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S A V I N G   P R I V A T E   R Y A N



               S A V I N G   P R I V A T E   R Y A N

               by Robert Roday

               (Early Draft)

               Typed for the Internet by:
               David Pritchett screenwryter@hotmail.com

               --------------------------------------------------------------

               FADE IN:

               CREDITS:  White lettering over a back background.  The
               THUNDEROUS SOUNDS OF A MASSIVE NAVAL BARRAGE are heard.  The
               power is astonishing.  It roars through the body, blows back
               the hair and rattles the ears.

               FADE IN:

               EXT. OMAHA BEACH - NORMANDY - DAWN

               The ROAR OF NAVAL GUNS continues but now WE SEE THEM FIRING.
               Huge fifteen inch guns.

               SWARM OF LANDING CRAFT

               Heads directly into a nightmare.  MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS from
               German artillery shells and mined obstacles tear apart the
               beach.  Hundreds of German machine guns, loaded with tracers,
               pour out a red snowstorm of bullets.

                                     OFFSHORE
                         SUPERIMPOSITION:

                                     OMAHA BEACH, NORMANDY
                         June 6, 1944

                                     0600 HOURS
                         HUNDREDS OF LANDING CRAFT Each holding
                         thirty men, near the beaches.

                                     THE CLIFFS
                         At the far end of the beach, a ninety-
                         foot cliff.  Topped by bunkers.
                         Ringed by fortified machine gun nests.
                         A clear line-of-fire down the entire
                         beach.

                                     TEN LANDING CRAFT
                         Make their way toward the base of
                         the cliffs.  Running a gauntlet of
                         explosions.

                                     SUPERIMPOSITION:
                         THE FOLLOWING IS BASED ON A TRUE
                         STORY THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT Plows
                         through the waves.

               THE CAMERA MOVES PAST THE FACES OF THE MEN

               Boys.  Most are eighteen or nineteen years old.  Tough.
               Well-trained.  Trying to block out the fury around them.

               A DIRECT HIT ON A NEARBY LANDING CRAFT

               A huge EXPLOSION of fuel, fire, metal and flesh.

               THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT

               The Motorman holds his course.  Shells EXPLODE around them.
               FLAMING OIL BURNS on the water.  CANNON FIRE SMASHES into
               the bow.

               THE MOTORAMAN IS RIPPED TO BITS

               BLOOD AND FLESH shower the men behind him.  The mate takes
               the controls.

                                     A YOUNG SOLDIER
                         His face covered with the remains of
                         the motorman.  Starts to lose it.
                         Begins to shudder and weep.  His
                         name is DeLancey.

               THE BOYS AROUND HIM

               Do their best to stare straight ahead.  But the fear infects
               them.  It starts to spread.

                                     A FIGURE
                         Pushes through the men.  Puts himself
                         in front of DeLancey.

               The figure is CAPTAIN JOHN MILLER.  Early thirties.  By far
               the oldest man on the craft.  Relaxed, battle-hardened,
               powerful, ignoring the hell around them.  He smiles, puts a
               cigar in his mouth, strikes a match on the front of DeLancey's
               helmet and lights the cigar.

               DeLancey tries to look away but Miller grips him by the jaw
               and forces him to lock eyes.  Miller smiles.  DeLancey is
               terrified.

               Delancey Captain, are we all gonna die?

               Miller Hell no, two-thirds, tops.

               Delancey Oh, Jesus...

               Miller I want every one of you to look at the man on your
               left.  Now look at the man on your right.  Feel sorry for
               those to sons-of-bitches, they're going to get it, you're
               not going to get a scratch.  A few, including DeLancey, manage
               thin smiles.  Miller releases his grip on DeLancey who moves
               his jaw as if to see if it's broken.  Miller pats him on the
               cheek and moves on to the bow.

                                     MILLER
                         Looks over the gunwale at THE HELL
                         IN FRONT OF THEM.

               PAN DOWN TO MILLER'S HAND

               It quivers in fear.  Miller glances around, sees that none
               of the men have noticed.  He stares at his hand as if it
               belongs to someone else.  It stops shaking.  He turns his
               eyes back to the objective.

               THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT HITS THE BEACH

               The six surviving boats alongside.

               EXPLOSIVE PROPELLED GRAPPLING HOOKS FIRE

               From the landing crafts.  Arc toward the top of the cliffs.

               THE LEAD CRAFT RAMP GOES DOWN

               A river of MACHINE GUN FIRE pours into the craft.  A dozen
               men are INSTANTLY KILLED.  Among them, DeLancey.

                                     MILLER
                         Somehow survives.  Jumps into the
                         breakers.

                                     MILLER
                         MOVE, GODDAMN IT!  GO!  GO!  GO!

                                     EXPLOSIONS EVERYWHERE
                         THE GERMANS On the edge of the cliff.
                         Rain down MACHINE GUN FIRE and
                         GRENADES.

                                     THE AMERICANS
                         Struggle through the surf.  FIRING
                         up as best they can.  Making for the
                         base of the cliffs.

               INCENDIARY GRENADES, HURLED FROM ABOVE,

               EXPLODE, SPREADING FIRE

                                     MILLER
                         Ignores the EXPLOSIONS and BULLETS.
                         Uses hand signals and curt orders.

                                     MILLER
                         THERE!  THERE!  HOOKS THERE!  FIRE
                         SQUAD, THOSE ROCKS!

                                     THE MEN
                         Obey instantly.  Set the grappling
                         hooks.  Take position.  Return fire.

               THE SOUNDS OF BATTLE

               Drown out most voices.  Except the SCREAMS OF THE WOUNDED
               AND DYING.

                                     THE MEN
                         Know what they have to do.  Start up
                         the ropes.  Into the teeth of the
                         German defenders.

                                     MILLER
                         Back-straps his Thompson sub-machine
                         gun.  Starts climbing with the first
                         group.

                                     THE CLIFF FACE
                         The Americans swarm up the ropes.
                         Taking turns firing up at the Germans.

               MILLER SEES A STALLED CLIMBER

               A soft-faced boy.  Grabs him by the back of his collar.
               Roughly yanks him up.  Nearly choking him.  They boy climbs
               on.

                                     HALF-WAY
                         An American private is HIT.  FALLS,
                         taking two others with him.  All
                         three land on the rocks below.
                         Another way to die.

                                     NEAR THE TOP
                         Less steep.  They leave the ropes.
                         Free climb, scrambling up the rocks.

                                     MILLER
                         Joins half-a-dozen pinned down men.
                         Others bottleneck behind them.  Miller
                         scans the route and the defenders.

               Sees an open gap.  Deadly.  Beyond is a protective overhang.
               With a clear line to the top.

                                     MILLER
                         That's the route.

               Miller motions to six men huddled near him.

                                     MILLER
                         Go!

                                     THE SIX MEN
                         Take an instant to get ready.  Then
                         SCRAMBLE into the gap.

               MILLER AND THE OTHERS

               Do their best to cover them.  POUR FIRE up at the Germans.
               Bad angle.  No Germans are hit.

                                     THE SIX MEN
                         Are CUT TO RIBBONS by MACHINE GUN
                         FIRE.  All KILLED.  They fall to the
                         rocks below.

               SARGE, mid-twenties, experienced, Miller's right arm and
               best friend, dives into the rocks next to Miller.

               Sarge That's a goddamned shooting gallery, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         It's the only way.

                                     MILLER
                         Turns to the next half-dozen men.

                                     MILLER
                         YOU'RE NEXT!

                                     THE SECOND SIX
                         Move to the head of the gap.  Miller
                         moves for a better angle against the
                         machine guns.  Calls to JACKSON, a
                         tall, gangly Southern country boy,
                         sharp-shooter.

                                     MILLER
                         JACKSON, PICK OFF A FEW OF THEM,
                         WILL YOU?

                                     JACKSON
                              (heavy Southern accent)
                         You betcha, Captain.

               Miller signals others where to direct their cover fire.
               Turns to the second six.

                                     MILLER
                         GO!

                                     THE SECOND SIX
                         Take deep breaths.  Head into the
                         gap.

               MILLER AND OTHERS BLAST SURPRISING FIRE

               JACKSON, NAILS a pair of Germans.  MILLER CUTS DOWN two more.
               SARGE gets one.  Not enough.

                                     THE SECOND SIX
                         Are RAKED BY MACHINE GUNS.  All are
                         KILLED.

                                     MILLER
                         Turns, looking for the next six.
                         His eyes fall on Sarge and REIBEN
                         who is a cynical, sharp, New Yorker.
                         Reiben smiles.

                                     REIBEN
                              (heavy Brooklyn accent)
                         Captain, can I put in for a transfer?

                                     MILLER
                         Sure, meet me at the top, we'll start
                         the paperwork.

                                     THE THIRD SIX
                         Moves into place.  Sarge and Miller
                         exchange a look.  They both see the
                         madness of what they're doing.

               MILLER AND THE OTHERS

               OPEN UP on the Germans.

                                     MILLER
                         GO!

                                     SARGE
                         Rolls his eyes, takes a breath.
                         Scrambles into the gap.  The other
                         five right behind.

                                     IN THE GAP
                         BULLETS EVERYWHERE.

               Three are HIT.  Then another.  POTATO MASHER GRENADES bounce
               down.  EXPLODE below.

               THE GERMAN MACHINE GUN swings toward Sarge and Reiben.  Miller
               sees them about to get it...  MILLER STEPS OUT INTO THE OPEN.

               A perfect target.  Captain's bars glinting.  FIRING.  TRYING
               TO DRAW THE GERMAN FIRE.

               THE GERMAN MACHINE GUNNER

               SEES MILLER STANDING IN THE OPEN.  Too much to pass up.  He
               swings the machine gun away from Sarge and Reiben, toward
               Miller.

               A ROW OF GERMAN BULLETS approaches Miller...he's an instant
               from death.

               SARGE AND REIBEN DIVE

               Under the overhang to safety.

               MILLER DIVES BACK TO COVER, BARELY MAKES IT, HIS BOOT HEAL
               IS BLOWN OFF.

               UNDER THE OVERHANG Sarge and Reiben untangle themselves.

                                     REIBEN
                         I'll be Goddamned!  I'm not dead!

               Sarge hollers back to Miller.

                                     SARGE
                         CAPTAIN, IF YOUR MOTHER SAW YOU DO
                         THAT, SHE'D BE VERY UPSET!

                                     MILLER
                         I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY MOTHER.

               Quick smiles.  MILLER AND HIS RANGERS lean out and FIRE.
               HIT more Germans.

               SARGE AND REIBEN run up the path, under the overhang.  Stop
               near the top.  Pull pins on grenades.  Count.  Both throw
               long, arcing over the crest, perfectly aimed.

               THE TWO GRENADES EXPLODE.

               Putt out the two worst machine gun nests.

                                     MILLER
                         Crosses the gap.  His men follow.

                                     AT THE CREST
                         The Americans swarm over the top.
                         FIRING.

               TWO DOZEN GERMANS FIRE BACK as they retreat.

               Abandoning the perimeter defense of the bunkers.  The Germans
               are CUT DOWN.

               MILLER motions to WADE, a small, wide-eyed, demolition man
               who's struggling under the weight of half-a dozen satchel
               charges.

                                     MILLER
                         Okay, Wade, your turn.

               Wade Captain, I love it when you say that.

               Miller, Sarge, Reiben and Jackson cover Wade as he races to
               the first of three bunkers.  Dodging bullets from inside.
               Wade tosses a SATCHEL CHARGE into a gun port.  A HUGE, MUFFLED
               EXPLOSION, rocks the bunker.

                                     MILLER AND SARGE
                         Survey the field.

                                     SARGE
                         What the hell were you doing?  Drawing
                         fire!

                                     MILLER
                         Worked, didn't it?

                                     SARGE
                         You tryin' to get yourself killed?

                                     MILLER
                         Don't need to, the Krauts go that
                         covered.

               Sarge shakes his head at Miller, then he looks over the cliff
               at the scores of men, their shattered, burning bodies covering
               the rocks and the beach below.  He's clearly affected.

               Miller coldly glances at the dead and wounded.  Then he moves
               on, leading his surviving men toward the two remaining German
               bunkers.  The SOUNDS OF BIG GUNS and MACHINE GUNS FIRE
               surround him.  DISSOLVE TO:

               EXT. WAR DEPARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

               The SOUND OF CLATTERING MACHINE GUN FIRE SEGUES TO that of
               CLATTERING TYPEWRITERS.  A huge government building stands
               in the heart of Washington, D.C.

                                     SUPERIMPOSITION:
                         WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.

               JUNE 8, 1944

               INT. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - WAR DEPT. - DAY

               Very busy.  A dozen, somber military clerks work behind desks,
               quickly and efficiently.  No small talk.

                                     A CLERK
                         Older than the others, sad-eyed,
                         adds a sheet of paper to a large
                         pile in his out-box.

                                     CLOSE SHOT
                         An outgoing telegram.  It reads:
                         "We regret to inform you...killed in
                         action...heroic service..."  This is
                         the paperwork of death.

                                     THE CLERK
                         Pulls out a file.  Reads.  Finds
                         something troubling.  Quickly shuffles
                         through some other papers.  Finds
                         what he's looking for.  Rises from
                         his desk and hurries out of the
                         office.

               INT. LIEUTENANT'S OFFICE - WAR DEPT. - DAY

               Seen through the glass wall.  The clerk speaks to a YOUNG
               LIEUTENANT who is visibly shaken by what he is being told.
               He motions to the clerk to follow and he strides out of the
               office with the clerk on his heels.

               INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - WAR DEPT. - DAY

               Again, seen through a glass wall.  The Young Lieutenant speaks
               to a YOUNG CAPTAIN who, like the Lieutenant is clearly
               bothered by what he's being told.  The Captain takes the
               papers from the Young Lieutenant and strides out.

               INT. COLONEL'S OFFICE - WAR DEPT. - DAY

               A busy office.  Aides and secretaries scurry about.  The
               walls and tables are covered with maps of Normandy and complex
               deployment charts.  A ONE-ARMED COLONEL with a chest full of
               ribbons pours himself another cup of coffee.  He clearly
               hasn't slept in a long time.  The Young Captain, his staff
               officer, walks in.

               Young captain Colonel, I've got something you should know
               about.

               One-armed colonel Yes?

               Young captain Two brothers died in Normandy.  One at Omaha
               Beach, the other at Utah.  Last week in Guam a third brother
               was killed in action.  All three telegrams went out this
               morning.  Their mother in Iowa is getting all three telegrams
               this afternoon.

               The life drains from the Colonel.  Others in the room hear
               and freeze.

               One-armed colonel Oh, Jesus.

               Young captain There's more.  There's a fourth brother.  The
               youngest.  He parachuted in with the Hundred-and-First
               Airborne the night before the invasion.  He's on the front.

               One-armed colonel Is he alive?

               Young captain We don't know.

               The Colonel regains his bearings.  Stands and motions curtly
               to the Captain.  One-armed colonel Come with me.

               The Colonel regains his bearings.  Stands and motions curtly
               to the Captain.

               One-armed colonel Come with me.

               The Colonel strides from the room with the Captain on his
               heels.  The aides and secretaries watch them go.

               EXT. FARM ROAD - IOWA - DAY

               A black car drives along a dirt road, a cloud of dust rising
               behind.  Passing through an endless expanse of ripening corn.

               EXT. RYAN FARM - IOWA - DAY

               A whit farmhouse.  A barn.  A stand of trees.  Cornfields as
               far as the eye can see.

                                     IN THE YARD
                         A tire swing.  A bushel basket nailed
                         to the barn over a dirt basketball
                         court.

                                     A PORCH SWING
                         Sits empty.  Moves slightly.

               ON THE GLASS OF THE FRONT DOOR

               Four American flag decals.  Each one, a man in service.

                                     MARGARET RYAN
                         Steps out.  Around sixty.  Her face
                         shows the lines of a life of hard
                         work and mother hood.  A good woman.

               She wipes her hands on her apron and looks out across the
               fields.  Far in the distance she sees the dust rising behind
               the black car.

               She watches the car get closer, then sees it turn toward her
               house.  She starts to grow uneasy.

               As the black car approaches, her breath comes hard.  She
               reaches out and steadies herself on the porch post.

               The car pulls up to the house.  She sees three men get out,
               one wearing a clerical collar.  The first of her tears come.

               INT. GENERAL MARSHALL'S OFFICE - WAR DEPARTMENT - DAY

               Another busy office filled with aides and secretaries.
               GENERAL GEORGE MARSHALL, Army Chief of Staff, stands next to
               his conference table, reading the Ryan brother' files.  Half-
               a-dozen subordinates, among them the one-armed Colonel and
               the Young Captain, wait.  General Marshall puts down the
               file.

                                     GENERAL MARSHALL
                              (softly)
                         Goddamn it.

               One-armed colonel All four of them were in the same company
               in the 29th Infantry but we split them up after the Sullivan
               brothers died on the Juneau.

                                     GENERAL MARSHALL
                         Any contact with the fourth brother,
                         James?

               One-armed colonel No, sir.  He was dropped about thirty miles
               inland, near Ramelle.  That's still deep behind German lines.

               General Marshall hardens.

                                     GENERAL MARSHALL
                         Well, if he's alive, we're going to
                         send someone to get him the hell out
                         of there.  That's just what the
                         General's staff wanted to hear.

               EXT. NORMANDY - CRATER FIELD - DAY

               NEAR CONSTANT MORTAR EXPLOSIONS.  HEAVY MACHINE GUN FIRE.
               Miller's Ranger company is pinned down by a superior force
               of German troops.  The Americans hug the bottoms of the
               craters, FIRING BACK as best they can.  BIG GUNS THUNDER in
               the distance.

                                     SUPERIMPOSITION:
                         Normandy 1300 hours June 9

                                     MILLER
                         Trailed by a RADIOMAN, dashes through
                         the fire and dives into a sludge-
                         filled crater.  He surfaces, sees
                         Sarge and Reiben, and reels from a
                         horrific smell.  Their conversation
                         is repeatedly broken by FIRING And
                         DUCKING GERMAN FIRE.

                                     MILLER
                         Jesus Christ!  What the hell are we
                         swimming in?

                                     REIBEN
                         Shit, sir.

                                     SARGE
                         Fertilizer, Captain, I think we're
                         in a cranberry bog.

                                     REIBEN
                         Out of the frying pan, into the
                         fucking latrine.

                                     MILLER
                         Look at the bright side, the Krauts
                         sure as hell don't want to advance
                         and hold this cesspool.

               Miller barks to his RADIOMAN.

                                     MILLER
                         Get Fire Control, we need some
                         artillery...

               Radioman Trying, sir.

               MORE EXPLOSIONS.  They all duck.  Reiben's worried.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sir, what if they send some other
                         company into Caen ahead of us while
                         we're pinned down here?

                                     MILLER
                         Don't worry, we're the only Rangers
                         this side of the continent, we've
                         got to be first into Caen.

                                     SARGE
                         Who cares?

                                     REIBEN
                         I care.  Don't you know what Caen's
                         famous for, Sarge?

                                     SARGE
                         Frogs?

                                     REIBEN
                         Lingerie.

                                     SARGE
                         Yeah?  So?

               THE GERMAN FIRE diminishes for an instant.  Miller, Sarge
               and Reiben immediately rise and POUR FIRE at the German
               positions.  GERMAN MACHINE GUN FIRE RESPONDS and they duck
               down again.

                                     REIBEN
                         So, you ever heard of employee
                         discounts?  My uncle sells shoes,
                         gets twenty-five percent off
                         everything in the line, got a closet
                         filled with the best looking shoes
                         you ever seen.

               MORE MORTAR EXPLOSIONS.

