10 Greatest Ever Tom Hanks Movie Performances

In some ways it is a shame that the opening 23 minute sequence of Saving Private Ryan is so good because the rest of the film and its performances are often overlooked as a result.

Hanks' performance is a masterclass in subtlety in a film where dialogue is scarce and we focus instead on his world weary and often terrified face trying to make sense of the violence surrounding him. Similar to Apollo 13, he is playing the leader of a group of men trying to survive a desolate situation and as John H. Miller he manages to convincingly play an authoritative yet fair Captain of his troop.

The scene where he confesses that he is just an English teacher is perfectly played as it replaces the image of the hardened leader into a man who is as vulnerable and normal as the rest of his squad. While this may arguably be objectively the best film Hanks has appeared in, with Spielberg's great action sequences and a powerful story behind it, Saving Private Ryan relies on its ensemble where he is ultimately just one cog - albeit a very important one - in the wheel of this epic war film.