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[MrOogieBoogie]

In terms of audiovisual intensity.

It looks the best. It sounds the best. It's the best directed. It's the best edited. There have been other films/TV shows since 1998 that have tried to replicate this scene but none have gotten quite there. This is the pinnacle of war film, in my humble opinion.

It's such a poignant scene that's it's common for high school teachers to preface any WWII lessons by showing it to their students. I know that's how I first saw it and it completely changed my outlook of war both in present day and in historic study.

 

[Elitist1945]

I can't wait to watch this when I get my 5.1 setup on the 15th.

 

[Mighty Chin]

How many War Movies have been made since?

 

[Dr.Acula]

I'm partial to the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. But Spielberg has his fingerprints all over that series too.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

How many War Movies have been made since?

You know that's actually kinda something I haven't thought about.

After Black Hawk Down, I can't remember a big, large scale movies about a battle/war period piece. We've had movies that take place in war, but nothing like SPR or BHD from what I can remember. Well, I guess Lone Survivor can count as a war movie, although it isn't on the scale of the others.

Not counting BoB or The Pacific as those are shows.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I'm partial to the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. But Spielberg has his fingerprints all over that series too.

My man.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Best movie ever.

 

[FyreWulff]

It's probably because if anyone ever tried it, they'd just directly compare it to Saving Private Ryan.

Also, IIRC, Spielberg filmed it in a risky way, where he basically did it in one take with no real plan (in the film era too, so $$$$), just sort of winged it, so anyone trying to specifically outdo it will probably micromanage it too much.

 

[nhlducks35]

I wish he directed a whole movie about WW1, like War Horse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zBQGY_p4QM

 

[Strife In a Teacup]

It's a good movie. Up there with the likes of Black Hawk Down and other legendary movies like Platoon and Full Metal jacket.

The Dunkirk trailer during SS looked pretty good. We'll see.

 

[ZeroCDR]

I can only think of Battle Royale 2 as far as imitations go, and yep it was abysmal.

 

[Dr.Acula]

You know that's actually kinda something I haven't thought about.

After Black Hawk Down, I can't remember a big, large scale movies about a battle/war period piece. We've had movies that take place in war, but nothing like SPR or BHD from what I can remember. Well, I guess Lone Survivor can count as a war movie, although it isn't on the scale of the others.

Not counting BoB or The Pacific as those are shows.

Enemy at the Gates had a big set-piece at the beginning that was pretty good.

 

[Tagyhag]

I always regretted not being able to see it in theaters, will definitely go if they ever bring it back.

At least Terminator 2 is coming back.

 

[Zabka]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. I thought it did a good job portraying the uncertainty the security forces had to deal with when trying to separate neutral parties and allies from enemies.

 

[chefbags]

Maybe Dunkirk will rival it?

https://youtu.be/rJePvN_4T_E

 

[Jason Frost]

Fury had some good scenes.

 

[zeshakag]

I think while it doesn't come close in scale, gore, chaos or intensity, I think the opening fight of the Revenant is on par with Saving Private Ryan in terms of how engaging it is to the viewer, where you can't stop watching and you get drawn into the point of view of the characters. Also on cinematic technical quality.

Link to vid (you should have a fast connection for best quality): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B95bHdCYjIdzdmR4NFlhd0dJckU

 

[TAJ]

It looks the best.

It looks awful. I can't wait until someone goes for an authentic period look for a movie set before the invention of the movie camera and just makes the whole thing solid black.
It's the only scene that isn't complete shit, so it does have that going for it.

 

[Jeffolation]

Fury had some good scenes.

Yep, the tank battle was excellent.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

I can't remember if We Were Soldiers has some bigass battle scene

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I think while it doesn't come close in scale, gore, chaos or intensity, I think the opening fight of the Revenant is on par with Saving Private Ryan in terms of how engaging it is to the viewer, where you can't stop watching and you get drawn into the point of view of the characters. Also on cinematic technical quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqK_QytVLfU

Great fucking choice. This I can agree with. Watching The Revenant reminded me a lot of SPR and it is the only other film that shocked me with the sheer intensity of its opening. Dammit, now I feel dumb for not including in the OP, but whatever.

Point is: WATCH THE REVENANT, PEOPLE.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Absolute masterclass filmaking.

I think Saving Private Ryan succeeds where other fails because it doesn't feel like you're watching a war movie, it feels like you're truly experiencing war. I don't mean that disrespectfully - just that the onslaught of audio and video, mixed with gruesome realities of violence, just pull you in and make your heart race unlike any other conflict in film.

 

[TickleMeElbow]

I think while it doesn't come close in scale, gore, chaos or intensity, I think the opening fight of the Revenant is on par with Saving Private Ryan in terms of how engaging it is to the viewer, where you can't stop watching and you get drawn into the point of view of the characters. Also on cinematic technical quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqK_QytVLfU

Fuck yeah I saw that shit in the theater after getting stoned for the first time in like a year. After that scene ended my friend and I looked at each other, and he goes "that was the most intense shit ever". I'm like "duuuuude, I know...." haha.

 

[4Tran]

The opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan is fantastic, but I find it less impressive than the battle scenes in Waterloo. That film pulled out all the stops to make everything look absolutely perfect (with the understandable exception of the cannons), and they manage to do so without much camera trickery. The hills match the original battle because they were excavated, there are thousands of soldiers in a shot because they filmed thousands of soldiers, and the cavalry charges were so realistic that the extras being filmed broke and ran. Regardless of what we can see in modern war films, it's basically impossible to reproduce that kind of feeling because nobody is willing to go to such lengths.

