There are many internal conflicts that can come when it comes to service in the military. Perhaps one of the most prevalent is the conflict between following orders and keeping yourself out of harm’s way. Nobody wants to go into war and die for their country, but they do it anyway because that is what is expected of them. It is a very interesting dilemma that comes with military service that each soldier has to overcome and find his own answer to. There is no clear line between two sides, and for most they have to be satisfied with being somewhere in the gray area with their actions. This internal struggle is explored in Steven Spielberg’s classic movie, Saving Private Ryan.

This movie is about a team of soldiers that are sent on a mission to find soldier named James Ryan after his three brothers died in combat. The team sent to rescue him are faced with the conflict of self-preservation versus conflict on a level that is greater than just going into battle. When someone goes into battle, they are fighter for the bigger picture, to win a war for their country and the ideals that they believe in. However, this team of soldiers is sent on a dangerous mission to find one guy and send him home when they are going to be the ones that may lose their lives in the process. All the men in the group handle this situation a little differently. At the beginning of the mission they all question the judgment of the higher ups in the military that are sending them on this mission in the first place. They do not feel sympathy for the situation of the Ryan family because they have a huge chance of dying for one guy. Usually the case is the few are sacrificing for the needs of the many, but is this case the many are sacrificing their lives for one men. The only person that is not complaining about the task at hand is Captain Miller. He keeps his head high and is willing to do what he is commanded even though he might not like it. This is what makes Miller an impressive leader. He does not let his soldiers see any fear or loathing of the situation, which will keep them motivated to do their job.

As the mission continues on, the men start on a downward spiral. As they watch their fellow soldiers they become more frustrated with the mission. They even seem to resent Private Ryan despite never even meeting the man before. Even Captain Miller, shows some signs of weakness. A notable scene is when he talk about his justification for the soldiers that die under his command. He says that even though his men are dying, he likes to think that by doing so exponentially more lives are saved. How is he going justify the death of his men for one life? He also states that Private Ryan “better be worth it”. Another scene that shows the frustration of the groups is when they beat up on a Nazi soldier that surrendered after the loss of another friend in combat. It is only Captain Miller that is able to make a rational decision and let the man go.

At the very end of the film, the group finds Private Ryan defending a bridge with another group of soldiers. Despite the fact that they tell him that his brothers have died and that he can go home, he wants to stay to defend the bridge at least until reinforcements arrive to help secure the bridge. Private Ryan in this situation has chosen to fulfil his mission and put his life on this line instead of taking the ride home insuring his safety. The men with Captain Miller are not exactly happy with this answer, but there is a moment of realization and the men agree that they will help with the mission. Most of the men, including Captain Miller die in protection of the bridge. By the end of the film, it is clear to see that no matter how much you want to run and hide from a situation, sometimes you just need to do what you are ordered and hope that it is worth it in the bigger picture. This was clearly Captain Miller’s last thoughts as he tell Ryan “earn it”.

Steven Spielberg made Saving Private Ryan more than your typical war movie. It was a real statement about the struggle between sacrifice and self-preservation endured by soldiers. The soldiers responsible for the rescue of Private Ryan seemed to have reasoned that sacrifice to accomplish their orders was worth it in the end. Was this the better choice? This is a question that each ask has to ask themselves when faced with this struggle as old as war itself.