-private-ryan
- **IMDb ID:** tt0120815
- **TMDB ID:** 857
- **Wikidata ID:** Q165817
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/857, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165817

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 77 from 18 reviews

*In a sentence:* After the beach landing, even Tom Hanks cannot make us feel safe

> Steven Spielberg’s war film is frightening, exhausting and worth the ordeal, chiefly for its combat sequences and Tom Hanks’s strained authority. The writing between battles is more familiar, but the terror is difficult to shake.

## Synopsis

Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller and Matt Damon plays Private Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s war drama about a military mission centred on one man. Among the soldiers are Sergeant Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Private Reiben (Edward Burns) and Private Jackson (Barry Pepper). Giovanni Ribisi plays medic Wade, while Jeremy Davies is Corporal Upham. Combat places the men under pressure as they confront the demands of duty and the value of individual lives. The screenplay is by Robert Rodat, and the cast also includes Adam Goldberg and Vin Diesel.

## Review

Steven Spielberg’s *Saving Private Ryan* is a frightening war film with a more conventional drama between its battles. We recommend it for the combat filmmaking and for Tom Hanks, who makes command look exhausting. Spielberg wants the fighting to be frightening enough that we stop treating survival as a reward for competence. The landing sequence achieves that with a directness that is difficult to bear. Men have jobs to do, but the violence keeps making those jobs seem impossible.

Janusz Kamiński’s handheld cinematography makes the landing hard to survey without making it look carelessly filmed. We were horrified by the succession of injuries and the lack of any comfortable distance from them. The camera puts us close enough to the violence that watching for the next piece of action starts to feel like the wrong way to watch. Michael Kahn cuts the sequence so that the confusion is sustained, rather than discharged in a few quick shocks. By the time it allows us to breathe, we are tired of seeing men hurt.

Hanks gives the film a reason to continue beyond that ordeal. His Captain Miller is still capable of leading, but the effort shows, and Hanks does not make every sign of strain into a request for sympathy. We believe in the authority because we can see how much work it takes to maintain. Tom Sizemore’s Sergeant Horvath provides a steadier presence beside him, without competing for our attention. Together they give the group a sense of having to get on with its work even when nobody has much left to give.

Robert Rodat’s screenplay gives the supporting soldiers less help. Edward Burns as Private Reiben and Barry Pepper as Private Jackson are readily distinguishable, but the writing too often stops once each man has an attitude. The middle stretch suffers because assembling a group of recognisable soldiers is not enough to make their conversations interesting. At 169 minutes, the film has room to know these men better. The cast does much of that work, though some exchanges still sound as if they have been assigned to cover the expected positions on duty and sacrifice.

Thomas E. Sanders’s production design helps keep the fighting convincing: the spaces look difficult to move through and offer little sense of shelter. That matters when Spielberg needs us worrying about where a man can stand rather than admiring the size of the scene. John Williams’s music gives the quieter passages a solemnity that is sometimes more than they need. Its gravity is understandable, and it suits the film’s respect for the soldiers. Still, we would occasionally prefer to be left with what Hanks has already put into his voice.

War films often depend on the pleasure of watching capable people work together, and Spielberg is prepared to make that pleasure uncomfortable. The combat leaves a harder impression than Rodat’s conversations about duty, but Hanks keeps the drama from becoming a lecture. Give it an uninterrupted evening, provided everyone watching is prepared for graphic violence rather than a reassuring account of courage. Allow a little quiet afterwards.

*Fi1m score 84, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics admire the film, and nearly all of them admire the same thing: the opening half-hour on Omaha Beach. Review after review calls it the most convincing depiction of combat yet put on screen, praising its chaos, its matter-of-fact horror and the handheld camerawork that makes it look like newsreel. Praise also goes to Tom Hanks as a leader coming apart under pressure and to Jeremy Davies as the terrified translator.

The reservations gather around everything after the beach. Several critics find the middle section conventional, the characters thin and the sentiment laid on too thickly, and a few say the film plays its strongest card first. The Guardian goes furthest, calling the central mission bogus and the ending feelgood. Time Out faults it for an American-centric view with little political or historical perspective, and The Independent questions its claims to show events exactly as they happened. The spread is wide, from outright raves to the merely respectful.

## Straight answers

**Is Saving Private Ryan worth watching?**

*Saving Private Ryan* is worth watching for anyone prepared for a frightening, exhausting war film, and we scored it 84. The combat sequences and Tom Hanks's strained authority as Captain Miller carry it; the conversations about duty between battles are more familiar. Give it an uninterrupted evening and allow a little quiet afterwards.