                                     REIBEN
                         Just picture some French number been
                         spending all day, every day, making
                         cream-colored, shear-body negligees
                         with gentle-lift silk cups and
                         gathered empire waists, what the
                         hell you think she wears at night?

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, how the hell do you know so
                         much about lingerie?

                                     REIBEN
                         Lingerie is my life, sir.  My mother's
                         got a shop in Brooklyn, I grew up in
                         it, from the time I could crawl, we
                         carry Caen lingerie, it's the best
                         there is, it's all I been thinking
                         about since the invasion.

               Another pause in the German shelling.  Reiben rises and BLASTS
               HIS B.A.R, then ducks as the GERMANS RETURN FIRE.

                                     MILLER
                         There's a war on, good chance they're
                         not still making lingerie in Caen.

                                     REIBEN
                         Oh, Captain, they'll always make
                         lingerie, it's one of the three basic
                         needs of man -- food, shelter, silk
                         teddies.  Miller Dream on, private.

                                     REIBEN
                         Happy to, sir.

               Radioman Captain, I've got Command, they want you back at
               H.Q., right away.

                                     MILLER
                         Maybe the war's over.

               A MORTAR SHELL EXPLODES VERY CLOSE.  After the debris stops
               falling, Sarge and Reiben rise, spitting out sludge.  Reiben
               looks dubiously at Miller.

                                     REIBEN
                         I don't think so, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                              (to Radioman)
                         Stay at it until you get fire control.
                              (to Sarge)
                         Keep 'em down, wait for the navy.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller waits for a pause in the MORTAR BARRAGE, then scrambles
               out of the crater and takes off in a crouch-run.

               EXT. NORMANDY - FIELD H.Q. - 19TH INFANTRY - DAY

               Chaos.  Under fire.  INTERMITTENT MORTARS, SOME BIG GERMAN
               SHELLS and fairly close SMALL ARMS FIRE.

                                     MILLER
                         Runs over the broken ground and makes
                         it to the sandbagged H.Q.  He stumbles
                         down the make-shift stairs.

               INT. H.Q. SANDBAGGED BUNKER - DAY

               Sand and dirt falls with the closest of the EXPLOSIONS which
               continue through the scene.  Miller salutes a Major.

                                     MILLER
                         Miller, Company B, Second Rangers.

               Major Go on in.

               Miller goes deeper into the H.Q. bunker where he finds a
               dozen officers with as many aides, runners and radiomen.
               Very busy.  A field map dominates the center of the small
               space.

               The men in the room note Miller, a few nod to him
               respectfully.  He's clearly someone special.

               COLONEL SAM ANDERSON is in command, talking on a field-phone.
               He's about fifty, firm and steady, the calm at the eye of
               the storm.  He sees Miller and motions for him to wait.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                              (into field-phone)
                         ...I understand your problem, but if
                         we don't get those tanks off-loaded
                         by 0600, we're going to have an entire
                         division up at Caen with its ass
                         hanging out of its pants...

               A LIEUTENANT steps up to Miller and hands him a sheet of
               paper.

               Lieutenant Captain, here's your company address list.

                                     MILLER
                         My what?

               Lieutenant For letters to the families of your killed-in-
               action.

               Miller hands the list back to the Lieutenant.

                                     MILLER
                         Find a chaplain.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                              (into field-phone)
                         ...alright, let me know when.

               Anderson hangs up, speaks to an AIDE.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Have the Second and Third Regiments
                         hold at St. Michel until we get those
                         tanks.  Aide Yes, sir.

               Colonel Anderson turns to Miller.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Report.

                                     MILLER
                         Sector four is secured, we put out
                         the last three German one-fifty-fives,
                         found them about two miles in from
                         Ponte du Hoc.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Resistance?

                                     MILLER
                         A company, Wehrmacht, no artillery,
                         we took twenty-three prisoners, turned
                         them over to intelligence.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Casualties?

                                     MILLER
                         Fourty-four, twenty one dead.

               An instant of SILENCE, all hear, none look.

                                     MILLER
                         They didn't want to give up those
                         one-fifty-fives, sir.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         It was a hard assignment, that's why
                         you got it.

                                     MILLER
                         Yes, sir.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Where are your men now?

                                     MILLER
                         Pinned down, a mile east of here,
                         waiting for some help from the navy
                         guns.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         I'm sending Simpson to take over for
                         you, the division is going to Caen,
                         you're not coming with us, I have
                         something else for you.

                                     MILLER
                         Sir?

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         There's a Private James Ryan who
                         parachuted in with the Hundred-and-
                         First near Ramelle.  I want you to
                         take a squad up there.  If he's alive,
                         bring him back to the beach for
                         debarkation.  Take whoever you need,
                         you've got your pick of the company.

                                     MILLER
                         A private, sir?

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         He's the last of four brothers, the
                         other three were killed in action.
                         This is straight from the Chief of
                         Staff.

                                     MILLER
                         But, sir...I...I...

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Spit it out, Captain.

               MILLER HESITATES, THEN:

                                     MILLER
                         Respectfully, sir, sending men all
                         the way up to Ramelle to save one
                         private doesn't make a fucking,
                         goddamned bit of sense.
                              (beat)
                         Sir.

               The other officers freeze, listening without turning.  Colonel
               Anderson glares at Miller.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         You think just because you hold the
                         Congressional Medal of Honor, you
                         can say any damn thing you please to
                         your superior officers?

               Miller considers the question, then smiles.

                                     MILLER
                         Yes, sir, more or less.

               Colonel Anderson looks as if he's about to bit Miller's head
               off, then he smiles, too.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Alright, I'll give you that.
                         Continue.

                                     MILLER
                         The numbers don't make sense, sir.
                         His brothers are dead, that's too
                         bad, but they're out of the equation.
                         Sending men up there is bleeding
                         heart crapola from three thousand
                         miles away.  One private is simply
                         not worth a squad.  Colonel anderson
                         This one is.  He's worth a lot more
                         than that.  Which is why I'm sending
                         you, you're the best field officer
                         there is.

               Miller Shrugs.

                                     MILLER
                         Yes and no, sir, what about Morgan?
                         Fine officer, regular church goer,
                         writes poetry, he might like a mission
                         like this.
                              (beat)
                         And he's taller than me.

               Colonel Anderson listens with amused tolerance, but it's
               time to get back to business.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         That's enough, Captain, you have
                         your orders.  Major Thomas will fill
                         you in.

               Miller knows when to back off.  He salutes.

                                     MILLER
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller and Colonel Anderson exchange a private look.

                                     COLONEL ANDERSON
                         Good luck, John.

                                     MILLER
                         Thank you, sir.

               Miller joins Major Thomas at one of the smaller map tables.
               Colonel Anderson watches Miller for an instant, then notices
               the other officers in the tent watching.  A glare and they
               go back to work.

               EXT. BATTLESHIP - DAY

               A MASSIVE BARRAGE of fifteen-inch shells BLASTS from the
               deck of the enormous ship.

               EXT. CRATER FIELD - CRANBERRY BOG - DAY

               HUGE EXPLOSIONS.  The big naval shells SLAM into the German
               position on the far side of the cranberry bog crater field.

                                     IN THE CRATERS
                         Miller's Ranger company ducks and
                         covers.  The BARRAGE SUBSIDES.  The
                         Rangers rise, FIRING, leap-frogging
                         from crater to crater, advancing
                         against the remaining Germans who
                         return SMALL ARMS FIRE.

                                     MILLER
                         Crouch-runs and dives into a crater
                         with Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                         Put on your traveling shoes, Sarge,
                         we're heading out.

                                     SARGE
                         Caen?

                                     MILLER
                         I wish.  You and I are taking a squad
                         up to Ramelle on a public relations
                         mission.

                                     SARGE
                         You?  Leading a squad?

                                     MILLER
                         Some private up there lost three
                         brothers, got a ticket home.

                                     SARGE
                         What about the company?

                                     MILLER
                         Simpson.

                                     SARGE
                         Simpson?  Jesus Christ on a fucking
                         pogo stick!

                                     MILLER
                         I want Reiben on B.A.R; Jackson with
                         his sniper rifle; Beasley, demolition.

                                     SARGE
                         Beasley's dead.

                                     MILLER
                         Okay, Wade.  Translators?

                                     SARGE
                         Fresh out.

                                     MILLER
                         What about Talbot?

                                     SARGE
                         Twenty minutes ago.  Miller Damn,
                         I'll go see if I can find another
                         one.  You get Reiben, Jackson and
                         Wade, meet me at transport.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               They wait for a lull in the firing, then scramble out of the
               crater and crouch-run in opposite directions.

               EXT. TRANSPORT H.Q. - NINETEENTH INFANTRY - DAY

               Just in from the beaches.  DISTANT ARTILLERY AND EXPLOSIONS.
               Nothing close.  Dust.  Confusion.  Vehicles of every sort
               moving out.  Tanks, half-tracks, troop trucks.  In the middle
               of the mess, a cigar-chewing SUPPLY SERGEANT works at a make-
               shift desk made out of crate.  He yells at a PRIVATE.

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         GET THOSE GODDAMNED HALF-TRACKS OUT
                         OF THERE!

               Private They're blocked in!

                                     SERGEANT
                         THEN UNBLOCK 'EM!

               SARGE< REIBEN, JACKSON AND WADE

               Wait nearby.  Reiben is beside himself, pacing, muttering.
               The others are relaxed.

                                     MILLER
                         Strides through the chaos, avoiding
                         the passing vehicles.  He sees his
                         men and walks toward them.  Reiben
                         hurries up to Miller, pleading.

                                     REIBEN
                         Please, sir, you can't take me to
                         Ramelle, I gotta go to Caen, sir,
                         please, I told you, they make Caen
                         lingerie there, it's beautiful, it's
                         the best there is, it's...oh, please,
                         sir...

                                     MILLER
                         Sorry, I need a B.A.R. man, you're
                         the best.

                                     REIBEN
                              (desperate)
                         No, I'm not, Kaback is, honest.  Or
                         what about Faulkner?  Or that little
                         guy with the glasses?

                                     MILLER
                         Trust me, you're the best.

                                     REIBEN
                              (whimpering)
                         But, sir...

               Miller jerks his head for his men to follow and he strides
               off toward the Supply Sergeant's table.  Sarge falls in next
               to Miller.

                                     SARGE
                         You get a translator, Captain?

                                     MILLER
                         I've got a line on one.

                                     TRANSPORT OPERATIONS TABLE
                         Chaos.  Vehicles THUNDERING by.  The
                         Supply Sergeant juggles runners and
                         paperwork.  Miller steps up to him.

                                     MILLER
                         Sergeant, I need a truck.

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         Sorry, sir, fresh out of trucks, how
                         'bout a '38 Ford Roadster, hard-top,
                         red with black interior.

                                     MILLER
                         White-walls?

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         No white-walls, sir, there's a war
                         on.
                              (to the Private)
                         NOT THERE, YOU GODDAMNED IDIOT, OVER
                         THERE!
                              (to Miller)
                         I can't help you, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         A half-track, anything.

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         Sorry, sir.  Division is using
                         everything on wheels to get up to
                         Caen.
                              (notices Miller's
                              shoulder patch)
                         How come you guys aren't going?

               Miller ignores the question.  He spies a jeep.

                                     MILLER
                         How about that jeep?

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         That's General Gavin's.  His lap dog
                         told me if anyone breathes on it,
                         I'll get busted and if anyone so
                         much as touches it with their little
                         finger, I'll get court marshaled.
                         If you were to take it, they'd shoot
                         me.

                                     JACKSON
                         Cap'n, does that mean we got to walk
                         all the way up to Ramelle?

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         What's at Ramelle beside a lot of
                         Germans.

                                     MILLER
                         A paratrooper named Ryan.  He's going
                         home, if he's alive.

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         Senator's son?

                                     MILLER
                         No, three brothers of his were killed
                         in action.  Command wants him out of
                         there.

               The Supply Sergeant grunts as if punched in the belly.

                                     SUPPLY SERGEANT
                         Damn...I got a couple brothers...

               Miller looks at him, noting his reaction coldly.  The Supply
               Sergeant shifts his eyes toward General Gavin's jeep.

               EXT. ROAD LEADING FROM TRANSPORT - DAY

               Miller and his men drive off, fast, in General Gavin's jeep.
               Sarge is at the wheel, weaving and bouncing through the bedlam
               of men and vehicles.  Miller rides shotgun.  Reiben, Jackson
               and Wade are crammed in the back.

               The SUPPLY SERGEANT Watches them go.  Behind him, GENERAL
               GAVIN, pure piss and vinegar, strides up, trailed by his
               huge staff.  He looks around for his jeep, comes up empty.

                                     GENERAL GAVIN
                         SERGEANT, WHERE THE HELL IS MY
                         GODDAMNED JEEP!?

               The Supply Sergeant puffs his cigar with a smile and turns
               to take his lumps.

               EXT. ROAD - DAY

               Miller and his men weave through the chaos of the American
               staging area.

                                     MILLER
                         We've got to make one stop.

               Miller points the way for Sarge.

               EXT. INTELLIGENCE TENT - DAY

               Miller and his men skid to a stop in front of a perfectly
               white, taut-lined tent.  A steady stream of ROARING vehicles
               and CHATTERING men move out around them.  DISTANT GUNS RUMBLE.
               SPORADIC MEDIUM-DISTANCE EXPLOSIONS BOOM.  Miller hops out.

                                     MILLER
                         Wait here.

               He strides into the tent.

               INT. INTELLIGENCE TENT - DAY

               Three bookish corporals hover over map tables like studious
               nerds the day before finals.  They're breaking down and
               gridding field maps and covering them in plasticine.  Tedious,
               detailed work.

               One of them is TIM UPHAM, a thin, twenty-four year old,
               patrician with gentle, thoughtful eyes behind his thick
               glasses.  He nervously jumps at the sound of a VERY DISTANT
               EXPLOSION, then he forces himself to concentrate on his work.
               Miller strides in.  Miller I'm looking for Corporal Upham.

               Upham raises his eyes from his map and re-focuses.

               Upham Sir, I'm Upham.

                                     MILLER
                         I understand you speak French and
                         German.

               Upham Yes, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         Do you have an accent?

               Upham A slight one in French.  My German is clean.  It has a
               touch of the Bavarian.

                                     MILLER
                         Good, you've been re-assigned to me,
                         we're going to Ramelle.

               Upham knows enough geography to know what that means.

               Upham Uh, sir, there are Germans up at Ramelle.

                                     MILLER
                         That's my understanding.

               Upham Lots of them.

                                     MILLER
                         Do you have a problem with that,
                         Corporal?

               Upham Sir, I've never been in combat.  I make maps.  I
               translate.

                                     MILLER
                         I need a translator, all mine have
                         been killed.

               Upham But, sir, I haven't held a gun since basic training.

                                     MILLER
                         It'll come back to you.  Get your
                         gear.

               Upham hesitates.

               Upham Sir, may I bring my typewriter?

               Miller looks at him closely, not sure if he's joking.

               Upham I'm writing a book and I...

               Miller's expression gives him his answer.

               Upham Uh, how about a pencil?

                                     MILLER
                         A small one.

               Miller shoos him off.

                                     MILLER
                         Go, go...

               Upham scurries away.  Miller sighs.

               EXT. ROAD LEADING FROM INTELLIGENCE TENT - DAY

               Miller and his men peel out, now with Upham crammed with the
               others in the back of the jeep.  As they drive off, the CAMERA
               CRANES UP to reveal the vast tableau of the biggest invasion
               in military history.

               The scope of the operation is stunning.  The beach is covered
               with mountains of supplies.  A steady stream of vehicles
               winds up the dunes.  Hundreds of barrage balloons, anchored
               by heavy steel cables, hover over the entire scene.  Off-
               shore, a massive Mulberry port is under construction, workers
               swarming over it like ants.  Beyond that, thousands of ships
               and boats of every type and description.  The smoke of
               hundreds of fires rises on the horizon.  EXPLOSIONS, some
               distant, some close, BOOM and RUMBLE.

               It's an awesome, breathtaking sight.  Miller and his tiny
               band of men, weave their way through the middle of it,
               speeding away from the beach, heading inland, leaving the
               bulk of the American Army behind.  Ext. french road - day
               Miller and his men drive fast passing American vehicles and
               infantrymen moving forward.  The sides of the road are
               littered with the debris of burning German vehicles, abandoned
               equipment, bodies.

               Sarge drives.  Miller reads a map.  Upham, cradling a pristine
               M-1 rifle, is all eyes and ears.  Jackson and Wade calmly
               take in the view.  Reiben checks out the close quarters in
               the back of the jeep.

                                     REIBEN
                         Captain, can I ask you a question?

                                     MILLER
                         Sure, Reiben.

                                     REIBEN
                         Where are you planning on putting
                         Private Ryan, sir?

               Miller doesn't raise his eyes from the map.

                                     REIBEN
                              (continuing)
                         It's just that it's kind of crowded
                         back here, I was wondering if you're
                         expecting to have more room on the
                         way back?

               Miller points out a turn to Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                         Left.

               Sarge makes the turn.  Miller folds up the map and pockets
               it.

                                     MILLER
                         Now we've got a straight shot, due
                         north, to Ramelle, twenty-six miles,
                         two villages between here and there,
                         St. Mere, then Bernay.  We'll take
                         the jeep as far as we can, then go
                         on on foot.

                                     SARGE
                         We in radio contact with anybody up
                         there?

                                     MILLER
                         Somebody put the wrong crystals in
                         every one of the Hundred-and-First's
                         radios the night before the drop,
                         not one of them works.  We're going
                         in blind.

                                     REIBEN
                         I usually like surprises.

                                     SARGE
                         What are we likely to run into?

                                     MILLER
                         A fucking mess, two maybe three Kraut
                         divisions, no fronts, no lines, the
                         drops were completely fouled up,
                         we've got little pockets of
                         paratroopers all over the place,
                         trying to hang on.  Command says we
                         hold St. Mere, but north of that,
                         it's all Krauts.  Even if Ryan's
                         where he's supposed to be, he's more
                         than likely dead.

                                     SARGE
                         Hell of a mission.

                                     MILLER
                         Yep, hell of a mission.

               IN THE BACK OF THE JEEP

               Upham avidly takes in everything.  He notices Reiben staring
               at him, grows nervous under his look and offers a hopeful
               smile.

               Upham Hi.  So, uh, you're all Rangers?

               Reiben, Jackson and Wade look at Upham as if he were an
               insect.

               Upham I'm Upham.

               (pointing at his corporal's stripes)

               Ignore these, please, I know all that breaks down in combat.
               Their jaws drop.

                                     REIBEN
                              (to Wade)
                         You want to shoot him, or should I?

               Wade It's not my turn.

                                     REIBEN
                              (politely)
                         Jackson?

                                     JACKSON
                         Hell, no, last time I shot a corporal,
                         Cap'n Miller near bit my head off.

               Upham reacts to the metion of Miller's name.

               Upham Miller?

                                     MILLER
                         I don't want anybody to shoot him,
                         that's an order.  He speaks French
                         and his German has a touch of the
                         Bavarian.

               Upham Sir, are you Captain John Miller?

               Miller sighs, he knows what's coming.

                                     UPHAM
                              (continuing)
                         ...who won the Congressional Medal
                         of Hon...?

               Upham's words are frozen in his throat by the warning glances
               of Miller's men.  Miller himself remains relaxed but stone-
               faced.

               No one speaks for a few seconds, then the moment passes as
               if it had never happened.

                                     REIBEN
                         Captain, I gotta tell you, the irony
                         of this mission is fucking killing
                         me.

                                     MILLER
                         Yeah, how so?

