We’ve heard the phrase “war is hell.” It’s a common saying, almost a cliche. I’ve used it myself on occasion, never fully understanding the truth behind those seemingly benign words.

Then along comes a movie like “Saving Private Ryan,” which fully illustrates what war is really like.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the war movie genre. Films dealing with war always seem to be so full of misplaced macho bravado.

War gets glamorized and romanticized in some way. Although I’ve never experienced a war first hand, I doubt there’s much that is either romantic or glamorous about combat situations.

So I was completely blown away by the extraordinary opening sequence of “Saving Private Ryan.” Well, blown away doesn’t really describe how I felt watching a recreation of D-Day — more like stunned into silence — stupefied — appalled at the destruction of human life.

The sequence is unrelentingly violent in its depiction of what happened on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Is it perhaps too violent?

Not at all. Don’t you think one of the most horrific battles ever fought might have been a bit on the violent side?

For a generation desensitized to onscreen violence, “Saving Private Ryan” should resensitize. The violence is not used gratuitously, but realistically.

We see dozens of men gunned down the second their transport boat doors open. One soldier bends over to pick up his severed arm and wanders around in a confused daze. By the end, there are literally rivers of blood running down the beach, the ocean turns completely red.

It was all almost too much to wrap your brain around and accept that this actually happened. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica’s online edition, over 2,400 American soldiers died on Omaha beach that morning. It’s difficult for me to even conceive of something like that.

In “Saving Private Ryan,” Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller. He and most of his squad survive the carnage of Omaha Beach and are then given a new mission. They are to find Private James Ryan and get him home because all three of his older brothers had been killed in action — one during the D-Day invasion.

The men don’t like the mission. Why risk the lives of eight to save one? The film is wise to examine these men as individuals rather than the conflict as a whole.

What they really should do is just hand over the Oscars now because next year’s ceremony will just be a formality. (Of course, given the fiasco of a poorly written film like “Titanic” taking 11 Academy Awards this year, I shouldn’t expect much.)

This is definitely the best picture I’ve seen in recent years. Hanks definitely deserves another statue for his quiet portrayal of Captain Miller. Spielberg, too, because not only is “Saving Private Ryan” an emotionally powerful movie, but a technical masterpiece as well.

There are enough strong supporting roles to completely fill the supporting actor category. The real standouts are Tom Sizemore as the tough Sergeant Horvath and Giovanni Ribisi as Wade, the medic trying to deal with all the destruction of human life he sees.

I have one slight complaint about the movie — extremely slight. For the most part, the camera work is amazing; low shots, from the point of view of a soldier in battle. But some of the jerky camera movements for extended periods got annoying. It was almost enough to make you sick. Overall, however, the point of view shots were quite effective.

I don’t think it’s right to say I enjoyed “Saving Private Ryan.” It is more apt to say this movie affected me on a deeply emotional level and changed the way I think. How often can you say a movie did that?

Judging by the audience reaction in the full theater I saw it in, I wasn’t the only one affected by the power of this film. After the final shot and the screen went black, the entire audience just sat in the theater in complete silence. Nobody jumped up to leave, nobody spoke. We all needed a moment to absorb what we had just witnessed.

In a word, “Saving Private Ryan” is amazing.

5 stars out of five

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Mike Milik just graduated from Iowa State with a degree in fine arts. This is his last review. Congratulations and best of luck.