HBO’s ten part mini-series on the “Easy” Company’s tribulations during the German invasion of World War II is a grand spectacle, filled with numerous moments of perfection, and begs one simple question. Why can’t the rest of television look like this?
Based on the book by Stephen Ambrose, and produced by Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg, the series gives a realistic, gut-wrenching portrayal of Easy Company’s activities from the final stages of their paratrooper training, to D-day, through their major battles up until the end of the war. It spans 10 hour long episodes (the series opener “Currahee” clocks in at 1 hour, 30 minutes), with each episode focusing on a particular battle front, and often specific characters. It gives a good portrait of what war must be like to those who actually fight it. It does not shy away from the brutal, ugly reality of combat. It is not just the Saving Private Ryan like battlefield violence (though there is plenty of that here) but the cold blooded murder of German prisoners, and the cowardice of boys trying to be soldiers. This is not John Wayne standing gruff and courageous against fascism. Band of Brothers does well to show that not all soldiers were courageous; all were scared, some so much to be rendered useless.
Each episode spotlights one or more of the men. In doing so it gives the audience a chance to view the soldiers on a more personal level, and not just their heroics. While doing so, the episodes also spotlight the types of struggles the soldiers dealt with day to day. While mainly this technique worked, there were a few missteps. Instead of using an entire episode to highlight the medics, I would have preferred those moments to be seen throughout the series. Medics were in constant need while on the battlefront, and to see this in detail, intertwined into every episode, would have served the purpose better. Instead I would rather have seen another soldier highlighted (Nixon comes to mind.)
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Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
While it may be great to get the "eye candy" that more exposure to D-Day would bring, I am glad the Band Of Brothers covers another very important aspect of the invasion. The paratrooper's mission was vital to ensuring the success of the overall invasion, and the difficulties involved in E Co's jump just make the success of D-Day all that more incredible. If you tie that into the Rangers of Saving Private Ryan linking up with the scattered Airborne elements in their search, they can be seen as parts of a whole.
Ambrose's works were centered around WWII, and he has several great books on D-Day alone. I hope your interest in Band of Brothers will encourage you to read more about this historice time from many authors.
2 - Mat
I agree with you. The paratrooper invasion was an important aspect of the invasion. Since Band of Brothers covers the paratroopers, it would be ludicrous not to show their part in D-Day.
Yet, I stand by my feeling that it seems underwhelming. I keep referencing Saving Private Ryan, but the first 30 minutes of that film is one of the most intense depictions of war on film. Though historically accurate, and important in the overall aspect of the series, Band of Brothers portrayal of the Normandy invasion isn't as impacting as Ryan's version.
3 - Matt Paprocki
I've always seen B.o.B. as a spin-off (bad word use, I know) of sorts to Private Ryan. It offers another view of the war in the same filmmaking style with Spielberg and Hank having a hand in its creation. So by not covering the D-Day invasion, it almost makes more sense. You can almost view Ryan as another episode.
4 - Eric Berlin
You can't overlook the fact that Band of Brothers follows the true story of a company of men through their war years. To pan away from them during D-Day to get hotter action would have been a huge mistake. They were paratroopers -- so D-Day was their most important job of the war.
I just found the entire series to be about the most fascinating, gripping, and engaging thing I had ever seen. Even Saving Private Ryan seems like a "small" story compared to this epic.
5 - Scott Pepper
Mat, this article has been syndicated at the Advance.net network of sites, including Cleveland.com.
6 - SFC SKI
Well, you could make histories of every battle every unit fought in in WWII and never get them all. Personally, if I had the wherewithal, I'd have a miniseries made of "The Damned Engineers" the 291st Engineer BN in the Battle of the Bulge. One unit of less than 500 men held off an entire German SS Panzer Division and arguably turned the tide of the German offensive. Like Band of Brothers, it ahows what a small group of soldiers in the right place at the right time can do to effect the greater campaign.
Speaking of WWII, has anyone seen "Saints and Soldiers" ? I didn't even see reviews for this film, but I saw it tonight. It is based on a true story, and if true, it only shows hpw the truth is stranger than fiction, I recommend it if your a war film buff, or just like a good human drama.
7 - Mat
Please understand that I am not saying I wish Band of Brothers would have left Easy Company during D-Day to show hotter action. It would, indeed, have been a mistake for the production.
I guess what I'm saying is that while watching the D-Day sequence in Band of Brothers I couldn't help but think of the corresponding sequence in Saving Private Ryan. For my money, the sequence in Saving Private Ryan is more visceral, more emotionally impacting. That's all. I'm glad BofB filmed their sequence like they did, and that it allows us to see another aspect of that war.
I will also say, that I feel the entire BofB series works more effectively than the remainder of Saving Private Ryan.
8 - Mat
Thanks for the info, Scott. Anybody know how that works? How this post was chosen?
9 - dbcooper
I watched Band of Brothers from beginning to end when it originally premiered on HBO, never missing an episode. One of the scenes that hooked me was the parachute drop/Normandy invasion. My mouth was agape and I thought it was intense and believable. One reason was because I grew to care for these men. I cared whether they lived or died.
I didn't give a flying fuck who lived at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, because the characters were faceless victims. No film will ever make war seem realistic, because as viewers we will never taste the fear those poor men had on D-Day. Band of Brothers had an authenticty to it that Saving Private Ryan never really touched. These were real men in real battles scraping to survive a horrible war.
Saving Private Ryan were Hollywood actors in a fabricated story that recreated a WWII version of John Wayne's last stand at the freakin' Alamo. There was an intimacy to Band of Brothers that Spielberg's own personal film never came close to touching.
10 - Ant O'Brien
I reckomend this to everyone I know !, But will never lend out my box set to ANYONE !
11 - A brown
Can I just say that I worked on BoB and every night I would pack away stuff in the hanger at hatfield and make dead bodies and guns.
But when I first watch that series I was moved infact every time I watch the series I am moved to tears, the filming of it was just a job, the series brought it to life! Every time I see the baseball game I cry! Nothing has every moved me so much!
I have now had six copies of it as I lend it out and everyone enjoys it so much I can not ask for it back!