                                     REIBEN
                         I should be on my way to Caen, sir.
                         It's like Beethoven, the guy's one
                         of the greatest composers ever lived
                         and he goes deaf.  Go figure, I mean,
                         who'd he piss off?  And here I am,
                         the Beethoven of ladies foundation
                         garments, one step away from Caen,
                         the center of the known lingerie
                         universe and instead, I'm going to
                         Ramelle to save some fucking private
                         who's probably already dead.

                                     MILLER
                         There's to be a bright side, look
                         for it.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sir, you know what Ramelle is famous
                         for?  Cheese.  The rest of the company
                         is going to Caen and we're going to
                         the goddamned cheese capital of
                         France.  There is no bright side.

                                     MILLER
                         There's always a bright side.

                                     REIBEN
                         I'm listening, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         Well, I, for one, like cheese.

               Wade pipes up cheerfully.

               Wade Hell, I don't mind going to Ramelle, as long as there's
               something up there for me to blow up.

                                     REIBEN
                         Well, you're a happy idiot.

               THEY ROUND A TURN

               SKID TO A STOP AT A:

               BOTTLENECK OF AMERICAN VEHICLES

               A LIEUTENANT is roadmaster.  Miller calls to him.

                                     MILLER
                         How's the road up to St. Mere?

               Lieutenant Bad, sir.  There're some eighty-eights hiding
               somewhere, knocking the hell out of our traffic.

                                     MILLER
                         Anybody getting through?

               Lieutenant The lucky ones.

               Miller nods to Sarge who floors it.  They take off, spraying
               gravel behind them.  Ext. St. Mere Road - day The jeep barrels
               down the road, fast.  The road is pock-marked with craters.
               They pass the wreckage of a pair of American jeeps.  Direct
               hits.  Sarge swerves around them without slowing.

               AN AMERICAN TROOP TRUCK SMOLDERS

               On the side of the road, surrounded by the charred bodies of
               a dozen American troops.  It's a nightmare vision.  Upham
               grows weak at the sight.  Miller takes note of Upham's
               reaction.

                                     IN THE BACK
                         The men bounce up and down like
                         stuffed animals, doing their best to
                         not be thrown out.

                                     REIBEN
                         Hell, this is better than Coney
                         Island!

                                     A HUGE BUMP
                         Bounces Reiben up and slams his back
                         down on his shovel.  He HOLLERS IN
                         PAIN.

                                     MILLER
                         Just trying to make room for Ryan.

               Reiben shoots Miller a smile and shifts his belt, moving his
               shovel from under his bruised ass.

               THEY ROUND A BEND

               See a long, straight stretch of road.  Half-a-dozen burning,
               obliterated American vehicles.  A gauntlet to run.

               AN EIGHTY-EIGHT SHELL SCREAMS IN

               Lands right behind them.  BLOWS A NEW CRATER

                                     MILLER
                              (sweetly)
                         Sarge?

               SARGE FLOORS IT.  Everyone hangs on.

                                     ANOTHER SHELL EXPLODES
                         Thirty yards ahead of them.

                                     MILLER
                         Directs Sarge off the road.

                                     MILLER
                         They've got the road zeroed.

                                     SARGE
                         Yanks the wheel, driving the jeep
                         off the road.

                                     THE JEEP BOUNCES
                         Off the shoulder.  Nearly throwing
                         everyone out.  Somehow they hang on.
                         The jeep tears along the rutted field.

                                     ANOTHER EXPLOSION
                         Just behind them.

                                     SARGE DRIVES MADLY
                         Not slowing down.  Trying to avoid
                         the biggest ruts and bumps.

                                     ANOTHER EXPLOSION
                         Close on their side.  Showers them
                         with debris.

                                     SARGE
                         Jesus Christ!

               MILLER SCANS THE TERRAIN

               Sees a cluster of buildings about half-a-mile ahead.

                                     MILLER
                         They've got a hell of a spotter
                         somewhere.

                                     ANOTHER EXPLOSION
                         Even closer.  The jeep's PEPPERED
                         WITH SHRAPNEL.  They BARREL THROUGH
                         the smoke.

                                     MILLER
                         S-curves, Sarge.

                                     SARGE
                         Turns shallow curves without slowing
                         down.

               SUDDENLY SEES A CRATER

               Tries to avoid it.  Too late.  Brakes.  PLOWS into overturned
               earth.  STOPS SHORT.

               REIBEN, UPHAM, WADE AND JACKSON

               THROWN from the jeep.  TUMBLE into the dirt.  Not hurt.

                                     SARGE AND MILLER
                         Hang on.  Stay in the jeep but are
                         battered.  All stunned.  MILLER Is
                         first to regain his bearings.  Jumps
                         up.  Checks out the jeep.  Undamaged.
                         Deep in the soft dirt.

               AN EIGHTY-EIGHT SHELL SCREAMS IN EXPLODES THIRTY YARDS LEFT

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge!  Reverse!

               Sarge puts his head back on and throws the jeep into gear.
               The wheels spin.  Miller throws his shoulder into the jeep.
               Yells to the others.

                                     MILLER
                         COME ON!  YOU WANNA WALK?

                                     STILL DAZED
                         Reiben, Wade, Jackson, Upham screw
                         their heads back on.  Shoulder into
                         the jeep.  Push for all they're worth.
                         The WHEELS STILL SPIN.

               ANOTHER EIGHTY-EIGHT SHELL LANDS EXPLODES THIRTY YARDS RIGHT

                                     MILLER IGNORES IT
                         He's the only one who does.

                                     SARGE
                         Captain, they got us zeroed.

               Upham is very nervous.

                                     UPHAM
                         That's bracketing, right?

               They all ignore him.

                                     UPHAM
                         I know about bracketing.  I read
                         about it.  The next one is going to
                         land right on us.

                                     MILLER
                         FORWARD!  FORWARD!
                              (beat)
                         NOW REVERSE!

               Sarge SLAMS THE JEEP INTO REVERSE.  Rocks it.  SLAMS IT BACK
               INTO FORWARD.  Makes progress.

               ALL THE MEN PUSH, ALL EYES UP.  WAITING FOR THE NEXT SHELL.

                                     SARGE
                         Uh, Captain...

                                     MILLER
                         PUSH!

                                     SARGE
                         Uh, Captain...

                                     THE TIRES SCREAM
                         A bit more progress.  It's almost
                         out.

               THEY ALL PUSH LIKE MANIACS

               Knowing the shell is coming any second.  Upham is beside
               himself.

                                     SARGE
                              (sweetly)
                         Oh, Captain...

                                     ONE MORE PUSH
                         The jeep rocks back in, deeper.

                                     MILLER
                         SHIT!

               THEY HEAR THE SCREAM OF THE SHELL MILLER BARKS TO HIS MEN

                                     MILLER
                         GO!

                                     THE MEN
                         Instantly take off.  Away from the
                         jeep.  As fast as they can.

               THE SHELL SCREAMS IN

               The men hit the dirt.

                                     DIRECT HIT
                         OBLITERATING THE JEEP

                                     THE MEN
                         Barely out of the BLAST PERIMETER.
                         STUNNED by the concussion.  SHOWERED
                         with dirt, rock and debris.

                                     MILLER
                         Is first up.  Sarge and the men
                         struggle to their feet.  Hear MORE
                         INCOMING.  Miller grabs Upham by the
                         collar and pulls him up.

                                     MILLER
                         HERE COME THE MORTARS!

               THEY ALL TAKE OFF

               Running as fast as they can.

               THE FIRST OF THE MORTAR SHELLS COME IN

               The eighty-eight is big, with pauses spaces between.  But
               there must be a dozen mortars firing.  The shells are almost
               constant.

                                     THE FIELD
                         The six Americans run madly, in zig-
                         zag patterns through the gauntlet of
                         MORTAR EXPLOSIONS.  BOOM

                                     RUNNING, STUMBLING
                         BOOM, BOOM, BOOM

               UPHAM IS THROWN TO THE GROUND

               Miller yanks him up.  Half-drags him to the edge of the field.

               THEY MAKE IT TO THE TREES

               Keep running.  Through the bushes and brambles.  Thirty yards
               in.

                                     THE EXPLOSIONS STOP
                         THE MEN ALL STOP Panting.  Struggling
                         to catch their breath. Check their
                         body parts.  Everything's there.
                         They have their weapons, most of
                         their gear.

               Reiben looks back through the trees at THE JEEP, which is
               nothing more than a burning carcass.  He shakes his head.

                                     REIBEN
                         General Gavin is going to be very
                         irritated at you, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         Stands on the edge of the woods,
                         almost in a trance.

                                     UPHAM
                         Captain, I...

                                     SARGE
                         Sssssh!

               Miller, far away, quickly shifts his eyes and ears from
               position to position.

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge, maps.

               Sarge quickly opens up the map case.  The men are dead silent,
               frozen in place.

                                     MILLER
                         Two eighty-eights, just under two-
                         and-a-half miles, that way, vector
                         from the jeep, through those two
                         trees at the base of the hill.  The
                         mortars came from behind that rise,
                         there, four of them.

               Sarge quickly starts vectoring on the map.  Miller snaps out
               of it.

                                     MILLER
                         Wade, the radio.

               Wade instantly starts cranking it up.  Upham is amazed.

                                     UPHAM
                         You can tell all that, just by the
                         sound, sire?

                                     MILLER
                         That's not all.  There were nine
                         gunners on the eighty-eights, one
                         had a broken heel on his boot, two
                         had bratwurst for supper last night,
                         one of them is named Fritz, the other,
                         Hans, maybe, I don't know, it's hard
                         to tell.

                                     JACKSON
                         Corporal, you have just seen one of
                         Captain Miller's many God-given
                         talents.  If, by some miracle, you
                         survive, you will witness many more
                         of them.

               Sarge finished vectoring.

                                     SARGE
                         Got it, sir.  We gonna go take care
                         of those eighty-eights?

                                     MILLER
                         That's not what we're here for.

                                     WADE
                              (re. radio)
                         I've got command, Captain.

               Miller takes the handset from Wade and the map from Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                              (into radio)
                         This is Baker Charley One, fire mark,
                         sector three, foxtrot quadrant, four-
                         three by baker-three.  Two eighty-
                         eights.  Tell our boys to come in
                         low from the east in case the Krauts
                         have ack-ack.  Good hunting.  Over.

               A VOICE ON THE RADIO SIGNS OFF through the static.  Wade
               packs up the radio.  Miller folds up the map.  Jackson Sir,
               wouldn't take us but a minute to put out them eighty-eights.

                                     SARGE
                         He's right, Captain, it might be
                         kind of dangerous for those flyboys.

                                     MILLER
                         Tell that to Private James Ryan.
                         We've got our orders.  Let's go.

               Miller heads off without pausing or looking back.  The rest
               of the men don't like it, but they follow.  Upham trails,
               amazed at Miller.

               EXT. WOODS - DAY

               Miller walks point.  His men follow warily.  Upham falls in
               alongside Reiben.

                                     UPHAM
                         So, where are you from?

                                     REIBEN
                         Get lost.

               Upham smiles lamely and moves on to Jackson.

                                     UPHAM
                         So, where are you from?

                                     JACKSON
                         You writin' a book or somethin'?

                                     UPHAM
                         As a matter of fact, I am.

                                     JACKSON
                         Figured.

               Wade overhears and smiles at Upham.

                                     WADE
                         I'm Wade, that's spelled, W-A-D-E,
                         I'm small but wiry, with piercing,
                         steel-gray eyes, and a rough-hewn
                         but handsome face, I'm from Colorado,
                         my father's a mining engineer, don't
                         you take notes?

               Upham shakes his head.

                                     UPHAM
                         Demolition, right?

                                     WADE
                         Since I was nine years old.  They
                         got a lot of explosives around mines.
                         Me and my little brother could get
                         into any warehouse you ever saw.
                         Damn, we had fun!

               Jackson shrugs.

                                     JACKSON
                         I'm Jackson.  I'm from West Fork,
                         Tennessee.  My pappy's a preacher.
                         Him and his two brothers got a
                         ministry, The Blessed Church of the
                         Wandering Gospel.

                                     UPHAM
                         In West Fork?

                                     JACKSON
                         In the back of a nineteen and thirty-
                         one stretch Hudson with a big ole'
                         trailer.

                                     UPHAM
                         No kidding.

                                     JACKSON
                         I don't make jokes about things of,
                         or related to, the preaching of the
                         Holy Gospel, including the ministerial
                         calling of my family.

                                     UPHAM
                         So they travel around from place to
                         place and preach?

                                     JACKSON
                         We got us a tent, forty-two feet
                         across, eighteen feet at center,
                         hundred-and-ten foldin' chairs.
                         Circuit's eleven towns, covers all
                         'a Hasset County and most 'a Weller
                         County.  I expect that upon completion
                         of my military service I will be
                         joinin' said ministry.

                                     UPHAM
                         What about the Captain?  Where's he
                         from?

               They all shake their heads.  Miller's out of earshot.

                                     JACKSON
                         You figure that out, you got yourself
                         one nice prize.

                                     SARGE
                         Over three hundred bucks, last I
                         heard.  Wade Company's got a pool,
                         five bucks gets you in, whoever
                         guesses where the Captain's from and
                         what he did as a civilian gets it
                         all.

                                     JACKSON
                         The whole kit and caboodle.

                                     UPHAM
                         But everybody's heard of him, he won
                         the Congressional Medal of Honor, he
                         saved a dozen men.

                                     REIBEN
                         We know.

                                     UPHAM
                         Somebody must know where he's from,
                         what he did for a living.

                                     SARGE
                         Somebody probably does.

                                     UPHAM
                         Why don't you just ask him?

                                     JACKSON
                         The Captain prefers not to discuss
                         certain aspects of his life, in
                         particular, everything up to and
                         including his enlistment in the United
                         States Army.

                                     SARGE
                         I've been with him since Anzio.  I'm
                         closer to him that I am to my own
                         brother but I don't even know what
                         state he's from.  Somewhere in the
                         Northeast as near as I can figure.
                         I don't even have a clue what he did
                         for a living as civilian.

               Reiben shakes his head.

                                     REIBEN
                         No one's gonna win the money for the
                         simple reason that the Captain never
                         was a civilian.  They assembled him
                         at O.C.S. out of spare body parts
                         from dead G.I.'s.  I know this for a
                         fact.

                                     JACKSON
                              (defensively)
                         You got somethin' against the Cap'n?

                                     REIBEN
                         Hell, no.  I think he's the best
                         officer in the whole goddamned army,
                         bar none.

               They all nod in assent, no argument there.

                                     JACKSON
                         You got that right.

               Miller walks on ahead, unaware of their conversation.  Upham
               watches Miller, with even more curiosity.

               EXT. HEDGEROW FIELD - DAY

               Miller and his men walk along a hedgerow that parallels a
               country cow path.  They're staying close to the cover of the
               brush.  Miller walks tall now.

                                     JACKSON
                         Captain, my feet are most
                         uncomfortable.  If I'd 'a known we
                         was gonna have to walk all the way
                         to Ramelle, I never would 'a
                         volunteered for this here mission.

                                     MILLER
                         You didn't volunteer, Jackson.

                                     JACKSON
                         I most likely would have, sir, had I
                         been given the opportunity.

                                     REIBEN
                         If we find Ryan and he's still alive,
                         that son-of-a-bitch is gonna carry
                         this goddamned B.A.R. back to the
                         beach for me.

                                     JACKSON
                         Army life is too dang easy, my feet
                         have gone soft.  Back home, we go
                         out squirrel huntin', I walk forever
                         and a day and then some, don't even
                         raise a blister.

                                     REIBEN
                         You know what a B.A.R. weighs?
                         Nineteen and a half pounds, not
                         counting ammo.
                              (re. ammo bandoleers)
                         And you think these things are
                         comfortable?  They may look good but
                         they weigh twelve pounds each, that's
                         thirty-six pounds, right there.

                                     WADE
                         So what?  I've got three satchel
                         charges, six gammon grenades, a dozen-
                         and-a-half pineapples, and all my
                         regular gear.  You don't hear me
                         complaining.

                                     REIBEN
                         That's because, as I have pointed
                         out on numerous occasions, you are a
                         happy idiot.

                                     WADE
                         No, I just happen to take the
                         Captain's advice and look at the
                         bright side of things.

                                     UPHAM
                         How do you do it?

                                     WADE
                         It's easy, it runs in my family,
                         take my grandfather, for example...

                                     REIBEN
                         Oh, Christ, now we gotta listen to
                         that grandfather thing again.

                                     WADE
                         As I was saying, before I was so
                         rudely interrupted, my grandfather
                         got old, as grandfathers tend to do.
                         He needed someone to take care of
                         him.  We move around all the time,
                         going from one mine to another, so
                         we had to put him in a home.  Nice
                         enough place but kind of depressing.
                         But not for Granddad.  He just
                         convinced himself he was on a cruise
                         ship, going to Tahiti, he had his
                         own cabin, first class, with room
                         service.  It just so happened that
                         the weather was always lousy, so he
                         never bothered to go up on deck.
                         Happiest guy you ever saw until the
                         day he died.

                                     UPHAM
                         You think he really believed it?

                                     WADE
                         Who knows?  It worked.

                                     REIBEN
                         Fine, you convince yourself you got
                         a pack full of feathers and goddamned
                         Private James Ryan can carry my
                         fucking gear.

                                     WADE
                         Reiben, you can be very unpleasant
                         to be around sometimes.

                                     REIBEN
                         You want unpleasant?  Just wait, I
                         can do much better than this.

                                     WADE
                         Look at Upham, you don't hear him
                         complaining.

               Upham, feeling bold and a bit naughty, decides to give it a
               shot.

                                     UPHAM
                         Well, as a matter of fact, I was
                         just thinking...

               The men roll their eyes, expecting the worst.

                                     UPHAM
                              (continuing)
                         That I'm so fucking tired of this
                         goddamned walking, I'd pay a thousand
                         dollars to see that bastard Ryan
                         crawl on his belly over an acre of
                         broken glass to hear my great-aunt
                         Martha fart through a field-phone.

               The men are stunned.

                                     REIBEN
                         Jesus Christ, he's a natural!

                                     MILLER
                         Upham, are you sure you've never
                         been in combat?

               Upham wiggles with pride.  Upham Positive, sir, I'm certain
               I'd remember.

               Miller eyes Upham respectfully and nods to the men.

                                     MILLER
                         He's good.

               They walk on.

                                     JACKSON
                         Cap'n, my feet are most uncomfortable.

               Miller smiles, situation normal.

               EXT. ST. MERE - LATE AFTERNOON

               A small town has been reduced to rubble and is still an active
               battlefield.  HEAVY SMALL ARMS FIRE.  GRENADE AND MORTAR
               EXPLOSIONS.  MEDIUM ARTILLERY BEYOND.  American soldiers
               crouch in doorways, FIRING at well-placed Germans.

               Some French civilians dash across a street.  A man and a
               couple of women, one carrying a child.  They make it across
               and disappear into the remains of a building.

               Miller runs up and flattens himself against a wall at a
               corner.  Sarge and the other men follow in leap-frog, spread
               out down the block behind him.

               Miller glances around the corner, taking a quick mental
               picture of a GATHERING OF G.I.'s crouching in the cover of
               an alley across the street and down the block.  They are
               CAPTAIN HAMILL, about Miller's age, and HIS MEN.

               As Miller ducks back behind the corner, A GERMAN BULLET
               SMASHES into the bricks where his head was an instant before.

               Miller motions Jackson across first.

                                     MILLER
                         Stay low.

               Jackson gathers himself, takes off.  GERMAN BULLETS BLAST,
               kicking up the cobblestone behind him.  Jackson zig-zags and
               makes it to the cover of the far side.

                                     JACKSON
                         Dang!  That was close!

               Miller nods to Upham.

