I have heard from all my friends that Saving Private Ryan is much better than Titanic. I am going to see it soon, but I just want to ask everybody who saw both to tell me which is better? Is Saving Private Ryan a worthy successor to Titanic for Best Picture? How does both movies compare to the best movies of all time?

-- Jim Islam (najmi@udel.edu), August 29, 1998

Answers

On a 1-10 scale, I give SPR a '9', and Titanic a '10.' If you're a war movie buff, SPR may be your favorite picture of all time. Titanic, however, has more universal appeal; as someone on here said long ago, it has something for everyone (action, romance, melodrama, costumes, special effects, music, true history, an incredibly accurate set). SPR, nevertheless, achieves its goal of making the viewer realize war is hell and appreciate how fellow Americans sacrificed for us. It's the only movie where I remember crying in the first half!

-- BobG (rgregorio@ibm.net), August 29, 1998.

...the first half HOUR, I meant to say.

-- BobG (rgregorio@ibm.net), August 29, 1998.

I totaly agree with BobG. Titanic had a little bit of everything for everyone, but Saving Private Ryan shows what those men sacrificed so we could be here today, freely talking about movies. SPR is for the men who died for our freedom, and Titanic is probably just as good. Both movies are dramatic, I liked both their brilliance!

-- Kelly (rdavies@deltanet.com), August 29, 1998.

The two are totally different films. If you don't like war films you'll find SPR very long and boring as hell,I had enough of war films back in the 60's as a young child being dragged into theaters by my parents. I also think that critics have over hyped SPR it really isn't that good. Titanic will never be replaced or compared to any film!

-- MICHAEL PITT (xrrg10b@PRODIGY.COM), August 29, 1998.

"Saving Private Ryan" is a very good film, with stunning cinematography (the hand-held camera in the opening invasion scene especially). The effect of shell concussions (instant silence and dazed confusion slowly fading back to reality) is a brilliant conceit. The Normandy invasion scene is THE best depiction of the horrors of combat I've seen. And I've seen a LOT of war films - from ridiculous propaganda pieces such as "The Green Berets" to brutal anti-war films such as "Full Metal Jacket" and everything in between. It's an important film for those younger viewers, raised on Oliver Stone-type anti-American propaganda flicks, to see. They should see it if only to appreciate the sacrifices and understand the perspective of the generation that came before the baby boomers, who kicked their parents in the teeth.

That being said, I agree with Michael that "Saving Private Ryan" may be the second most overrated film of the year (the most overrated being, of course, "The Truman Show"). SPR has many problems. This may be William's worst score. He hasn't created a truly good score since "Raiders of the Lost Ark". And the film is full of sappy Spielbergisms. Hank's shaking hand, the scene where the secretary discovers the several Ryan deaths, the ominous approach of the Tiger tanks and the miraculous appearance of the Mustang in the final battle sequence are just a few examples where realism bows to Spielberg's heavy-handed film-making. Not to mention the cemetary scene at the end, which is just as emotionally manipulative as anything in "Titanic". Another problem I had was the overemphasis on the cowardly Corporal's point of view in the final battle scene. It's no surprise that Speilberg has said in interviews that he most identifies with this character - it's just another example of his self-indulgent direction in this film. But the most fatal flaw is that Spielberg took the old cliche of war being "days of boredom interupted by minutes of sheer terror" too literally here.

Hating "Titanic" may have become the test for the "discriminating cineast", much like it has become fashionable to hate "Star Wars". Both are far too successful with the masses, and this makes them suspect to those who think they have superior insight. But "Titanic" will be loved and seen by generations of average movie enthusiasts - just like "Star Wars". "Saving Private Ryan" may win a handful of Oscars and end up on many "ten best" lists this year. But it will soon be forgotten, just like that last big critical hit, "The Truman Show".

-- Dan Dalton (foo@bar.com), August 30, 1998.

Well put, Dan...

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), August 30, 1998.

I think Saving Private Ryan was good, and is a movie that should bring home the horrors of war that we all imagine we have some idea about but really dont. But as far as emotional envolvement goes, Titanic is much better.

-- Melanie (sheba@xroadstx.com), August 30, 1998.

Saving privet ryan is my favriot movie but i would have to go for titanic more b cuz that movie had everything for all ages and the action was so amazing and every effect had amazing detail and the movie is older by one year of saving privet ryan so it makes it better classic

-- Marcus Mackenzie (www.marcus@hotmail.com), July 18, 2003.

i think we can't compere such movies together because "spr" is real movie thoese guys saved a big nation and when you send a boy like 18 years old to face m 22 i think this would be greater than to be in love with laneardo de caperio..also no body like tom hanks and am sure how weak and frutless must be and word of mine when i try to talk about tom hanks..cap jhon.h. miller.second ranger

-- dean kamel swadeh (blue_moon750il@yahoo.com), February 29, 2004.