It is...the most profound war film ever made, surpassing even Spielberg’s own 'Saving Private Ryan'.
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(Molbaek wrote the first part of the primary review as well as the Entertainment Value summation. Feng wrote the second part of the primary review. Molbaek and Feng jointly authored the Video, Audio, and Extras sections of the review.)
Henning Molbaek´s Thoughts:
First, I have to send a special thanks to Tom Hanks and HBO. They worked together to create 2 of the best miniseries ever made, at least in my opinion. The first was "From the Earth to the Moon", which covered American attempts to match the Soviets in the space race. The second masterpiece--one with the collaboration of Steven Spielberg and famed historian Stephen Ambrose--is "Band of Brothers". "Band of Brothers" chronicles the travails of the men of Easy Company during World War II, from basic training and the D-Day invasion to their capture of Hitler´s "Eagle´s Nest" towards the end of the war in 1945.
The series has 10 episodes running approximately 50 minutes each. HBO´s DVD box set contains 6 discs, with 2 episodes per disc and the sixth DVD devoted exclusively to bonus materials.
Part 1: "Currahee"
Part 2: "Day of Days"
Part 3: "Carentan"
Part 4: "Replacements"
Part 5: "Crossroads"
Part 6: "Bastogne"
Part 7: "The Breaking Point"
Part 8: "The Last Patrol"
Part 9: "Why We Fight"
Part 10: "Points"
The series won a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Movie Made for Television. I heartily agree.
Yunda Eddie Feng´s Thoughts:
Being the history nut that I am, I once committed to memory all the maps pertinent to Europe between 1900 and 1990. I could draw--without looking at a book--shifting boundaries as various countries grew, shrunk, appeared, or disappeared. It goes without saying, then, that I consider the European Theatre during World War II to be the most dynamic, intellectually stimulating period of the 20th Century. Like most men, I entertain a strong predilection for war movies. My favorite war movies happen to be set in Europe between 1939 and 1945. Since Steven Spielberg is my favorite filmmaker, it comes as no surprise to anyone that my favorite WWII movie for the past few years has been "Saving Private Ryan".
Poignantly, each episode of "Band of Brothers" begins with videotaped remembrances by actual members of Easy Company. From what I understand, each part was cast so that the actors would physically resemble the real soldiers. The miniseries is based on the nonfiction book "Band of Brothers" by Stephen Ambrose. (Sadly, Mr. Ambrose passed away very recently.) The miniseries/book details the experiences of Easy Company, a combat group that saw most of the heaviest fighting on the Western European Front. It sustained the most losses, and it also became legendary.
The expression "band of brothers" comes from William Shakespeare´s "Henry V". The young Harry, in order to rally his troops, delivers an impassioned speech ("We few, we happy few...") about the brotherhood of men who shed blood together. The eloquence of Shakespeare´s soliloquy has been captured by the visuals of "Band of Brothers".
More than once, I broke down in tears as I watched all 10 episodes of "Band of Brothers" in one sitting. I cried for the young men whose spirits were shattered. I cried in gratitude for not ever having to participate in armed combat. I cried when I finally grasped what it meant to entrust completely one´s life in the professionalism of the man standing next to him.
Even though it was made for television audiences, in many ways, "Band of Brothers" is much more graphic than "Saving Private Ryan". The carnage lasts for more than 10 hours, not just 3. The series shows how there are more ways of getting maimed than you thought possible. There´s even a shot of a German soldier being crushed by the treads of one of his own retreating tanks. It´s true that these images are too disturbing to show to easily-troubled children. However, in refusing to flinch in the face of reality, the filmmakers have paid their utmost respects to a generation of heroes who fought for the very existence of the free world.
In addition to the Golden Globe from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the miniseries also received a host of accolades from various trade guilds as well as 6 Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries (it was nominated for a total of 19 Emmys). "Band of Brothers" richly deserved to win all of its awards, but its cast also deserves high praise. David Schwimmer bites viciously into the role of Herbert Sobel, a tough officer hated by everyone in Easy Company; his aggressive (though not entirely necessary) training regimen is what ultimately makes the men of Easy Company what they are. Damian Lewis carries most of the show as Richard Winters, a noble leader who inspires the best in his men. (You can see how Tom Hanks´s Captain Miller in "Saving Private Ryan" was based in large part on Winters.) Donnie Wahlberg (yes, formerly of New Kids on the Block), Ron Livingston, and Neal McDonough (most recently seen on the big screen as Tom Cruise´s second-in-command in "Minority Report") all make great impressions.
Like "Minority Report", "Band of Brothers" displays filmmaking of the highest order. I subscribe to the theory that geniuses and madmen are the same, the difference between the 2 groups being that one benefits society while the other doesn´t. (This is partially confirmed by the psychological profiling of astronauts, who have incredibly similar brain activity, brain waves, and psychological tendencies as serial killers--basically, you have to be crazy enough to want to go into the void of deep space.) The genius of the skill used to make "Band of Brothers" lies in the overwhelming degree of fury present in each frame. Hand-held cameras approximate the movement of soldiers trying to make themselves as small of targets as possible. Jarring editing techniques disorient viewers the way soldiers would be in real combat. The expert sound design ensures that viewers will know what kinds of guns are being fired as opposed to the indistinct thuds of generic action movies. The seriousness of purpose is spectacular.
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