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Band of Brothers Customer Reviews (79 - 81 of 117 Reviews)

Outstanding Realism and Underlying Themes!
Without a doubt, HBO's mini-series based on Stephen E. Ambrose's book _Band of Brothers_, is the best war film ever produced! Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks has proven unequivocally that the old adage "truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction," holds true. Realism and an undauted quest to bring to the screen the actuality of the combat experience in an infantry company, resonates in the countless themes exhibited throughout the film. The production team, that consisted of eight directors, including Hanks, has accomplished an extraordinary feat both on and beneath the surface of this remarkable mini-series. What the viewer sees in this action-packed movie will delight the staunchest war film aficionado. The directors utilize the same revolutionary cinematography techniques first seen in Spielberg's prior effort, "Saving Private Ryan." The chaotic hand-held camera work places the viewer right in the heart of the battle scenes. The addition of all the latest computer generated special effects, clearly confirms how great a war movie can be when backed by a big budget (lucky for us Spielberg is a World War II buff). The night jump over Normandy is arguably the best battle sequence ever shot on film. But it is the countless themes beneath the surface of the film that makes "Band of Brothers" a true gem, and destined to become a film classic. Let us always remember that this is not only the story of an elite Airborne company, but of the actual men who made up Easy Company. The Army succeeded in molding these men into a fine-tuned combat effective team through the most intense, rugged mental and physical training. Individuality is discarded and team-work is exemplified if one is to survive in combat. Yet regardless of the level of training, it is human beings that are sent into combat, and Easy Company's rank and file consisted of individuals of varying and diverse human attributes and character defects. And the film illustrates the "humanity" of Easy Company beautifully. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment had good and bad leaders. The outstanding and natural leadership abilities of its level-headed commander Captain (later Major) Richard Winters (Damien Lewis) are off-set my many who could not make the grade. Anyone in a managerial position at any corporate level would benefit from watching the varying leadership styles depicted in this film. Likewise, a handful of youths filled with a volatile mixture of naivety and bravado will, through fire and death, become a solid cadre of N.C.O's. Their role is vital not only to a successful combat mission, but also to the survival of green replacements. Yet the horrors of war affected all ranks within Easy Company and the producers wisely chose not to sugar-coat anything. Alcoholism and the murder of enemy prisoners by officers and enlisted men alike, are very real themes boldly conveyed in the film. Combat exhaustion, or "battle fatigue" is another unpleasant topic displayed in the film. Men who could not be broken physically (several of Easy Company men recovered from wounds and went A.W.O.L from hospital to rejoin their unit), succumbed to the mental strain of constant exposure to enemy fire. Looting, murder and a general callousness towards the German civilian population after witnessing the horrors of a concentration camp, are also very real occurrences that took place within the entire European Theater at war's end. Band of Brothers is not only an action-packed and riveting war picture, but also an accurate social history of the American G.I. in World War II. Any combat veteran, particularly those who fought in Europe, can relate to the experiences (both internal and external) of these men. Any relative of a combat veteran, regardless of what unit he served, will gain a better understanding of their loved-one's experiences. Captains Winters, Nixon; Lieutenant Speirs, Compton; Sergeants Lipton, Martin, Randleman, Toye, Guarnere, Malarkey and others are not made-up characters, they are real men. And it is their real-life experiences, so accurately captured in this film that defies any screenwriter's pen. I cannot recommend this package highly enough. Five stars...Bravo!

Note: Check to make sure all episodes are in your set
It's a great piece of work....I have nothing to add to the other comments.

However, do note that I received mine with a faulty disc and could not veiw Episode 4. Seems this is a wide-spread problem with this set. Amazon quickly sent me a new set, so props to them for the customer service. When you get this, check all episodes immediately.

The Single Best TV Production Of All Time!!
I think this mini-series even eclipses "I, Claudius" to take 'top TV honors'. I'll also say it's the best WWII story and production (cinema, documentary or whatever) I've ever seen and I've seen a lot!

"Band Of Brothers" tells the true and incredible odyssey of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division, U.S. Army - from their formation in Georgia (1942), to Berlin and the end of the war in Europe (1945). The demand for, and on, elite paratroopers was unending and they were deployed as "the tip of the spear" of every major allied offensive (and many minor ones too) on the Western Front. Jumping behind enemy lines, often without critical equipment and supplies or lacking enough rest and under terrible conditions, they saw more than their share of hard combat and E Company itself took nearly 150% casualties. (Statistically at least, that's 100% of the company - 140 men and 7 officers - and half again of their replacements, lost).

The scope of the war is limited to E Company - the German POV is vanishingly small, life stateside, after their training and deployment in Normandy, is only referred to, usually in connection with mail call (or the wounded), and, apart from the brief and infrequent visit and/or pep talk from their company commander, the top brass is never seen. But the impact of the war on E Company, the civilians and other outfits they meet along the way (and on us) is anything but limited! The effects are as awesome as they are devastating.

