Letter to Mrs. Bixby (Saving Private Ryan)

Saving Private Ryan is owned and copyrighted by Paramount Pictures I do not own nor make money from this video.

[@abrahamlincoln8748]

Abraham Lincoln here. This makes me cry every time.

[@harrisjordan7492]

Your words are truly moving, Mr. President.

[@broadwaymelody33]

And to think that as she’s walking to the door, she’s preparing herself for one. And then they tell her it’s three. God.

[@The_yeffy1]

broadwaymelody33 this scene was meant to pay Homage to Thomas Sullivan. The movie story line is based off a similar incident only in Japan and More tragic. Sullivan had 5 sons serving on a ship that went down. The priest and Major showed up at his house and he asked “which of my sons is dead” and they replied “all of them”

[@Ryan-sw8rx]

My thoughts exactly

[@DoctorXander]

Jesus this scene is sad enough and each time I scroll past this comment another tear falls

[@deneshbhaskar3944]

lol she didnt care. It was a JOB. She will never love and support our troops as I do. To the Ryan family thank you on thos memorial day . TO the familes of Navy seal Neil roberts... your son was a hero... TO micheal monsoor you jumped onto a grenade to save your brothers... You could of gotten away but NO. ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY. We ask so much of outr soldiers. We ask them to go thousands of miles away to fight an enemy which does not have a uniform.. An enemy who does not follow the rules of war...IT disgusts me you guys are not getting paid a MILLIon atleast PER combay death plus benefits. 100k to widows and parents is a disgrace.

[@SunniDae333]

@@The_yeffy1 That is horrific, I can't even imagine

[@maxfrankow1238]

That little old lady is honestly the hero in this film. She's the one who figured it out.

[@tylerrodriguez5878]

Max Frankow thank God for wise old people

[@roddaman7545]

That or the woman looking out the kitchen window at 3:34. That moment, that terrible moment of recognition when she sees the chaplain and knows that the worst has happened. This film conveys with such powerful, personal depth that it feels far more like an exhumed memory, something lived, buried, then recalled, than it does like a story told by outsiders to you. That scene played out hundreds of times each day, all over the country from farms like this one to tenements in New York and row houses in San Francisco. We cannot begin to imagine the scale of the sacrifice that generation made. They weren't perfect; many carried forward the legacies of hatred and racism that had been their fathers, and their fathers before them but this, this selfless nobility and how they withstood the losses and rebounded at all is astonishing. I shudder to think how any of the pampered pop-culture icons that we elevate to near royalty, would handle what this simple, strong woman was confronted with.

[@michaeljoroan5124]

agree

[@GURJITSINGH-by6bd]

Any mother will...

[@bobmeyer854]

She isn't even that old. War is a young man's fight. This woman looks to be in her 50s and you're talking about her like she's 80.

[@melissahyberger]

My mother was born in 1931, in a small coal mining town in Tennessee. Mama told me that she remembered one of the mothers, whose only child was serving in the US Army during WWII. Mama said that the Western Union delivery man rode a bicycle. Everyone saw him riding up to the mother’s house, and everyone knew what it meant. Mama would start crying before she could finish the story. The screams from the mother were echoing through the Appalachia Mountains. “No God, not my baby.”

[@SuperSqueakyboy]

No family genes to carry on.

[@Chase-wu9wk]

You have no idea how hard it is to go to strangers homes and before you even get out of the car, they are crying. Never in my 25 years of being alive have I ever done something so hard. Especially when their wife is pregnant.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

I was an EMT and an RN for most of my working life. Sometimes it was a blessing and the family was prepared for all but the final letting go; I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for that. But the kids and young adults... I know pretty much how you feel. And it never got any easier.

[@arielfischer2126]

I was a doctor (oncologist) for 35 years, I've had to do that too many times.

[@anitasmith4559]

Chase, I am grateful for your brave service. My brother, a Vietnam vet, did next of kin notification when he returned from overseas. On one such visit, the father of the deceased vet punched my brother in the mouth before they could get the words out. My brother understood completely, as do I.

[@lc9245]

​@@anitasmith4559 My father was too. Most of the family received the news by asking those who served in the same unit or wait until it became tragically obvious. He had to deliver the news to some of his friends family, it helped a little that everyone was numb with death after decades of fighting.

[@dcroach60]

GOD BLESS YOU & THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM men like you are also true heroes and deserve a medal too. everytime I watch this movie- whenever its on TV- I break down and cry whenever I think about all the brave civilian clerks and typists that had to read about all the soldiers/ troops who died; and the mothers who all received these letters - always knowing that their sons and daughters could be killed or greiviously maimed in all americas wars> the movies and books talk about the casualties of war- D-day for example but never about the troops that died weeks months or years later due to their service Its a dangerous job- some joined up - such as 9-11 out of duty; some joined up because the "help wanted sign was out; many were drafted and didnt want to be there at all; and made the best of it- theres still thousands of war stories out there to be tole especially NOW- when all the WW2 veterans are dying of old age; and taking their HISTORY with them etc thats all I can write

[@wiegraf37]

Jesus, that room with all the secretaries writing those letters must've been depressing as shit.

[@EGRJ]

The script called it "the paperwork of death".