                                     MILLER
                         Your turn.

               Upham, scared shitless, doesn't move.  Miller speaks to him
               very gently.

                                     MILLER
                         Zig-zag, change your pace a couple
                         times, you'll be alright.

               Upham's frozen.  He can barely breathe.  Miller sighs.

                                     MILLER
                         Okay, I'm going to draw fire for
                         you.
                              (sternly)
                         But if I do, you goddamned well better
                         go.

               Upham nods.  Miller gathers himself, takes a deep breath.

               CLOSE SHOT:  MILLER'S HAND quivers.

                                     MILLER
                         Looks to Upham

                                     MILLER
                         Ready?

               Upham nods, still terrified.

               MILLER STEPS INTO THE OPEN

               Stands motionless, presenting himself to the German snipers.

                                     MILLER
                         Go.

               Upham runs.

               A GERMAN BULLET HITS THE BRICKS NEAR MILLER.

               He doesn't budge.

               UPHAM TEARS ACROSS THE STREET very, very fast.

               REIBEN watches Upham run.

                                     REIBEN
                         Hey, that guy can move.

               A GERMAN BULLET WHIZZES PAST Miller's ear.  UPHAM gets to
               the far side.

               MILLER DUCKS BACK around the corner.  Reiben and Wade don't
               even react to what Miller has just done.  Sarge is pissed.
               He shakes his head at Miller, like an irritated parent.

                                     SARGE
                              (under his breath so
                              only Miller can hear)
                         Damn fool.
                              (beat)
                         Sir.

                                     REIBEN
                         Captain, he's fast!

                                     MILLER
                              (glances at Sarge,
                              speaks to Reiben)
                         Glad of it.

                                     UPHAM
                         On the other side of the street,
                         crouches in a doorway with Jackson.
                         Upham is a bit in shock, less from
                         the nearness of the bullets than
                         from what Miller just did for him.

                                     MILLER
                         DASHES across the street.

               GERMAN BULLETS TRAIL HIM, shattering the cobblestones, inches
               behind him.

               HE MAKES IT across.  Calls back to Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                         Bring 'em over.

               UPHAM, tries to thank Miller.

                                     UPHAM
                         Captain, I...

               Miller ignores him, motions to Sarge, Reiben and Wade.

                                     MILLER
                         One at a time.

                                     MILLER
                         Ducks out of the doorway and crouch-
                         runs down the block.  He passes a:

                                     BOMBED OUT BUILDING
                         Out of the line of fire.  A dozen
                         dead American soldiers lined up on
                         the ground.  The battered, bloody
                         bodies, only partially covered by
                         ponchos.

               Some badly wounded G.I.'s are being treated next to the dead.
               Blood puddles have spread out onto the sidewalk.

                                     MILLER
                         Sees the dead and wounded, shows no
                         reaction.  Runs to:

                                     AN ALLEY
                         Captain Hamill and his men are bunched
                         there, out of the line of fire.
                         He's sending off a squad to continue
                         their door-to-door.

               Captain hamill Fundamentals, short runs, double up at the
               corners, one man close, one man wide.  Be careful.  Go.

               The squad takes off.  Captain Hamill sees Miller.  The two
               captains glance at the bars on their shoulders, then speak
               familiarly.

               Captain hamill How was the road in?

                                     MILLER
                         We had a jeep until a few hours ago,
                         a nice one, it had a cute little
                         flag with a couple of stars on it.

               Captain hamill Oh, what a shame.

               One by one, Miller's men join them in the alley.

                                     MILLER
                         We called in a strike on the eighty-
                         eights that took it out, but it's
                         the Kraut spotter that counts,
                         wherever the hell that bastard is.

               Captain Hamill points across a wide field toward a distant
               chateau that has a private chapel with a fifty-foot steeple.

               Captain hamill That's where your boy is.  We've been trying
               to get him since this morning.  He killed two of my men trying
               to get close enough for a shot.  Miller eyes the distant
               steeple.

                                     MILLER
                         Jackson.

               Jackson steps up.  Miller points to the steeple.  Jackson
               knows what he's supposed to do.  He puts down his M-1 and
               takes off the long, zippered, leather sheath, strapped to
               his back.

               He spits a massive bullet of tobacco juice, then calmly and
               methodically unzips his leather case and pulls out a very
               unusual, long-barrel, rifle.

               Miller and his men give him some room.  Hamill and his men,
               along with Upham, watch curiously.

               Jackson opens a two-foot tripod with a flick of his wrist,
               sits down and carefully attaches the rifle to it.  Then he
               takes a scope from a narrow wooden box and mounts it.  He
               adjusts the eye-piece and clicks in the bolt-action.  Upham
               is fascinated.

                                     UPHAM
                         What is that?

               Jackson pulls back the bolt and loads a single, over-sized
               shell.

                                     JACKSON
                         Thirty-ought-six, Norton long-barrel
                         with dual-groove, parallel rifling,
                         elevated three-glass scope and a
                         single-throw hammer.

                                     UPHAM
                         The Army gave you that?

                                     JACKSON
                         Yep.

                                     UPHAM
                         You must be a hell a shot.

                                     JACKSON
                         Not where I come from.

               Jackson sights on a tree about a thousand yards away and
               FIRES.  Evaluates.  Calibrates the scope.  He re-loads.

               Jackson FIRES AGAIN.  Evaluates.  Perfect.  He wipes the
               dirt and sweat from his forehead, puts his eye to the sight
               and waits, absolutely motionless.

                                     UPHAM
                         That must be four thousand yards.

                                     JACKSON
                              (without taking his
                              eye from the scope)
                         Forty-two-hundred, I figure.

                                     UPHAM
                         You take account of the wind?

               Jackson doesn't dignify that with an answer but he looks
               back with an expression that clearly says, "What are you,
               some kind of fucking idiot?" Reiben puts himself between
               Upham and Jackson.

                                     REIBEN
                              (put-on Southern accent)
                         Dang right, he take 'count of the
                         wind, ain't ya'll ever heard a
                         Kentucky windage?

               Jackson keeps his eye to the scope and his finger on the
               trigger.

                                     JACKSON
                         Reiben, how many time I got to tell
                         you, I'm from Tennessee.

                                     REIBEN
                         They got squirrels there, too, right?

               Jackson FIRES.  Waits.  A tiny smile.  He starts taking apart
               the rifle.  A very impressed Captain Hamill barks to his
               radioman.  Captain Hamill Get a hold of Command, tell them
               the St. Mere road is open.

               The Radioman cranks up his radio.  Captain Hamill turns to
               Miller.

               Captain Hamill How far back is the rest of division?

                                     MILLER
                         Very far, they're not coming this
                         way, they're going to take Caen first.

               Captain Hamill Goddamn it, I was afraid of that.  We're in a
               lot of trouble up here, and it's gonna get worse before it
               gets better.  How many men did you bring?

                                     MILLER
                         Five, but we not staying, we're on
                         our way to Ramelle.

               Captain hamill Shit, are you the guys going up to find Private
               Ryan?

                                     MILLER
                         Yeah, you know about that?

               Captain hamill Command radioed, wanted to know if he came in
               with the early wounded or dead.

               Several of CAPTAIN HAMILL'S MEN, among them a GENTLE-FACED
               PRIVATE, prick up their ears at the mention of Private Ryan.

               Captain hamill We're supposed to tell you, they intercepted
               a German transmission after you left.  The Krauts have two
               companies on their way to Ramelle to take back that bridge,
               they'll be there sometime late tomorrow.

                                     MILLER
                         Wonderful.

               Captain Hamill If Ryan's alive, you'd better get him the
               hell out of there before those Krauts show up.

                                     MILLER
                         How do we get out of here?

               Captain hamill You don't, until tonight, we're hemmed in
               real tight.  After dark you try to slip out to the east.  If
               you tip-toe, stay off the main roads and roll a few sevens,
               you've got a fair chance of making it up to Ramelle by
               tomorrow night.

               Miller processes the information.  Captain Hamill shakes his
               head.

               Captain hamill Tough, huh?  Three brothers?

               Miller shrugs.

               Captain hamill We sure as hell could use your help here, but
               I understand what you're doing?

                                     MILLER
                         Yeah?

               Captain hamill Good luck.

                                     MILLER
                         Thanks.

               Captain hamill I mean it.  Find him.  Get him home.

               Miller is a bit taken aback by Captain Hamill's forceful
               sincerity.  Then he shakes it off and motions to his men.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's find someplace to hole up.

               Miller nods to Captain Hamill, then, as he moves to the head
               of the alley, Miller passes Upham.

                                     UPHAM
                         Sir, I'm sorry about what happened,
                         I...

                                     MILLER
                              (interrupting)
                         It was nothing.

                                     UPHAM
                         But you could have gotten killed and
                         I...

                                     MILLER
                              (interrupting)
                         Like I said, it was nothing.
                              (to the men)
                         Don't bunch up.

               He takes off, crouch-running back down the block.  Upham
               watches him go.

                                     UPHAM
                         Did you see what he did, back there?
                         He stepped right into the open, so I
                         could get across.

                                     JACKSON
                         Shit, that was no big deal.

                                     WADE
                         They can't kill him.

                                     SARGE
                         Like hell they can't.

                                     REIBEN
                         Wade's right, it's some kind of
                         scientific, magnetic thing, I can't
                         explain it, but I've seen it.

                                     WADE
                         We all have, he's got nine lives, or
                         he's bulletproof, or some damn thing.

               The men are equal parts joking and admiring.  Sarge is
               neither.

                                     SARGE
                         No one's bulletproof.  No one.
                              (beat)
                         C'mon, stay low.

               Sarge takes off after Miller.

               EXT. ST. MERE CATHEDRAL - DUSK

               Miller and his men are bivouaced in the middle of the ruins
               of a medieval church.  Miller, settled into a comfortable
               spot in the debris, eating his K-rations, looks very relaxed.
               Reiben paces.

                                     REIBEN
                         Captain, could you please explain
                         the math of this mission to me?

                                     MILLER
                         Sure, what do you want to know?

                                     REIBEN
                         Well, sir, in purely arithmetic terms,
                         since when does six equal one?  What's
                         the sense in risking six guys to
                         save one?

                                     MILLER
                         Ours is not to reason why.

                                     REIBEN
                         Huh?

                                     MILLER
                         Never mind, don't worry, we'll pick
                         up this kid, high-tail it back to
                         division, everything'll work out
                         fine.

                                     REIBEN
                         I'd much rather die in Caen than
                         Ramelle, sir.  It's a personal thing.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, there's a fairly good chance
                         you're not going to die at all.

                                     REIBEN
                         Easy for you to say, sir.
                              (beat)
                         Fucking James Ryan, I'd like to wring
                         his fucking neck.

                                     SARGE
                         Jesus, Reiben, think of the poor
                         bastard's mother.

                                     REIBEN
                         Hey, I got a mother.  Jackson, you
                         got a mother?

                                     JACKSON
                         Last I knew.

                                     REIBEN
                         Wade, Sarge, Corporal Insect, all of
                         us, hell, I'll bet even the Captain
                         has a mother.

               Miller smiles.  Reiben eyes him and reconsiders.

                                     REIBEN
                         Well, maybe not the Captain, but the
                         rest of us have mothers.

                                     MILLER
                         You have orders, too.

                                     JACKSON
                         Sir, I have an opinion on this matter.

                                     MILLER
                         I'd love to hear it.

                                     JACKSON
                         Seems to me, Cap'n, this mission is
                         a serious misallocation of valuable
                         military resources.  Miller Go on.

                                     JACKSON
                         Well, sir, by my way a thinkin' I am
                         a finely made instrument of warfare.
                         What I mean by that is, if you was
                         to put me with this here sniper rifle
                         anywhere up to and includin' one
                         mile from Adolf Hitler, with a clear
                         line of sight, war's over.

               Miller nods.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, I want you to listen closely
                         to Jackson.  This is the way to gripe.
                         Jackson, continue.

                                     JACKSON
                         Yes, sir.  It seems to me, sir, that
                         the entire resources of the United
                         States Army oughta be dedicated to
                         one thing and one thing only, and
                         that is to put me and this here weapon
                         on a rooftop, smack-dab in the middle
                         of Berlin, Germany.  Now I ain't one
                         to question decisions made up on
                         high, sir, but it seems to me that
                         saving one private, no matter how
                         grievous the losses of his family,
                         is a waste of my God-given talent.

                                     MILLER
                         Wade?

                                     WADE
                         Hell, I don't mind this mission,
                         sir, as long as there's something up
                         at Ramelle for...

                                     REIBEN
                              (finishing Wade's
                              sentence)
                         ...for you to blow up, yeah, yeah,
                         we heard that.

                                     MILLER
                         Upham?

                                     UPHAM
                         Pass.

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge?

                                     SARGE
                         I'm just here to keep a bunch of
                         numb-nuts, including one certain,
                         frequently suicidal, tempter-of-fate,
                         from getting themselves killed.

               Reiben eyes Miller.

                                     REIBEN
                         And what about you, Captain?

               Miller looks at Reiben, shocked.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, what's the matter with you?
                         I don't gripe to you.  I'm a captain.
                         There's a chain of command.  Griping
                         goes one way, up, only up, never
                         down.  You gripe to me, I gripe to
                         my superior officers.  Up, get it?
                         I don't gripe to you, I don't gripe
                         in front of you.  How long you been
                         in the army?

                                     REIBEN
                         I'm sorry, sir, I apologize.
                              (beat)
                         But if you weren't a captain, or if
                         I were a major, what would you say?

               Miller considers his response.

                                     MILLER
                         In that case, I would say this is an
                         excellent mission, with an extremely
                         valuable objective, worthy of my
                         best efforts.

               Reiben rolls his eyes.  Miller plays it straight, with no
               obvious sarcasm.

                                     MILLER
                              (continuing)
                         In addition, as I pointed out earlier,
                         I have a fondness for cheese and I
                         hope to have the opportunity to sample
                         some of the Ramelle products, when
                         we arrive there, to see if they live
                         up to their excellent reputation.
                         Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow
                         for the mother of Private James Ryan
                         and I'm more than willing to lay
                         down my life, and the lives of my
                         men, especially you, Reiben, to help
                         relieve her suffering.  The men
                         thoroughly enjoy the performance.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sir, if you were not a captain, I
                         would compliment you, now, for being
                         an excellent liar.

                                     MILLER
                         But I am a captain.  If I were not a
                         captain, I would thank you for the
                         compliment and tell you that the
                         ability to lie comes from being a
                         top-notch poker player, which I am,
                         having learned at the side of my
                         mother who is, by popular acclaim,
                         the best poker player in...

               The men all  learn forward expectantly, believing they're
               about to find out Miller's home town.  Miller smiles.

                                     MILLER
                              (continuing)
                         ...my home town, which shall remain
                         un-named.

               The men ease back, disappointed.

                                     MILLER
                         Any further thoughts on the subject?

                                     REIBEN
                         Yes, sir, as a final note, I'd like
                         to say, fuck our orders, fuck Ramelle,
                         fuck the cheese capital of France
                         and while we're at it, fuck Private
                         James Ryan.

                                     MILLER
                         I'll make a note of your suggestions
                         but I'll leave that last one to you,
                         especially if he's already dead.

               The men wince and laugh.  Miller checks his watch and gets
               serious.

                                     MILLER
                         We move out in two hours, try and
                         get some sleep.

               The men know when to can it.  Without another word, they all
               settle down into the debris, close their eyes and try to
               follow Miller's order.  Upham looks around at these strange
               men, then, a simple, hard glare from Miller makes him follow
               suit.

               Miller looks at his men, then pulls out his map case and his
               flashlight.  He turns it on, in the dim glow of the light,
               he studies his maps while his men rest.

               EXT. ST. MERE CATHEDRAL - NIGHT (LATER)

               Dark.  ARTILLERY RUMBLES IN THE DISTANCE.  Reiben, Jackson,
               Wade and Upham sleep.  Miller still sits in the glow of his
               flashlight, studying his maps.  Sarge lies near him, awake,
               watching him.  Sarge notices some unopened envelopes in
               Miller's map case and speaks quietly to him.

                                     SARGE
                         You ever going to open those letters?
                         Miller keeps his eyes on the maps.

                                     MILLER
                         Maybe.

                                     SARGE
                         It's not normal, not reading letters
                         from home.

                                     MILLER
                         Since when have things been normal?

                                     SARGE
                         You got me.  Afraid of bad news?

                                     MILLER
                         Nope.

                                     SARGE
                         Good news?

               Miller looks at Sarge.  A moment passes between the two of
               them, then miller takes refuge in the maps.  Sarge looks at
               the men.

                                     SARGE
                         You think they'll be alright?

                                     MILLER
                         They're fine.  As long as they can
                         gripe, they'll be alright.

                                     SARGE
                         And what about you?

               Miller considers the question, doesn't answer.

                                     MILLER
                         They guys here aren't going to be
                         able to hold out until battalion
                         shows up.

                                     SARGE
                         Nope.

                                     MILLER
                         Command isn't going to let them
                         withdraw and the Germans sure as
                         hell aren't going to let them
                         surrender.

                                     SARGE
                         Three for three.

                                     MILLER
                         If we stayed, we could make a
                         difference.

                                     SARGE
                         You're kidding yourself.

                                     MILLER
                         You never know.

               They sit in silence for a moment.

                                     SARGE
                         I hope this boy Ryan is worth it.

                                     MILLER
                         Now you're the one kidding yourself.
                              (beat)
                         Hell of  a mission.

                                     SARGE
                         Yup, hell of a mission.

               Miller looks at his watch, rises and barks at the men.

                                     MILLER
                         Rise and shine, boys.  Let's go.

               Grumbling, the men get up and start shouldering up their
               gear.

               EXT. ST. MERE STREET - NIGHT

               SMALL ARMS FIRE ECHOES through the village.  DISTANT ARTILLERY
               BOOMS.  Miller leads his men from the ruins of the cathedral
               toward the outskirts of town.  They're just a small squad,
               but these six, heavily-armed men, in full battle gear, are
               very formidable-looking.

               EXT. ST. MERE - OUTSKIRTS - NIGHT

               Miller's men are getting ready to move out.  Captain Hamill
               and a few of his men are there to see them off.  Suddenly:

               A FLASH OF LIGHT APPEARS ON THE HORIZON

               Then REPEATED FLASHES OF LIGHT.  The sky is on fire.  The
               AIR TREMBLES.  A FAR OFF RUMBLING THUNDER ROLLS over the
               countryside like a tidal wave.

               Then, THE OPPOSITE HORIZON LIGHTS UP AS WELL.

               IT'S A MASSIVE ARTILLERY BATTLE.  The MAGNITUDE OF THE FURY
               is incredible, strange, other-worldly.

               EVERY MAN THERE IS TRANSFIXED.

               Frozen in place.  The lights play on their faces.

               MILLER looks down and sees his hand quivering.

               SARGE notices, says nothing.

               MILLER stares at his hand, forcing it to stop.  Their eyes
               go back to the BLAZING SKY.

                                     SARGE
                              (awe-struck)
                         Makes you feel small, doesn't it?

                                     MILLER
                         It doesn't take this.

               Upham's face shows more fear than awe.

                                     UPHAM
                         I wasn't made for this.

                                     MILLER
                              (bitterly)
                         You think the rest of us were?

               Upham recoils.  Miller instantly regrets his words.  He turns
               to Upham and sees that he's really scared.  Miller get a
               hold of himself and speaks gently.

                                     MILLER
                         Don't worry, Upham, God'll protect
                         you, this shit's gonna keep him up
                         all night, anyway.

               Upham manages a slight smile.  Miller watches the lights for
               a moment more, then he pretends to shrug it off.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's go, this ain't what they pay
                         us for.

