Guys like Peter Berg basically cribbed their whole style from that scene and it basically set the new template for how to shoot battle scenes. If you don't consider that innovative because "He more or less just assembled a lot of different techniques and tricks" and gave it "the Spielberg polish" then I don't see how you can consider anything Scorcese or Spike has ever done as really being innovative because it's not like they are inventing any new techniques or technology.

I mean, if that's your definition of innovation then Robert Zemeckis and James Cameron should be at the top of your list.