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Perhaps the most contentious debate any artist has to face at
one time or another in their career is the one between art and
commerce. Though all films are by default exploitation films,
just by virtue of the fact that they deal with a particular subject
matter and then charge admission for it, there will always be
attempts made to draw a hard line between "commercial"
films that pander to the lowest common denominator and true "art"
which challenges and provokes. Perhaps no other filmmaker in history
has had to ride the tension between these two extremes more than
Steven Spielberg.
Responsible for some of the biggest blockbusters in motion picture
history, including Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones
film among them, he has often been accused of simply producing
"Big Macs" for mass consumption. However, he seemed
to satisfy the critical contingent in 1993 with his personal holocaust
testament Schindler's List, which swept the Academy Awards and
finally managed to bring him the critical recognition he never
quite achieved with his supposed "commercial" works.
Following this life-altering work on Schindler's List, he began
to explore more historical and non-fantastical subject matter,
with the slave drama Amistad
and now the subsequent war epic Saving Private Ryan. In interviews
and biographies, Spielberg has talked openly about the influence
the WWII stories his father told him had had on him during his
formative years, and he has dealt with the subject before to varying
degrees in films like 1941 and Empire Of the Sun. However, with
Ryan, he confronted the era head on, and attempted to memorialize
the sacrifices of WWII veterans while creating the most visceral
and realistic portrait of war ever put on film.
The film opens (after first being framed by much-debated "bookends,"
but more on that below) with a highly-lauded sequence recreating
the legendary D-Day invasion, a piece of film that runs nearly
30 minutes and is not for the squeamish. Quite simply, it is appropriately
horrifying and incredibly bloody. This film just starts and doesn't
let up. Without dispute, even the harshest detractors of the film
were in unanimous agreement that these battle scenes are impeccably
executed and, dare I say it, flawless. However, once the story
gets underway, it is here that reactions began to differ.
Essentially, you might classify this as a war "road movie."
I hate plot synopses, but just to set it up, basically we have
a travelogue that follows the search for the last remaining Private
Ryan, whose other four siblings have all been killed in combat.
A crack combat team lead by everyman Tom Hanks is assigned the
duty, and they don't take all that kindly to their new mission.
While searching for the fabled Ryan, much discussion and exploration
on the themes of honor, sacrifice, duty and ultimately the valuing
of one man over many ensues. We also are immersed in the violent
and chaotic backdrop that is war. Some found the drama, from a
script by Robert Rodat, to be contrived, obvious and nothing more
than a John Wayne movie, but with lots of impressive battle sequences
thrown in for good measure. However, others found it moving, profound
and a thoughtful dissemination of American heroism in the face
of the insanity of war.
Personally, after seeing it twice in the cinema, I found it to
be complicated and flawed, but also a powerful and at times moving
piece. I've always felt the cinema of Steven Spielberg to be often
contradictory in general, in the sense that he strives to make
art while still trying to please and excite the masses. But I
find this combination fascinating. For example, in Ryan, the controversial
bookend framing device has come under fire as maudlin, obvious
and unnecessary (and I agree). However, there are also moments
in the film that counteract this approach with incredible subtlety
and restraint atypical to most commercial blockbusters.
There is a crucial scene near the end when the young, innocent
Private Upham (warning, plot spoiler here) kills a German soldier
he has previously befriended and helped set free. This is the
defining moment for the film and the character, and illustrates
everything Spielberg feels about the war. Yet, rather that get
heavy-handed, Spielberg employs a surprisingly light touch. Instead
of telegraphing some "big moral" or moment, he simply
lets it happen onscreen with no music or other visual clue to
tell us what to think. This leaves it for us to decide whether
Upham's change is a tragedy or a victory. The crowd I saw it with
both times was split down the middle. Some were saddened, others
cheered. Few films allow for such extreme and personal reactions
to an individual moment.
Personally, I love that. I want to be challenged and stimulated
and not be told what everything "means" all the time,
though such moments often infuriate some, who want easy-to-swallow
messages (usually the same people who love the mawkish bookends).
