After the invasion of fortress Europe on June 6th 1944, Tom Hanks leads his squad from the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the 29th Infantry Division, on a mission to find and bring home Private James Francis Ryan after the death of his brothers. The mission takes them through Nazi occupied territory to establish contact with Ryan's unit an element of the 101st Airborne Division. This exiting war thriller brings the reality of history's bloodiest war into the homes of ordinary people, but also brings into light the reality of broken and lost families in a time of total and encompassing war.

The role of Caparzo was written just for Vin Diesel after director Steven Spielberg saw Diesel's independent film Strays (1997), which was also his directorial, writing, producing and lead acting debut.

[Listening skeptically to German propaganda coming over a loudspeaker]


Captain Miller:
"The Statue of Liberty is kaput" - that's disconcerting.

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Several times when Corporal Upham is seen carrying .30 caliber ammunition belts just prior to and during the holding of the bridge scene, it appears that primers are missing; in fact, they were black, which made them look empty.

Written by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills & Edgar De Lange (as Eddie DeLange)