Band of Brothers

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		Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
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Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elete rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Review:A2LHZ7BKYB7GO0
Rating:
Summary: Where is it?

The first time I watched this series I borrowed copies from a friend who recorded it off of the tv. This version has been re-edited to shorten the length of each episode. I am GREATLY disappointed. Some of these parts were things that I was looking foreword to watching again. The pacing was changed in other parts that left a different impression on what happened. If I was watching it for the first time I may have enjoyed it, but knowing what I'm missing and just how much richer the story was before, I have to give it only one or two stars.

Customer Review:A2Q3A1JOYJNZAL
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Series

This is an excellent 10-part series, focusing on not only on the tactical aspects of the military, but on the personal relationships developed during wartime. Well worth watching - especially for those interested in getting an overall view of the war in Europe.

Customer Review:A2M79TJR3X5YO6
Rating:
Summary: One of the best HBO film series ever made

I can't add anything to the comments already made about this wonderful HBO series. It's outstanding and should be a part of anyone's DVD movie collection. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in WWII history. All A+++++++

Customer Review:A2FTHCGH06O4Y5
Rating:
Summary: so-so

This was very watchable at the time I went through it, but it fails a critical test: I wouldn't watch it again.

I think the core problem is that it's not about anything. Unlike other war novels I'm aware of (Naked and the Dead, All Quiet on the Western Front, Catch-22), this novel has no central theme, no central concern, no "message" -- if you will.

I'm not sure if I'm articulating myself well, so here's what I mean: do you notice that EVERYTHING happens in this series? Yeah, everything happens to everybody, so you are free to conclude whatever you want from its contents. There's a guy who loses his courage. There's a guy who gets his courage. There's a guy who sees the brutality of war. There's a guy who doesn't. There's a guy whose life is ruined by the war. There's a guy whose life is vastly improved. There's a guy who's promoted. There's a guy who's not. There's a guy who is made wise by battle. There's a guy who learns nothing. Whatever you'd like to see in war, whatever you'd like to take from it, there's a guy in this series who pretty much does that for you.

A failure on the writer's part! Art should hone life, bring it into focus, distill it. Not present it in toto. If that's all you're doing, what do we need you for? Just make a documentary and we'll draw our own conclusions.

Customer Review:A3337E06ITT064
Rating:
Summary: Best film of world war

I've seen this serie three times on HBO and I want to see this on DVD.