 

[LionPride]

Had never seen the movie until today. The beach scene had me shook

 

[EBE]

The beach raid in Apocalypse Now is really impressive as well.

As far as war films set in the ancient world, Troy has a couple really cool sequences (one of which is actually heavily influenced by Saving Private Ryan heh). I would say the opening battle of Gladiator but that isn't a war film per se.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Mick LaSalle Verified account ‏@MickLaSalle 1h1 hour ago
The battle scenes in #HacksawRidge make the opening scene in "Saving Private Ryan" look like a Noel Coward play.

.

 

[More_Badass]

Like just WW2 or all war movies? Game of Thrones essentially gave us the Saving Private Ryan of medieval battles

And Mel Gibson's upcoming movie is supposed to make the beach scene look tame according to the reviews

Edit: ^^^^
That's the quote I was thinking of

 

[Enduin]

The tank battles in Fury are pretty goddamn brutal and tense.

 

[platakul]

What about helms deep

 

[UraMallas]

Like just WW2 or all war movies? Game of Thrones essentially gave us the Saving Private Ryan of medieval battles

And Mel Gibson's upcoming movie is supposed to make the beach scene look tame according to the reviews

Edit: ^^^^
That's the quote I was thinking of

Tame in its brutality or scope?

 

[RS4-]

I always regretted not being able to see it in theaters, will definitely go if they ever bring it back.

At least Terminator 2 is coming back.

Lol I took a girl to see it in theatre, I don't think she was happy with that. And another girl to Gangs of New York.

Aside from the ones already mentioned, maybe Alexander, and Kingdom of Heaven?

 

[Strife In a Teacup]

The beach raid in Apocalypse Now is really impressive as well.

Definitely one of the all time quotes from Robert Duvall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k26hmRbDQFw

That movie is something else. Pretty intense.

 

[Aiustis]

I love that part of the movie, just that part though.

 

[marrec]

I particularly liked the way War Horse showed some WWI battles.

Have you seen War Horse OP?

 

[Alcander]

Lol I took a girl to see it in theatre, I don't think she was happy with that. And another girl to Gangs of New York.

Aside from the ones already mentioned, maybe Alexander, and Kingdom of Heaven?

Lol I took a date to Gangs of New York... didn't go over well

 

[BeforeU]

Enemy At the Gate had some intense scene. But I agree, Omaha Beach scene is just on whole new level. Spielberg had done outstanding job capturing the horror.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

Absolutely agree with OP. Masterfully acted, edited, shot, and directed. Nothing else touches it.

.

Sounds to me like he's bragging on how bloody it's going to be. Which completely misses the point of the Omaha scene in Ryan.

 

[TheGameshark]

The beach raid in Apocalypse Now is really impressive as well.

This is a really solid choice. There's one brief shot during that sequence where the camera is right behind the windshield of a helicopter above the jungle and rockets are flying right at you. Shit is fucking intense.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Absolutely agree with OP. Masterfully acted, edited, shot, and directed. Nothing else touches it.



Sounds to me like he's bragging on how bloody it's going to be. Which completely misses the point of the Omaha scene in Ryan.

it's gibson, will probably be both more disgusting and more intense.

 

[Dongs Macabre]

My socials teacher in high school showed this to us when we were learning about WWII and we were all like holy shit.

 

[M.W.]

Good scene, decent war movie.

 

[More_Badass]

Absolutely agree with OP. Masterfully acted, edited, shot, and directed. Nothing else touches it.



Sounds to me like he's bragging on how bloody it's going to be. Which completely misses the point of the Omaha scene in Ryan.

One of the reviews compared it to Braveheart, saying how Gibson still knows how to direct large-scale conflict excellently.

Considering the story is about a CO medic, capturing just how gruesome the battlefield was and how unsettlingly gory battlefield injuries are is a means to make the man's achievements that much more incredible and impressive

 

[GK86]

I'm partial to the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. But Spielberg has his fingerprints all over that series too.

Came here to post this. Amazing episode.

 

[Rur0ni]

We Were Solders (2002), starring Mel Gibson.

 

[MattKeil]

Band of Brothers comes close at times, but SPR's Omaha is the king, no doubt.

We Were Solders (2002), starring Mel Gibson.

Is an excellent example of something not nearly as good as Saving Private Ryan, yes. Good call.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

My socials teacher in high school showed this to us when we were learning about WWI and we were all like holy shit.

I'll never forget seeing this in the theater and watching as an old man who had been seated in the front of the theater in his wheelchair got jogged out of the room by a young lady pushing his chair as he sobbed into his hands.

I don't know if he was at Omaha, but I'm guessing he'd seen war at some point in his life and that scene brought the memories rushing right back to him. It's vivid and brutal and chaotic as fuck.

 

[blainethemono]

I'm partial to the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. But Spielberg has his fingerprints all over that series too.

i'd have to say pretty much all of the action sequences in Band of Brothers were on a whole other level from anything else that has been done since, in terms of directing and editing

Brecourt Manor

Carentan

etc

 

[Moonkid]

Love seeing a Revenant mention here, I hadn't been completely pulled in by a movie in a long time when I saw it in cinemas.

 

[4Tran]

Anyone interested in some insight on Saving Private Ryan, particularly the opening sequence, can check out the History Buffs' video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1aGH6NbbyE