Cultural influence
Saving Private Ryan was credited with renewing interest in World War II leading into the 21st century.[146][27][147] NBC News wrote that in presenting audiences with its "stomach-churning violence and soul-shaking intensity of that pivotal chapter in the war", the film had reshaped the United States' "cultural memory".[148] It is regarded as one of the most accurate and realistic war films ever made, particularly for the opening Omaha Beach battle.[149][148] Film historian Steven Jay Rubin said, "It was a game-changer ... it was devastatingly dramatic, visceral, immersive. I didn't touch my popcorn because it felt sacrilegious to eat while I'm watching it."[148] Even so, director and Vietnam War veteran Oliver Stone claimed that Saving Private Ryan depicted a "worship" of WWII as "the good war" that, alongside films such as Gladiator (2000) and Black Hawk Down, made audiences more in favor of war: "By the time of the Iraq War, we were ready to go back."[150] American academic Paul Fussell similarly decried Saving Private Ryan for providing an "honest, harrowing, 15-minute opening" of Omaha Beach before descending into more broadly acceptable action-adventure fare. He said, "Its genre was pure cowboys and Indians, with the virtuous cowboys of course victorious."[151]
The film is considered to have had a lasting influence on filmmaking, particularly its opening battle scenes.[y] Vanity Fair wrote, "no films about combat made since would look the way they do without the de-saturated, handheld, blood-splatters-and-all horror of cinema that is this extended sequence ... it's a terrifying scene, either honorable or exploitative in its all vérité, depending on whom you ask. Regardless of any moral assessment, it's easily one of the most aped and referenced scenes of the late 20th century."[152][146] Saving Private Ryan was named by other directors as an influence, such as Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds, 2009), Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk, 2017), and Robert Altman.[z] The Los Angeles Times wrote that Saving Private Ryan's stylistic choices, such as placing the audience close to the on-screen action, can be seen in war and action media that followed. This includes films such as Gladiator (2000), Enemy at the Gates, Pearl Harbor (both 2001), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and Hacksaw Ridge (2016), the "psychological anguish" of American Sniper (2014), and modern superhero films.[19][148] This influence extends to television, with shows such as Game of Thrones ("The Spoils of War", 2017) and The Pacific (2010).[19][156] Saving Private Ryan is also seen as an influence on video games.[152][148] Spielberg and DreamWorks developed Medal of Honor (1999) to translate the realism and setting of Saving Private Ryan. Its success launched a series of Medal of Honor games, which, in turn, contributed to the creation of the Call of Duty series.[157][158][159]
Modern reception
Saving Private Ryan is considered one of the greatest war films ever made.[aa] In a 2018 interview, Spielberg said, "I didn't anticipate the success of the movie ... in very early screenings, certain associates and other people in my life were saying that I made it too tough. I feared that almost nobody would see it because the word of mouth would spread quickly after the first 25 minutes."[19]
In 2007, the American Film Institute (AFI) listed Saving Private Ryan as 71st-greatest American film.[171] The AFI listed it among the most thrilling, inspiring, and epic American films.[172][173][174] A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment industry professionals by The Hollywood Reporter ranked Saving Private Ryan as the 46th-best film.[175] Publications such as Parade and Variety named it one of the greatest films of all time.[ab] Saving Private Ryan is included in the 2013 film reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die,[180] and is listed on Rotten Tomatoes' 300 essential movies.[181] The film is generally considered to be among the best of Spielberg's works,[ac] and of Hanks's credits.[ad]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 94% approval rating across 146 critics, with an average score of 8.7/10. The consensus reads; "Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre."[195] The film has a score of 91 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[196] Saving Private Ryan has remained popular with audiences, with reader and viewer-ranked polling listing it as one of the greatest war films,[197][198] among the greatest films of the 1990s, and the greatest films of all time.[199][200]
