Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan

When Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was a backyard war film. When he toured Europe with Duel in his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic--and maybe the best--war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds. A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance. The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Schindler's List, but it's more kinetic. Spielberg and his ace technicians (the film won five Oscars: editing (Michael Kahn), cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), sound, sound effects, and directing) deliver battle sequences that wash over the eyes and hit the gut. The violence is extreme but never gratuitous. The final battle, a dizzying display of gusto, empathy, and chaos, leads to a profound repose. Saving Private Ryan touches us deeper than Schindler because it succinctly links the past with how we should feel today. It's the film Spielberg was destined to make. --Doug Thomas

Genre: Action, Drama, War
Director(s): Steven Spielberg
Production: Paramount Pictures
  Won 5 Oscars. Another 74 wins & 74 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.6
Metacritic:
90
Rotten Tomatoes:
92%
R (Restricted)
Year:
1998
169
Website
17,737 Views
The mission is a man.
In the last great invasion of the last great war, The greatest challenge for eight men... was saving one.
There was only one man left in the family, and the mission was to save him.

Captain Miller:
Well when I think of home, I... I think of something specific. I think of my, my hammock in the backyard or my wife pruning the rosebushes in a pair of my old work gloves.

Private Ryan:
This, this one night, two of my brothers came and woke me up in the middle of the night. And they said they had a surprise for me. So they took me to the barn up in the loft and there was my oldest brother, Dan, with Alice, Alice Jardine. I mean, picture a girl who just took a nosedive from the ugly tree and hit every branch coming down. And... and Dan's got his shirt off and he's working on this bra and he's tryin to get it off and all of a sudden Shawn just screams out, Danny you're a young man, don't do it! And so Alice Jardine hears this and she screams and she jumps up and she tries to get running out of the barn but she's still got this shirt over her head. She goes running right into the wall and knocks herself out. So now Danny's just so mad at us. He, he starts coming after us, but... but at the same time Alice is over there unconscious. He's gotta wa... , wake her up. So he grabs her by a leg and he's drag, dragging her. At the same time he picks up a shovel. And he's going after Shawn, and Shawn's saying, what are you trying to hit me for? I just did you a favor! And so this makes Dan more angry. He tries to swing this thing, he looses the shovel, goes outta his grasp and hits a kerosene lantern. The thing explodes, the whole barn almost goes up because of this thing. That was it. That was the last, that was, Dan went off to basic the next day. That was the last night the four of us were together. That was two years ago. Tell me about your wife and those rosebushes?

Captain Miller:
No, no that one I save just for me.

Pvt. Mellish:
[Upham gives him a tap on the shoulder] Hey! You want to get your head blown off, you fancy little f***? Don't ever f***ing touch me with those dirty little rat claws again. Get the f*** back in formation.

Cpl. Upham:
I was just wondering where you're from, that's...[Mellish glares at him. Upham walks ahead to Caparzo] Uh, Caparzo, is that it?

Pvt. Caparzo:
Hey, drop dead, corporal.

Cpl. Upham:
Got you.

Pvt. Caparzo:
And another thing, every time you salute the captain you make him a target for the Germans. So do us a favor, don't do it. Especially when I'm standing next to him. Capisce?

Cpl. Upham:
Alright, capisce.

Medic Wade:
Corporal, what's your book about?

Cpl. Upham:
It's supposed to be about the bonds of brotherhood developed between soldiers during war.

Pvt. Caparzo:
[laughs] Brotherhood? What do you know about brotherhood? Get a load of this guy, Fish. Why don't you ask the captain where he's from?

Pvt. Mellish:
Yeah, ask the captain. He'll tell ya everything you wanna know about him.

Pvt. Reiben:
You want to explain the math of this to me? I mean, where's the sense in risking the lives of the eight of us to save one guy?

Capt. Miller:
[Quietly]Twenty degrees. [Speaks up] Anyone wanna answer that?

Medic Wade:
Hey, Reiben, think about the poor bastard's mother.

Pvt. Reiben:
Hey, doc, I got a mother, you got a mother, the sarge has got a mother. Sh*t, I'll bet that even the Captain's got a mother. [Looks at Miller] Well, maybe not the Captain, but the rest of us have got mothers.

Corp. Upham:
"Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die."

