On this day in 1998, Saving Private Ryan officially arrived in theaters, forever changing the course of movie history.
Directed by the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan focuses on a group of World War II soldiers trekking through the ruins of France amidst the invasion of Normandy, all the while searching for a lost soldier (Matt Damon) whose three brothers were all killed in combat.
Starring Tom Hanks, Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel and Barry Pepper, Saving Private Ryan quickly earned universal acclaim upon its debut in theaters, with many praising the film for its gripping performances and realistic depiction of military combat.
For some, this latter characteristic proved to be almost too effective. According to CBR, more than a few World War II veterans ended up leaving the film early due to its overly realistic portrayal of the conflict, most especially the opening 27-minute depiction of the D-Day landings.
In exploring the impact the film had on audiences, CBR went on to quote several Reddit users who shared similar stories about witnessing World War II veterans exiting the movie, sometimes in tears.
“I worked in a 2-screen movie theater throughout high school,” one user said. “During Saving Private Ryan‘s run, two WWII vets left the theater and embraced in the lobby, sobbing. Another, on a different day, said, ‘the only thing that was missing was the smell.'”
Of course, Saving Private Ryan went on to enjoy numerous prestigious accolades by the end of 1998, winning five out of its 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Effects Editing.
It also helped revitalize interest in World War II among mass audiences, paving the way for countless movies, TV shows, video games and more that followed in its wake.
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