On the one hand, Saving Private Ryan is a pretty great movie. It (imo) is a great representation of what war must really be like. The effects are outstanding, probably one of the greatest visual and emotional experiences (in movies) in the 1990's.
On the other hand, many people have accused these types of films of glorifying and perpetuating a 'willingness' to go to war. As horrible and awful as it appears in SPR, there is a 'manly' quality about doing one's duty, dying for comrades, sacrificing for your country, etc.
There was an interesting documentary on Passionate Eye I believe the other night on movies that did and movies that did not receive support from the military. Obviously movies like Platoon, Born on the 4th of July, Thin Red Line did not receive any support from the US military. Top Gun, SPR, Pearl Harbour did. You can see a pattern where one genre is supported by the state (military), and the other, which tends to paint a more 'real' (or less glorified) picture of an individual in combat garner no state support.
Obvious stuff, but interesting. I'd suggest that many people, especially parents, could see this kind of stuff as glorifying war.
Though maybe I'm putting too much faith in the average parent. They probably have a problem w/ the swears