**How long is Saving Private Ryan, and what is it rated?**

*Saving Private Ryan* runs 2h 49m and is rated 16 by the ClassInd in Brazil. It is a war and drama film.

**Where can I watch Saving Private Ryan in Brazil?**

*Saving Private Ryan* is streaming on Paramount+, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in Brazil, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from R$9.90. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Saving Private Ryan, and is it suitable for children?**

*Saving Private Ryan* is very violent and is certified 15 in the UK, so it is not for children. The landing sequence shows a sustained succession of graphic injuries with no comfortable distance from them, and we found it difficult to bear. Older teenagers and adults should know they are getting terror rather than a reassuring account of courage.

**How does Saving Private Ryan compare to Come and See?**

*Saving Private Ryan* is a soldiers' war film with a conventional drama between its battles, whereas [*Come and See*](https://film.one/film/come-and-see) follows a boy through war and offers even less room for reassurance. Spielberg's film is the more approachable and has Hanks to hold onto; Klimov's is the harder and, in our view, the stronger of the two. Choose the former if you want a story with capable men at its centre.

**What should I watch after Saving Private Ryan?**

After *Saving Private Ryan*, try [*Come and See*](https://film.one/film/come-and-see) (1985, Fi1m 92): A civilian view of war whose terror offers even less room for reassurance. Then [*The Thin Red Line*](https://film.one/film/the-thin-red-line) (1998, Fi1m 84): Soldiers’ private thoughts receive the attention Spielberg gives to their immediate danger; and [*Das Boot*](https://film.one/film/das-boot) (1981, Fi1m 89): A crew under pressure, with confinement making every decision harder to bear.

### Reviews we read (18)

- **Empire**, William Thomas (5/5): The critic hails the film as a modern masterpiece with the most shocking and searing battle sequences in cinema history. They single out the visceral, numbing realism of the combat and Tom Hanks' performance as a crumbling leader for particular praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/saving-private-ryan-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's visceral and realistic depiction of combat, particularly the Omaha Beach landing, as a powerful philosophical statement on war conveyed through action. He highlights the strong performances, especially Jeremy Davies as the terrified translator, and notes its emotional and intellectual impact. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/saving-private-ryan-1998)
- **Sight and Sound** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's graphic and immediate depiction of war in the action sequences, comparing them favorably to Come and See for their believability and matter-of-fact horror. Spielberg is commended for maturing as an artist by avoiding overt manipulation and leaving the film's meaning open to interpretation. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/horrifyingly-graphic-saving-private-ryan-reviewed-1998)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (Critic's Pick): The critic praises Spielberg's war film as a soberly magnificent achievement that restores passion and meaning to the combat genre through visceral immediacy. They single out the intense, realistic battle sequences and empathetic characters for their groundbreaking impact. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/24/movies/film-review-panoramic-and-personal-visions-of-war-s-anguish.html)
- **The AV Club**, Tom Breihan (85/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a raw, serious, and masterful exception among 1998's loud summer spectacles, crediting its success to the visceral D-Day opening and strong performances. They single out the unrelenting, hellish beach sequence for its innovative horror and intent to honor veterans while confronting audiences with war's brutality. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/saving-private-ryan-brought-some-gravitas-to-a-summer-o-1845469542)
- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (4/5): The review highlights the gut-wrenching D-Day landing sequence and its success in conveying chaos, while noting that away from the fighting the film falls into combat-picture clichés and lacks the resonance of classics like All Quiet on the Western Front. It concludes that the film is still well-meaning, strongly acted, and among Spielberg's very best. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2b4ald/saving-private-ryan/)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (80/100, inferred): The review lauds the searingly visceral combat sequences as unmatched in realism and intensity. It notes the film is grim and demanding but occasionally undermined by conventional or windy script elements. [Read](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/saving-private-ryan-1200454373/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (75/100, inferred): The critic calls it a raw and powerful work that overcomes a conventional script with its unprecedented realistic combat scenes. He notes strengths in direction and performances but points to some overdone sentiment and familiar elements. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-24-ca-6540-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (70/100, inferred): The review sees the film as a transitional work whose technical virtuosity in the Omaha Beach sequence remains impressive but whose middle act and simplistic tribute to the 'greatest generation' feel less nuanced over time. They single out the opening half-hour's kinetic, documentary-like intensity for approximating the terror of combat. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/saving-private-ryan/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a harrowing, uncompromisingly powerful WWII epic that finds Spielberg at the top of his craft, with heart-pounding action and gut-wrenching emotion, especially in the visceral D-Day sequence. However, the script relies too often on generic conventions and fails to match the personal depth of Schindler's List. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/saving-private-ryan-review-1998-movie-1023817/)
- **The Telegraph** (70/100, inferred): The film is a modern war classic despite playing its strongest card first and having an uneven middle section with some sentimentality. The unforgettable 27-minute Omaha Beach sequence is as graphic as any war footage and forces confrontation with the chaos faced by troops. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11162039/Saving-Private-Ryan-review.html)
- **The Guardian**, Richard Williams (65/100, inferred): The critic praises the visceral and groundbreaking opening 30-minute battle sequence on Omaha Beach for its raw immediacy and skill but criticizes the rest of the film for falling into conventional sentimental Hollywood tropes, including a bogus central mission and a feelgood ending. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian/0,4267,36481,00.html)
- **Total Film** (60/100, inferred): The critic praises the intensity and technical brilliance of the combat sequences as the most believably shocking ever seen. They single out the dramatically weak middle section, sketchy characters and lack of emotional depth for complaint. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/saving-private-ryan-review/)
- **Time Out**, GA (55/100, inferred): The film opens with a visceral, chaotic D-Day sequence that leaves no doubt war is hell, but the subsequent mission story becomes more conventional and less intense. It is ultimately an American-centric WWII tale lacking deeper political, ethical or historical perspective. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/saving-private-ryan)
- **The Independent**, Charles Wheeler (50/100, inferred): Broadly speaking the depiction of Omaha as sheer hell is valid based on eyewitness accounts, though the film includes gratuitous bloodshed. The narrative follows the mission to save Ryan with multiple battles but the author questions specific claims of telling it exactly as it was. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/was-this-the-way-it-was-1197982.html)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (90/100, inferred): Spielberg surpasses himself with a tougher, stronger film than Schindler's List that captures the chaos and terror of war with visceral immediacy. The critic singles out the electrifying, newsreel-like D-Day landing sequence and Janusz Kaminski's handheld cinematography for particular praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/saving-private-ryan-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **Polygon**, Rachel Tolleson (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film one of the greatest war movies ever made and praises its focus on the human condition amid violence rather than war itself. They single out the unflinching Omaha Beach sequence as one of the best war scenes in film history and a lasting history lesson. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/saving-private-ryan-near-perfect-wwii-28-years-later/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Allison (75/100, inferred): Twenty years on, the critic argues the film remains powerful for its one-sided depiction of Germans as faceless enemies, which underscores war's dehumanizing effect on soldiers. They single out this deliberate lack of balance and the resulting audience complicity in the violence as central to understanding the story's themes. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/how-the-secret-of-saving-private-ryan-s-power-lies-in-its-portrayal-of-the-enemy/)