There are so many reasons why it's effective. For one, as I've said, the story is true. If you've read the book you're in for a treat. The series follows the book to an unprecedented degree for movies. Not everything that's in the book is in the series, but everything that's in the series is in the book - finally, directors that understand the drama in real-life events! Even if you haven't read it, you're still in for a treat. Thanks to meticulous directing, you're rarely allowed to feel comfortable about the ultimate fates of the individual characters. Even when you are allowed, the directing is a very sure-handed affair. But most of the time you find yourself in the kind of war in which you never quite know what will happen next - who's going to be wounded and sent back into combat, promoted, demoted or transferred, wounded seriously enough to be sent home, captured, separated from their unit, killed, either in combat or by accident, or even murdered (though not in E Company itself). After all, this is not fiction-based material where the author is 'choosing' who survives. Here, when one character can no longer tell the tale, another member of the company will tell the story through his own eyes and few if any POV are left out.

The subtext is on the war within one's self and the loss and value of meaningful humanity. The wonderful cinematography replaces slow-motion effects with high shutter speeds in adrenaline-charged sequences - without bothering to stress formal compositions within the frame. It conveys a vivid "you are there" sense of immediacy. And yet at the same time, the overall vision is SO superbly and fully realized from start to finnish. The non-combat scenes will easily hold your attention and the battle sequences themselves are not only utterly convincing, but truly harrowing. And the whole thing is filled with potent, poetic imagery - the simple act of enclosing a violin within its coffin-like case - a metaphor for the humanity claimed by a world war, or the closing of a blood-smeared ambulance door during the high-water mark of E Company's casualties, or, the drawn-from-life moment of fatal hesitation - and doe-eyed look of disbelief - in the face of a clearly under-aged Nazi boy/soldier - the first victim in a bloody surprise attack - vibrantly resonate, like so many sounds and images in this work, with profound, often devastating meaning, and haunt the soul long afterward. Trust me, it's an absolute knockout.

Additionally, Spielberg and company engage in a judicious amount of cliche busting. I won't give things away here, but if you've seen your share of war movies, you won't be disappointed.

Since the head-honcho behind this 10 hour event is none other than Spielberg, comparisons with his "Saving Private Ryan" are bound to come up, especially since the directing and production values are of similarly high standards, and at first glance maybe, seemingly familiar. But at least one reviewer at Amazon criticizes "Ryan" for being fundamentally a war film made by, and for, pacifists (citing its first half hour as an example), and that since the war is basically evil and all the men are inherently good, it's difficult to believe their comments on the war. I think there may be something to that. But, in "Brothers", the war seems a little more necessary than evil, even if it is not always so clearly understood nor as well rationalized by its participants, as in "Ryan". Here, the weight of combat is far more personally affecting through its undeniable impact on the men of Easy Company. There is much cause for empathy here. Although I've never seen combat, this series makes me want to send a BIG thank you to ALL our servicemen and women. And again, though I wasn't there, I sometimes talk to and read from and about those who were, and to me at least, "Brothers" edges out "Ryan" and leaves all the rest behind as the best depiction of WWII on film to date.

My brother and I were raised on my dad's war stories (he was with the 11th Armored Division during the Battle of the Bulge) and they stuck in our heads. As a result we grew up with a shared interest in all things WWII. As a WWII buff I was hard pressed to find much of anything amiss in the series from artillery, aircraft and armored vehicles to small arms and field equipment - right down to the uniforms - U.S., British, French or German. There are big and small suprises everywhere you look - even an operational Jagdpanther, no less(!).

I hope the interviews I saw on HBO will be included on the DVD - it would be a crime if they weren't. If they are, you'll not only come to know, respect and appreciate the characters in the series (by the way, the acting is superb all around and David Schwimmer is great as Capt. Sobel!), but, appreciate the men of E Company even more through the eyes of the survivors, themselves. In fact, I'm astonished at how little difference there seems to be between the actors in the series and their real-life counterparts. As a footnote, I recall reading somewhere that Stephen Ambrose (who wrote "Brothers"), while interviewing a subject, was hoping to get permission to use some of the man's war stories in a book (non-fiction of course). When Ambrose, whose eye for courage is arguably unmatched, prompted him, the veteran said "Well, ok, but don't make me out to be some kind of hero or something" - to which Ambrose replied "I don't make heroes, I just write about 'em".

Like some others here, I subscribed to HBO just to see this show. Having read the excellent book, which, by the way, I also strongly recommend since it illuminates a bit more that the series can easily focus on, my expectations of the series were either matched or simply blown away! All in all it is a stunning and masterful tribute to E company, paratroopers and to all those involved with that war. I'm tempted to say it will not be equalled for a long time to come. Whether you are familiar with this story or not I can't recommend this mini-series highly enough! If I could, I'd give it fifty stars!!

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