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On Omaha Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944 -- 0630 Hours
At the Farm House
In the Countryside
In A Village
In the Town
 
 

Comments on Miller (Hanks)
Comments on Snipers & Rifles
Comments on the German Soldiers
Comments on the Bell Tower
Comments on Tanks
General Comments

American Military Cemetery, Normandy, France (Present Day)
[00:00:00 into the movie]

• When old James Ryan is at the Army Memorial Graveyard at the beginning of the movie he falls to his knees in front of Tom Hank's grave. The family comforts him. But at the end of the movie, when he is there, the family is far away from him as he is looking at Tom Hanks (Captain something...) grave. Are we lead to believe the family BACKED up after Ryan has had an emotional breakdown?!? Anonymous
• [Reply: Actually, the first time old James Ryan falls on his knees (at the beginning of the movie), it is in front of his brother's grave and not Capt.. Miller's. Rob Holmes]
• [Reply: I think that you will find that Anonymous was right... it was Capt. Millers grave stone he was looking at, at the beginning. Marfell]
• [Reply: Actually, your all wrong, The old Ryan was falling down in front of a grave of his brother. Then the story starts, in the movie, it makes you think that Tom Hanks is the old man at the start of the movie. It isn't till the end that we find out Hank's dies, and Ryan is the survivor. If you notice at the end of the movie Ryan is standing in front of John Millers (Hanks) grave but now he is somewhere in the middle of the cemetery, and in the beginning he was near the edge buy the side walk. Deak Lyden]
• James has the flashbacks of the war while mourning in front of Tom Hank's grave. But he has flashbacks about what happened to Tom Hanks on Omaha Beach. How could he possibly know what happened there when he was babysitting a bridge miles away?!? Anonymous
• While Captain Miller and his squad searched for him, go to the scene where they attack the half track... when they meet the make-shift squad (bridge babysitters), Ryan introduces himself and unit, Ryan - 506th. The 506th parachuted inland hours before the beach landings began. Ryan would not have seen the battles of the beaches. I don't think that the flashback was intended to convince you that it was only him, it was just a way of blending the story together. GFM2310
• Private Ryan wouldn't have been babysitting a bridge during the D-day landings. The D-day landings were when the Allies (other than pre-invasion paratroopers, reconnaissance, etc.), including Ryan, arrived to liberate France. Ryan and his outfit would have gone through the same horrors as Captain Miller, but apparently Ryan's outfit continued to push inland and were ordered to advance and then hold the town. One purpose of the landings was to establish a beach/landing zone/embarkation point for all of the subsequent troops and materials to come ashore, but another was to push the Axis forces back and win strategic strongholds. (Think about the whole "to take this, you have to take that, to take that you have to take . . . ." discussion.) But it's true that Ryan wouldn't be able to "reminisce" about Captain Miller receiving the assignment to find Ryan. C. Parkinson Lloyd
• Ryan and his outfit would not have gone through the same horrors as Captain Miller because Ryan's outfit was the airborne. He would have been parachuted behind enemy lines the night before or much earlier that morning so Ryan would have never landed on the beach. He could therefore have already been in Remel (the town with the bridge) for some time. Kevlito