So, though many cite Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan
as the start of the "new" Spielberg, I continue to see
these films more as a dissolution of his previous style, not a
transformation. For every subtle moment like Upham's corruption,
there is still another "Spielberg moment" like the framing
device. And, in my opinion, his choice of composer John Williams
for all his films can be a detriment at times, and here I felt
Williams' score to be inappropriate and overbearing (in fact,
no score at all would have improved the film, in my opinion).
But, it is precisely this push and pull between the overt and
the subtle in the films of Steven Spielberg that continues to
fascinate me.
But, I could talk about this film and the complexities of Spielberg
cinema all day. You just want to know how the DVD is, right? This
is a landmark event for DVD, not only because it represents a
strong show of support by Mr. Spielberg for the format, but because
the disc itself is such a potential powerhouse in terms of audio
and video presentation. So, here comes the question...does Private
Ryan successfully complete his mission?
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Sporting an anamorphic transfer made from a high-definition master
utilizing the "C-Reality" process (I think I got that
right!), the film is presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio of the
original theatrical presentation. Initially, I was a bit intimidated
on how to discern the quality of the image. To explain, the film
purposely canvasses a wide range of cinematic styles, using an
arsenal of photographic tricks to achieve a kind of heightened
realism. Grainy, overexposed film stocks, desaturated colors,
dropped frames and other techniques are brilliantly employed by
director of photography Janiusz Kaminski (who won a second Academy
Award for his work here). The film is meant to be a visual and
aural assault during key segments, and these stylistic choices
are entirely appropriate to the material.
However, because of this, how do you judge the quality of the
transfer? I started by focusing on the non-battle scenes, which
are shot more straightforwardly. Though the entire film is still
highly contrasted with colors of varying saturation, it is incredibly
clean, clear and free of noise and grain (surprisingly so, given
the wide disparity of film stocks used). Colors are rich and vibrant,
black level is perfect, and shadow detail sharp. Thankfully, no
edge enhancement is forced upon us to try and "improve"
sharpness. And the print used is pristine, with no scratches,
nicks or dropouts.
So, when the harsher, distorted portions of the film take hold,
they also look just as "good" in their own way. Again,
the film has been intentionally stylized to achieve a intended
documentary-like affect. What I looked for most here was compression
artifacts. Since the DVD format utilizes MPEG compression that
works by comparing frames and discarding redundant data, the fact
that the film drops frames randomly, employs incredibly fast cuts
and contains lots of motion means it is a probable nightmare for
a compressionist. Pixelization and breakup of the picture can
all result if not enough time and effort is expended to ensure
a solid presentation. Fine tuning is essential here. Happily,
DreamWorks did the job, and there are no artifacts nor breakup
at all. This is a rock solid picture.
In all, I think everyone will be pleased, though some may find
the image a bit overly dark and contrasted than what they are
used to. I found it quite distracting, and not as represenative
of my previous theatrical experiences as I thought it would be.
But, quite frankly, the VHS release looked terrible in my opinion
(I couldn't even watch the whole thing), being muddy and undefined.
(I have never seen the laserdisc, so I can't make any comparisons
there). This is a huge jump to be sure.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
Quite simply, this soundtrack is reference quality, and just
about destroys everything in its path. The film justifiably won
an Academy Award for Sound Design, and the battle scenes are nothing
short of a sonic maelstorm. I almost hate to say it given the
subject matter, but if you distance yourself from what is on the
screen and just listen to the sound, it is a lot of fun to hear!
This is an amazing, completely immersive juggernaut of a soundtrack
that just can't be argued with on a technical level. I saw this
at Mann's Chinese Theater (one of the Los Angeles's premiere movie
houses), and it was pretty impressive, to say the least.
So, the big question is how well does this translate into the
home environment? Obviously, a full Dolby digital 5.1 setup will
do the soundtrack the most justice (both a 5.1 and 2.0 surround
mix are included on the disc). This soundtrack is incredibly aggressive
in its use of the surrounds. I don't think I've heard a more alive
and active surround mix before, and both the first and final battle
scenes are staggering in just the sheer number of sounds coming
from all directions.