               Captain Hamill is next to snap himself out of it.  He points
               the way.

               Captain hamill Along the wall, about thirty yards, there's a
               gate, on the other side, a drainage ditch, stay low until
               you clear the second field, then you'll hit the woods.

               As Miller and his men shoulder their gear and prepare to
               move out, on of Captain Hamill's men, the Gentle-Faced Private
               who was so interested in the talk of Private Ryan, steps up
               with a couple bandoleers of B.A.R. ammo.  He offers them to
               Reiben.

               Gentle-faced private Here.

               Reiben looks at the bandoleers and is about to give a smart-
               ass response, when a look at the Gentle-Faced Private's
               vulnerable expression stops the comment dead.

               Gentle-faced private My older brother was killed at
               Guadalcanal...these might come in handy.

               Reiben takes the ammo.

                                     REIBEN
                              (gently)
                         Just what I need.

               Miller steps over, takes the bandoleers from Reiben and hands
               them back to the Gentle-Faced Private.

                                     MILLER
                         Thanks, but you may need these more
                         than us, or Ryan.

               Captain Hamill nods to the Gentle-Faced Private who takes
               the ammo back.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's move out.

               Miller and his men head off along the wall into the darkness,
               lit intermittently by the distant flashes.  Captain Hamill
               and his beleaguered men, watch them go with dread and a
               strange bit of hope.

               EXT. FRENCH COUNTRY SIDE - NIGHT

               The FINAL RUMBLES of the DISTANT ARTILLERY fade away.  The
               night is dark.  The band of six Americans makes their way
               warily along a French cart path.  Sarge eases up alongside
               Miller and speaks quietly to him.  The others don't overhear.
               Sarge How long's your hand been shaking?

                                     MILLER
                         A couple of weeks.  It started in
                         Portsmouth when they brought us down
                         for loading.

                                     SARGE
                         Is it getting worse?

                                     MILLER
                         No.  It comes and goes.  It stops
                         when I look at it.

                                     SARGE
                         You may have to find yourself a new
                         line of work, this one doesn't seem
                         to agree with you anymore.

                                     MILLER
                         I'll be alright.

               Sarge looks at Miller, closely, evaluating him, they walk
               on.

               EXT. FRENCH CART PATH - NIGHT (LATER)

               Farther along.  The men are tired but alert.  Jackson is at
               point.  Miller behind him.  The others at intervals.  Sarge
               brings up the rear.

               A SOUND.  Jackson stops.  No one speaks, they communicate
               only with hand signals.

               JACKSON SIGNALS to Miller, ten, twenty, thirty men coming.

               MILLER SIGNALS for the men to get off the path.  They ease
               into the brush.  An instant later, a PAIR WARY GERMAN INFANTRY
               MEN appear.

               REIBEN grips his B.A.R. and looks to Miller for permission
               to open up.  Miller shakes his head and signals, "let them
               go." A moment later AN ENTIRE PLATOON OF GERMANS rounds the
               bend.  Fifty men.  Heavily armed.  REIBEN breathes a sigh of
               relief and lowers hi B.A.R.

               THE GERMAN PLATOON passes, their boots no more than two feet
               from the faces of the hidden Americans.  Upham is wide-eyed
               with fear.  The others are stone-faced.

               THE GERMANS PASS.

               MILLER MOTIONS for his men to hold their positions.

               UPHAM doesn't see the signal.  He stands, breathing a sigh
               of relief, just as a GERMAN WHIP-TAIL SQUAD appears, trailing
               the platoon by thirty meters, protecting their rear.

               UPHAM FREEZES.  He's standing, barely in the shadows, nearly
               exposed.  Shitting bricks.

               Pissed, MILLER prepares to fire.  The Whip-tail squad
               approaches.

               Then, the GERMANS PASS, miraculously, not seeing Upham in
               the shadows.  They walk on and disappear.  Upham is weak-
               kneed, amazed that he's still alive.

               MILLER shoots a devastating glare at him, then signals the
               rest of the men to follow him into the woods.  Upham scurries
               after Miller, staying close on his heels.

               EXT. FIELD - NIGHT

               The little band of Americans walks along the edge of a field,
               parallel to a cart path.  Wary.

               Miller notices Jackson and Wade drifting too close to each
               other.  He SNAPS HIS FINGERS, getting their attention, and
               motions curtly for them to open it up a bit.  They do so.

               EXT. CROSSROADS - NIGHT

               Dark.  FAINT DISTANT ARTILLERY.  Miller checks the map as
               Sarge shines a red flashlight on an array of directional
               signs.  One of them reads:  "Ramelle 16 Km." Miller puts
               away the map.  Checks the horizon.  The first glow of dawn
               is visible.

                                     MILLER
                         It'll be light, soon.  Let's pick it
                         up.

               EXT. FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE - DAWN

               First light.  The SOUND OF DISTANT GUNS has been replaced by
               the CHIRPING OF BIRDS.  The Americans are taking five.

               Miller stands, a bit apart from the others, looking out at
               the view.  It's lovely.  Dew shimmers on the long grass.
               The war is far away.

               Upham walks next to him.  They look out at the view together
               without speaking for a moment.

                                     MILLER
                         It looks like a Renoir.

                                     UPHAM
                         Yes.  Do you know Sibelius' Fourth
                         Symphony, The Normandy?

                                     MILLER
                         I've been humming it.

                                     UPHAM
                         I heard.

                                     MILLER
                         It seemed appropriate.

                                     UPHAM
                         You know classical music?

                                     MILLER
                         Some.

                                     UPHAM
                         Where are you from, Captain?

               Miller smiles.

                                     MILLER
                         What's the pool up to?

               Upham smiles, caught.

                                     UPHAM
                         Over three-hundred.

                                     MILLER
                         I'll tell you what, if I'm still
                         alive when it hits five-hundred,
                         I'll let you know and we'll split
                         the money.

                                     UPHAM
                         If that's the way you feel, why don't
                         we wait until it's up to a thousand.

                                     MILLER
                         I don't expect to live that long.

               Upham looks closely at Miller and sees that he means it.

                                     UPHAM
                         Five hundred, then.

               Miller takes a last look at the view and allows himself to
               feel an overwhelming wave of sadness.  Then he turns himself
               back into a commander and barks at Upham.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's go, private.

               Miller strides away.  Upham watches him, trying to figure
               him out, then he simply follows him.

               EXT. HEDGEROW LANE - DAWN

               The seven Americans walk along a hedgerow lane, untouched by
               war.  Spreading trees arch gently over the lane which is
               lined with hedgerows, thick, rooted masses, impenetrable,
               hundred of years old.

               Miller sees SMOKE AHEAD.  He motions to the men.  They
               advance.  Ext. french farm - day A burning house and barn.
               An old FRENCH FARMER kneels on the ground, weeping, next to
               this SLAUGHTERED FAMILY, two adult women, an adult male and
               a boy, no more than ten.  His animals, a pair of cows and a
               draft horse and some pigs are dead as well, shot to pieces.
               A DEAD AMERICAN PARATROOPER lies sprawled in the dirt with
               empty shell casings around his body.

               Miller and his men approach carefully.  Miller motions to
               Upham who squats down next to the French Farmer and speaks
               gently to him in French.

               The FARMER SPEAKS SOFTLY as if in a trance.  Upham stands
               and translates.

                                     UPHAM
                         Five nights ago, he found this
                         paratrooper caught in a tree with a
                         broken leg.  The leg got infected.
                         Last night he went to Ville Cholet
                         to get a doctor.  The doctor refused
                         to come and when he got back, this
                         is what he found.  The Krauts must
                         have shown up while he was gone.

                                     MILLER
                         Did he see any sign of them?

               Upham gently asks.  The FARMER ANSWERS.

                                     UPHAM
                         No, but he heard firing, just east,
                         less that a kilometer.

                                     MILLER
                         Thank him and tell him we're sorry
                         about his loss.

               Miller heads off without glancing back.  The men hesitate.
               Sarge jerks his head for them to move out.  They do so.

               Upham squats down and speaks softly to the Farmer, puts his
               hand on the man's shoulder, then rises and follows the others.

               EXT. HEDGEROW FIELD - DAY

               A beautiful, hedgerow-lined field of tall grass.  The last
               of the dew and morning mist is just burning off.

               The six Americans walk carefully through the woods to the
               edge of the field.

               Miller notices something.  He silently signals stop, crouches
               and scans the field and the hedgerow on the far side.

               Sarge and Jackson ease up next to him.  Jackson points to
               some trees nearby, freshly shattered and pock-marked with
               bullets.

               Wade calls quietly from a tangle of roots and brush.

                                     WADE
                         Captain.

               Staying low, they join Wade who has found:

               TWO DEAD AMERICAN PARATROOPERS

               A trail of blood and flattened grass leads from the field.

               MILLER, SARGE AND JACKSON

               Crawl to the edge of the field, scan the far hedgerow.  The
               others crawl up behind them.

                                     MILLER
                         Where?

                                     JACKSON
                         In the shadow by those two trees.

                                     MILLER
                         My guess, too.

                                     UPHAM
                         What is it?

                                     MILLER
                         A machine gun.

               Miller eases back from the edge of the field into the cover
               of the brush.  He stands and takes off his pack.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sir, I've got an idea, let's go
                         around.

                                     MILLER
                         We can't leave it here.

                                     JACKSON
                         We left them eighty-eights.

                                     MILLER
                         They don't send planes to put out
                         machine guns.
                              (beat)
                         Two flank runners with surpressing
                         fire.  I'm going right, whoever goes
                         left has to be fast.

               Upham steels himself and steps forward.

                                     UPHAM
                         Sir, I ran the 220 in high school.

                                     REIBEN
                         He's fast, Captain, I saw him.

               Miller takes Upham's measure.  Wade laughs with a sneer.

                                     WADE
                         How fast?

                                     UPHAM
                         Twenty-four-five.

                                     WADE
                         Shit, that's nothing, I ran twenty-
                         two flat.

                                     MILLER
                         Wade goes left.

               Wade joins Miller in peeling off his extra gear.  Upham is
               impressed.

                                     UPHAM
                         Twenty-two flat?

               Wade takes a grenade from Upham's chest strap.

                                     WADE
                         I would have won the states if some
                         bastard hadn't tripped me in the
                         finals.

               Miller points the others to their firing positions.

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge, Upham, here.  Jackson, Reiben,
                         ten yards, either side.

               As they take their positions, Miller and Sarge speak quietly,
               out of earshot of the men.

                                     SARGE
                         Rule of thumb, Captain, says you
                         ought to detail this one, instead of
                         going yourself.

               Miller looks at the two dead paratroopers.

                                     MILLER
                         Yeah?  What rule of thumb is that?

                                     SARGE
                         How about I go right, sir?

                                     MILLER
                         How about you take your position?

               Sarge hesitates.

                                     SARGE
                         How about...?

                                     MILLER
                              (interrupting)
                         How about you shut up and take your
                         position?

               Sarge nods.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               Sarge finds a spot.  Miller joins Wade.  Miller waits near
               Upham as the other men settle into their firing positions.

                                     UPHAM
                         Good luck, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         Don't need it, I'm a cat, I've got
                         five lives.

                                     UPHAM
                         The men said, nine.

                                     MILLER
                         What do they know?
                              (beat)
                         I had nine, but I feel through the
                         ice when I was seven, my brother
                         pulled me out.  Then I used one when
                         a grenade landed in my foxhole in
                         Sicily, it was a dud.  I figure one
                         on the beaches, one on the cliffs
                         and two getting here.

                                     UPHAM
                         That only leaves three.

                                     MILLER
                         Plenty.

               Miller sees that the men are in position.  He nods to Wade.

                                     MILLER
                         Ready?

                                     WADE
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller and Wade take deep breaths.  Miller Now.

               MILLER AND WADE TAKE OFF AT FULL RUNS.

               Onto opposite sides of the field.  Nothing happens for a
               moment.  Then:

               A HEAVY GERMAN MACHINE GUN OPENS UP.  MURDEROUSLY LOUD.

               SHATTERING THE QUIET.

                                     IN THE NEST
                         A squad of Germans, dug deep, BLASTING
                         THE MACHINE GUN, a BIG SCHWARZLOSE
                         8MM, a stunningly powerful weapon.
                         Four Germans in the nest, four more
                         outlying riflemen.

                                     MILLER
                         Takes the FIRST FIRE.  He HITS THE
                         DIRT.  The BULLETS SCREAM just over
                         him.

               THE MACHINE GUN SWINGS TOWARD WADE MILLER JUMPS UP AND SPRINTS
               WADE HITS THE DIRT

               The BULLETS GRAZE the back of his helmet.

               SARGE, REIBEN, JACKSON, UPHAM

               Zero the machine gun.  FIRE fast as they can.  Their BULLETS
               THUD INEFFECTUALLY into the hedgerow.

               THE MACHINE GUN SWINGS BACK TOWARD MILLER WADE JUMPS UP AND
               SPRINTS MILLER HITS THE DIRT

               Bullets SMASH into the ground all around Miller.

                                     SARGE
                         FIRES A LONG BURST from his Thompson.
                         No effect.  Pissed.  POPS THE CLIP.
                         SLAMS in another.  FIRES.

               THE MACHINE GUN SWINGS FROM MILLER

               He rises and runs.  Fast.  Almost to the far hedgerow.

                                     WADE
                         Ten more yards.  Too slow.  A deadly
                         row of BULLETS KICK UP DIRT toward
                         him.

                                     MILLER
                         Makes it to the far side.  Scrambles
                         up the roots.  Dives through the
                         brush.

                                     WADE
                         On a slight rise.  Can't hit the
                         dirt.  A line of bullets.  Desperately
                         sprints.

               WADE IS HIT.  HEAVY BULLETS RIP APART HIS BELLY.  He spins.
               Goes down.

               SARGE, UPHAM AND THE OTHERS are horrified.  FIRE at the nest.

                                     MILLER
                         STRUGGLES through the hedgerow.
                         Stumbles onto the path.  Rolls to
                         his feet, running.  Swings his
                         Thompson into firing position.  Racing
                         toward the nest.

               SARGE AND THE OTHERS POUR FIRE at the nest.

                                     MILLER
                         Tearing along the path.  Sees a German
                         rifleman.  FIRES A BURST.  CUTS HIM
                         DOWN.  Runs over the body without
                         breaking stride.

               SARGE STEPS INTO THE OPEN, INTENTIONALLY DRAWING THE GERMAN
               FIRE from Miller.

               The GERMANS ZERO SARGE.  BULLETS THUD all around him.  Somehow
               he's not hit.

                                     MILLER
                         TEARS THROUGH THE TREES.  BLASTS his
                         Thompson.  CUTS DOWN two more German
                         riflemen.  Grabs a grenade.  Pulls
                         the pin.

                                     THE NEST
                         The Germans see Miller coming.  Wheel
                         from Sarge.  Too late.

                                     MILLER
                         THROWS the grenade, VEERS and DIVES.

               THE GRENADE EXPLODES.  The four Germans in the nest are
               KILLED.

               SARGE hollers to the others.

                                     SARGE
                         HOLD YOUR FIRE!

                                     MILLER
                         Rolls to his feet.  FIRE another
                         BURST.  KILLS the last of the German
                         riflemen.  Doesn't pause.  RUNS onto
                         the field.

               SARGE AND THE OTHERS

               See Miller running toward Wade.  They instantly RACE onto
               the field.

                                     WADE
                         Lies in the grass.  Holding his belly.
                         Astonished by the pain.

               ALL THE AMERICANS RUN

               Converging on Wade.  Miller points, and yells, without slowing
               down.

                                     MILLER
                         REIBEN, UPHAM, PERIMETER!  COVER!

                                     REIBEN AND UPHAM
                         Stop instantly.  Turn toward the
                         perimeter of the field.

                                     SARGE
                         Roots through his medical kit as he
                         runs.  Dropping and scattering
                         inessentials behind him.

                                     WADE
                         Wide-eyed.  Not even writhing.  Too
                         much pain.

               MILLER AND SARGE GET TO WADE

               Throw themselves onto the ground next to him.  They both
               tear out sulfa-packs.  Sarge frantically fumbles.  Ripping
               one open.  Powder spills.

               REIBEN AND UPHAM repeatedly glance back at Wade.

                                     SARGE
                         Pulls Wade's hands from the wound.
                         Pours sulfa powder.

                                     MILLER
                         About to pour his sulfa.  Sees the
                         wound.  Stops.  Knows it's fatal.

                                     MILLER
                         Damn it!

               Throws the sulfa aside.  Quickly pulls out a morphine pack.

                                     SARGE
                         Fumbles with a second sulfa bag.

                                     SARGE
                         Sulfa, more sulfa...

                                     WADE
                         Frozen in agony.  Looks at Miller.
                         Sees him preparing the morphine shot.
                         They both know.

                                     WADE
                         Yeah...morphine...make it a
                         double...huh...Captain...?

                                     MILLER
                         SHOVES THE NEEDLE into Wade's neck.
                         Thick vein.  Pumps the morphine
                         straight to Wade's brain.  Motions
                         impatiently to Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                         More morphine, hurry up, come on,
                         come on...

                                     SARGE
                         Hesitates.  Then drops his sulfa.
                         Fumbles in his pack.  Finds the
                         morphine.

                                     MILLER
                         Snatches the morphine from Sarge.
                         Quickly and efficiently prepares a
                         second shot.  He's done this before.

                                     REIBEN
                         On guard, glancing back.  Pissed
                         off.

                                     REIBEN
                         Goddamn it...Goddamn it...Goddamn
                         it...

                                     UPHAM
                         Freaked out.  Trying to keep his
                         eyes on the perimeter.  Can't.

                                     JACKSON
                         Watching.

                                     MILLER
                         Gives Wade the second shot.

                                     WADE
                         Feels the effects of the first shot.
                         He sees Upham and manages a pained
                         smile.

               WADE LOCKS EYES WITH MILLER.  Looking at him without blame,
               without forgiveness.  Drifts with the morphine.  Then: WADE
               DIES

               ALL ARE FROZEN IN PLACE

               UPHAM begins to weep.

               REIBEN FURIOUSLY MUTTERS:

                                     REIBEN
                         Goddamn it...Goddamn it...Goddamn
                         it...

                                     MILLER
                         Is silent.  Motionless.  He gently
                         closes Wade's eyes.  His hand quivers
                         slightly as he unclips one of Wades
                         dogtags.  He fumbles and drops it.
                         Sarge notices.

               Miller stares at his hand and steadies it before the men
               see.  He picks up the dogtag and pockets it.

               Then Miller carefully re-packs the un-used morphine and sulfa,
               rises and picks up his Thompson.

               Upham shakes his head.

                                     UPHAM
                         That was no twenty-two flat.

               Miller SLAMS A FRESH CLIP into his Thompson.

                                     MILLER
                         He lied.  Let's move out.

               Miller turns and walks away without looking back.  The men
               hesitate, then slowly follow him.

               EXT. FRENCH COUNTRY COW PATH - DAY

               A narrow footpath, arched over by trees, almost a tunnel.
               The five G.I.'s walk, spread out.

                                     REIBEN
                         Fuck Private James Ryan, fuck him,
                         just fuck the goddamned son-of-a-
                         bitch.

                                     JACKSON
                         Shut up, will you?

                                     REIBEN
                         You shut up, this is the most fucked
                         up mission I ever heard of.  Goddamned
                         Ryan, fuck the little bastard.

                                     JACKSON
                         Just shut up, Ryan didn't kill Wade.

                                     REIBEN
                         The hell he didn't.

               Miller motions to them curtly.

                                     MILLER
                         Keep it down.

               They shut up.  Miller falls in step to Sarge.  Speaks quietly,
               the men don't hear.

