Jeffrey Hart

In the following viewpoint, syndicated columnist Jeffrey Hart contends that the portrayals of war as consisting of glorious battles are inaccurate. War is full of pain, terror, and ugliness, he asserts. However, it is also exciting, giving an intensity to life that is not present in peacetime.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Steven Spielberg’s depiction of war in Saving Private Ryan differ from most other war movies, in Hart’s opinion?
2. How did soldiers in the time of Homer differ from modern soldiers, according to the author?
3. According to the historian cited by Hart, how many years of recorded human history have been free of wars"

Steven Spielberg has done an audacious thing with his Saving Private Ryan, taking on one of the most profound subjects of artistic representation—war...