To be honest, it was a little hard to judge some aspects like
frequency range and balance between channels, due to all the movement
and activity in the mix! And, the sounds employed are often intentionally
harsh, such as gunfire, explosions and screams of panic, so this
isn't really a "warm" mix most of the time. But, the
strong dynamic range is immediately apparent, and dialogue was
surprising intelligible, and usually not drowned out by overly-loud
surrounds or effects (except when intentional). And, no surprise
here, if any soundtrack was designed as a subwoofer workout, this
is it. The LFE, well, kicks some serious butt. I don't think my
neighbor was particularly happy with me this morning at about
9am when I cranked that tank scene up near the end!
But lest you think it is all bombast, there is a bit later in
the film before the final battle sequence, when a opera is played
amid the rubble of bombed out town. Here a more subtle mix was
used, and using this scene as a guide, discreet, quieter surround
activity was impressively rendered. The music sounded very warm
(though maybe moreso since it serves as a nice respite after all
the gunplay). So, even though I suppose the main attraction of
the mix is the assault of the battle scenes, it also delivers
the goods in quieter passages.
Also, I did do a brief comparison with the 2.0 mix, and while
good, the surrounds are much more limited, and certainly if you
can go 5.1, do so. But, it is nice of DreamWorks to include it,
as it prevents the 5.1 mix from being altered for the purposes
of downmixing to 2.0. Both soundtracks excel in their respective
capabilities.
So, I f you haven't noticed already, I'm ranking this easily
as a reference-caliber soundtrack. This is the new showroom disc,
hands down. (Can't wait to walk into my local Circuit City and
see the opening D-Day invasion in all its glory, eh eh!)
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Though DreamWorks could have easily gotten by with just a movie-only
edition of the disc, they have nicely decided to add some additional
features. In a rare appearance for the notably camera-shy director,
Steven Spielberg provides a personal introduction to the
film, discussing the importance of the subject matter and introducing
the D-Day Memorial Museum. A nice personal touch rarely seen on
video releases.
Also included is Into The Breach, a 30-minute documentary
on the making of the film, which I believe may have appeared as
an HBO First Look special. Presented in full frame, included are
interviews with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, as well as on-the-set
interviews with the young cast, it focuses largely on the story
behind the film, rather than the actual production. Military consultants
Dale Dye and historian Stephen Ambrose, amongst others, also discuss
the struggles in achieving the realism seen on screen, and others
who helped lend an authenticity to the film are also on hand to
discuss working on the project. Thankfully, the documentary doesn't
become overwhelmed with "talking heads." Let's face
it, any documentary must have them, but there is a nice mix of
a some behind-the-scenes footage and plenty of actual WWII images
and home movies. We are also introduced to the remaining descendants
of the Niland family, upon which the Private Ryan story is partly
based.
Perhaps the biggest find in the documentary for Spielberg enthusiasts
is what I believe may be the first public showing of some of the
early films he made as a child. Aspiring filmmakers, take note!
Even Steven Spielberg started out with only a Super 8 camera,
black & white film and a budget of $12. Spielberg and his
father both discuss the effect the war had on the young filmmaker,
which gives added perspective the film on subsequent viewings.
In all, a nice documentary that will be of more interest to those
interested in the story behind the film and the struggles of WWII
soldiers, rather than those interested in the nuts and bolts of
production.
In addition to the main supplement, there are also very nice
motion menus, which must have been tough to do (the subject matter
of the film doesn't lend itself to gimmicks, does it?). Very simple
but elegantly designed, with easily-to-navigate submenus. Production
notes are also provided onscreen as well as on the disc jacket,
which is nice for those like myself who have trouble reading off
the TV screen). Last but not least we get some cast & crew
bios for all the main participants, and trailer fans get both
the original and re-release theatrical trailers in full
5.1.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc
in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
Easily one of the most eagerly-awaited titles on DVD so far,
the audio and video quality of this disc should satisfy even the
most diehard videophile. This is a reference-caliber disc, and
the very fine documentary is a nice bonus. Thankfully, the price
for the disc has not been needlessly inflated because of the popularity
of the title, and DreamWorks has once again delivered the goods.
Definitely recommended.
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