Christopher Caldwell

The World War II drama Saving Private Ryan is set during the D—Day invasion of Normandy and deals with a platoon of soldiers who have been ordered to find another soldier, Private James Ryan. Ryan's three brothers have all died in the war, and as a gesture of sympathy toward their mother the Army General Staff has ordered the fourth brother home. The film deals with soldiers' mixed feelings about risking their lives in order to save Private Ryan.

The soldiers' mixed feelings may well represent director Steven Spielberg's views about war. While the film has been praised for its brutally realistic portrayal of on—the—ground combat, Spielberg does not support this war—is—hell motif with a broader message...