Saving Private Ryan (1998)
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A squad of soldiers must navigate the perils of World War II to find and rescue a lone soldier whose brothers were killed in action.
The story
Set in 1944 in Normandy, France, during World War II, the film follows a group of soldiers led by Captain John Miller. Following the news that three of four brothers have been killed in action, the military orders a mission to find the final brother, Private James Francis Ryan, and bring him home. Miller assembles a squad to navigate the dangers of the war zone to locate the missing soldier. The journey takes them through the chaos of the front lines, where they must confront the brutal reality of combat and the moral complexities of their mission to save one man from the consequences of war.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On June 6, 1944, U.S. soldiers land at Omaha Beach, where Captain John Miller leads a group through heavy fire to secure the beach. After learning that three of four Ryan brothers are dead and the fourth, James Francis Ryan, is missing, Miller is ordered to find him. His squad travels through Normandy, facing various dangers, including a sniper and a German gun nest. They eventually find Ryan, but he refuses to leave his post. After a desperate battle where several members of Miller's squad are killed, Ryan is eventually reached. The film ends decades later with an elderly Ryan visiting Miller's grave, reflecting on the sacrifices made to bring him home.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 170
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Robert Rodat · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hanks · John H. Miller; Edward Burns · Richard Reiben; Tom Sizemore · Mike Horvath; Jeremy Davies · Timothy Upham; Vin Diesel · Adrian Caparzo; Adam Goldberg · Stanley "Fish" Mellish; Barry Pepper · Daniel Jackson; Giovanni Ribisi · Irwin Wade; Matt Damon · James Francis Ryan; Dennis Farina · Walter Anderson; Ted Danson · Fred Hamill; Harve Presnell · George C. Marshall
- Genres
- war
- Themes
- sacrifice; the cost of war; brotherhood
- Tone and mood
- serious; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- war; historical; military
- Source material / true-story basis
- books of Stephen E. Ambrose and accounts of multiple soldiers in a single family
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its graphic portrayal of combat and was praised by veterans as a realistic portrayal of their experiences. It was considered one of the greatest war films ever made and helped renew interest in WWII at the turn of the century.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Drama · win; Golden Globe · Best Director · win; Academy Award · Best Director · win; Academy Award · Best Cinematography · win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · win; Academy Award · Best Sound · win; Academy Award · Best Sound Effects Editing · win; British Academy Film Award · Best Special Effects · win; British Academy Film Award · Best Sound · win; Saturn Award · Best Action, Adventure, or Thriller Film · win; Grammy Award · Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture · win
- Production trivia
- The main cast underwent a week-long boot camp to prepare for their roles.; The Omaha Beach scene cost $12 million to film over four weeks.; The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2014.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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