The waves crashing against the ships, the bullets whizzing past your ears, the pressure of D-Day, and the chaos of World War II are perfectly depicted through the film Saving Private Ryan.

This film was created in memory of those who gave their lives on the western front in World War II.

Sergeant in the military who is a teacher back home. He is tasked with leading his men to save a private by the name of James Ryan. 

James Ryan has 4 brothers, all of which have already died in the war, the last one dying on D-Day. The United States decides to rescue James Ryan from combat to save his mother the grief of losing all of her children to the war. 

Although this piece of the movie is fictional, it is the driving plot that allows the audience to experience a horrific tour across Europe during World War II. In any other film, this historical inaccuracy would have been the film’s demise, but for Saving Private Ryan, it is where the film sets itself apart from the rest. 

The overarching conflict of the film is that James Ryan was a paratrooper dropped behind enemy lines. This means that the journey to save him will be tough and grueling. 

Midway through the film they finally find James Ryan…but looking at the timing of the film it is a little confusing. The film surely should be over right? Problem solved. James Ryan is found and all is well… well almost.

James Ryan doesn’t want to leave. He thinks that the best way to honor his brothers is to continue fighting. He doesn’t believe that it is fair that he gets to leave when others must fight. 

The film finally ends in a bloody battle to defend a bridge from an oncoming Nazi platoon. This scene is haunting. 

The slow screeching of the Nazi tanks as they approach the city… The silence of the soldiers and the slow steady breathing fuels the audience’s heartbeat as they hold their breath waiting for the Americans to strike. 

The film finally ends dramatically. The Sergeant we have followed for the whole movie slowly dies as the United States defeats the Nazis and it fast-forwards to the present day, where James Ryan, an elderly man now, salutes the grave of the Sergeant who gave his life for Ryan’s. 

I have never been one for “patriotic” movies, but this film seems to make me shed a tear every single time. No other film has been able to capture the bravery of those who gave their lives during World War II like Saving Private Ryan.