瑞恩（马特•达蒙 Matt Damon饰 ）是二战期间的美国伞兵，被困在了敌人后方。更不幸的是，他的三个兄弟全部在战争中死亡，如果他也遇难，家中的老母亲将无依无靠。 
　　美国作战总指挥部知道了这个情况，毅然决定组织一个小分队前往救援，其中包括米勒上尉（汤姆•汉克斯 Tom Hanks 饰 ）和翻译厄本（杰里米.戴维斯 Jererry Davies饰）。然而，敌方危险重重，他们一路上随时与死亡打交道。他们非常怀疑，到底值不值得冒着八个人的生命危险，去搭救一个人。 
　　大家一路辗转寻找瑞恩，对于这次搭救行动，有人不满，有人热忱，有人好奇。大家一次次闻到死神的气息，瑞恩的获救付出了沉重的代价。

One sunny afternoon, the team is crossing an open grassland,suddenly a German tank appears in sight. When the firing ends,they find Ryan unexpectedly.
Ryan: You came all the way out here to tell me that ?
Miller: You 're going home. Our orders are to bring you back.
Ryan: Bring me back ?
Miller: Corporal Henderson that'It mean we'd be more shorthanded, but orders are orders, any communication about when you 're going to be relit}ved up here ?
Henderson: Sir, there's no way to tell, and we've no idea what's happening south of us.
Ryan: I have my orders too, sir. They don't include me abandoning my post.
Mitler: l understand that but this changes things.
Ryan: I don't see that it does, sir.
Miller: The Chief of Staff for the United States Army says it does.
Henderson: Sir, our orders are to hold this bridge at all costs.
Our planes in the end have taken out every bridge across Murder-revelty with the exception of two. One at Veron and this one here.If we let the Germans take them we 're gonna loose our foothold and half of this place.
Miller: Private, your outfit wants to stay, that's one thing, but your party is over here.
Ryan: Sir, t can't leave until at least reinforcements...
Miller: You got three minutes to gather your gear.
Ryan: Sir, what about them ?l mean there 's barely, hardly...
Soldier: Hey, asshole, two of our guys already died for trying to firid you, all right ?
Ryan: Sir?
MillBr: That's right.
Ryan: What were their names ?
Solcfier: Owen Wade and Adrian Caparzo.
Ryan: Wadeand...
Soldier: Caparzo.
Ryan: It doesn ' t make any sense. It doesn't make any sense, sir. Why, why me. whY do I deserve to go ? VVhY not anY of these guys ?They all fought just as hard as me,
Miller: Is that what they're supposed to tell your mother, when thay send her that another folded American flag ?
Ryan: Tell her that when you found me. t was here and I was with the only brothers that I have left. And there is no way I was going to desert them. I think she 'II understand that. There's no way I'm leaving this bridge.

一个阳光明媚的下午，小队正经过一片开阔的草地，突然一辆德军坦 出现在视野中。交火结束后，他们意外地找到了瑞恩。
瑞恩：你们远道而来这里就是为了告诉我这事儿？
米勒：你得回家，我们奉命带你回去。
瑞恩：带我回去？
米勒：亨德森下士，那将意味着我们的人手将更加不足，但这是命令，援军什么时候到，有消息吗？
亨德森：长官，无法联络，我们对南边的事一无所知。
瑞恩：长官，我也是奉命。这命令不包括要我放弃岗位。
米勒：我明白，但情况有变。
瑞恩：我不认为情况有变，长官。
米勒：但美国陆军参谋长说情况有变。
亨德森：长官，给我们的命令就是不惜一切代价守住这座桥。我们82飞行中队的战机摧毁了默德莱威蒂上的每一座桥、只留了两座。一座是在福龙，一座就是这个。如果我们让德军占领，就失去了自己的立足点和这里的一半地盘。
米勒：二等兵，你手下的人想留下来是一回事，可特遣队在这里。
瑞恩：长官，我至少要等到援军来…．
米勒：给你3分钟收拾行装。
瑞恩：长官，他们呢？我是说这里几乎不，简直不……
士兵：嘿，笨蛋，为了找到你，我们已经死了两个人，行了吧？
瑞恩：长官，是吗？
米勒：没错。
瑞恩：他们叫什么？
米勒：欧文·威德和艾德里安·卡帕佐。
瑞恩：威德和……
士兵：卡帕佐。
瑞恩：这么做没道理，这毫无道理，长官。为什么，为什么是我，为什么我应该走？为什么这些人不走？他们和我一样英勇作战。
米勒：你能想象他们再给你母亲送去一面折叠的国旗时，也这样跟她说吗？
瑞恩：告诉她你们找到我时，我就在这里，和剩下的兄弟们一起生死与共。我绝不会抛下他们，我想她会理解的，我绝不离开这座桥。