[@Bubbles99718]

wiegraf37 Hanks had a powerfull scene in "A League of Their Own" dealing with one of these letters. Powerful stuff.

[@roddaman7545]

Now consider that the average monthly death toll in the current pandemic is over 3 times that suffered by the U.S. during WWII. Granted the conditions are very different but imagine the staggering gall of someone saying 'virtually no one was dying ' in WWII. Now triple that.

[@rickster100100]

If you ever see a movie that was made for TV called, Friendly Fire, with Carol Burnett. There is a similar scene where she walks into a room where the secretaries are typing all the death notices to families about the loss of their sons in Vietnam. It’s striking and sad at the same time. The reaction of Carol Burnett’s character is superb. Try to find it.

[@kingkrool1935]

Not as depressing as being a front line soldier

[@gepertmyers4030]

This scene gets to me every time the actress here is incredible!

[@gregorbegger9291]

"Boy is alive. We're going to send somebody to find him. And we're going to get him the hell out of there. " I just love that line. So thoughtful the Chief of staff was

[@sanmechrocker]

Tak care of your Soldier and He will take care of your country!

[@jimstanga6390]

George C. Marshall was a class act. After all the carnage was over, he came up with the Marshall Plan for European recovery. He truly cared about people.

[@tokyosmash]

General Marshall is by all accounts a truly a brilliant and kind human being

[@effemess]

How can a woman washing dishes become the most moving bit of cinema movie ever filmed! I well up every time I see this.

[@DanM012324]

effemess because even before they utter a word she knows..

[@Bubbles99718]

She knows, she knows....

[@AlphaWolf789]

the scene where the old man walking to the tombstone and he breaks down also breaks your heart too

[@roddaman7545]

It's like you lived it, and this just brings back a long-buried memory.

[@MyViolador]

No parent should have to bury their child

[@kernmw10]

The way she double takes looking out the window and realizing the somberness of what is about to take place is bone chilling

[@whithenry7116]

Exactly

[@stupidminotaur9735]

the slow firm walk, gets me

[@marybrooks7779]

The George Marshall character half-way through reading the letter begins reciting it from memory. That was not the first time he had read it and it must have meant a great deal to him.

[@sonsoftheconfederacy2940]

No shit. Thanks for explaining that to us.

[@Bubbles99718]

I hate the confederacy, but yeah, I agree here. Thx Captain Obvious.

[@wolfgangholtzclaw2637]

And George Marshall was a Southerner, and graduated from Virginia Military Institute... A Southerner, yet Chief of Staff of the United States Army WWII... he actually hired on Ike to be the champion for the Allied Landing at Normandy. Ike was from Kansas. These two men shared very precious Army Values. Very Precious National Values.

[@Sc0rch91]

@@Bubbles99718 Who gives a fuck I hate the Union

[@integral32gb]

@@Sc0rch91 Sounds like you hate everything, including yourself !

[@klavss76]

You can feel the pain of that poor mother, her legs weakening when she sees the priest and understands... Half an hour of Normandy violence doesn't touch you as deep as this does.

[@sdas4084]

klavss76 i disagree on that last one

[@adamboyle3331]

The military got out first. But as soon as the priest stepped out she knew

[@dcroach60]

and the years after that they served under fire- for the duration- never knowing it this day was THE DAY-

[@rolandmiller5456]

@@sdas4084 I don't. We all have mothers and imagine YOUR mother having that happen. My mother did and we STILL feel it almost 50 years later, I was 10 years old and that day I KNEW my brother wasn't coming home alive.

[@mikecallahan8234]

The actor that played General Marshal was holding back tears as he was reading the letter, then recited the letter word for word. And, yes, the mother dropping to her knees is very emotional for me as well. How many times did this play out in reality during that tragic war, I can only imagine.

[@NorseAtheist]

Military deaths in WWII from all causes totaled 21-25 million...

[@patrickc3419]

I remember him from Fargo.

[@JiggsTheMonk02]

Harve Presnell,he was a singer,he was Debbie Reynolds’ husband in The Unsinkable Molly Brown and he was “Rotten Luck Willie” in Paint Your Wagon,he sang “They Call the wind Mariah” in that movie,supposedly,Mariah Carey was named from that song

[@Gewehr41]

Ryan´s farm reminded me of this quote: " I promised God and myself that I would find a quiet piece of land someplace and spend the rest of my life in peace." - Dick Winters

[@jeffwebster402]

When she sags against the door frame ... I sat in the theater and openly wept. Many other men around me were crying as well, imagining her anguish ...

[@roddaman7545]

I felt the same way seeing the film in the theater and to my astonishment I heard people chuckling about it - about THIS scene. They also laughed at the violence and all the loss portrayed by the movie. To share this experience with people like that, was profoundly dismaying and alienating. Later that week I heard teammates joking about the movie in a similar way. I'd never realized how disconnected so many people were.

[@kgatch113a]

Every single time I watch it....

[@satchman1965]

One of the most moving scenes I've ever watched. No matter how many times I watch it never fails. My eyes well up. Every single time.

[@gkm072159]

Very true. And almost half of the 7:38 had no dialog. Brilliant.

