Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest war films ever made. Steven Spielberg’s uncompromising depiction of a brave mission during the climax of World War II is renowned for its gripping first sequence, which depicts the grizzly storming of Omaha Beach by Allied forces. While detractors would argue the film never tops its standout opening, the larger story poses fascinating questions on the value of individual life within a conflict that claims countless. It's a nuanced take on heroism and patriotism from the generally sentimental Spielberg.
The story follows U.S. Army Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) as he’s assigned to venture deep within Nazi territory to locate Private First Class James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon). Ryan’s three brothers also served, but were all killed during the Normandy Invasion, so the Army has dediced to send him home to his family. Miller has reservations about the mission, but travels alongside his squad Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Richard Reiben (Edward Burns), Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper), Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg), Adrian Caparzo (Vin Diesel), Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), and Timothy Upham (Jeremy Davies) on the treacherous journey.
Spielberg had explored the World War II era previously in 1941, Empire of the Sun, Schindler’s List, and the Indiana Jones franchise, but wanted to depict the plight of combat as a tribute to his father Arnold Spielberg’s service in the war. When Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director, he dedicated it to his father’s heroism.
Is Saving Private Ryan based on a true story?
While the characters are fictitious, many of its events are inspired by actual historical records. Screenwriter Robert Rodat was first inspired to craft the narrative upon reading Stephen Ambrose’s nonfiction retrospective D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Rodat was fascinated by an honorary memorial dedicated to families who had lost multiple sons in the war.
Rodat began writing Saving Private Ryan after studying the true story of Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland. Fritz Niland’s brothers Preston and Robert had enlisted for service, and his brother Edward had volunteered. In May 1944, Edward was shot down over Burma and gone missing, and was presumed dead. In June, Robert was killed on D-Day and Preston was killed on Omaha Beach. Frederick had gone missing during the Normandy Invasion, and the U.S. Army commissioned him to be rescued and sent home.
An army unit under chaplain Fr. Francis Sampson identified Frederick’s location and sent him back to his parents Michael and Augusta Niland. Frederick’s brother Edward was also discovered to be alive, and was rescued from a Burmese POW camp and also returned home safely. The rescues were the result of the U.S. War Department’s “sole survivor” policy, which was adopted in 1942 after the four Sullivan brothers who served in the U.S. Navy had all been killed during the sinking of the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
So, while Saving Private Ryan is unquestionably inspired by true events, the film's story of Captain Miller's risky mission to save one man is entirely fictional.
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