Editing Saving Private Ryan (section)

== Legacy ==
===Cultural influence===
{{see also|World War II in popular culture}}
''Saving Private Ryan'' was credited with renewing interest in World War II leading into the 21st century.<ref name="LATimesInvasion"/><ref name="FarOutIntentions"/><ref name="ColliderInterest"/> [[NBC News]] wrote that in presenting audiences with its "stomach-churning violence and soul-shaking intensity of that pivotal chapter in the war", the film had reshaped the United States' "cultural memory".<ref name="LegacyNBC"/>  It is regarded as one of the most accurate and realistic war films ever made, particularly for the opening Omaha Beach battle.<ref name="LegacyFarOut"/><ref name="LegacyNBC"/> Film historian Steven Jay Rubin said, "It was a game-changer{{nbsp}}... it was devastatingly dramatic, visceral, immersive. I didn't touch my popcorn because it felt sacrilegious to eat while I'm watching it."<ref name="LegacyNBC"/> Even so, director and Vietnam War veteran Oliver Stone claimed that ''Saving Private Ryan'' depicted a "worship" of WWII as "the good war" that, alongside films such as ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000) and ''[[Black Hawk Down (film)|Black Hawk Down]]'', made audiences more in favor of war: "By the time of the [[Iraq War]], we were ready to go back."<ref name="OliverStone"/> American academic [[Paul Fussell]] similarly decried ''Saving Private Ryan'' for providing an "honest, harrowing, 15-minute opening" of Omaha Beach before descending into more broadly acceptable action-adventure fare. He said, "Its genre was pure cowboys and Indians, with the virtuous cowboys of course victorious."<ref name="SlateFussell"/>

The film is considered to have had a lasting influence on filmmaking, particularly its opening battle scenes.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="LegacyNBC"/><ref name="LATimesInvasion"/><ref name="LegacyVanityFair"/><ref name="ColliderNolan"/><ref name="ColliderAccurate"/><ref name="LATimes2018Spielberg"/><ref name="TimeOutTarantino"/><ref name="Altman"/>}} ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' wrote, "no films about combat made since would look the way they do without the de-saturated, handheld, blood-splatters-and-all horror of cinema that is this extended sequence{{nbsp}}... it's a terrifying scene, either honorable or exploitative in its all vérité, depending on whom you ask. Regardless of any moral assessment, it's easily one of the most aped and referenced scenes of the late 20th century."<ref name="LegacyVanityFair"/><ref name="LATimesInvasion"/> ''Saving Private Ryan'' was named by other directors as an influence, such as [[Quentin Tarantino]]  (''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'', 2009), [[Christopher Nolan]] (''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'', 2017), and [[Robert Altman]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="ColliderNolan"/><ref name="ColliderAccurate"/><ref name="LATimes2018Spielberg"/><ref name="TimeOutTarantino"/><ref name="Altman"/><ref name="LegacyNBC"/>}} The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that ''Saving Private Ryan''{{'}}s stylistic choices, such as placing the audience close to the on-screen action, can be seen in war and action media that followed. This includes films such as ''Gladiator'' (2000), ''[[Enemy at the Gates]]'', ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]'' (both 2001), ''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'' (2006), and ''[[Hacksaw Ridge]]'' (2016), the "psychological anguish" of ''[[American Sniper]]'' (2014), and modern superhero films.<ref name="LATimes2018Spielberg"/><ref name="LegacyNBC"/> This influence extends to television, with shows such as ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' ("[[The Spoils of War (Game of Thrones)|The Spoils of War]]", 2017) and ''[[The Pacific (miniseries)|The Pacific]]'' (2010).<ref name="LATimes2018Spielberg"/><ref name="THRGoT"/> ''Saving Private Ryan'' is also seen as an influence on video games.<ref name="LegacyVanityFair"/><ref name="LegacyNBC"/> Spielberg and DreamWorks developed ''[[Medal of Honor (1999 video game)|Medal of Honor]]'' (1999) to translate the realism and setting of ''Saving Private Ryan''. Its success launched a [[Medal of Honor (video game series)|series of ''Medal of Honor'' games]], which, in turn, contributed to the creation of the ''[[Call of Duty]]'' series.<ref name="DOGMedalofHonor"/><ref name="YahooVideoGames"/><ref name="NYTimesGames"/>

===Retrospective reception===
''Saving Private Ryan'' is considered one of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest war films ever made]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="DOGStarsLaunched"/><ref name="GreatestWarEmpire"/><ref name="GreatestWarEsquire"/><ref name="GreatestWarEW"/><ref name="GreatestWarIndependent"/><ref name="GreatestWarParade"/><ref name="GreatestWarPaste"/><ref name="GreatestWarPOPMatters"/><ref name="GreatestWarRottenTomatoes"/><ref name="GreatestWarTimeOut"/><ref name="GreatestWarVulture"/><!-- EPIC --><ref name="ColliderAccurate"/><ref name="EpicGuardian"/><ref name="ASCMagJanusz"/>}} In a 2018 interview, Spielberg said, "I didn't anticipate the success of the movie{{nbsp}}... in very early screenings, certain associates and other people in my life were saying that I made it too tough. I feared that almost nobody would see it because the word of mouth would spread quickly after the first 25 minutes."<ref name="LATimes2018Spielberg"/>

In 2007, the [[American Film Institute]] (AFI) listed ''Saving Private Ryan'' as [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)|71st-greatest American film]].<ref name="AFI10thedition"/> The AFI listed it among the most [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills|thrilling]], [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers|inspiring]], and [[AFI's 10 Top 10#Epic|epic]] American films.<ref name="AFIthrills"/><ref name="AFIcheers"/><ref name="AFItop10"/> A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment industry professionals by ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' ranked ''Saving Private Ryan'' as the 46th-best film.<ref name="THRJun14"/> Publications such as ''[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]]'' and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' named it one of the greatest films of all time.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="GreatestAllTimeEmpire2017"/><ref name="GreatestAllTimeEmpire2022"/><ref name="GreatestAllTimeParade"/><ref name="Variety1002022"/>}} ''Saving Private Ryan'' is included in the 2013 film reference book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]'',{{sfn|Schneider|2013}} and it is listed on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]' 300 essential movies.<ref name="RT300"/> The film is generally considered to be among the best of Spielberg's works,{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="BestSpielbergCollider"/><ref name="BestSpielbergIndependent"/><ref name="BestSpielbergAVClub"/><ref name="BestSpielbergParade"/><ref name="BestSpielbergThrillist"/><ref name="BestSpielbergGuardian"/><ref name="BestSpielbergVulture"/>}} and of Hanks's credits.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="BestHanksIndependent"/><ref name="BestHanksPaste"/><ref name="BestHanksIndieWire"/><ref name="BestHanksParade"/><ref name="BestHanksVulture"/><ref name="BestHanksGuardian"/>}} In a 2025 retrospective by ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'', ''Saving Private Ryan'' was listed among the best movies to have not won the Best Picture Academy Award.<ref name="VultureBestAcademy"/>

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a {{RT data|score}} approval rating across {{RT data|count}} critics, with an average score of {{RT data|average}}. The consensus reads; "Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre."<ref name="RottenTomatoes"/> The film has a score of 91 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref name="MetaCritic"/> ''Saving Private Ryan'' has remained popular with audiences, with reader and viewer-ranked polling listing it as one of the greatest war films,<ref name="GreatestAudienceWARGuardian"/><ref name="GreatestAudienceWARChannel4"/> among the greatest films of the 1990s, and the greatest films of all time.<ref name="GreatestAudienceRSAUS"/><ref name="GreatestAudience90sUS"/>