                                     MILLER
                         We've got to find someplace to hole
                         up for a bit.

               Sarge looks at Miller closely.

                                     SARGE
                         You alright?

                                     MILLER
                         Let's just find someplace.

               EXT. NARROW GULLY - DAY

               Miller leads the men into a heavily overgrown gully.  A good
               hiding place.

                                     MILLER
                         Rest.  One hour.  Jackson, Reiben,
                         perimeter.  Keep your eyes open.
                         I'm going to re-con.

               Miller speaks authoritatively and says the right things, but
               there's something missing.  It's subtle.  Only Sarge notices.
               He watches Miller head off into the brush alone.

               EXT. SMALL CLEARING - DAY

               Miller walks into a small clearing, slows then stops.  The
               life drains from him.  He stands there, looking at the dirt,
               tilting his head, this way and that, as if listening for
               faint, distant voices.  His face shows a battle raging within,
               as he fights to keep from losing it entirely.  Behind him,
               Sarge steps to the edge of the clearing and watches.  Miller
               senses his presence, turns and looks at him if he were a
               thousand miles away.  Sarge sits down on a log and waits.

                                     MILLER
                         What was the name of that kid at
                         Anzio, the one who got his face burned
                         off?

                                     SARGE
                         Vecchio.

                                     MILLER
                         Yeah, Vecchio, I couldn't remember
                         his name, he was a good kid, remember
                         how he used to walk on his hands and
                         sing that song about the man on flying
                         trapeze?

                                     SARGE
                         Yeah.

                                     MILLER
                         You know why I'm such a good officer?
                         Because of my mother.  Have I ever
                         told you about her?

                                     SARGE
                         Bits and pieces.

                                     MILLER
                         She's the best poker player you ever
                         saw.  My father used to go to these
                         Saturday night games and lose his
                         shirt.  Finally, my mother gave him
                         an ultimatum, either she gets a
                         regular seat at the table or she
                         locks him in every Saturday night.
                         He squawked and so did his buddies
                         but after a while they gave in and
                         from the first night she sat down,
                         she never lost.  She could read those
                         cocky bastards like they were playing
                         open hands.  And he bluffs?  He had
                         sixteen levels of bullshit.  Her
                         eyes, the tone of her voice, her
                         bets, her jokes, the way she sipped
                         her coffee, she was a master.  She
                         won more money on shit hands than
                         anyone in the history of the game.
                         Every Saturday night, my father would
                         lose two, three hundred bucks and
                         she'd win it all back and then some.
                         And I'd stand there, glued to her
                         shoulder, from the time I was five
                         years old, watching every hand, every
                         move, studying how she did it.
                              (beat)
                         That's why I'm such a good officer,
                         I can look at a man's face and tell
                         you exactly what he's holding, and
                         if it's a shit hand, I know just
                         what cards to deal him.

                                     SARGE
                         And what about your own hand?

                                     MILLER
                         No problem.  A pair of deuces?  Less?
                         So what?  I bluff.  It used to tear
                         me apart when I'd get one of my men
                         killed, but what was I supposed to
                         do?  Break down in front of the ones
                         who were standing there waiting for
                         me to tell them what to do?  Of course
                         not, so I bluffed, and after a while,
                         I started to fall for my own bluff.
                         It was great, it made everything so
                         much easier.  Sarge Is that why your
                         hand's been shaking?

                                     MILLER
                         It could be worse.  You know the
                         first thing they teach you at O.C.S.?
                         Lie to your men.

                                     SARGE
                         Oh, yeah?

                                     MILLER
                         Not in so many words, but they tell
                         you you can have all the firepower
                         in the world and if your men don't
                         have good morale, it's not worth a
                         damn.  So if you're scared or empty
                         or half-a-step from a Section Eight,
                         do you tell your men?  Of course
                         not.  You bluff, you lie.

                                     SARGE
                         And how do you bluff yourself?

                                     MILLER
                         Simple, numbers.  Every time you
                         kill one of your men, you tell
                         yourself you just saved the lives of
                         two, three, ten, a hundred others.
                         We lost, what, thirty-one on the
                         cliffs?  I'll bet we saved ten times
                         that number by putting out those
                         guns.  That's over three hundred
                         men.  Maybe five hundred.  A thousand.
                         Then thousand.  Any number you want.
                         See?  It's simple.  It lets you always
                         choose mission over men.

                                     SARGE
                         Except this time, the mission IS a
                         man.

                                     MILLER
                         That's the rub.  I liked Wade.  Who's
                         Ryan?  If they're both standing in
                         front of me and I have to shoot one
                         or the other, how do I choose?  Look
                         at my hand, there it goes again.

                                     SARGE
                         John, I've got to tell you, I think
                         you're about used up.

                                     MILLER
                         I think you're right, Keith.

                                     SARGE
                         You want me to take over?

               The question helps Miller pull himself back together.  He
               looks at his hand and forces it to stop shaking again.

                                     MILLER
                         No, but if I get any worse, you'll
                         have to relieve me.

                                     SARGE
                              (sighs)
                         Just what I want to do.

               They share a smile.

                                     MILLER
                         You know Wade was the eleventh of
                         the twelve, you're the last one still
                         alive.

                                     SARGE
                         I know.

                                     MILLER
                         Don't let yourself get killed, if
                         you do, they might make me give back
                         the medal and then I won't be able
                         to lip off to colonels anymore.

                                     SARGE
                         I'll do my best.

               They shake their heads at the madness of it all.  Miller
               Hell of a...

                                     (BEAT)
                         Ah, forget it.

               Miller picks up his Thompson and looks around, re-orienting
               himself.  He's about ninety-five percent there.

                                     MILLER
                         Thanks for drawing that machine gun
                         off me.

                                     SARGE
                         You're welcome, John.

                                     MILLER
                         But, that's my personal brand of
                         stupidity, I feel kind of proprietary
                         about it, if you do it again, you're
                         busted.

               Sarge allows himself a slight smile.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller jerks his head for Sarge to follow.  They head back
               to the men.

               EXT. CLEARING - DAY

               The men are all in their private worlds, thinking of Wade.
               No talk.  Miller and Sarge walk back into the clearing.
               Miller barks at the men.

                                     MILLER
                         Up.  We're moving out.

                                     REIBEN
                         I thought you said we had an hour,
                         sir?

                                     MILLER
                         Well now I'm saying we're moving
                         out.  Get off your ass.

               The men get up.  Jackson is a bit slow.

                                     MILLER
                         What the hell's the matter with you,
                         Jackson?

                                     JACKSON
                         Sir, I ain't feeling so chipper on
                         account of Wade.

                                     MILLER
                         Who's Wade?

               No one responds.

                                     MILLER
                         I said, who the hell is Wade?

               The men exchange looks.  Jackson speaks for them.

                                     JACKSON
                         Sir, I understand what you're doin',
                         but I respectfully request permission
                         to grieve in my own manner.

                                     MILLER
                         You'll grieve the way I tell you to
                         goddamned grieve.  There is no Wade,
                         there was one, but he died a long
                         time ago, he's been dead for so long
                         you can hardly remember his name,
                         you understand?

                                     JACKSON
                         Sir, I understand.  I don't like it,
                         but I understand.

                                     MILLER
                         Good, now get your goddamned gear.

               The men pick up their equipment and prepare to move out.
               Sarge and Miller exchange a silent look.  Miller shakes his
               head to himself, amazed that the men still allow this shit
               to work.  He knows they have no choice.

               EXT. FRENCH ROAD - DAY

               Miller and his men walk along the road.  The men are silent,
               grim.

               EXT. FRENCH PATH - DAY

               Miller checks his map.  figures out where they are.  Folds
               up the map, points the way and they move out.

               EXT. FRENCH FIELD - DAY

               More progress.  The men are still grim.

                                     REIBEN
                         You know what the best possible thing
                         that could happen is?

                                     JACKSON
                         Yep, you step on a rusty nail, get
                         lockjaw, never say another word as
                         long as you live.

               Miller laughs.  Miller I'll bite, Reiben.

                                     REIBEN
                         I've given this a lot of thought,
                         sir.  The best thing that could happen
                         is, we find Ryan and he's dead.

                                     MILLER
                         Why's that?

                                     REIBEN
                         Well, sir, consider the possibilities.
                         A:  Ryan is alive.  We have to take
                         him back to the beach.  Knowing you,
                         you don't let him carry my gear,
                         even though he really should, and we
                         all get killed, trying to keep him
                         alive.

                                     MILLER
                         Except for the last part, that one's
                         not bad.

                                     REIBEN
                         B:  Ryan is dead.  He's been blown
                         up by the German equivalent of Wade,
                         whose name I know you don't want me
                         to mention.  There's nothing to find.
                         The biggest piece is the size of a
                         pea.  We wander around, looking for
                         him until the Germans pick us off,
                         one after another.

                                     MILLER
                         I don't like that one.

                                     REIBEN
                         Neither do I, sir.  C:  And this is
                         the worst one, we find Ryan and he's
                         wounded.  Not only does he not carry
                         my gear, we have to carry his gear.
                         And him.

                                     MILLER
                         But we accomplish the mission.

                                     REIBEN
                         Maybe.  But what if he dies on the
                         way back?  you see what I'm saying,
                         sir?  The best possible situation
                         is, he's dead, we find his body,
                         more or less intact, we grab one of
                         his dog-tags and high-tail it back
                         to the beach, or better yet, we head
                         over to Caen and catch up with
                         division.

                                     MILLER
                         Has anyone ever told you, you're
                         officer material?

                                     REIBEN
                         No, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         That's a mystery to me.

               No one smiles, but they trudge a bit less.

               EXT. CROSSROADS - DAY

               The SOUND OF HEAVY FIRING.  Miller checks a map in the brush
               near the crossroads.  A sign reads:  "Ramelle 3 Km."  Miller
               folds up the map.

                                     SARGE
                         Looks like we're going to beat those
                         Kraut companies to Ramelle.

               Suddenly Miller stops dead.  He listens, hearing something
               the others don't hear.  He motions for them to freeze, they
               do.  The SOUND grows louder.  It's an OMINOUS RUMBLE.

                                     MILLER
                         I don't think so.

               EXT. FRENCH ROAD - DAY

               THE RUMBLE turns into the ROAR OF A BIG GERMAN CONVOY.  Troop
               trucks, armored personnel carriers, a regiment of crack
               Wehrmacht troops.  Heavily armed.  Imposing.  Crossing a
               bridge.

               CAMERA PANS DOWN TO REVEAL

               Miller and his men crowded into a culvert under the bridge.
               Brush and debris partially shield the ends of the culvert.

                                     GERMAN FLANK SQUADS
                         Hurry along the fields on either
                         side of the road, trying to keep up
                         with the vehicles.  MILLER AND HIS
                         MEN Catch a glimpse of an approaching
                         German Flank Squad.  They flatten
                         themselves into the mucky water.
                         Ready their weapons.  Prepare to
                         fire.

                                     THE GERMAN SQUAD
                         Approaches the bridge.

               PAIR OF GERMAN PRIVATES

               See the culvert obscured by brush.  Move to check it out.

                                     MILLER
                         Is just about to open up on them.

                                     THE GERMAN SERGEANT
                         Sees his Flank Squad lagging behind
                         and CALLS to them.

                                     THE GERMAN PRIVATES
                         Obey.  Hurry after the rest of the
                         convoy.

                                     IN THE CULVERT
                         The Americans breathe again.

                                     UPHAM
                         I wonder where they're going.

                                     MILLER
                         Same place we are.

               Jackson, at the mouth of the culvert, motions that the coast
               is clear.  They head out.

               EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF RAMELLE - DAY

               A gently-sloped valley with scattered farm cottages and small,
               cultivated fields, bordered by ancient, moss-covered stone
               walls.  The twos is visible beyond.

               Miller and his men crouch-run to the cover of one of the
               stone walls.  Miller pulls out his binoculars.

               ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE FIELD

               There's a large gathering of German troops and vehicles.

                                     MILLER
                         Scans the Germans with his binoculars.

                                     REIBEN
                         Looks like tea time, maybe they're
                         Brits.

                                     UPHAM
                         I sure hope so.

                                     SARGE
                         What do you think they're waiting
                         for, Captain?

               Just then they hear an OMINOUS RUMBLE, deeper and more
               threatening that that of the convoy.  The sound gets LOUDER
               and LOUDER.  Miller and his men exchange looks.  They know
               that sound, they don't like it.

               FOUR MASSIVE GERMAN TANKS

               Appear down the road, heading for the German soldiers who
               greet them enthusiastically.  The tanks are tigers, huge,
               far bigger than an American Sherman.  Each one, sixty-two
               tons, with a big 88-mm gun, four heavy machine guns and
               impregnable armor.  Each one, an infantryman's nightmare.
               There are four of them.

                                     MILLER
                         Puts away the binoculars and jerks
                         his head for his men to follow, low,
                         along the wall.  The men are happy
                         to do so, looking back nervously at
                         the German tanks.

               EXT. TOWN SQUARE - RAMELLE - DAY

               The SOUNDS OF SPORADIC SMALL ARMS FIRE.  The town square is
               a deserted battlefield, littered with burning debris, shell
               casings and bodies, German and American and a few French
               civilians.  Miller and his men enter the square, weapons
               ready, leap-frogging from doorway to doorway.

               Miller and Sarge crouch-run to the cover of some overhanging
               debris.  They listen, trying to pinpoint the exact source of
               the firing.

               Sarge motions his guess.  Miller nods in agreement.  He
               signals for the men to follow him around, not toward, the
               firing.

               They move on, dashing from cover to cover.

               EXT. BRIDGE - RAMELLE - DAY

               A dozen AMERICAN PARATROOPERS on the bridge exchange SPORADIC
               FIRE with a few German snipers hidden in the buildings near
               the bridgehead.  The bridge has clearly been the scene of
               heavy fighting.  Craters, burning debris and shell casings
               are everywhere.  The bridge is intact, only slightly damaged.
               There are dozens of German bodies along the riverbank on
               both sides of the bridge.

               MILLER AND HIS MEN

               Crouch-run and take cover as they get within sight of the
               bridge.

                                     REIBEN
                         Looks like they've been having a
                         hell of a party, here, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         ON THE BRIDGE!  WE'RE COMING IN.

               A YOUNG BUT GRIZZLED VOICE calls back.

                                     VOICE FROM BRIDGE
                         KISS MY ASS, FRITZ.

                                     MILLER
                         YOU FIRE AT US AND I'LL DO A HELL OF
                         A LOT MORE THAN THAT.

                                     VOICE FROM BRIDGE
                         WHO WON THE '38 ARMY-NAVY GAME?

               Miller turns to his men.  They all come up empty.

                                     MILLER
                         I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA.  HERE WE
                         COME.
                              (to his men)
                         Cover me.

                                     REIBEN
                         What if our guys open up, sir?

                                     MILLER
                         You're only allowed to shoot at
                         Germans, that's one of the rules.

                                     REIBEN
                         Have it your way, Captain.

               Miller takes a breath, then DASHES out into the open, toward
               the bridge.

               THE GERMAN SNIPERS OPEN UP

               Bullets SMASH INTO THE GROUND around Miller.

                                     MILLER'S MEN
                         POUR FIRE at the German positions,
                         SURPRESSING THE GERMAN FIRE.

                                     ON THE BRIDGE
                         The Paratroopers pour a HEAVY STREAM
                         OF BULLETS at the German positions.

               Miller makes it to the bridge and DIVES over a defensive
               jumble of crates, sandbags and bodies.

               He finds himself next to SERGEANT BILL FORREST who was the
               young but grizzled voice that called out.  With Forrest are
               some very worn-out, young AMERICAN PARATROOPERS.  Miller
               catches his breath.  Forrest Navy, sir, twenty-one to
               nineteen.  They won on a field goal in overtime.

                                     MILLER
                         I'll keep it in mind.
                              (calls to Sarge)
                         OKAY, SARGE, ONE AT A TIME.

               Miller and the paratroopers FIRE COVER for Miller's men as
               they come in.  Miller and Forrest alternately take and FIRE.

               Forrest Are we glad to see you, sir, we were supposed to
               hold this bridge for twenty-four hours, it's been six days.

                                     MILLER
                         Things are tough all over.  We're
                         looking for a Private James Ryan.

               Forrest Ryan?

                                     MILLER
                         Is he here?

               Forrest motions to one of the paratroopers.

               Forrest Go get Ryan.

                                     (TO MILLER)
                         What do you want him for, sir?

               Miller doesn't answer.  Jackson leaps over the barricade and
               scrambles to them.

                                     MILLER
                         Jackson, get a hold of command.

               Jackson cranks up the five-thirty-five.  Miller turns to
               Forrest.

                                     MILLER
                         How many men do you have?

               They pause to FIRE, covering Sarge, the last of Miller's men
               to leap over the barricade.

               Forrest Eleven, sir.  We started with thirty-six.  The bridge
               was easy to take but the Krauts have been coming back at us
               ever since.  They must want it intact or we'd be long gone.

               Jackson speaks into the radio handset, repeating Miller's
               hailing I.D.   No response.

                                     JACKSON
                         Not yet.

                                     MILLER
                         Keep trying.

               Forrest Sir, what do you want with Ryan?

               Miller doesn't answer, he looks past Forrest and sees:

                                     PRIVATE JAMES RYAN
                         Dashing from cover to cover, making
                         his way toward them.  Ryan is an
                         American classic, nineteen years
                         old, earthy, handsome, sharp, cocky.
                         Though he's exhausted, unshaven, and
                         smeared with dirt and blood, he's
                         very alive.  His eyes shine, his
                         face has a spark.  You can't help
                         but love this kid.

                                     MILLER'S MEN
                         All watch Ryan run toward them.

                                     JACKSON
                         So, that's Ryan.

                                     REIBEN
                         Looks like a flaming asshole to me.

               Their eyes remain glued to Ryan as he makes it to the
               barricade.  He salutes Miller.

                                     REIBEN
                         I'm Ryan, sir.  You wanted to see
                         me?

               Miller looks at Ryan for a moment, amazed that he's finally
               face-to-face with him.  Ryan waits.  Miller hesitates,
               searching for words.  Then he speaks gently but clearly.
               Miller Private, I've got some bad news for you.  Your brothers
               have been killed in action.

               The life instantly drains from Ryan.  His breath comes hard.
               Somehow he remains upright.

               Ryan All three?

                                     MILLER
                         Yes.

               Ryan sways.  Miller grabs him and eases him back, leaning
               him against some sandbags.

                                     THE PARATROOPERS
                         Are stunned at the news.  They look
                         at Ryan, there's nothing else they
                         can do.

                                     MILLER'S MEN
                         Also look at Ryan, but then, one
                         after another, they turn away,
                         adverting their eyes, looking a their
                         own boots, the debris on the bridge,
                         the sky, anything other than Ryan.

                                     MILLER
                         We've been sent to get you out of
                         here.  You're going home.

               Ryan weakly waves Miller off.  Miller motions to his men and
               the paratroopers to move away.  They do so, giving Ryan a
               little room.

               Forrest Three brothers, the poor son-of-a-bitch.

                                     MILLER
                         Sergeant, we're moving out and I'm
                         taking you and your men with me.

               Forrest But, sir, our orders are clear, we're to hold this
               bridge until we're relieved by forward elements of the Twenty-
               ninth Division.

                                     MILLER
                         I'm giving you new orders, Sergeant.

               Forrest Sir, you can't do that, these orders are from command.

                                     MILLER
                         I'm not going to leave you and your
                         men here to get killed.  Get them
                         together, we're moving out.

               A VOICE from behind them speaks simply, clearly, firmly.

                                     RYAN (O.S.)
                         No, sir.

