Saving Private Ryan

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-b*tches, 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.

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