Saving Private Ryan

"Someday we might look back on this and decide that saving Private Ryan was one decent thing we were able to pull out of this whole godawful shitty mess."

- Mike Horvath to John H. Miller

Saving Private Ryan is an American war movie about eight soldiers trying to save one man during the later stages of, shortly after.

The film begins with an elderly World War II veteran (Harrison Young) and his family visiting the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France. The veteran collapses to his knees in front of a gravestone, overwhelmed by emotion. The scene then changes to the beginning of the Normandy invasion, with American soldiers landing on Omaha Beach and struggling against dug-in German infantry, machine gun nests and artillery fire. One of the officers who survives the initial landing, Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks), commanding officer of C Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion, assembles a group of soldiers and slowly penetrates the German defenses, leading to a breakout from the beach.

Meanwhile, in the United States, General George C. Marshall discovers that three of the four brothers from the Ryan family have all died within days of each other and that their mother will receive all three notices on the same day. He learns that the fourth son, Private First Class James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) of Baker Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment is missing in action somewhere in Normandy. After reading to his staff Abraham Lincoln's Letter to Mrs. Bixby, Marshall orders that Ryan be found and sent home immediately.

Back in France, Miller receives orders from his battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson (Dennis Farina), to find Ryan. He assembles six Rangers from his company which are Sergeant Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Private Richard Reiben (Edward Burns), Private Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper), Private Adrian Caparzo, (Vin Diesel), medic Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), and Private Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg), plus one man detailed from the 29th Infantry Division Corporal Timothy E. Upham, (Jeremy Davies) to accomplish this task.

With no information about Ryan's whereabouts, Miller and his men move out to Neuville. On the outskirts of Neuville they meet a platoon from the 101st Airborne. After entering the town Private Adrian Caparzo (Diesel) is fatally wounded by a sniper and dies. The others locate a Private James Frederick Ryan from Minnesota (Nathan Fillion) but soon realize their mistake. They find a member of Charlie Company, 506th, who informs them that his drop zone was at Vierville. He also tells them that both Baker and Charlie companies have the same rally point. Once they reach the rally point, Miller locates a friend of Ryan's, who reveals that Ryan is defending a strategically-important bridge over the Merderet River in the fictional town of Ramelle.

On the way to Ramelle, Miller decides to take the opportunity to neutralize a small German machine gun position close to an abandoned radar station. Technician Fourth Grade Irwin Wade, their medic, is fatally wounded in the ensuing skirmish. The last surviving German, known only as "Steamboat Willie" (Joerg Stadler), incurs the wrath of all the squad members except Technician Fifth Grade Timothy E. Upham, who protests to Miller about letting the squad kill the German soldier. Miller decides to let the German walk away and surrender himself to the next Allied patrol, a decision viewed by Private First Class Richard Reiben as letting the enemy go free. No longer confident in Miller's leadership, Reiben declares his intention to desert, prompting a tense confrontation with the enraged Technical Sergeant Michael "Mike" Horvath, who threatens to shoot Reiben in the mouth. The argument heats up until Miller defuses the situation by revealing his origins, on which the squad had formed a betting pool. Reiben remains with the group.

The squad finally arrives on the outskirts of Ramelle where they destroy a German reconnaissance unit with the help of some American paratroopers, one of them being Ryan. The unit regroups in Ramelle, joining with the American paratroopers defending the town, where Miller informs Ryan of his brothers' deaths and of their mission to bring him home. Ryan adamantly refuses to leave his makeshift unit, demanding that he remain to help defend the bridge against an impending German counterattack. Miller reluctantly agrees and orders his unit to help defend the bridge in the upcoming battle, taking command and setting up the defense with what little manpower and resources they have. There are fewer than twenty American soldiers in the town.

The Germans arrive in force supported by assorted tanks, a towed FlaK 38 cannon, and half-tracks. Miller leads the defense, but although they inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans, most of the paratroopers, along with Jackson, Melish, and Horvath are killed, while Upham avoids fighting. Miller attempts to blow the bridge, but is shot and fatally wounded by a Waffen-SS soldier. Just before a Tiger reaches the bridge, an American P-51 Mustang arrives and destroys the tank, followed by more Mustangs and advancing American infantry who assault the town and rout the remaining German forces. Upham executes the Waffen-SS soldier who killed Miller. Ryan, Reiben and Upham are the only main characters to survive the battle, and Ryan is with Miller as he dies and hears his last words, "James... earn this. Earn it."

Back in the present, the elderly veteran is revealed to be Ryan at Miller's grave. Ryan asks his wife to confirm that he has led a good life and that he is a "good man", and thus worthy of Miller's and the others' sacrifice. He then salutes Miller's grave as the camera pans down the gravestones to the American flag and fades out.

For the film's overall bodycount and battle summary, see the references here.

Cast

 * Tom Hanks as John H. Miller
 * Edward Burns as Richard Reiben
 * Matt Damon as James Francis Ryan
 * Harrison Young as Elderly James Francis Ryan
 * Tom Sizemore as Mike Horvath
 * Jeremy Davies as Timothy E. Upham
 * Vin Diesel as Adrian Caparzo
 * Adam Goldberg as Stanley Mellish
 * Barry Pepper as Daniel Jackson
 * Giovanni Ribisi as Irwin Wade
 * Dennis Farina as Walter Anderson
 * Ted Danson as Fred Hamill
 * Harve Presnell as George C. Marshall
 * Bryan Cranston as War Department Colonel
 * David Wohl as War Department Captain
 * Nathan Fillion as James Frederick Ryan
 * Paul Giamatti as William Hill
 * Ryan Hurst as Mandelsohn
 * Max Martini as Henderson
 * Leland Orser as DeWindt
 * Joerg Stadler as Steamboat Willie
 * Mac Steinmeier (uncredited) as Waffen-SS
 * Dylan Bruno as Toynbe
 * Demetri Goritsas as Parker
 * Rolf Saxon as Briggs
 * Corey Johnson as Mackey
 * John Sharian as Loeb
 * Glenn Wrage as Boyle
 * Stéphane Cornicard as Jean
 * Dale Dye as War Department Colonel
 * Amanda Boxer as Margaret Ryan
 * Kathleen Byron as Elderly Mrs. Ryan
 * Andrew Scott as Soldier on the Beach
 * Erich Redman as German #1