10 Best Movie Characters Not Introduced Until The End

The supposed focal point of Steven Spielberg's unforgettable war saga Saving Private Ryan is only presented to audiences just before the culminating battle sequence of the film.

Tom Hank's group of Rangers finally find Ryan, part of what remains of a depleted unit entrusted with holding the strategically vital town of Ramelle. Matt Damon's character immediately endears himself to audiences; despite the devastating news of his brothers' deaths in combat, the young soldier adamantly refuses his ticket away from the traumatic devastation of the war, citing his complete unwillingness to abandon his comrades. Ryan is such a principled individual that he is unswayed even when regaled with the stories of the soldiers who died attempting to find him, despite being visibly moved.

Ryan fights bravely in the battle against overwhelming German forces but is ultimately reduced to an almost catatonic state by the seemingly endless destruction raining down around him, Damon's exemplary performance adding an unflinching layer of authenticity to proceedings. The anguish in the actor's shocked eyes as he surveys the devastation around him following the battle - which he perceives to be as a result of his own actions - is absolutely gut-wrenching and one of the most moving sequences in what is arguably the greatest war film ever made.