|
Directed by: See IMDB Page Starring: See IMDB Page For a short synopsis, Band of Brothers (adapted from the popular book by Stephen Ambrose) follows the true story of the Easy Company of the United States Infantry. From the beaches of Normandy, to the gates of Berlin, the movie follows the quickly developing and deteriorating relations between each of the men with breathtaking emotion and detail. I saw this on the History Channel on its limited, one week run, and I can tell you right up front, this is one of the most well-written and emotion-filled films I've ever seen, and maybe will ever see. The idea that it's based on true lives (As opposed to the loose basing in which Saving Private Ryan is build on) truly makes the viewer feel deep levels of sympathy (or anger, in several cases along the episodes). The acting alone is superb. Each of the actors have an excellent chemistry with eachother (Especially Lewis and Livingston), making the production entirely believable - I felt almost as if I were looking into the past, viewing each of these figures just as the war left them. Indeed, not many movies (or mini-series, in this case) have that level of excellency. Needless to say, the beauty of the scenery surpass even Lord of the Rings; each scene is chock-full of appropriate grittiness. Even the dismal, ruined towns of Holland scream out the nature of the torn country. Movie magic at its best. So, all together, this series impressed me beyond any film I'd ever seen - Schindler's List shifts aside, and Spaceballs bows down a peg. I'm sorry - the paratroopers, not the infantry. (EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE A KIND OF INFANTRY) 5 million sickle and hammers. http://fi.somethingawful.com/is/img10/6961/393.gif (Yes, I'm very aware this is a mini-series; I believe that the script is so solid, it's merely a movie that was partitioned into slices for easy TV viewing. Some may differ, but I believe that it has its place in the annals of the Dump) PROS: Incredible production values, impressive accuracy, extremely solid writing CONS: Sheer size of Mini-Series (10 hours) breaks up narrative, hard to get into ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/maindetails Angry Communist fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Jun 22, 2004 |
#
?
May 3, 2004 21:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 06:49 |
|
|
I love the first episode. The use of documentary style footage of the soldiers staring back at the camera as they prepare and wait for the call is incredibly effective. It plays with a lot of the expectations of the war genre as well, which makes it really engaging and exciting despite the familiar ground it covers. Some of the later episodes are kind of weak, but overall, it's a really solid piece of work. I really don't get why it's so often referred to as a movie on the forums. Maybe people think film is a more legitimate medium than television, and that calling it as one does it more justice somehow? In any case, the structure of the series is decidely specific to a mini-series, and it the project clearly belongs to the producers, not the directors (who all work within the chosen style of the producers). It's not a big deal, but it's something that's always gotten my attention.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2004 21:30
|
|
|
An excellent series well worth the watch. For anyone that enjoys WW2 films and medias you must buy this series right away. The writers did an excellent job of developing the characters and following them through the war.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2004 21:36
|
|
|
This is a fantastic series. I was RUSHING to the video store to get the next one. My wife and I got very involved in the characters. For some odd reason David Schwimmer really hooked me in this series, he was great.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2004 21:37
|
|
|
In my opinion the best War film/mini-series in 30 odd years (YOU'LL STILL HAVE TO GO A WAY TO BEAT DAMBUSTERS AND SAHARA YOUNG CHAPS), brilliant in every way, the mini-series allowing full character development without it being forced, historically accurate in most senses, but falling down in some parts (for example the scene near the end with the handing over of the pistol, which was in contrast to what the real Winters actually says happened in the documentary afterwards). The casting was hit and miss however, nearly ruining a few episodes, specially the idiot they casted as Blythe who couldn't act for toffees, plus the varying levels of good american accents from the british actors (maybe I notice it more because i'm from England, but the guy who played Tommy in Snatch was awful at american accents, as was the idiot who played Blythe). Out of all, this really is one of my top favourite films/mini-series ever, thus getting a 5.5/5 from me.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 01:26
|
|
|
I usually love these kind of movies, but for some reason I was unimpressed with BoB. I think it has to do with the fact that it was a mini-series. It just seemed to me that Saving Private Ryan accomplished about the same thing in much less time, and with far less "soap-opera scenes." CGI prevented some of best action scenes from being really great, but most of them were brilliant-- I just wish there were more of them. Finally, I thought the advertising that the History Channel had leading up to it was really annoying ("None of you will ever be the same after watching this," "Don't miss our encore presentation of THE BEST MINISERIES IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION"), but that doesn't really have anything to do with the series itself. 3.5/5, but it's better than just about everything else on TV.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 01:43
|
|
|
I watched this after the dvd release at my leisure, so I really liked the fact that it was a mini-series and had plenty of time to flesh out the characters and get me involved with the show.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 01:55
|
|
|
I thought this series suffered from two things: 1) Another "greatest generation" tribute which sometimes bordered on being war circlejerking for some of those directors. 2) Everybody in a combat helmet looks the same. The way the show shifts perspective between characters in each episode makes it difficult to keep track. Also this style of storytelling makes it kind of hard to get behind some characters. There are some really great moments to this series, which is why I'm rating it a 4.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 02:01
|
|
|