[@matthewdoliveira9421]

one of my favorite WW2 movie scenes. Arouses the patriot in all of us.............and the music adds so much to the effect scenes like this have on our emotions, the intelligence of mankind to discover music is truly a blessing

[@CR-vn3gp]

Yes, when she starts staggering when she see the preacher get out and then sits is hard to watch.

[@gunnfan]

Yup. Me too. And Im not even American. Its universal.

[@sonsoftheconfederacy2940]

_Shaving Ryan's Privates_ was a masterpiece of a movie. It _had_ to be, with the involvement of Spielberg and Hanks. It is coming up to 20 years since the release of the movie. And the general who reads Lincoln's letter from memory is the same actor whose character Travolta murdered in _Face/Off_ , something I only realized today. Few movies can surpass _Shaving Ryan's Privates_ . Spielberg is splendid.

[@lh3616]

This actress deserved an Academy Award for her work, in the scene where the army vehicle pulled up in front of her home. One can say 'she wasn't in enough scenes to be even nominated' which one might respond 'it's not about quantity, but rather content'. She captured the initial, emotional, heartbreaking trauma of losing a child, spot on. It impacted me, emotionally, more than anything else in this great movie, I am sure it did the same for others.

[@SebastianoTerranova]

Imagine how heartbreaking it was to find out that she lost not only one, but three of her sons.

[@crixxxxxxxxx]

You don’t get Oscars for 30 seconds of acting.

[@lh3616]

@@crixxxxxxxxx That goes without saying. I believe I can speak for the other folks who appreciated this actress and this scene, though, if there was a category in the Academy, for the Most Emotionally Impactful scene, this one would have won. That's all.

[@jamesevans9007]

Very nicely said.

[@antoniomoyal]

Yes.

[@mikegeee3319]

She lost her 3 baby boys in one message, absolutely heartbreaking 😥

[@ColliCub]

Ya know the worst part? She collapses in grief at the realisation that they’ve come to deliver devastating news… … but at that point, she still think it’s just for one of her sons. 😢

[@Dmiller7239]

Can't even fathom losing 3 sons at once.

[@kingwacky184]

The army don't send a priest and a high ranking officer when it is about one. That is only done when someone have suffered the loss of several. I am sure she don't know that but still.

[@houstonjoker3836]

@@kingwacky184didn’t multiple of her children die though?

[@fruroo9723]

@@houstonjoker3836yes they did, so they sent the priest and the high ranking officer. she presumably doesn’t know this is because multiple have died though, she might assume it’s only one

[@vashthestampede11]

Exactly. She was thinking "Oh, no, WHICH ONE?" when she saw the car

[@jrutt2675]

Man Abraham Lincoln knew how to write a letter and had a deep relationship with GOD!

[@tethryss5001]

Every single time I see this scene my eyes well up. This happened so many times and I cannot imagine the pain knowing a child you raised is never coming back.

[@TheGMan.]

This is the most moving scene in any movie I have ever seen. The true cost of freedom is something not talked about nearly enough these days. We owe it all to those who serve, especially the ones that never came back. 🇺🇸

[@markusg4744]

This was and is the toughest scene of the entire movie. To feel the pain of a shocked and sad mother

[@Falcrist]

This or the slow stab in the chest. Death and its consequences.

[@DoctorXander]

I remember thinking it was pretty ridiculous when Hilary Clinton said Women have always been the primary victims of war. This scene gives you some idea of what she meant.

[@gaguy1967]

@@DoctorXander she was still wrong

[@rolandmiller5456]

Several years ago I was on a Navy ship and they showed this movie during the Memorial Day weekend and when that scene hit I saw grown men sitting in the compartment with tears rolling down their cheeks. It is the profession that we had and the profession that we chose. And many of us realize the cost there was at home

[@rolandmiller5456]

@@gaguy1967 Tell that lie and that is exactly what that is to my mother who lost her oldest son 52 years ago this month. I was 10 years old when my brother was killed in Vietnam and I still remember the scream that my mother gave out when the Army told her what happened. I don't want to hear a thing from people like you unless you've been through something like that.

[@ramirez412001]

One of the things from this scene that is so notable is that for as eloquent as he (Marshall) was reading the Bixby letter, he is literally shaking with rage at the very end over the suggestion to risk Mrs. Ryan losing all of her sons. The fire in his eyes and the conviction in his voice makes it very clear. Great acting by Harve Presnell.

[@navblue20]

That kernel was bringing up the facts for sure but General Marshall didn't want to hear the facts.

[@traffic71]

I think that speech is the most wonderful and eloquent use of the English language I have ever heard, and being English I’ve heard a lot. I’ve listened to it over and over and it’s still not enough.

[@josephlawler2871]

When Mrs. Ryan sees the officer and the priest get out of the car... and her legs give out, and she collapses onto the porch. That gets me badly.

[@robb9382]

The greatest letter ever penned by the hand of man.

[@tpitman]

Quite likely.

[@Bacchus]

not really, it's only fancy words. r/shitamericanssay

[@billyjaymz]

On the walls of Brasenose College, Oxford University, England, this letter of the "rail splitter" President hangs as a model of purest English, rarely, if ever, surpassed.

