I know what you mean. But I think the last 5 minutes are extremely important too.
"Earn this"...two little words that say so much.
I know this is not the forum for this, but I could not disagree with both of you more.
The scene where the medic is killed is extraordinarily powerful. It portrays the helplessness of men caught up in events. It shows the love and tenderness men have for each other, something those of us who have never fought have very little conception of.
How about the scene when one of their buddies is shot by a sniper? The futility and waste, as his blood runs slowly out while all the rest can do is watch? And all the man wanted was a piece of home, a little girl who reminded him of home, just a touch, a feeling of home.
And what about the hand to hand fighting near the end? The guys having a knife fight? The sheer inhumane aspect, the animal struggle to survive?
How can you discount those scenes as not worth watching?
I know this is not the basis of the thread, but those scenes, are, in a sense, just as powerful in a different way than the opening 30 minutes.
But I agree. The opening 30 minutes are like no other in cinema history. They stand alone.
That line ruined the movie for me. What an absolutely horrible thing for Hanks' character to have said, and it struck me as perhaps the most unrealistic bit of dialogue in the whole thing. Troops in combat care about each other a lot -- they don't try to lay massive guilt trips on someone that's going to scar them for life.
"Hey Ryan, the fact that me and all my men died here is your fault. Hope you make something of your life."
That's basically what "earn this" meant. Bleh.