This mini-series is a great look at soldiers tales as we can watch them go from recruits all the way to the end of the war, whereas a movie cannot contain as much of their experiences as this. I don't think I would have enjoyed this as much if I had watched it weekly on HBO when it was released, but having the DVDs and watching all 10 parts in a few days makes it an amazing story, and it is much easier to follow the characters the second time through. I love this film. Well done. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 03:09
|
|
|
I watched these in a two day span. Really stunning and surreal at moments. I liked how it showed the relationships that developed from Ranger School onwards. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 03:39
|
|
|
I loved this series, the connection with the characters, and the way the directors exposed the reality of it all. 5.5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 04:09
|
|
|
I honestly doubt there will ever be a best WWII movie/series than this one.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 04:26
|
|
|
While I felt that the later episodes were weaker than the earlier ones, the series as a whole is still extremely good. I watched it sparsed out throughout a week and I found it hard at times to keep track of characters; everything else was, however, perfect. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 04:30
|
|
|
awesome must watch
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 05:07
|
|
|
I love this mini series. I love all historical movies and mini-series. You get to see it from the POV of different types of people, and they dont sugar coat what happened over there. People you get to know just from watching it, die. It's sad. the concentration camp episode was sad too  5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 05:11
|
|
|
quote:]-[ate_Sandwich came out of the closet to say: I have to say that I completely disagree with this. I'm not trolling or anything but I loved how each episode sort of focused on just one of the characters (Cpt. Sobel in the 1st, Winters in the 2nd, Sgt. Compton in the 3rd, Pvt. Blithe in the 4th etc.) with everyone taking a temporary back seat. By the last episode I was anxious to hear what happened to these guys after the war. I really sort of cared about them. Anyway, rated 5.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 06:07
|
|
|
I love this series with all my heart. The episode centered around the medic from Louisiana is great, as is the one where they assault the town (Carentan, I believe). One of the best shows I've ever seen; one time I watched all the episodes straight through, for 10 hours straight. 5.5!
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 07:31
|
|
|
Quite simply the greatest thing to ever grace a screen, be it big or small. 5.5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 11:45
|
|
|
I loved this mini series. Especially the episode "Why we fight". Thankfully they did not go the route and show every German as being evil.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 13:33
|
|
|
Achtung! Chat about it in GBS!
Somebody fucked around with this message at 09:43 on May 6, 2004 |
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 13:37
|
|
|
I agree that its important to understand that the majority of Germans in the German Armed Forces were not Nazis, and did not agree with the Nazi Party ideals. They also for the most part were un-aware of the attrocities taking place in the concentration camps. (The SS on the other hand... they were just plain evil) History is full of stereotypes. A good example is the US Civil War. A lot of people view the Civil War as being only about slavery (this is something that you see in a lot of history classes in grade school) when that was really only part of the problem between the North and the South. General Lee. the commander of the Confederate Army, was in fact against slavery. Band of Brothers is an excellent movie (miniseries, whatever you want to call it). It displays the truth about what happened, from a non-objective point of view. Those men were not heros just because someone decided to make a movie about them, and BoB does a good job of making sure the audience realizes this.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 23:00
|
|
|
quote:LoungieMu came out of the closet to say: This is almost word-for-word exactly what I was going to post when I saw BoB had its own thread. It's the single most amazing work of filmed art I've ever seen. 5.5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 23:22
|
|
|
The greatest series ever, with the best characters ever, which is hard for me to call them as they were real people. I get choked up just seeing the intro. 5.5
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 00:00
|
|
|
This is a great series. The characters are great. I highly recommend it. Rated 5/5.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 00:34
|
|
|
I demand everyone who dislikes this series, have their eyeballs poked put with a plastic fork, due to them being wasted on someone with no taste. Seriously, the best mini-series ever created.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 22:35
|
|
|
I like this series a lot. The episode that takes place during the liberation of the concentration was especially touching, possibly some of the best TV I've ever seen. Some of the other episodes bored me a bit though, especially the one directed by Tom Hanks that takes place in the forest. Also, way too much shaky war cam for my taste. The casting is great. Ron Livingston was especially effective as the drunken commander. Overall I still like it a lot. Worth seeing whether you like war films or not. 4/5
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 22:43
|
|
|
I highly reccomend if you're going to watch this series you rent the dvd's and DO NOT watch it on TV. Watch the 'episdoes' in order, and in the shortest time frame possible (like two a night for a week). If you space them out too far, it gets a little too easy to loose track of characters (I didn't even notice Spears in some of the earlier episodes untill the second time I saw them). Also a good sound system is a major plus.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 22:44
|
|
|
quote:StabbinHobo came out of the closet to say: To draw the inevitable Saving Private Ryan comparison, BoB is like they took all the high points of that film, and stretched it into 10 hours of awesome. The character development and portrayal, the story, and the excellent way the cinematography portrays a lot of gritty realism makes BoB one of the best pieces of work ever made. 5.5/5, but only because I can't rate it a 6.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 23:25
|
|
|
An absolute 5.5. the best World War 2 movie/series I've ever seen, unbelievable.
