Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. The film stars Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, and Giovanni Ribisi.
The film begins with the Normandy landings on D-Day during World War II. Captain John H. Miller leads a squad of soldiers from the 2nd Ranger Battalion as they land on the beach and struggle to advance in the face of the enemy. As they battle their way inland, they receive a unique mission: to locate and bring back Private James Francis Ryan, whose three brothers have all been killed in action elsewhere in Europe.
Miller, his sergeant Horvath, and six other soldiers set out on the dangerous journey to find Ryan. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, including heavy German resistance, sniper fire and booby traps, which puts the group in danger frequently.
As the mission progresses, the team gets to know each other, and they realize that there is more to their mission than just a simple extraction. They begin to question the value of their objective and the cost of their own sacrifice as they grow attached to each other and curious about the man they have been sent to save.
After numerous battles, soldiers in the team are killed in action, and they eventually find Ryan in a small French town. However, Ryan is reluctant to leave his unit and refuses to go with them, feeling it would dishonor his brothers' sacrifices. Miller and his remaining men resolve to defend a crucial bridge nearby against a strong German counterattack while Ryan and his unit leave the area.
Miller is mortally wounded while holding off the German attack, leaving Ryan to take a leadership role. After the war, an elderly Ryan pays his respects at Miller's grave at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France.