Director
Steven Spielberg
Leading Actors/Actresses
Tom Hanks and Matt Damon
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, and Barry Pepper
Genre
War
Language
English
Awards
The film received five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. It was nominated for several more Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and was nominated for several other important awards.
Date of Release
July 24, 1998
Producer
Steven Spielberg, Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn
Setting and Context
The film is set during World War II. It is set during the D-Day invasion in June 1944.
Narrator and Point of View
The film is told from a third-person point of view.
Tone and Mood
The film's tone is intense and somber. Its mood is gritty, violent, and realistic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Captain Miller is the film's primary protagonist; the Nazis are its anatagonist.
Major Conflict
Cpt. Miller's mission is to find and rescue Private James Ryan from the grip of the Nazis.
Climax
The battle of Ramelle, where Captain Miller saves Private Ryan and sacrifices himself, is the climax of the film.
Foreshadowing
At the start of the film, an elderly Private Ryan visits the graves of his fallen comrades in the current day. This foreshadows the eventual death and destruction that come throughout the film.
Understatement
By focusing on one squad, the film understates the sheer enormity of WWII and D-Day.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
N/A
Allusions
There are allusions to historical events in World War II, including D-Day and the Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, and other figures.
Paradox
To save one man (Private Ryan), Captain Miller and countless others sacrifice themselves.
Parallelism
N/A