[@dcroach60]

among all of lincolns others- the gettysburg address at the cemetery- what under 200 words scribbled on the back of an envelop- after all the others long winded bloviations? short- concise- to the point and easy for any school child to commit to memory- HAS OUR REPUBLIC TRULY BEEN CoNSIGNED TO HISTORY?

[@nstix2009xitsn]

@@Bacchus Fuck you very much.

[@LEBARRON2009]

..."CAN'T HELP BUT SHED TEARS WATCHING THIS MOTHER'S PAIN !!!"

[@brianpoole4369]

it's what makes you human...to have empathy for that poor mothers grief...I too get very emotional, when she realises what's about to be said to her...

[@brushwolf]

The moment that she realized the military vehicle approaching wasn't bringing good news, and then she seems to try to ready herself before walking toward the door. No matter how many times I watch this, it's always hard to get through this part of the movie.

[@bigboyjeon4701]

As she sat down within a second she was evidently crying/shaking...

[@dc76384]

It's not just the soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine who serves...its moms, dads, sisters, brothers who serve as well. They may not wear the uniform, but the sacrifice is every bit as real. This why you stand for the National Anthem

[@michaeljose7038]

Thanks for amerika allied soldiers for sacrifices for our ultered freedom RIP world war 2 soldiers

[@coyote16able]

I think one of slightly devastating parts of this scene is it's shown two sets of knives and forks and with the knowledge that it's the afternoon Mrs. Ryan was cleaning up after dinner so either her most likely husband was still in the house or nearby on the farm or had just recently left to go somewhere but it's likely he was still near or in the house and appeared shortly afterwards.

[@VeritechGirl]

Very moving, that he finished the rest of the letter without having to look at it

[@roddaman7545]

My exact thoughts, to the letter. Thanks,

[@hormisanthraper1616]

Most great American generals (and a few Presidents) would have read that letter several times and tried to figure out what they would say to a bereaved mother if and when such a time came. Its quite possible that people like Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall and Bradley might know the letter by heart!

[@MrAndyBearJr]

He had probably read that letter countless times as a commander tasked with sending young men into battles he knew many would never return from. His tactical and strategic decisions were probably tempered by pondering this letter every time he made the hard choices. The musical score helps convey the sense of overwhelming loss that the mother had to have suffered upon hearing the awful news. Not just one, nor two, but three of her beloved sons lost in combat. This rivals the movie “The Fighting Sullivan’s” for sheer emotional content.

[@eggheadreport]

I never noticed until now but at 4:18 the little flag blocks the face of the youngest Ryan brother. I just now realized they were probably worried that revealing his face would ruin the scene of when they found the wrong Ryan the first time later on in the middle of the movie.

[@nashshaffer6235]

I’m a Chaplain at the hospital. I salute the priest getting out of the car. It is not easy telling people someone that their loved one has died even though they’ve figured it for themselves. Although their world has been ripped a part, it rips you a part trying to comfort them. You both feel the pain.

[@spotter121877]

I could watch this movie 100 days in a row, and this scene where the mother gets the news of her boys being killed with knock me out every time. You're not human if it doesn't effect you emotionally.

[@CarnorJast1138]

Agreed. I love this movie. Not for the glorification of war or violence, but the human story that is so strongly portrayed throughout this magnificent film! That scene will always haunt me. To see the look on her face when she realizes that the car IS coming up her dirt road......then her collapsing on the porch.....I'm done.....I'm not a really emotional type but dayum.....that scene is so frakkin powerful! Best. War. Movie. Ever.

[@vr4787]

My great grandmother was a mother of 10. 3 of her sons served in WWII and by the grace of God they all came back safe and sound. My grandmother would tell me those years were pure hell on her mother praying for her boys to return home. The scene where Mrs. Ryan received the news highlights the ultimate nightmare and anguish no loving mother deserves to endure.

[@henryreynolds3353]

God bless our veterans. Especially those who didn't make it home.

[@navblue20]

As terrible as that was it that was not the only case in WWII of multiple brothers lost-they mentioned the Sullivan brothers-5 on one ship: this is from Wiki and the Naval History Center: When the notification team went to the Sullivan home the morning of JAN, 12, 1943, the boys' father, Thomas, was preparing for work when three men in uniform - a lieutenant commander, a doctor and a chief petty officer - approached his door. "I have some news for you about your boys," the naval officer said. "Which one?" asked Thomas. "I'm sorry, Sir" the officer replied. "All five" I can't imagine being the officer who had to deliver that news.

[@navblue20]

BTW my brother died in Vietnam 47 years ago this May and I still remember my mother screaming when they told her. I had never hear a sound like that in my life.

[@benkaiser754]

navblue20 so sorry for your loss

[@elliothagen9874]

navblue20 Don't think I want to do that.

[@dcroach60]

My mothers maiden name was SULLIVAN probably related - somewhere in IRELAND or something dont worry- i dont use t for any internet ID etc- just because

[@dcroach60]

that horrible wail? ive heard it in movies over decades never in person

[@pauldonnelly910]

One thing I love about Spielberg is that there is never the slightest doubt what emotion he wants you to feel.

