Why is Tom Hanks firing at the tank in Saving Pvt. Ryan?
Towards the end of the movie Saving Pvt. Ryan, most of the soldiers led by Capt. Miller (Hanks) are dead and he himself too is fatally injured. It is obvious that they have been overwhelmed by the enemy forces and he is going to die.
There is a scene where he is sitting with his back supported by a truck and a Tiger tank is approaching. If my memory serves me right, they have already fired quite a few bazookas at it to no avail.
At that moment Hanks takes out his .45 pistol and starts firing at the tank. Had he gone delirious because of his injuries or the war at large? Or was it his resilience in the final moments?
Why would a person fire bullets at a tank?!!
Best Answer
It was definitely the last resort of a desperate man. Broken and dazed, his company in tatters, Miller doggedly pulls out his pistol and fires at the tank in a futile but defiant gesture.
His mission was over, Ryan had been found and given the message, Miller's trusted sergeant lay dead at his side, as far as Miller was concerned this was the end of the road.
So, in answer to your question, it was a combination of resilience, defiance and resignation that caused Miller to unload his pistol at the approaching tank.
Pictures about "Why is Tom Hanks firing at the tank in Saving Pvt. Ryan?"
What did Tom Hanks say to Matt Damon at the end of Saving Private Ryan?
Twenty years ago, Tom Hanks' Capt. John Miller looked up at Matt Damon's young title character in \u201cSaving Private Ryan\u201d and whispered in a raspy voice, \u201cEarn this.\u201dDid they use a real tiger in Saving Private Ryan?
The Tiger Tank used in Saving Private Ryan is a converted Russian T-34/85, which explains the non-interweaving wheels. The mantlet is also much narrower on the movie's Tiger than on the real Tiger 1, it gives the turret a more pointed look rather than the round shape which the turret historically had.What did Tom Hanks say to Private Ryan at the end of the movie?
His dying words to Ryan are, "Earn this. Earn it." Over and out. But Miller's command is very profound. Six men died trying to save this baby-faced private, and that's a big debt to repay.What did Tom Hanks think of Saving Private Ryan?
Tom Hanks Once Said the 'Saving Private Ryan' Cast Would Sleep in the Grass Between Takes. Saving Private Ryan was a harrowing portrayal of World War II.Saving Private Ryan (7/7) Movie CLIP - Capt. Miller's Last Stand (1998) HD
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Clem Onojeghuo, Art Guzman, Art Guzman, Art Guzman