## Details

- **Director:** Steven Spielberg
- **Director:** Steven Spielberg
- **Writer:** Robert Rodat
- **Cinematography:** Janusz Kamiński
- **Editor:** Michael Kahn
- **Music:** John Williams
- **Production design:** Thomas E. Sanders
- **Costume design:** Joanna Johnston
- **Producer:** Steven Spielberg, Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon
- **Cast:** Tom Hanks as Captain Miller; Tom Sizemore as Sergeant Horvath; Edward Burns as Private Reiben; Barry Pepper as Private Jackson; Adam Goldberg as Private Mellish; Vin Diesel as Private Caparzo; Giovanni Ribisi as T/4 Medic Wade; Jeremy Davies as Corporal Upham
- **Runtime:** 2h 49m
- **Certificate (ClassInd):** 16
- **Release (Brazil):** 11 September 1998
- **Genres:** War, Drama, History
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1998); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1998); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1998)
- **Budget:** $70 million
- **Box office:** $482 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYExstiQlLc

## Where to watch in Brazil

- Paramount+: streaming, hd
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent R$9.90, uhd
- Apple TV: rent R$11.90, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy R$9.90, uhd
- Apple TV: buy R$24.90, sd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1999: Best Actor (nominated); Best Makeup and Hairstyling (nominated); Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Cinematography (won); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Sound (won); Best Sound Editing (won)
- Golden Globes 1999: Best Motion Picture – Drama (won)
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 1998: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 1998: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Come and See* (1985), Fi1m 92: A civilian view of war whose terror offers even less room for reassurance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/come-and-see.md)
- *The Thin Red Line* (1998), Fi1m 84: Soldiers’ private thoughts receive the attention Spielberg gives to their immediate danger. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-thin-red-line.md)
- *Das Boot* (1981), Fi1m 89: A crew under pressure, with confinement making every decision harder to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/das-boot.md)
- *The Big Red One* (1980), Fi1m 82: Small-unit soldiering with a drier manner and less insistence on noble speeches. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-big-red-one.md)
- *The Burmese Harp* (1956): A quieter war film, equally concerned with what survival asks of soldiers.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/saving-private-ryan