[@BRuane-pw6xq]

One of the most powerful scenes in movie history. When Marshall finished the letter from memory and indicates it was written by Lincoln the look on the Officer s face who argued against trying to save Ryan is priceless, it is clear he lost the argument. Marshall was one of the greatest Americans. A warrior and statesman who never sought power, he only wanted to serve his Nation. Beloved by FDR, Ike , MacArthur , Churchill who called him The George Washington of the 20th Century , not to mention people in Europe who benefited from The Marshall Plan. The most underrated American. We need more like him particularly now.

[@brianjschumer]

Brian Ruane Excellent!!

[@geoffwilliams4478]

Well said!

[@MrArtmundus]

FDR was a communist.

[@geoffwilliams4478]

MrArtmundus then maybe you shouldn't get retirement through SS. Lol

[@MrArtmundus]

Geoff Williams Who are you talking to? FDR advisers and close administration where soviet spies.

[@saynotocensorship]

As a Gen X’er that was mostly raised by my Grandparents. This hits home to me. My Papa served in the Pacific. Never talked about it and never cared to. Both of them have passed. Papa in 1998, Grandma in 2007. I miss them everyday. This Country should miss that generation as well. We may never see another one like it ever again. They were an exceptional bunch, raised during the depression and selflessly served to help a world at war. In a strange way we should thank the Japanese for attacking us at Pearl. It was really the first time on a world stage we could show the rest of the world how great Americans can be. ❤🇺🇸

[@crispinjulius5032]

In a masterpiece film filled with so many incredible scenes, this may be the tops. The “putting it together” by the staff, the music and finally, incredibly moving, the mother seeing the car coming up. They’re a farm family out in the country and no one just “drops by.” The car has a purpose and when she sees the star she already knows but her mind is desperately trying to think of any other excuse. When the priest exists, it’s real, it’s there in front of her that at least one of her children no longer exists. We never hear one word from the actress; it’s all done with movement. Her collapse, her devastation is palpable. We want to hold her and sob in frustration and anger with her. We want to ease her pain but we can’t, the damage has been done. Showing her reaction to not one but at least THREE children gone plus the other MIA would be a pathetic display. We can imagine that she may never have recovered from this news but it is, mercifully, not shown. This scene breaks my heart every time I watch it. As any mother or father can attest, (I am one), my children ARE my life. If something happens to them, that’s it for me. It’s the true history of a family literally giving it’s blood, IT’S life in the service of the country which demanded all. Masterful work.

[@johndavid5618]

THE SAD STORY IS THAT ALL WARS ARE CREATED BY MAN. THAT HAVE GIVEN THEM SELF OVER TO DEMONIC SPIRITS.

[@YasssStitch]

The way their mother sits down from crippling pain and devastation makes my heart skip every time I watch it. I've seen it in my uncle who lost two sons.

[@Loiyaboy]

This is a great sequence in a great movie. Moreover, the movie is a metaphor: Ryan is all of us since the war. Captain Miller and his squad represent all the soldiers who fought in that war. When Miller tells Ryan "earn this", he means honor our sacrifice. Do good and be good. At the end, Ryan affirms this by asking if he (we as Americans) have lived a good life (earned this). Its just beautiful how subtle yet obvious Speilberg was. That's great film making.

[@dcroach60]

the D-day paratrooper drop- was an act of Genius in a way- 12,000 us troops dropped all over Normandy; each to accomplish a specific mission but uniformay- to create havoc and chaos behind the German lines- and sow discord everywhere- the Nazis didnt know what was going on- and the US Troopers- knew it was all a crap shoot- but they trusted in their training and their mission and each other to get the job done- Hundreds were killed but thousands of nazis were killed as a result- shortening the war by years perhaps?

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

And the "earn this" message was not only directed to Ryan, but to us as well. We have entered an age where not many people realize the great strides and sacrifices that people committed to ensuring a more peaceful and free world. They tell us that we need to earn this world of freedom and we must earn it by doing good and honoring them.

[@JoseGuerrero-xn5kv]

@@rithvikmuthyalapati9754 if you really believe the US Military´s objective is freedom and peace you are very naive at best

[@jamesjesse9773]

@@dcroach60 shortening in a way perhaps. Though the war could've been over back in 1939, or better yet averted altogether. Smigly and Churchill (along with their advisors) wanted war. They saw Germany as a thorn in the side of their agenda. I don't think they cared how many good men died, it wasn't they themselves doing the fighting. It still breaks my heart that so many people died. They were amazing men who deserved better.😞

[@nevicnenad]

And you didnt . . . .

[@jamespotts8197]

We owe an unplayable debt to all of our Military! I salute every last one!🇺🇲

[@stewknoles4790]

One of the best movies ever made. The Bixby Letter by President Lincoln was wonderful.

[@lindaoneil5085]

That's what my mom was so afraid of when my dad was deployed to Vietnam; that a black car would pull up to our house, and an officer and a chaplain would get out. Fortunately that never happened. My heart goes out to that poor mother who collapsed on the porch when the chaplain got out, gets me every time. Losing several of your children in one fell swoop....that's brutal. 😢

[@punkiller666]

is your father still alive? if so, how is he? mine died last year, miss him every minute and regret everything not said.