Pvt. Mellish:
La-la-la-la-la-la-la. What the f*** is that supposed to mean, Corporal? We're all supposed to die, is that it?

Capt. Miller:
Upham's talking about our duties as soldiers. We have orders and we are to follow those orders, and that supersedes everything, including our mothers.

Corp. Upham:
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Pvt. Reiben:
Even if you think the mission's FUBAR, Captain?

Capt. Miller:
Especially if you think the mission's FUBAR.

Corp. Upham:
What's FUBAR?

Pvt. Mellish:
Oh, it's German.

Corp. Upham:
[who is fluent in German] Never heard of it.

Pvt. Jackson:
[At Miller] Sir, I have an opinion on this matter.

Capt. Miller:
Well, by all means, share it with the squad.

Pvt. Jackson:
Well, from my way of thinking, sir, this entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources.

Capt. Miller:
Yeah, go on.

Pvt. Jackson:
Well, it seems to me, sir, that God gave me a special gift. Made me a fine instrument of warfare.

Capt. Miller:
Reiben, now pay attention. THIS is the way to gripe. Continue Jackson.

Pvt. Jackson:
Well, what I mean by that, sir, is if you's to put me and this here sniper rifle, anywhere up to and including one mile of Adolf Hitler with a clear line of sight, sir, pack your bags fellas, war's over. Amen.

Pvt. Reiben:
[At Jackson] Oh, that's brilliant, bumpkin. [At Miller] Say Captain, you don't gripe at all?

Capt. Miller:
I don't gripe to you, Reiben. I'm a Captain. We have a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, and so on and so on and so on. I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in front of you. You should know that, as a Ranger.

Pvt. Reiben:
Well, I'm sorry, sir, but let's say you weren't a Captain, or maybe I was a Major. What would you say then?

Capt. Miller:
Ah, well, in that case, I'd say this is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and am willing to lay down my life, and the lives of my men — especially you, Reiben — to ease her suffering.

Pvt. Mellish:
He's good.

Pvt Caparzo:
I love him.

Capt. Hamill:
How was the road in?

Capt. Miller:
Scenic. We lost most of our ammo.

Pvt. Mellish:
Not to mention one of our men.

Capt. Hamill:
[Speaking to another soldier] Lieutenant, redeploy that bazooka to the other side of the road!

Soldier:
Yes, sir!

Capt. Hamill:
And get Ryan up here.

Soldier:
[Running away from Hamill] Ryan! Ryan! Front and center! Ryan!

Pvt. Reiben:
[Seeing Ryan running down the road] Here comes our boy. [Ryan runs past Reiben. At Horvath.] Told ya he was an a**hole.

James Frederick Ryan:
[At Hamill] Sir, Private Ryan, reporting as ordered, sir!

Capt. Hamill:
At ease. Captain Miller 2nd Rangers wants a word with you.

Capt. Miller:
[Directing Ryan] This way. [Miller stops and sits on a rock] Take a knee. [He does so, taking his helmet off as well. Pause] Private, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. [Pause] Well, there isn't any real easy way to say this, so, uh...I'll just say it. Your brothers are dead. [Ryan has a saddened look on his face.] We have, uh, orders to come get you 'cause you're going home. [There is a long pause]

James Frederick Ryan:
[crying] Oh, my God, my brothers are dead. I was gonna take 'em fishing when I got home...

Capt. Miller:
I'm so sorry, James.

James Frederick Ryan:
[sniffling] H-How'd they die?

Capt. Miller:
They were killed in action.

James Frederick Ryan:
T-That can't be. That can't be, my brothers are still in grammar school.

Capt. Miller:
You're James Ryan?

James Frederick Ryan:
Yeah.

Capt. Miller:
James Francis Ryan from Iowa?

James Frederick Ryan:
James Frederick Ryan, Minnesota? [Hamill has a confused look on his face] W...Does that mean my brothers are okay?

Capt. Miller:
Yeah, I'm sure they're fine.

James Frederick Ryan:
Are you sure that they're okay though? How-

Capt. Miller:
We're looking for a different Private Ryan. This is just a big foul-up.

[After letting "Steamboat Willie" go, Reiben confronts Miller]

Pvt. Reiben:
I guess that was the, uh, decent thing to do, huh Captain? [Pause]

Capt Miller:
Get your gear. Let's go.

