GatorDeb

So I finally got to watch this movie (which was AWESOME... I really like Spielberg war movies, i.e. this and Schindler's List). Had a question:

At the end, why does Miller walk out into the middle of the bridge out in the open? Is it because the Germans were about to close in on all of them and he was trying to delay them to protect Ryan?

Thanks!

Apone

I believe he was attempting to retrieve the detonator for blowing up the bridge.

devilshalo

If memory serves me correctly, they were supposed to blow the bridge, but the wiring failed so he was about to re-rig it. I also thought he went out there to draw fire away from Ed Burn's character so that people left behind still had a chance to make it across the bridge. Of course, it didn't help that he fell into one of his episodes. So who knows....

GatorDeb

Well what's weird is that he just goes to the middle of the bridge and -stands- there. That's what's puzzling.

Draven

Why don't I remember it like that...

I haven't watched that movie in a while though.

GatorDeb

I saw it this morning He staggers to the middle of the bridge (he's barely able to walk) and before that they close in on a black box, which might have been the detonator. The way he was walking though he had no chance of getting anywhere before a bevy of bullets found their way to him (which is what happened).

devilshalo

Again, he was having one of his episodes (just like at the beginning on Omaha Beach where time slowed for him) after seeing Mike dead and Ryan cowering in the corner. When he started to walk and gather himself, he got shot and dropped ending with him firing his .45 at the tank before the tank busters came in.

GatorDeb

Then I agree bad time to have an episode. My favorite line was when he said that every time he killed somebody he felt farther away from home. Awesome movie.

Apone

OK, I have watched the last bit and I can clearly confirm that character Miller went for the detonator because there was a close up shot of it and him focusing at it from distance. As to why Miller exposed himself in line of fire is during the reoccurrence of that "episode" established the feeling of hopelessness, hence Miller didn't really care if he got shot.

McHawkson

He was dazzled after being knocked down from explosion. He wasn't sure what to do till he saw the detonator. He just went after it.

Mr. Salty

Or dazed!

hardercore

Were we supposed to believe at the start that the old man was Miller? that was the only bit I disliked, why would Ryan's character remember Miller's experience at Omaha beach?

GoldenJCJ

At first it seems like a flashback but I believe we just see an awkward transition to the past -- not necessarily Ryan's flashback. (isn't there also text telling us the date? that wouldn't be in a flashback either ).

I do however agree that Spielberg has a tendency to use unneeded bookends in his films.

McHawkson

D'oh!

Thanks.

Draven

Since they faded from Ryan's eyes to Miller's, then yes, we were supposed to think that.

But unless they had a bunch of heart-to-hearts off-camera, there is no way Ryan could really know anything about Miller and his men prior to them finding him, so it's not really "Ryan's" story.

I chalked it up to a stylistic choice and got over it. I do love Ryan's "have I been a good man?" stuff to his wife at the end. Chokes me up.

RocShemp

I figured it was done to fool you into thinking Miller survived and the old man is him remebering what happened. Then we're given a twist ending where the old man is really Ryan.

hardercore

Well it succeeded in fooling me, and I didn't mind that they had a plot twist but for me it felt very forced and very clumsy. If they didn't have the shot of the same eyes changing from Ryan at old age to Miller during the war, then the fact that Miller survived would still have been implied. They could have just cut from the close up to a shot of Miller arriving at Omaha beach but they had to go ahead and deliberately transition the same set of eyes, a la Titanic, and hence deliberately mislead the audience, and for what -- the extra "didn't see that coming, did you!" factor? That was what I disliked.

Fok

I thought the twist was good, made it more interesting

hardercore

Again, I had no problems with the twist. I just had problems with the way Spielberg deliberately tried to blindsight you. The way it was handled made it look like it was the old man's memory (same set of eyes used in the transition). It suggest Ryan somehow remember's Miller's experience on D-Day.

TheGodfather

I'm sure Miller's story was related to Ryan by Riben at some point after the bridge. Riben was with Miller every step of the way not to mention Uppem was writing all of their stories down the whole way.

I didn't have a problem with the eye transition and I love the film.

Michael Corvin

That is the way I have always took it. Just a stylistic way to transition from present time to the war and throw you off your guard.

I agree.

Same here. The beginning seems forced, but the end justifies it for me.

devilshalo

Don't we see Miller's name on the gravestone at the beginning tho?

The Bus

Groucho

That old dude they got looked a lot like Matt Damon, that's for sure. The dissolve made it even more obvious.

Draven

No, only at the end.