[@lindaoneil5085]

@@punkiller666 My dad died in 2002 from natural causes. He worked hard to keep the wolf from the door, and was a natural handyman who kept the house and cars in good shape. I have lots of regrets, too. I never told my dad I loved him, and never had a chance to tell him good-bye. We both share a common loss: we lost our fathers, and have our regrets. My deepest condolences on losing your dad.

[@September2004]

I'm glad I didn't know ahead of time that this letter was written by Lincoln. It made the revelation so much more powerful for me.

[@williamtait3378]

It is thought it was actually written by his private secretary.

[@jamesevans9007]

@@williamtait3378 - Yes, that is the speculation. To this day the letter's authorship is a matter of conjecture among historians. But, like Shakespeare's works, the true authorship is not nearly as important as the artistry with which we have been gifted and from which we have benefited. More than 150 years later, the power of this short, moving message remains undiluted. If his Gettysburg address and his Second Inaugural address are considered, it is easy to see that Lincoln was certainly capable of writing the Bixby letter, and more than likely he did write it, or at the very least, edited the final version.

[@srp0thlin396]

@@williamtait3378 it wasn't and I should know because I'm actually related to the bixby's and my grandpa actually held the letter in his hands before the ranch turned into a museum

[@1982nsu]

@@williamtait3378 There is no doubt in my mind that Lincoln is the author of the Bixby letter. The Gettysburg Address is pure Lincoln. Yet there is even more compelling evidence that Lincoln wrote the Bixby letter. The Lincoln-Douglass debates, of which there were 7, were recorded by stenographers of the major newspapers who were present for each of the debates thus a verbatim actual record of Lincoln's poetic manner of speaking exist to this day.

[@1982nsu]

@@jamesevans9007 There is no doubt in my mind that Lincoln is the author of the Bixby letter. The Gettysburg Address is pure Lincoln. Yet there is even more compelling evidence that Lincoln wrote the Bixby letter. The Lincoln-Douglass debates, of which there were 7, were recorded by stenographers of the major newspapers who were present for each of the debates thus a verbatim actual record of Lincoln's poetic manner of speaking exist to this day.

[@adijayaification]

2019. Still the same tears as 1999

[@gregorbegger9291]

adi jaya it was released in 1998

[@J_C_CH]

Orson Welles said George C. Marshall was the greatest man he'd ever met, and a fine gentleman.

[@coachjohnodea490]

I have watched this scene and the final scene at the cemetary asking his wife "have I been a good man?" many times. In the final analysis of our lives, whether we have made mistakes or lived honorably, we all must rectify our lives to ourselves and our maker. I watch these because the power and direction they provide remind me of my own responsibility as a human.

[@levalpat]

I feel that mother's pain.... and I'm a 65 year old man.

[@mako3509]

4:05 Picture Of the 4 Ryan Brothers :(

[@patrickkelley6780]

This part of the movie nails me, My Uncles and Father were wounded in that war. My Father is in the 29th and went in in the first wave at Omaha! Only God knows what he went through. He came home shattered but had a willing heart to carry on. I do not know how! I can remember Mom with a magnifying glass, a magnet and tweezers and a good light source, pulling slivers of shrapnel out his legs and back. We were always told to go away or go to bed while she worked to get those pieces out of him. This is what those men went through on that beach and France. Let no one tell you what they think of freedom. Let those who served whenever and wherever at any capacity tell you. I grew up aware and scared of when my time came. It is not a laughing matter. Remember those who came from that war never recovered, that means in the sense of 'that everything is ok', because it isn't and wasn't for my Dad or my Uncles. They are all gone now.... and this generation had better wise up...that wolf is around NOW , and it always will be.....

[@ronaldgiroux3307]

Call it a mother’s instinct, the way she straightened up and and walked to her door was like someone walking to their execution but when she saw the chaplain she know her greatest fear as a mother was about to become a reality.

[@patrickc3419]

This scene alone should be required viewing for every single Millennial and Gen Z.

[@ferreira991]

First time I saw this movie it was back in 2002 and I was about 11 years old. In my humble opinion, there won't ever be a better movie, nobody will be able to top such masterpiece.

[@patrickc3419]

@@ferreira991 I remember seeing it in the theater when it was released in 1998, when I was 17. I still think it’s ridiculous that Shakespeare in Love beat it for the Best Picture winner of that year.

[@lazyskull7949]

Even sadder is these things actually happened. Many mothers and fathers lost their children that day.

[@tpitman]

Whenever I see this scene, the mother alone in her kitchen, I think of the photo I have of my Grandmother standing in front of the house they lived in in upstate New York, holding my youngest uncle, with two blue stars in the window in the background representing my Dad and his brother. Obviously, my Dad came home from the South Pacific, but his younger brother Earl, who'd volunteered to serve in Europe as an infantryman, didn't. When she collapses on the porch, she knows that they didn't send a car out to nowhere that didn't bear bad news.

[@SeriousMn653]

That quote from Abraham Lincoln was one of the things that hit me the most about this film.

[@8triagrammer]

And that's how you shut down an argument. HARD.

[@jrayner21679]

You know you’ve shot a perfect scene, selected the perfect melancholy music and the actors did their jobs when a scene is that powerful and moving without a word of dialogue between the actors.

