Written by Mr. Mouseburger 24th Dec 2005
(kindly written by t.s.)
Miller's death is truly heart breaking. In a war torn town Miller rests after a long journey across the French countryside to find Private Ryan [C Company], who having lost all of his brothers is rewarded with a ticket home.
As Miller rests, he knows he must blow a bridge that links two sides of the town together. Failure to do so would mean that Rommel would have a clear route into France for his tanks. The platoon set up explosives on the bridge and waits for the Germans to arrive. As the time goes by, the SS King Tiger tanks roll into the town and a pitched battle erupts.
During the fighting, Miller is forced to fall back to point "Alamo". He arms the dynamite, but is shot through the right hand. To increase the drama, a shell destroys the building behind him and sends the charge flying onto the bridge.
In a daze from the shell, Miller calmly walks onto the bridge to retrieve the detonator. Out the open, Miller drops to the ground when a nameless German soldier fires a shot from his Mauser K98 rifle. The bullet has pierced Miller's right lung, and completely immobilised our hero. He rests next to a motorcycle, with a German tank rolling ominously toward him. He calmly pulls out his Colt .45 and fires at the tank's vision slit. As he fires off his seventh and last bullet, the tank explodes thanks to the timely intervention of the P-51 tank busters flying overhead.
Ryan sits next to Miller as the BAR gunner calls for a medic. Before he dies Miller says, "James, earn this..... Earn this....". Miller's eyes glaze over, and he passes away.
Miller isn't shot by just any "anonymous German soldier." He's shot by the very guy he let go earlier in the movie!
Never underestimate Spielberg's talent for cheesy irony!
I thought the german was the guy Corperal Upham let get away after killing Mellish.
I think they were the same character. They let the soldier go earlier, he returns, kills Mellish, but doesn't kill Upham, then kills Miller and is then killed by Upham in revenge.
If you went on the Saving private Ryan encyclopedia you would see a comparison of the two guys, THEY ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON!
I know he wasn't killed by just anybody, but we don't know the German soldier's name.
He's referred to in the credits as Steamboat Willie.
LOL. Thanks for the info.