The film begins with an elderly World War II veteran and his family visiting the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-mer; Normandy,France.The scene then cuts to the morning of June 6,1944,the beginning of the Normandy invasion,with American soldiers preparing for the perils of landing on Omaha Beach and struggling against dug-in German infantry,machine gun nests,and artillery fire,which cut down many of the men.Captain John H.Miller,commanding officer of Charlie Company,2nd Ranger Battalion,survives the initial landing and assembles a group of soldiers to slowly penetrate the German defenses,leading to a breakout from the beach.
The scene then shifts to the United States where General George Marshall is informed that three of four brothers in the Ryan family have all died within days of each other and that their mother will receive all three notices on the same day.He learns that the fourth son,Private First Class James Francis Ryan of Baker Company,506th Parachute Infantry Regiment,101st Airborne Division is missing in action somewhere in Normandy.After reading to his staff Abraham Lincoln's letter to Mrs.Bixby,Marshall orders that Ryan be found and sent home immediately.
Back in France,three days after D-Day,Miller receives orders to find Ryan.He assembles six Rangers from his company,plus one Corporal Upham detailed from the 29th Infantry Division,who speaks fluent French and German,to accomplish the task.With no information about Ryan's whereabouts,Miller and his men move out to Neuville.On the outskirts of Neuville they meet a platoon from the 101st.After entering the town,Private Caparzo is fatally wounded by a sniper,who is in turn shot and killed by Private Jackson.They locate a Private James Fredrick Ryan from Minnesota but soon realize their mistake.They find a member of Charlie Company,506th,who informs them that his drop zone was at Vierville and that Baker and Charlie companies had the same rally point.Once they reach the rally point,Miller locates a friend of Ryan's,who reveals that Ryan is defending a strategically-important bridge over the Merderet River in the fictional town of Ramelle.
On the way to Ramelle,Miller decides to take the opportunity to neutralize a small German machine gun position close to an abandoned radar station,despite the misgivings of his men.Wade,their medic,is fatally wounded in the ensuing skirmish.The last surviving German,known only as "Steamboat Willie",incurs the wrath of all the squad members except Upham,who protests to Miller about letting the squad kill the German soldier.The German pleads for his life and Miller decides to let him walk away,blindfolded,and surrender himself to the next Allied patrol.Viewing Miller's decision as letting the enemy go free,and no longer confident in Miller's leadership,Private Reiben declares his intention to desert the squad and the mission,prompting a confrontation with Sergeant Horvath.The argument heats up,until Miller defuses the situation by revealing his pre-war occupation as an English teacher,a question upon which the squad had set up a betting pool.Reiben then reluctantly decides to stay.
The squad finally arrives on the outskirts of Ramelle,where they help three paratroopers destroy a German halftrack.Among the paratroopers is Private Ryan.After entering Ramelle,Ryan is told of his brothers' deaths,and their mission to bring him home,and that two lives had been lost in the quest to find him.He is distressed at the loss of his brothers,but does not feel it is fair to go home,asking Miller to tell his mother "when you found me I was here,and I was with the only brothers I have left," looking at the small band whose duty it was to defend a bridge and destroy an approaching German mechanized unit.Miller decides to take command and defend the bridge,setting up a creative defense plan with what little manpower and resources available.
The Germans arrive in force with more than 50 men supported by armor.In spite of inflicting heavy German casualties,most of the paratroopers,and Miller's squad (Jackson,Mellish and Horvath),are killed.While attempting to blow the bridge,Miller is shot and fatally wounded.Just before a Tiger Tank reaches the bridge,an American P-51 Mustang flies over and destroys it,followed by more Mustangs and advancing American infantry and M4 Sherman tanks who rout the remaining Germans.Upham executes "Steamboat Willie" upon finding him with a group of surrendering Germans.Ryan,Reiben,and Upham are the only survivors of the battle.Ryan is with Miller as he dies and says his last words,"James...earn this.Earn it."
Back in the present,the elderly veteran is revealed to be Ryan at Miller's grave.He asks his wife to confirm that he has led a good life and that he is a "good man," and thus worthy of the sacrifice of Miller and the others.He then salutes Miller's grave as the camera pans down the gravestones to a placid American flag and fades out as it shows the number of men who died during fighting in Normandy.