[@patrickbelvin7625]

Watching the lady sifting through the letters and taking the time to actually read the names as not just another number counted among the dead - and seeing the mother collapse to the floor of the porch, brings tears to my eyes. I served 22 years and maybe, now that I'm in my 50s, life experience and the madness of the world has hit me all at once as I watch this scene.

[@Rdfelic]

I tried already 6 times watching with out tearing up. Failed every time.

[@traffic71]

Me too. Every time.

[@mavasquez8301]

Poor mom, this gets me every time. The strengthen and courage to face the most unimaginable news ever. Seeing her break down is gut wrenching

[@davidisaacson5806]

The mother (played by actress Amanda Boxer) steals the show in this scene. Her in solitude, the quick glance at the approaching car followed by the slow double take as the realization of what the car means strikes her. The despair and uncertainty on her face as she peeks over the pull downed curtain, she knows one of her sons is dead, but which one? The slow turn towards the door as if to gather her strength, followed by the tottering collapse when the priest exits the car, confirming her worst fears. All shot against this idyllic farm, with blue skies. Not a single word of dialogue and it's perfect.

[@carrickrichards2457]

Remember the Sullivan brothers. The General was not reading the end of Mrs Bixby's letter. He knew it by heart.

[@Zurassh]

I never realized until now that Bryan Cranston was the Colonel with the missing arm. MIND BLOWN.

[@RicardoLopez-ic2sk]

You're GODDAMM RIGHT!

[@slbslayer]

Great words of a great man

[@bobbybousche7996]

Marshall

[@tpitman]

If this doesn't make you proud of our country, then something's wrong with you.

[@BioHunter1990]

Lincoln was a miserable wretch who shredded the Constitution of which we ought to be proud of. But the horror of what he presided over, and the content of this letter, however disputed...is unquestionably true. Selfless sacrifice is the noblest of human efforts, and something none but those who have dedicated to it can truly understand. And because of the nature of that ultimate sacrifice, we cannot ever ask those who commit to it. May they rest in Elysium, for they above all others have earned an eternal peace they never found on Earth.

[@JerrySmith-ih9rd]

The most powerful scene in and extremely powerful film. The first time I watched the mother slowly, and gracefully lose her ability to stand on that porch, it literally took my breath away. Brilliant filmmaking.

[@tomaaron6187]

My mom’s father and two brother’s were in the military. The English had telegrams boys on bicycles. Everyone prayed that the telegraph boy did not stop at their home. One day he did. It was to inform them that ‘dad’ had been killed at sea. Her two brothers survived. My father was a Canadian soldier and his greatest fear wasn’t death but not wanting his own mother broken hearted if something happened to him.

[@bugler1325]

That is exactly how an Irish Catholic Mother would respond. Knowing this from personal experience. Opening the door to my Grandmother's house to inform her of the sudden death of her son, ( my dad ) somehow she knew just by looking at me , and her knees buckled. Before I uttered a sound Grandma said, NO!!! We've lost to much already...

[@zacharyss1]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[@jordanparman9433]

I don't understand what being Irish Catholic has to do with it? I am not challenging you, just don't know what Irish Catholic means. I don't know any Irish Catholics.

[@Maczari]

You mean too much you have lost?

[@balisongblade1899]

Grammar nazi alert !!!!!!

[@Maczari]

I do not think so.

[@aarontewelde3577]

4:24 I've never seen a more heartbreaking scene in a movie

[@lemacdu7715]

A heartbreaking scene, one of the most beautiful I've watched.

[@tbthomas5117]

Thank you so much for posting this entire sequence from Saving Private Ryan. This scene was one of Steven Spielberg's crowning achievements as a director. It is hard to imagine any other actor than the great Harve Presnell occupying the role of General George C. Marshall, and so eloquently repeating the written words of President Lincoln, who, as far as I know, never actually repeated them aloud. Adding to the gravitas of this scene was the cameo performance of U.S.Marine Capt. Dale Dye, who acted as technical consultant on dozens of films, but rarely appeared on camera. Capt. Dye was a decorated veteran of the Viet Nam war, who understood first-hand, the living hell of war, and the incomprehensible pain left to the families of those who die in combat.

[@Live0nnn]

This is the hardest part of this film for me. My heart goes out to all the parents of soldiers in war.

[@DevinAlden]

Just goes to show you that behind every soldier is a mother and father and family friends who are anxious for their return home from hell. They know in the back of their head about the horrible news they could receive but remain hopeful. I truly cannot fathom how horrible it must be for any parent, wife, husband, sibling to go through looking their own.

[@ronniebishop2496]

Devin Alden And then some animal does have the right to set on his sorry ass during the national anthem. It's amazing

[@dwilliams02]

The actress who plays the mother fulfilled such a critical role in this masterpiece of a film. As the one officer initially points out to the general, and as some of Miller’s troops later say themselves, the idea of sending a unit on a wild goose chase into enemy territory during one of the the most critical parts of the war does absolutely seem inadvisable, if not even foolish. But that mother’s reactions, combined with the brilliant soundtrack of course, is essential in selling the rest of the story to us, the audience. We understand how important that mission is, despite how objectively unproductive it might be, because we see her anguish, we relate to it, and we need to know she doesn’t have another terrible morning with a car coming up that driveway.

