BLU-RAY
REVIEW: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
05/10/10
OVERVIEW: Director Steven Spielberg’s critically-lauded WWII epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN will make its long-awaited high definition debut when it arrives on two-disc Blu-ray May 4, 2010 as the latest addition to Paramount Home Entertainment’s exclusive “Sapphire Series.” One of the top 10 most anticipated releases on Blu-ray according to Amazon.com, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, a DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures co-production, won five Academy Awards®, including Best Director (Steven Spielberg), and two Golden Globes®, including Best Director and Best Motion Picture—Drama, and was named by the AFI as one of its 100 Greatest American Movies. Boasting a stellar cast headed by Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Ted Danson, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Paul Giamatti and Barry Pepper, the film is widely considered one of the greatest war films ever made and was hailed by critics and audiences alike throughout the world.
SYNOPSIS: Steven Spielberg directed this powerful, realistic re-creation of WWII's D-day invasion and the immediate aftermath. The story opens with a prologue in which a veteran brings his family to the American cemetery at Normandy, and a flashback then joins Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) and GIs in a landing craft making the June 6, 1944, approach to Omaha Beach to face devastating German artillery fire. This mass slaughter of American soldiers is depicted in a compelling, unforgettable 24-minute sequence. Miller's men slowly move forward to finally take a concrete pillbox. On the beach littered with bodies is one with the name "Ryan" stenciled on his backpack. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell), learning that three Ryan brothers from the same family have all been killed in a single week, requests that the surviving brother, Pvt. James Ryan (Matt Damon), be located and brought back to the United States. Capt. Miller gets the assignment, and he chooses a translator, Cpl. Upham (Jeremy Davis), skilled in language but not in combat, to join his squad of right-hand man Sgt. Horvath (Tom Sizemore), plus privates Mellish (Adam Goldberg), Medic Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), cynical Reiben (Edward Burns) from Brooklyn, Italian-American Caparzo (Vin Diesel), and religious Southerner Jackson (Barry Pepper), an ace sharpshooter who calls on the Lord while taking aim. Having previously experienced action in Italy and North Africa, the close-knit squad sets out through areas still thick with Nazis. After they lose one man in a skirmish at a bombed village, some in the group begin to question the logic of losing more lives to save a single soldier. The film's historical consultant is Stephen E. Ambrose, and the incident is based on a true
occurance in Ambrose's 1994 bestseller D-Day: June 6, 1944.
BLU-RAY: The
groundbreaking film in this Blu-ray disc is presented in full
1080P widescreen format (2.40:1 aspect ratio) with a Dolby
True HD English 5.1 it also includes Francais, Español and
Portugues language tracks, as well as it respective subtitles.
The film looks beautifully in HD, it is just perfect. The dark
colors look vivid and rich capturing the masterful war scenes
that have become a real cinematography classic. Special the
memorable opening scene on Normandy Beach. I found the
TrueHD sound acceptable, however I think that this film deserves
a full 7.1 sound.
In terms of Special Features,
the Blu-ray Disc includes basically the DVD's original
featurettes. Which give viewers are in dept look at the secrets
behind the film. A complete description of the featurettes can
be found at the end of this page. The disappointment is that non
of the special features are in HD. Only the trailer and the
Re-Release trailers are in HD.
In the world of movie making,
there are movies that break new grounds in the industry and
become a cult classic of a generation. This is the case of
"Saving Private Ryan", a film that was destine to be a
classic since it was in the drawing board. Finally after a long
wait, the masterpiece is here in stunning High Definition.
This is a Blu-ray to own, very
few times I recommend upgrading a DVD title. And Saving
Private Ryan is one of those tittles that deserve an upgrade. In
my eyes this film is a true classic. It is one of those films
that are hard to find these days. Overall the Blu-ray looks
great and should not be missing in anybody's collection.
VIDEO:
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio) 1080P
AUDIO:
English 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
An Introduction—Director Steven Spielberg discusses his interest in WWII and how it led him to make the film.
Looking Into the Past—Steven Spielberg explains the research done for the film, the evolution of the screenplay and his intentions.
Miller and his Platoon—Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and other cast members introduce the different characters and how the actors worked together.
Boot Camp—Memories from the cast about the intense boot camp they went through with Captain Dale Dye.
Making Saving Private
Ryan—Steven Spielberg and his collaborators discuss the look of the film, the production design, the costumes and the photography.
Re-creating Omaha Beach—A look at how the filmmakers re-created this historical event.
Music and Sound—Discussion with the team that edited, scored and brought sound to the film.
Parting Thoughts—Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks share their final thoughts on the experience of making the film.
Into the Breach: Saving Private
Ryan—A 25-minute documentary with the cast and crew.
Shooting War—Tom Hanks hosts and narrates this documentary on WWII combat photographers in Europe and the Pacific theater of war.
Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Re-Release Trailer (HD)
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