Sgt. Horvath:
[At Reiben] You heard him. Gear up. [Pause] The captain just gave you an order.

Pvt. Reiben:
Yeah...Like the one he gave to take this machine gun. That was a real doozy, wasn't it Sergent?

Sgt. Horvath:
Soldier, you are way out of line.

Pvt. Reiben:
[At Miller] Yes, sir. That was one hell of a call coming to take this nest, but...The hell, we lost one of our guys going for it. I swear, I hope Mama Ryan's real f***ing happy knowing that little Jimmy's life is a little bit more important than two of our guys! But then again, we haven't even found him yet, have we?! HAVE WE?! [Sgt. Horvath grabs Reiben and throws him to the ground and attempts to grab him again.] Get the hell off me.

Sgt. Horvath:
Reiben, get up. [Reiben gets off the ground] Gear up. Fall in.

Pvt. Reiben:
I'm done with this mission. [Reiben walks away and Horvath runs toward him.]

Sgt. Horvath:
Hey! HEY!

Cpl. Upham:
[At Horvath] Sir...

Sgt. Horvath:
[At Reiben] Don't you walk away from your captain. Reiben, get back in line!

Pvt. Reiben:
No, sir. I'll spend for the rest of my life in the stockade if I have to, but I'm done with this. [Horvath pull out a pistol on him]

Sgt. Horvath:
[Aims the pistol at Reiben] I'm not gonna ask you again, soldier. Fall in!

Cpl. Upham:
Captain!

Pvt. Jackson:
Aw, now this is bullshit.

Sgt. Horvath:
FALL IN.

Pvt. Reiben:
You gonna shoot me over Ryan?

Sgt. Horvath:
No, I'm gonna shoot you 'cause I don't like ya.

Pvt. Jackson:
Sarge, if he wants to go, just let him go!

Cpl. Upham:
[At Miller] Are you letting this happen?! Captain! You see this?!

Pvt. Mellish:
Captain, sir. Sir, Ryan's dead.

Cpl. Upham:
Bullshit!

Pvt. Jackson:
Sir, we have a situation you might...

Cpl. Upham:
That is Bullshit!

Pvt. Mellish:
Captain, I have a sixth sense about these things. I know it in my bones.

Pvt. Reiben:
[At Horvath] You didn't kill that son-of-a-b*tch Kraut, now you're gonna shoot me?

Sgt. Horvath:
He's better than you.

Pvt. Reiben:
Then why don't you just do it, Sarge? Do it man. Put one in my leg and give me that...

Sgt. Horvath:
I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU IN YOUR BIG GODDAMN MOUTH!!!

Pvt. Reiben:
Well, put your money where your mouth is and do it then! Do it! Pull the trigger already!

Sgt. Horvath:
You don't know when to shut up. You don't know how to shut up.

Cpl. Upham:
[At Miller] Captain, please.

Capt. Miller:
[At Upham] What's the pool on me up to?

Sgt. Horvath:
[At Reiben] YOU ARE A COWARD SON-OF-A-B*TCH!!!

Pvt. Reiben:
[At Horvath] I'm waiting, Sarge.

Capt Miller:
[At Horvath; breaks up argument] Mike, what's the pool on me up to? Wha-Wha-What it is up to? Wh-What is it up to? 300? 300 dollars? 300? Is that it? I'm a schoolteacher. [Pause] I teach English composition in this little town called Addley, Pennsylvania. It's uh...Last 11 years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was a coach of a baseball team in the springtime.

Sgt. Horvath:
I'll be doggone.

Capt Miller:
Back home, I tell people what I do for a living, they think, "Well, that figures." But over here, it a...a big...a big mystery. So I guess I changed some. Sometimes, I wonder if I changed so much, if my wife is gonna even recognize me, whenever it is I get back to her. And how I'll ever be able to...to tell her about days like today. Ah, Ryan...I don't know anything about Ryan. I don't care. The man means nothing to me. He's just a name. But if...you know, if going to Ramelle and...finding him so he can go home, if that earns me the right to get back to my wife, well then, that's my mission. [At Reiben] You wanna leave? You wanna go off and fight the war? All right. All right, I won't stop you. I'll even put in the paperwork. Just know, every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel.


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