Why Matt Damon’s WWII Masterpiece Still Feels Like His Greatest Movie 28 Years Later

A mission across occupied France

Set in 1944, the story begins after the US War Department learns that three Ryan brothers have been killed in action and James is missing. Military policy calls for surviving siblings to be sent home, so Captain John H. Miller, played by Tom Hanks, leads eight men to find him.

The squad travels through the wreckage of occupied France, facing danger and personal struggles along the way. The mission is fictional, but it echoes the experiences of the Niland brothers, whose surviving brother was sent home after three of them were killed or captured.

A striking D-Day opening

Spielberg opens with the landing at Normandy’s Omaha Beach. The sequence lasts about 24 minutes and portrays the violence and confusion of the front line through techniques that place viewers close to the soldiers’ experience.

Ordinary soldiers, lasting sacrifice

The story’s focus extends beyond the search for Ryan. Miller’s post-traumatic stress disorder, the soldiers’ disagreements and their bets about Miller’s life before the war help portray the varied experiences of those who served.

When the squad finds Ryan, he is an ordinary young man determined to do his duty and stay with his comrades. The final fight and emotional coda emphasize the cost of sacrifice, while Damon’s character remains the person around whom the mission turns.