On July 24, 1998, the director Steven Spielberg’s World War
II epic, Saving Private Ryan, was released in theaters across
the United States. The film, which starred Tom Hanks and
Matt Damon, was praised for its authentic portrayal of war
and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It took home
five Oscars, for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best
Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Effects Editing.

The film’s lengthy opening scene was a bloody re-enactment
of American troops landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy,
France, on June 6, 1944, D-Day.