The 1998 epic film Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest, most accurate film representations of the Second World War. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film received critical success thanks to its all-star cast, visceral imagery and powerful performances. Countless amounts of research, resources, millions of dollars and 40,000 gallons of fake blood went into creating Saving Private Ryan, as did these eight little-known facts.

An innovative take on the war movie genre

Saving Private Ryan, 1998. (Photo Credit: andrewz / Dreamworks Pictures / Paramount Pictures / MovieStillsDB)
Saving Private Ryan follows a group of American soldiers tasked with locating Pvt. James Ryan. The former’s three brothers were killed in action (KIA), leaving him the sole son of his family. As part of the Sole Survivor Policy, Capt. John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) and his band of men must find Ryan (Matt Damon) and return him to safety.

Considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, Saving Private Ryan has influenced how war movies, television series and even video games are produced. The film’s opening sequence, a harrowing first-person view of the Omaha Beach landing during D-Day, transports audiences back in time to experience the atrocities of the war and the sacrifice of over 4,000 brave soldiers.
The year of its release, the film won Golden Globes for Best Drama and Best Director (Steven Spielberg), but fans became outraged when it lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love (1998).

Saving Private Ryan was inspired by a non-fiction book

Saving Private Ryan, 1998. (Photo Credit: lisakenobi / Dreamworks Pictures / Paramount Pictures / MovieStillsDB)
While it’s likely not surprising Saving Private Ryan is based on real events that occurred during World War II, film writer Robert Rodat came up with the story and screenplay after receiving a gift from his wife, a non-fiction book titled D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose.
Tom Hanks and Matt Damon were not the first choice

Saving Private Ryan, 1998. (Photo Credit: lisakenobi / Dreamworks Pictures / Paramount Pictures / MovieStillsDB)
Just like Tom Sizemore, Tom Hanks and Matt Damon weren’t Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play the two leading characters. Before settling on Hanks for the role of Capt. Miller, the leader of the group tasked with finding Pvt. Ryan, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Pete Postlethwaite were all top contenders.

Spielberg and Hanks had never worked together prior, but their time on Saving Private Ryan created a friendship that would last for the next two decades, as they collaborated on several movies, like Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Bridge of Spies (2015). They also had a hand in Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010), and are now working on the highly-anticipated WWII miniseries, Masters of the Air,
Damon was also far from the first pick to play the titular role. Edward Norton, a rising star in the late 1990s, was the first choice to play Pvt. Ryan, but he ultimately turned down the role for a much larger part in American History X (1998).

Noah Wyle was the second choice for Ryan, but he, too, was already working on ER (1994-2009), so Damon stepped in. While he may have not been Spielberg’s first choice, Damon’s spectacular work in Saving Private Ryan helped launch his career to new heights.