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 23:33
|
|
|
Personally, I felt the Bastogne campaign did a better job of portraying war (shells raining on Easy during the winter) than Saving Private Ryan did with Normandy and Operation Overlord. Incredibly loving intense, using Beethoven's String Quartet in C minor during the reconstruction blew my mind. 5.5/5
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2004 23:50
|
|
|
I saw this 3 years ago when it was originally on HBO. I looked forward to each next Sunday before Sopranos than I do waiting for Deadwood now. I was loving hooked. If you saw it from beginning to end you learn the characters real quick. I can point them all out with ease. The acting is drat excellent. I'm not sure if the History Channels recent airing showed the clips after each show or not. But the actor who portrayed Bill Guarrnere got that character dead on. I mean it was exactly the same as the 60 year later Bill. Action doesn't need any discussion. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2004 01:53
|
|
|
I first saw this at a friend's house about 2 years ago. Last year I bought the dvd set and I must say that each time I watch the series I get more and more impressed. The last time I finished watching the series I went to the D-Day Museum the day after and spent my time there wandering through the exhibits just focusing on the bits of personal stories on the walls.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2004 08:32
|
|
|
I got this from the Barnyard, and I absolutely love it. This has to be by far the best cinematic experience I've ever had, you truely feel with the characters and the action is bloody and messy, instead of Hollywood'ish. A masterpiece!
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2004 12:46
|
|
|
5/5. I hate that I'm so attracted to the dark side of human nature, but I was fascinated by the series and watched the whole thing in a 2-day marathon when I picked up the box set. Episode 9 made me tear (teer not tare) up a bit.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2004 19:29
|
|
|
I just love this series, especially in the sense of all the various hardware they showed. The Stielgranate on the Pak-36 in Carentin was a real shock. Only problem I had was that I felt that the D-Day airborne landing went perhaps a bit overboard with the gory deaths of the guys in the gliders. I've started to feel that movies tend to go for more graphic deaths than content to 'thrill'. Fortunately though, I didn't feel it was quite as bad in other episodes.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2004 20:15
|
|
|
If this was counted as a movie, it's by far my favourite. I have no regrets shelling out close to a hundred bucks for the box set. The commentary on the DVD was one of the few things in cinema that has made cry.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2004 18:37
|
|
|
Though it was said that the ending of the series was weak, I will have to say that it was a great ending emotionally. There is no action, but to see all the soldiers hamming it up on Eagle's Nest. The part of the end that was really great, and I think many people miss, is how people do other people favors especially with Winters as the gift giver. You would almost think Capt. Nixon would have died right then and there when Winters showed him Nixon's present (I don't think I spoiled it too much) If you are expecting a Saving Private Ryan, please don't. This series will, as was mentioned before, running to the store each time you finish a DVD. Plus if you get the DVD, you can actually trace their route in the European campaign and learn some of the lingo used in the movie so you are not lost. This is no baby-sitting movie.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2004 03:35
|
|
|
Excellent mini-series. Topnotch performance from all the main actors. The casters really did a good job and I think the actors worked so much better in this because their faces were all relatively unknown. Even David Schwimmer (from Friends) managed to make himself feel real. Special mention goes out to Damian Lewis who was excellent as Sgt. Winters. The I'm a sucker for good cinematography and this series had scores of that. I just gotta have a shaky-cam of my own someday. Oh yeah. Sadly the series doesn't keep the same high quality throughout all episodes. This can perhaps be attributed to the constant change in directors, I'm not sure. BoB isn't perfect, but hardly anything is. All-in-all those flaws are quite easy to overlook though. The book by Stephen Ambrose is worth a read too for those who want to know more about the real Sgt. Winters and the rest of the 101st. 5/5! natlampe fucked around with this message at 22:53 on May 9, 2004 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2004 22:30
|
|
|
The best war movie or mini series I've seen and I don't regret buying the box set one bit. I just wish there was more on TV that was as good as this was.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2004 22:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 06:49 |
|
|
5/5 If I could afford the boxed set, I would buy it. I recommend this to ANYONE. You dont even have to like war movies and I guarantee you will fall in love with this series. The characters are built properly and the storyline is excellent. Blows any other war "movie" out of the water.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2004 01:55
|
|
