Saving Private Ryan

Steven Spielberg is the most effortlessly inventive technical director alive. He’s placed shots in this film that move effortlessly from one subject to another, all the while each moment provides a new piece to the story. His inventiveness isn’t showy or extraneous, but subtle and key to moving the story forward. In Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg uses his extreme technical proficiency to tell a very engaging story about the nature of war.

The opening sequence of D-Day is the obvious standout...