Saving Private Ryan (1998)

One of Steven Spielberg's finest creations, this blockbuster swept the Academy awards in 1999, taking five Oscars. Understandably so. The film - starring Tom Hanks - may be a fictional Second World War tale (loosely based on the real-life case of Frederic Niland), but its shocking depiction of the Normandy landings is probably the closest we've come so far to accurately recreating the nightmare truth of D-Day.

Having shown us the hell of Omaha beach, the film continues to focus on Captain Miller (Hanks) who has survived the landings. He's seconded to lead a small team dedicated to securing a huge piece of wartime PR. They are asked to find and send home paratrooper Private Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers are all missing in action, presumed killed. It's a difficult, perilous journey, with Hanks and the others struggling to make sense of the horrors around them, let alone coming to terms with what they see as a questionable mission that could easily cost them their lives.

Harrowing and essential viewing.