               They all turn and see Ryan standing there.  Miller is about
               to automatically rip Ryan a new asshole for contradicting
               him, but he quickly calms himself, gently touches Ryan on
               the arm and speaks softly to him.

                                     MILLER
                         Come on, Private, you're going home.

               Ryan jerks away from Miller.

                                     RYAN
                         No, sir.

               All eyes are on Miller and Ryan.  Miller remains patient.

                                     MILLER
                         Private.  I'm sorry about your
                         brothers but staying here and getting
                         yourself killed isn't going to help.

                                     RYAN
                         Sir, if the Krauts are holding this
                         bridge when division shows up, our
                         guys are going to be sitting ducks.

                                     MILLER
                         This bridge cannot be held.  The
                         Germans have two companies less than
                         three miles from here.  They have
                         tanks.

               That news clearly affects Ryan and the other paratroopers,
               but Ryan holds his ground.  Ryan Sir, I'm still not going.

               Miller speaks with restrained, but growing, anger.

                                     MILLER
                         Private, if you want to commit
                         suicide, that's your choice, but
                         you're going to have to wait until
                         after I get you back to the beach.
                         And you're not going to take these
                         men with you.

               Ryan stands eye-to-eye with Miller.

                                     RYAN
                         I'm not leaving, sir.

               Miller starts to boil over.

                                     MILLER
                         The hell you aren't, you're comin'
                         with me if I have to drag you every
                         inch of the way.  You hear me,
                         Private?

                                     RYAN
                         I hear you sir, but I'm not leaving.

               Miller grabs Ryan by the lapels and shakes him.  Ryan doesn't
               resist.

                                     MILLER
                         Listen you little son-of-a-bitch
                         you're coming with me or
                         I'll...I'll...

               Ryan speaks softly.

                                     RYAN
                         What are you going to do, sir, shoot
                         me?

               Miller considers it.  Then REIBEN SPEAKS UP from behind
               Miller.

                                     REIBEN
                              (politely)
                         Uh, excuse me, Captain.

               Miller slowly turns and glares.

                                     REIBEN
                              (continuing)
                         So, what are a few tanks, sir?

               Miller's more amazed than pissed off.  Reiben smiles.

                                     REIBEN
                              (continuing)
                         He's right, we can't shoot him...well,
                         we could but we'd get in an enormous
                         amount of trouble.  And he's right
                         about the bridge, it's a hell of a
                         lot more important than he is.

               JACKSON STEPS FORWARD.

                                     JACKSON
                         Cap'n...?

               Miller turns his glare on Jackson.

                                     JACKSON
                              (continuing)
                         Seems to me, we got us a opportunity,
                         here, to kill two birds with one
                         stone.  Command seems to think keepin'
                         this boy alive is worth somethin'.
                         If we was to do that and hold this
                         bridge, good chance we'd get us a
                         bucket full of medals.  I might even
                         get me one 'a them big, fancy ones
                         like you got, so's I could sass any
                         officer in the whole dang army, you
                         included.

               Miller does a slow burn.

               UPHAM STEPS FORWARD

                                     UPHAM
                         I'd like to stay, too, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         You don't count.

               SARGE STEPS UP

                                     SARGE
                         I do and personally, I'd rather get
                         the hell out of here, but somebody's
                         got to stay and take care of you and
                         these pin-head privates of yours.

               Miller looks at FORREST AND THE PARATROOPERS.

               Forrest We weren't planning on going anywhere, sir.

               Reiben smiles.

                                     REIBEN
                         See, Captain?  The vote's unanimous.

               Miller's eyes almost pop out of his head.  Miller The vote?
               What the hell are you talking about?  We don't vote.  This
               isn't a democracy.  This is the army, I give orders, you
               follow them.  We don't vote!

                                     REIBEN
                         Yes, sir, of course, sir, I was merely
                         speaking hypothetically.  IF this
                         was a voting situation, then the
                         vote would have been unanimous.  But
                         of course, it's not a voting
                         situation, you're the captain, and
                         you give the orders, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         You're goddamned right, I give the
                         order.  Vote!  Jesus Christ!  Listen
                         to me, you little pissant pieces of
                         shit, I am the ranking officer here
                         and what I say goes, is that clear?

               They all quickly nod.

                                     JACKSON
                         Yes, sir.

                                     REIBEN
                         Of course, sir.

               All the others Yes, sir.  Yes, sir.

               Miller looks from face to face.

                                     MILLER
                         In that case...
                              (beat)
                         I vote we stay.

               That's what they wanted to hear.  Miller doesn't give them
               time to enjoy it, he immediately starts barking orders.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, the B.A.R., there.  Jackson,
                         get up on the bridgekeepers hut with
                         your sniper rifle.  Sarge, you and
                         Upham move that machine gun so it
                         can cover the left flank, it's
                         worthless where it is.  Forrest, I
                         want a full inventory of all your
                         weapons, ammo and ordnance.  Go.

               They all hurry off, except for Ryan who locks eyes with Miller
               for a moment.

                                     RYAN
                         Thank you, sir.

                                     MILLER
                              (gruffly gentle)
                         Yeah, yeah.  I want you right next
                         to me, no matter where I go, you
                         understand?

               Ryan salutes.

                                     RYAN
                         Yes, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         Alright, come with me.

               Miller shakes his head at himself and strides off to check
               the defensive perimeter with Ryan at his side.

               EXT. BRIDGE - DAY

               Miller and Reiben watch as Forrest, Ryan and a couple other
               paratroopers lay out their weapons and ammo inventory.

               Forrest Two machine guns, twenty-two grenades, two Gammon
               grenades, six satchel charges, twenty-six M-1's, eight Tommy
               guns and about sixty rounds per man.

                                     MILLER
                         That's it?

               Reiben looks at the sparse array of weaponry.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sir, can I change my vote?

               Miller sighs, worried.

               EXT. BRIDGEKEEPER'S HUT - DAY

               Jackson, perched on the bridgekeepers hut, protected by a
               crescent of sandbags.  His eye is at his scope.  He FIRES.

                                     A GERMAN SNIPER
                         Falls from a window on the edge of
                         town, dead.

                                     UPHAM
                         Sits beside Jackson with a pair of
                         binoculars, searching for another
                         target.  The German sniper fire has
                         subsided for now.  Ext. bridge - day
                         Miller watches as Ryan and several
                         other paratroopers dig a series of
                         trenches across the street, leading
                         to the bridge.

               Reiben, Jackson and Upham, stone-faced, watch Ryan.

               Miller eyes the buildings near the bridge head.  He speaks
               to Sarge who holds several satchel charges.

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge, see what you can do to make
                         those buildings inhospitable.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               Just then they hear the sound of A BIG GUN FIRING IN THE
               DISTANCE.  They all turn at the sound.

                                     UPHAM
                         Eighty-eights, right?

               Miller nods.

                                     UPHAM
                         I can tell what the gunners had for
                         dinner.

                                     MILLER
                         Those guns are close.

               Forrest Just south of town.  The Krauts have a two gun
               emplacement, we saw it on the way in.  That's how we knew
               they wanted the bridge intact, they didn't blow the crap out
               of us.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's hope they don't change their
                         mind.

               Upham listens to the eighty-eights with particular interest.

               INT. BUILDING - DAY

               Within sight of the bridge.  Sarge carefully plants a wire-
               triggered satchel charge at the door of the building.  He
               sets the wire, then carefully backs away.

               EXT. BRIDGE - EVENING

               Reiben and Ryan pile sandbags, finishing a forward machine
               gun nest.  Miller looks around, evaluating, Sarge and Upham
               at his side.

                                     SARGE
                         What do you think?

                                     MILLER
                         Well, if we had ten times the men
                         and a lot more ammo, we might stand
                         a chance, but not against those tanks.

                                     SARGE
                         What are we going to do?

                                     MILLER
                         We're going to hope like hell the
                         tanks were on their way somewhere
                         else.

                                     REIBEN
                         Maybe Caen.

                                     MILLER
                         Let's hope, because we're sure as
                         hell not going to do any damage to
                         them with what we have here.

                                     UPHAM
                         What about our grenades?

                                     MILLER
                         Those are Tigers, they have six-inch
                         armor, they don't even notice
                         grenades.

                                     UPHAM
                         Would they notice and eighty-eight?

                                     MILLER
                         Sure, you got one?

                                     UPHAM
                         The Germans do.

               Miller is stone-faced, then he smiles.

                                     MILLER
                         Upham, go find Jackson, he and I are
                         going hunting.

               Upham runs off.  Sarge shakes his head.

                                     SARGE
                         Uh, oh.

                                     MILLER
                         Out of the mouth of babes.

               EXT. BRIDGEHEAD - NIGHT

               Dark.  Miller, Jackson and Forrest darken their faces with
               blackening soot.  The rest of Miller's men and several
               paratroopers, including Ryan, look on.  Upham is distressed.
               Upham It was my idea, sir, you've got to let me go.

                                     MILLER
                         Upham, you've got to learn the
                         difference between whining and
                         griping.  You can't just rely on
                         natural ability, you've got to study
                         and practice.

                                     UPHAM
                         But, sir...

                                     MILLER
                         There you go again, that's whining,
                         that's not okay.

                                     UPHAM
                         Goddamn it, sir...

                                     MILLER
                         That's better, but you've still got
                         a long way to go.  Talk to Reiben,
                         he's a natural and works at it, he'll
                         give you some pointers.

                                     REIBEN
                         Leave him to me, Captain, I'll have
                         him pissing and moaning with the
                         best of us.

                                     MILLER
                         See to it.

               RYAN Steps up to Miller.

                                     RYAN
                         I'd like to go, sir.

                                     MILLER
                         No, private, I want you to stay here,
                         keep your head down, don't do anything
                         brave or stupid.

                                     REIBEN
                         Aren't they the same thing, sir?

               Miller smiles.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben, I don't know what I'd do
                         without you.  Sarge, keep Ryan close
                         to you and alive.

                                     SARGE
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller checks Jackson and Forrest.

                                     MILLER
                         You ready?

               Forrest Yes, sir.

                                     JACKSON
                         You betcha, sir.

               Miller, Forrest and Jackson prepare to move out.

                                     REIBEN
                              (southern accent)
                         Y'all come back.

                                     JACKSON
                         Reiben, are you makin' fun 'a the
                         way I talk?

                                     REIBEN
                              (heavy southern accent)
                         Hell, no!

               Jackson shoots him a glare, then he follows Miller and Forrest
               into the darkness.  Sarge, Ryan and the other watch them go.

               EXT. GERMAN EIGHTY-EIGHT EMPLACEMENT - NIGHT

               A German eighty-eight FIRES, sending its big shell into the
               night.  It's eight-man crew re-loads.

                                     IN THE DARKNESS
                         A slight movement.  It's Miller.  He
                         crawls to the edge of the emplacement
                         and freezes in the shadows.

               A moment later he's joined by Forrest.  A moment after that,
               Jackson silently crawls up to them.

                                     MILLER
                         Eyes the emplacement.  Looks for a
                         weakness.  There is none.  He motions
                         to Forrest and Jackson to wait.  The
                         three of them settle into the
                         darkness.

               EXT. MACHINE GUN NEST - BRIDGE - NIGHT

               Sarge, Upham and Reiben sit with Ryan in the darkness.  Ryan
               is lost in thought, far away.  One after another, Miller's
               men eye him.

                                     SARGE
                         Private, I'm sorry about your
                         brothers.

               Ryan nods.  Then, with some difficulty, he makes the trip
               from Iowa back to France.  He turns to Sarge.  Ryan What was
               the name of the guy who got killed coming up here?

                                     SARGE
                         Wade.

                                     RYAN
                         Wade.  Huh, he died coming up here
                         to keep me alive...I never met
                         him...he didn't know me from Adam,
                         strange.  What was he like?

                                     SARGE
                         A good man, kind of cheerful, Reiben,
                         here, used to call him a happy idiot.

                                     REIBEN
                         Like hell, I did.

                                     RYAN
                         My brothers would be mighty pissed
                         off at me, if they knew I let some
                         guy get killed trying to keep me
                         alive.

                                     SARGE
                         You didn't let anybody get killed,
                         you didn't even know we were coming
                         up here.

                                     RYAN
                         Sure, I know, but...
                              (sighs)
                         Goddamn it all...

               The others nod in agreement.  They look closely at Ryan.

               EXT. GERMAN EIGHTY-EIGHT EMPLACEMENT - NIGHT

               Dark.  No firing.  Two German soldiers on watch.

                                     A SHADOW
                         It's Miller.  Easing through the
                         darkness.  Closer to one of the
                         sentries.

               Miller sees Jackson easing up behind another sentry.  Miller
               nods to Jackson.  They move at the same moment.  Behind the
               sentries.  SLIT THEIR THROATS.

                                     BEHIND THE EIGHTY-EIGHT
                         Forrest removes the wheel-blocks.

                                     A GERMAN SENTRY
                         Approaches.  He sees Forrest.  Just
                         as he's about to open up with his
                         sub-machine gun, Miller grabs him
                         from behind, STABS him, eases the
                         body silently to the ground.

                                     MILLER AND JACKSON
                         Join Forrest at the eighty-eight.

               Together they attach the eighty-eight's carriage to the
               German's truck.

                                     ANOTHER GERMAN SENTRY
                         Rounds a corner.  Sees them.  OPENS
                         UP WITH HIS SUB-MACHINE GUN.

               Forrest DIVES, FIRES BACK.

                                     OTHER GERMANS
                         Race over, FIRING.

                                     JACKSON
                         Covering them, OPENS UP.  Kills the
                         advancing Germans.

               MILLER frantically attaches the eighty-eight to the truck.

               FORREST CUTS DOWN, several more Germans.

               JACKSON TAKES A GRAZING SHOT IN THE SHOULDER.

               Spins.

               Still FIRING.

               Giving Miller cover.

               MILLER LEAPS into the cab of the truck.

               JACKSON AND FORREST LEAP into the back.

               JACKSON FIRES into the approaching Germans.

                                     THE WINDSHIELD
                         Is shattered by bullets.

               Glass flies everywhere, cutting Miller on the face and hands.

                                     FORREST
                         In the back of the truck.

               Spraying the Germans with his Thompson.

               MILLER FLOORS IT.

               The truck DRIVES through the Germans.

               The Germans FIRE at the truck and trailing eighty-eight.
               MILLER, JACKSON AND FORREST Drive into the night.

               The Germans FIRING after them.

               EXT. ROAD LEADING TO THE BRIDGE - NIGHT

               Miller, Jackson and Forrest barrel down the road through a
               gauntlet of Germans.  As they approach the bridge, the other
               American's FIRE COVER for them.

               Miller drives the truck onto the bridge.

               SMASHES INTO THE SANDBAGS

               THE OTHER AMERICANS, with Ryan in the lead, leap over the
               barricade and drag the captured eighty-eight onto the bridge.

                                     MILLER
                         RYAN!  GET BACK THERE!

               Ryan ignores him.  They get the eighty-eight safely behind
               the barricade.  Miller grabs Ryan.

                                     RYAN
                         Sorry, sir.

               Miller fumes.  he sees Reiben, Sarge and Upham, shrugging,
               clearly not pissed at Ryan.

                                     MILLER
                         Don't do that again.

                                     RYAN
                         I won't need to sir, it's already
                         here, behind the barricade so...

               Miller GROWLS.

                                     RYAN
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller glares at Ryan, then strides off.

               EXT. FIELD - NIGHT

               Miller and Upham carefully dig up a German mine.  Very
               gingerly they place it on a growing pile of other mines.

               EXT. ROAD LEADING TO BRIDGE - NIGHT

               Miller and Ryan lay a mine into the dirt.  They cover it and
               step back carefully.

               Then they proceed with the next.  Upham is covering their
               tracks while Jackson is digging the holes in which they'll
               place the rest of the mines.

               EXT. BRIDGE - NIGHT

               Quiet.  Dark.  Everything is ready.  There's nothing to do
               now but wait.

               ON THE BRIDGEKEEPERS HUT

               Reiben and Jackson sit behind the sandbags.  They can see
               Ryan sitting in the moonlight about twenty yards away, manning
               the rear machine gun nest with Sarge.

                                     REIBEN
                         What do you think?

                                     JACKSON
                         I think I'm we got that eighty-eight.

                                     REIBEN
                         I mean, Ryan, what do you think of
                         him?

               Jackson shrugs.

                                     JACKSON
                         He ain't half-bad, I guess.

                                     REIBEN
                         I guess.

               They're quiet for a moment.

                                     JACKSON
                         He ain't Wade.

                                     REIBEN
                         Nope, he ain't Wade.

               Their eyes keep coming back to Ryan.

                                     MILLER
                         Crouch-runs through the shadows and
                         stops at the bridgekeepers hut.

                                     MILLER
                         Reiben...

               Miller points, directing Reiben to the forward machine gun
               nest.

                                     REIBEN
                         Yes, sir.

               REIBEN jumps down and moves forward.

               MILLER runs across the bridge and joins Sarge and Ryan in
               the rear machine gun nest.

                                     MILLER
                         You set?  Sarge nods.

                                     RYAN
                         Yes, sir.

               Miller and Sarge exchange a look.  Then Miller slips off to
               check the others.

               EXT. BRIDGE - DAWN

               First light.  The Americans are ready for battle.  WE SEE
               them in their positions:

                                     REIBEN AND UPHAM
                         Manning the forward machine gun nest.

                                     JACKSON
                         Behind the sandbags, on top of the
                         bridgekeeper's hut.

               FORREST AND THE PARATROOPERS

               Behind the second of two barricades set up between the forward
               and the rear machine gun nests.

                                     RYAN AND SARGE
                         Manning rear machine gun.

                                     MILLER
                         At the bridgehead, waiting.

               SOUND FROM DOWN THE ROAD

               All eyes turn.

               SINGLE GERMAN SOLDIER

               Dashes across the street.  Exposed only for an instant.
               Then another.  And another.

                                     MILLER
                         Cocks his Thompson.  Settles down
                         behind some sandbags.

                                     MILLER
                         HERE THEY COME!

               A RUSH OF GERMANS ADVANCE, BLASTING AT THE BRIDGE.

               THE AMERICANS RETURN FIRE

                                     REIBEN
                         OPENS UP with the MACHINE GUN.

                                     THE GERMANS
                         At least fifty of them, advancing on
                         the bridge.  Running from cover to
                         cover.  A squad pushing a French
                         truck, using it as a shield.

                                     JACKSON
                         Calmly picking off the attacking
                         Germans.

                                     THE GERMAN INFANTRYMEN
                         Make their way down the streets.
                         Along the riverbank.  Through the
                         houses.  There are GERMANS FIRING
                         from all directions.

               REIBEN FIRES IN ARCS.

                                     MILLER
                         Sees Reiben and Upham being cut off.
                         Grabs the B.A.R., stands and fires.

                                     REIBEN AND UPHAM
                         Running out of ammo.  See that there's
                         nothing else they can do.

                                     REIBEN
                         Time to go.

               Reiben rolls out of the nest, carrying the fifty caliber.
               Upham follows, carrying the ammo boxes.  They run as fast as
               they can.

               THE OTHER AMERICANS FIRE COVER

               REIBEN takes a glancing slug.  Falls.  Rolls and gets up.
               Bleeding from the side, but not mortal.  Upham helps him.

               They MAKE IT TO THE SANDBAGS of the first barricade.

               DIVE OVER.  The Germans are almost on them.

                                     RYAN IS FIRING
                         With the rear MACHINE GUN.  Drops
                         several Germans.

                                     GERMANS EVERYWHERE
                         They swarm over the first barricade.

                                     MILLER
                         FIRES A BURST into a German's belly.
                         HITS another with the stock of his
                         Thompson.

               HAND-TO-HAND.

