3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The battle scenes are vivid and extraordinary but the most riveting part of the movie is the story behind the mission to save Ryan. Tom Hanks plays the leader of a group of soldiers, all of whom were peaceful private citizens before the war. Duty and honor are emphasized as the soldiers perform their warrior responsibilities as trained. The humanity of the individual being is illuminated against the inhumanity of war.
2. Forrest Gump (1994)
I may be biased regarding this film because I grew up in a small town during about the same time period. This is a modern day fairy tale demonstrating that love, dignity and perseverance conquer all. "Forrest Gump' runs the viewer through the entire spectrum of emotions as it tells the story of a slow thinking innocent kid traversing through five decades of life.
1. Schindler's List (1993)
It may have taken until the 1990s to be able to showcase a movie about the holocaust. Shot in black and white, which provides a newsreel documentary feel for the film, the movie takes us into the life of Oscar Schindler and the lives that he saved. The horror of the film is that the events depicted actually happened. The beauty of the film is represented by the triumph over adversity that is so well illustrated through the lens of the camera.