[@rajatgupta2339]

May the families of all those who lost their loved ones in Covid find the strength to weather through the hard times...may they live on.. with the cherished memories of their loved ones..

[@peterschmidt9067]

This scene brings tears to my eyes each and every time. 'Saving Private Ryan' is one of the greatest movies ever IMHO.

[@akinadownhillace]

It's been over twenty years and this scene always gets me.

[@patsadataki7878]

This scene is so moving I think about it all the time. The dread of a mother to see the car approaching bringing what she knows is the worst news possible. It is heart-wrenching

[@glitchyatheist]

every frame in this squence brings me to tears

[@mikaaoife6557]

One of the most inspirational and moving scene I have ever witnessed.

[@bbryant2485]

What a powerful scene. Spielberg is a genius.

[@jakhaughton6675]

Very moving. No Lives are 'lost' in any fight against Evil. They go to wherever we are destined to go and their memories must never be forgotten. They now know our destination after death. The question asked by all mortals.

[@davidsirmons]

Without a change in the heart of those who are willing to initiate the insanity of war, and horror, and slaughter, we are doomed to repeat this until the end of time. There must be a change, for no lives were ever needed to have been taken at all, and therefore each one was lost in the absolute in this world. Humanity must move forward. And that change in the heart is the only path by which it can be achieved.

[@costarring8978]

Jak Haughton Yet history keeps repeating itself. All lessons are forgotten with the passing of time. Humanity will never learn.

[@nigelmcquinlan1887]

As an ex-Soldier,, I can tell you the answer is: no

[@NineM_YorHa]

So many sacrificed their live for a better world 😞 R.I.P Soldiers

[@JCFRFutterman]

The mother's reaction to the men driving up gets me every time.

[@tomp8094]

I have participated in memorial/burial services for both military members and Peace Officers killed in the line of duty. There is nothing as heart wrenching as seeing the wife or mother of the fallen bent over that American flag draped casket graveside sobbing uncontrollably. It is a scene that tears at the very fabric of one's soul

[@Studio2770]

4:03 look at the flag covering one of the son's face on the right. Very clever and detailed eye of Mr. Spielberg.

[@t.h.8475]

Every actor in this movie was perfect for their role.

[@WillyM79]

Greatest movie ever

[@lauriekendrick9948]

At 2:54.....this scene gets to me in a movie that includes so many scenes which illicit so many emotions. In the establishing shot, Mrs. Ryan is seen standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes. Near her, a window proudly displaying a banner containing four stars indicating she had four sons / four are family members are serving in the military. She looks up, sees a lonely car heading up the long dirt road heading up to her isolated farmhouse. She looks up, then back down to dirty dishes but only briefly. In a fraction of a second, she knows her life has changed permanently. She recognizes the iconic dark gray sedan with the large white star on the door and knows immediately its a military car. During WWII, the wives and mothers of US servicemen knew the routine, they knew well how the military would inform families of loss in battle. She turns, pauses long enough to steel herself.m She walks out the front door and on to the porch and when she sees the army chaplain exit the back seat, she takes two large steps backwards and to the side as if she’s attempting to runaway. But she has no place to go. At that moment, she merely wants to be any place but there. So, in anticipation of the heartache she knows is coming, she does what many sentient people do when faced with learning gut wrenching news; she falls to her knees. The immense weight of pain is sometimes too much for two mortal legs to support. Not a word was spoken in this brief , but incredibly profound scene, yet it screamed a myriad of emotions. For me, it remains one of Spielberg’s best directorial moments.

[@Sc0rch91]

I don't think anyone needed and explanation but true

[@AlyssMa7rin]

You can also see the exact moment she gives up hope that perhaps they had brought one of her boys home. Her shoulders sag the instant the chaplain steps out of the car. Excellent directing, but also spectacular and thought-provoking acting by the actress.

[@marigoldbells9581]

i think one reason why we’re always touched when it comes to war films is because all of us had relatives and ancestors who fought in both world war 1 and world war 2, we all had family who fought and perished and were subjected to such horrors and tragedies, it’s the one thing that a lot of us share in common, which i think is partially why these films and stories always hit us hard

[@sa2018]

Now this was real movie making. WoW.

[@vcarcuro]

Every scene in this movie is do damn powerful!

[@MALESICILIAN]

God Bless Our Veterans🙏🙏

[@coreyedwards1554]

So many good men laid down there life’s so that not just us but the world could live in freedom and peace. So many fathers, sons, husbands, and brothers gave up everything for us, and we should never forget their sacrifice.

[@BatMajor]

Mrs Bixby lived in Boston during the civil war.

[@JessCorey]

This scene is a combination of several stories, some unauthenticated and some parts true, but I think it was a hauntingly beautiful and heart rending scene that showed just what war...means to so many who have raised soldiers and gotten those letters...my Great Uncle was killed in Korea...and my mom said this scene made her think of that day when his letter came...

[@gunnfan]

Heartbreaking and inspirational simultaneously

[@CaptainQH]

I watch this video regularly and it always gets me! The mother’s reaction and the perfect delivery of the letter.

[@hateferlife]

That moment when: the General drops all pretense of reading the letter, having committed it to memory as his duty requires such sentiment, and goes next-level “get it done, gents”.