               FORREST AND THE OTHER PARATROOPERS

               FIRING COVER for Miller, Reiben and Upham, don't see a
               flanking Germans squad easing along the riverbanks.  Two of
               the Germans LOB POTATO MASHERS among the paratroopers.  THE
               PARATROOPERS see the grenades.  Too late.

               THE POTATO MASHERS EXPLODE KILLING FORREST AND THE OTHER
               PARATROOPERS RYAN SEES FORREST AND THE OTHERS DIE

               No time to react.

                                     HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING
                         Half a dozen Germans break through.

               Miller KILLS TWO MORE WITH A BURST.

                                     RYAN
                         Is jumped on by one.  Upham FIRES.
                         KILLS the German.

                                     MILLER
                         Struggling with a pair of Germans.

                                     JACKSON
                         FIRES.  Drops one of the Germans on
                         Miller with a head shot.  Cuts open
                         Miller's face with bits of skull.

                                     RYAN
                         Leaps onto the final German attacking
                         Miller.  That German raises his rifle
                         on Ryan.

               UPHAM AND REIBEN AND JACKSON

               All see it.  SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOOT the German.

                                     THE STUNNED GERMAN
                         About to kill Ryan.  Torn apart by
                         bullets from three directions.

                                     UPHAM
                         I got him.

                                     REIBEN
                         Like hell you did, I got him.

                                     JACKSON SMILES
                         He got him.

               MILLER SLAMS in a fresh clip.  FIRES an arc.  DROPS four
               Germans.  Sees an oncoming RUSH OF GERMANS.  BARKS to Reiben
               and Upham:

                                     MILLER
                         BACK!  LET'S GO!

               They retreat, firing back as best they can, trying to make
               it to the barricade.

                                     SARGE
                         Sees them in deep trouble.  Leaves
                         Ryan firing the rear machine gun.
                         Grabs the B.A.R. ADVANCES, FIRING
                         COVER.  Exposed.

                                     BULLETS EVERYWHERE
                         MILLER, REIBEN, UPHAM make it to the
                         barricade.  Dive over.

                                     SARGE
                         Sees they've made it.  FIRES A FINAL
                         BURST.  Races for cover.  A trail of
                         bullets right behind him.

               THE OTHER AMERICANS FIRE for all they're worth.  Trying to
               cover Sarge.  Too many Germans.

               SARGE TAKES A SHOT IN THE BACK.  FALLS.  MILLER AND THE OTHERS
               continue to fire, horrified.

               SARGE STRUGGLES TO HIS FEET

               Cradling the B.A.R.  Stumbling toward cover.  Slowing.
               Bleeding.

                                     THE AMERICANS
                         Desperately trying to cover him.

                                     THE GERMANS
                         Open up with a volley.

                                     SARGE
                         Is almost there.

               ALL THE AMERICANS STAND AND FIRE

               As best they can.  Right past Sarge.  It's not enough.

                                     SARGE
                         Five feet from the sandbags, his
                         back is TORN APART by Germans fire.
                         He looks down, stunned at his chest.
                         Amazed to see GAPING HOLES.  An
                         instant of surprise, more than fear.

               He looks to Miller.  Takes two more stumbling steps.  Falls
               onto the sandbags.  Dropping the B.A.R. over the edge.  Dies.
               THE AMERICANS FIRE MADLY, CONTINUOUSLY

                                     THE GERMANS
                         Who killed Sarge are killed.  The
                         others back off for now.

               REIBEN, UPHAM, JACKSON, RYAN fire at the retreating Germans.

                                     MILLER
                         Grabs Sarge and pulls him over the
                         barricade.  Sees that he's dead.

               THE GERMANS RETREAT.

               Around the corner.

                                     MILLER
                         Stunned, lays Sarge down, kneeling
                         next to him.

                                     THE OTHERS
                         Watch, start to gather.

                                     REIBEN
                         Goddamn it...Goddamn it...Goddamn
                         it...

                                     MILLER
                         Get back to your positions!

               They hesitate.

                                     MILLER
                         Go!

               They follow the order.  All except Ryan, who doesn't move.
               He can't take his eyes off Sarge.

                                     MILLER
                         Doesn't move.  He just stares at
                         Sarge's body.

                                     RYAN
                         Looks at Miller, sees him growing
                         weak, starting to sway.  He gently
                         tries to move Miller aside.

                                     RYAN
                         I'll take care of Sarge...

               Miller looks up at Ryan, then back at Sarge's body.  Miller
               grows cold, making the same startling transformation he made
               as he kneeled over Wade's body.

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge?  Who's Sarge?

               But this time it doesn't work.  He can't make it stick.  The
               hard expression, disappears.  He drifts, utterly lost.  He's
               called his own bluff.

               EXT. BRIDGE - NIGHT

               Dark.  Quiet.  The distant guns are silent for once.

               Waiting.  Reiben, Upham, Jackson, Ryan and Miller have
               tightened their perimeter.

               Miller is in a trance.  The others glance at him nervously.

               They eat in silence.  K-rations.  Some bread.  A last supper.

               Then, from out of nowhere, Miller speaks:

                                     MILLER
                         English teacher, Addley, Pennsylvania.

               Slowly, Miller's men turn to him.

                                     UPHAM
                         What'd you say, Captain?

                                     MILLER
                         I teach English at Addley High School
                         in Addley, Pennsylvania.

                                     REIBEN
                         Well, I'll be goddamned, I knew it.

                                     JACKSON
                         Like hell, you did.

                                     UPHAM
                         Captain, what about our deal?

                                     MILLER
                         I changed my mind.

                                     REIBEN
                         What deal?

                                     MILLER
                         I coach the baseball team, too.

                                     JACKSON
                         No kiddin'?

                                     REIBEN
                         What deal?

                                     UPHAM
                         Forget it.

               They all sit in silence.

                                     MILLER
                         You know that cruise ship Wade's
                         grandfather was on?

               They all nod, except Ryan who doesn't know what Miller's
               talking about.

                                     MILLER
                              (continuing)
                         I wonder if his cabin is still
                         available?

                                     REIBEN
                         That's not where I am.  Miller No?
                         Where are you?

                                     REIBEN
                         I'm in a dressing room with Mrs.
                         Rachel Troubowitz, our super's wife.
                         She's an easy forty-four, double E,
                         but I've convinced her she's a thirty-
                         eight D and I'm watching her try and
                         squeeze herself into a side-stay,
                         silk-ribboned, three-panel girdle
                         with s Helf-lift brassiere.
                              (smiles)
                         She's having a devil of a time,
                         getting into that thing.

               They all share Reiben's dream for a moment.  Then Jackson
               smiles.

                                     JACKSON
                         Me?  I'm walking with my hound, Lucy,
                         it's about an hour 'fore sunrise and
                         we're out huntin' coon.  I got me a
                         flask of pure Kentucky mash whiskey...

                                     REIBEN
                         Jackson, how many times I got to
                         tell you, you're from Tennessee.

                                     JACKSON
                         I am, but I like imported whiskey.
                         So there I am and I hear the biggest
                         ole' coon you ever did hear, 'a
                         rustlin' right there in front of me.
                         That ole' boy comes right out of the
                         brush, I got a clear shot and he
                         knows he's 'bout to meet his maker.
                         I aim, I got my finger tight on the
                         trigger and then I just smile and
                         say to that ole' coon, go on, now,
                         you get out 'a here.  Then I sit
                         down on a hollow log and take me a
                         right long pull a' that mash whiskey.

               Upham smiles.

                                     UPHAM
                         I don't know, I kind of like Wade's
                         idea about the cruise ship.  I've
                         never been to Tahiti.

                                     REIBEN
                         What about you, Captain?

               Miller smiles.  He knows exactly where he is.

                                     MILLER
                         I'm in my backyard, lying in my
                         hammock, with my arm around my wife,
                         listening for the sound of breaking
                         glass.

                                     JACKSON
                         Say what, Cap'n?

                                     MILLER
                         You see, I've got the best house in
                         all of Addley.  It's not the biggest
                         house, but it's got the best location,
                         right next to the junior high baseball
                         field.  The garage windows face left
                         field.  The guy who owned the house
                         before me had these heavy screen S
                         put over them.  The first thing I
                         did when I bought the place was take
                         off those screens.  Two-hundred-twenty-
                         two yards from home plate to my garage
                         windows.  It takes a hell of a junior
                         high kid to hit a ball that far.  I
                         look at my garage windows as a
                         Motivator and a way to scout the
                         kids coming up, the ones who are
                         going to give us a shot at the state
                         championship.  I lay there in my
                         hammock and every time I hear the
                         sound of breaking glass, I know we're
                         one step closer to winning it all.

                                     JACKSON
                         Don't that get kind of expensive,
                         Cap'n?

                                     MILLER
                         It's worth it.

                                     JACKSON
                         To each, his own.

               They're all silent for a moment.  Then Miller turns to Ryan.

                                     MILLER
                         How about you, James?

               Ryan sighs.

                                     RYAN
                         I'm home, playing basketball with my
                         brothers, it's evenin' time, we're
                         trying' to get in a few more points
                         before it's too dark to see the ball.
                         That's where I am.

               They all nod.  Miller tears off a piece of bread and passes
               it to Ryan who tears off a bit and passes it on.  They all
               eat in silence.

               EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF RAMELLE - DAWN

               First light.  Lovely.  Dew shimmers.  A ground fog drifts.
               A SOUND.  Louder.  And louder.  A GERMAN TIGER TANK RUMBLES
               toward the village.

               EXT. BRIDGE - RAMELLE - DAWN

               All are awake.  At their positions.  Waiting.

                                     MILLER
                         Hears the FAINT DISTANT RUMBLE OF
                         THE TANK.  Barely has time to react.
                         Sees:

               THE GERMANS ADVANCING AGAIN

                                     MILLER
                         Here they come.

                                     REIBEN
                         FIRES a burst.  Germans drops.

                                     MILLER
                         FIRES a burst.  More Germans drop.

               THE GERMANS KEEP COMING

               Lots of them.  Moving from cover to cover.  FIRING.

                                     MILLER
                         Manning the forward machine gun.
                         Way out front.  Sees that he's going
                         to be cut off.  He grabs the hot
                         gun.  The barrel burns into his flesh.
                         He ignores the pain and RUNS BACK
                         toward the bridge.

               HE DIVES over the sandbags.  barely makes it.  TRAILED BY
               BULLETS.

                                     THE GERMANS
                         Take positions near the bridge.
                         Moving in.  FIRING.  Overwhelming.
                         They're everywhere.

                                     THREE GERMANS
                         Break through the perimeter.

               RYAN SHOOTS one.  GRAPPLES with the other two.

                                     REIBEN
                         Sees Ryan.  Races over.  SHOOTS one
                         German.  STABS the other.

               RYAN FALLS BACK.  Stunned, unhurt.

               REIBEN only gives him a quick look.  Gets to the MACHINE
               GUN.

               OPENS UP against the Germans who are still coming.  FIRES A
               LONG BURST.  Germans drop.

                                     MILLER
                         FIRES again.  More Germans drop.

                                     THE GERMANS
                         Take positions in the building near
                         the bridge.

               They start working their way to the tops of the nearby
               buildings.

               Making their way along the riverbanks.

                                     REIBEN AND RYAN
                         Forward.  Reiben FIRING.  Ryan feeding
                         the ammo belt.

                                     REIBEN
                         MORE AMMO!

                                     UPHAM
                         Hears that.  Doesn't hesitate.  He
                         grabs a pair of ammo boxes.  RUNS
                         toward Reiben and Ryan.

               SEVERAL GERMANS ZERO UPHAM

               OPEN UP on him.

               BULLETS TRAIL UPHAM.  He's outrunning them.  Almost there.

                                     UPHAM
                         TAKES HALF-A-DOZEN SLUGS.  Torn apart.
                         Stumbles the final few steps to the
                         machine gun nest.  Falls on the
                         sandbags, giving Reiben and Ryan the
                         ammo.  UPHAM'S DEAD.

               RYAN STUNNED.

               For just a micro-second.  No time.  Grabs the ammo.  REIBEN
               FIRING.  Ryan clips the new ammo belt onto the tail of the
               one almost out.

                                     REIBEN
                         Continues FIRING.  CUTTING DOWN the
                         advancing Germans.

               THE GERMANS START TO FALL BACK

                                     MILLER
                         Knows what that means.  He hears the
                         RUMBLE OF THE TANKS.

                                     MILLER
                         TIGHTEN IT UP!  HERE THEY COME!

                                     RYAN AND REIBEN
                         Immediately grab the machine gun and
                         ammo and race back to the rear nest.

               Then RYAN AND MILLER converge at the eighty-eight.  THE FIRST
               TANK APPEARS Huge.  Terrifying.  Clanking.  Trailed by two
               German infantry platoons.

                                     JACKSON
                         On the bridgekeeper's hut.  Picking
                         off German soldiers who follow the
                         tank.

               A GERMAN INFANTRYMAN SPOTS JACKSON.  Hollers into the tanks
               voice-tube.

                                     THE TANK
                         Stops.  Grinds its gears.  Turning
                         it's turret towards the bridgekeepers
                         hut.

                                     MILLER
                         JACKSON!

                                     JACKSON
                         Knows what's coming but he holds his
                         position, continuing to pick off
                         German soldiers.

                                     THE TANK BLASTS
                         THE BRIDGEKEEPER'S HUT AND JACKSON
                         ARE OBLITERATED IN THE EXPLOSION.

                                     MILLER AND RYAN
                         SEE JACKSON DIE.  A bare moment to
                         react.  Then, they turn their
                         attention back to the eighty-eight.
                         Frantically turning the aiming cranks.
                         Lowering the barrel to point blank.

               TANK AGAINST EIGHTY-EIGHT.

               Which can fire first.

                                     MILLER AND RYAN
                         Win the race.

                                     FIRE THE EIGHTY-EIGHT
                         BLAST THE LEAD TANK DESTROY IT IN A
                         SHOWER OF METAL AND FLAMES

                                     MILLER AND RYAN
                         Quickly reload the eighty-eight.
                         FIRE AGAIN.

               DESTROY THE SECOND TANK.

                                     MILLER
                         Shoves the FINAL SHELL into the breech
                         of the eighty-eight.  Pats Ryan on
                         the back.  Grabs a SATCHEL CHARGE.

               RUNS down the bridge.  Right toward the two advancing tanks.

                                     RYAN
                         FIRES THE EIGHTY-EIGHT.

               DESTROYING THE THIRD TANK.

                                     MILLER
                         Races through the debris.  Trailed
                         by BULLETS.

                                     REIBEN
                         With the machine gun.  Covers Miller.
                         Keeping most of the German infantry
                         down.

               RYAN jumps behind the second machine gun.  Opens up.  Helping
               to cover Miller.

               THE LAST GERMAN TANK

               Turret spins.  Turning toward the fast approaching Miller.
               Ready to blow him to bits.

                                     MILLER
                         Is almost there.  He arms the satchel
                         charge.

               THE TIGER'S MACHINE GUNS OPENS UP ON HIM.

               BLASTS A TRAIL OF BULLETS

                                     MILLER
                         Throws the satchel charge under the
                         tank.  Rolls off the edge of the
                         bridge.  Lands on the embankment
                         below.

               THE LAST TIGER TANK EXPLODES

               MILLER, RYAN, REIBEN continue FIRING.

               Almost out of ammo.

               MILLER SCRAMBLING UP THE EMBANKMENT, back onto the bridge,
               hears something over the SOUNDS OF FIRING.

                                     MILLER
                         HOLD IT!  HOLD IT!

               Ryan and Reiben cease firing.  Now they hear it, too.

               A RUMBLE, DEEPER AND MORE OMINOUS than any they've heard
               yet.

                                     MILLER
                         Goddamn it!

                                     REIBEN
                         More tanks...  Ryan Lot's of them
                         The fear on their faces turns to
                         resignation.  They know that they
                         are dead men.  They settle into their
                         positions, and prepare to fire and
                         die.

               They wait.  The RUMBLE GETS LOUDER AND LOUDER.

               THEN MILLER'S FACE STARTS TO CHANGE...a hint...of a
               smile...then a real smile...

               AN AMERICAN SHERMAN TANK APPEARS from over the rise.  Then
               ANOTHER...AND ANOTHER...AND ANOTHER...

               MILLER, REIBEN AND RYAN

               Stand there, stunned, watching tank after tank appear, along
               with scores of heavily-armed American soldiers.

               They keep coming and coming.  American tanks, with wave after
               wave of U.S. infantrymen, looking for targets.  They find a
               few among the departing Germans.

                                     THE ADVANCING TROOPS
                         Run onto the bridge and start to
                         secure the position.  A SERGEANT and
                         a few of HIS MEN look around,
                         curiously eyeing Miller, Reiben and
                         Ryan, battered and bloody, standing
                         among the bodies.

               A MAJOR strides up.

               Major Report, Captain.

                                     MILLER
                         Miller, Company B, Second Rangers,
                         that's Private Richard Reiben and
                         that's Private James Ryan, Hundred-
                         and-First Airborne.

               The Sergeant and several other soldiers overhear.

                                     SERGEANT
                         Ryan?

               One of the soldiers speaks quietly to another.

               Soldier That's him, that's Ryan.

               The Major puts his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

               Major Command is looking for you, son.  You're going home.

               Ryan looks up, tired.  He nods.

               EXT. RAMELLE BRIDGE HEAD - DAY

               American tanks and hundreds of fresh troops stream down the
               road and over the bridge.

               MILLER, RYAN AND REIBEN

               Watch.  In a small area, cleared of the debris, the bodies
               of Jackson, Upham, Sarge, Forrest and the other paratroopers
               are laid out, neatly, respectfully, covered.

               Miller and Reiben stay protectively close to Ryan, as if
               they don't want to risk him being bumped into or run over by
               any of the advancing troops or vehicles.

                                     MILLER
                         Walks to the bodies.  He kneels down
                         next to Sarge and looks at him for a
                         long moment.  Then, with a steady
                         hand, he takes one of Sarge's two
                         dog-tags.  Then he does the same to
                         Jackson and Upham.

               REIBEN AND RYAN watch silently.

                                     MILLER
                         Stands and walks back to Reiben and
                         Ryan.  He hands the dog-tags to Ryan
                         who grips them tightly and nods in
                         thanks.

               Miller takes a last look at the bridge and the bodies, then
               he shoulders his gear.  Miller Let's move out.

               Reiben and Ryan gather up their gear.  They walk with Miller
               down the road, away from the bridge.

                                     CAMERA CRANES UP
                         The three dirty, bloodied, tired men
                         walk down the road, ignored by the
                         fresh troops marching in the opposite
                         direction.

                                     RYAN
                         Captain?

                                     MILLER
                         Yes, Private.

                                     RYAN
                         Upham and Jackson, what were they
                         like?

                                     MILLER
                         Upham?  Good kid, smart, he was
                         writing a book.

                                     RYAN
                         Yeah?

                                     REIBEN
                         Yeah, and he was fast, too, ran the
                         220 in twenty-four-five.

                                     RYAN
                         No kidding.

                                     MILLER
                         Jackson was from West Fork, Tennessee,
                         he was going to be a preacher, his
                         father and uncles have a traveling
                         ministry out of the back of a stretch
                         Hudson.

                                     RYAN
                         And Sarge?

                                     MILLER
                         Sarge?
                              (beat)
                         He was the best friend I ever had.
                              (smiles)
                         Lemme tell you about Sarge...

               They walk on, disappearing in the distance among the hundreds
               and hundreds of American soldiers who are marching down the
               road and over the bridge.

               Fade out.

               THE END -

               --------------------------------------------------------------


Saving Private Ryan



Writers :   Robert Rodat
Genres :   Action  Drama  War


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