Critique For The Mini Series Band Of Brothers

Posted by BAW on 8th Sep, 2010 in Movies and TV | 0 comments

The HBO mini series Band of Brothers is considered as one of the very best warfare films ever produced. Based upon the book by Stephen Ambrose, the 10 episodes tell the actual story among the soldiers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Regiment of the American 101st Airborne. Episode one begins with Easy Companies basic training at Toccoa, Georgia just before being deployed to Great Britain as they prepare for a part on the D-Day Assault in Northern France.

 

Every episode starts by interviewing veterans of Easy Company. The men recount their war time experience the episode covers though at this stage, the men aren’t identified. Even if the veterans are not identified, the episodes gets you familiar with the characters early and the actors are brilliantly chosen meaning it is easy to bond with them from the beginning.

 

Even if the action scenes are filmed superbly, why Band of Brothers stand above a large number of different war movies is that often it reveals the individual stories so well. For example, in episode two merely just before Easy are due to leap into Normandy, among the soldiers, Bill Guarnere, finds out his brother has been killed at Montecassino.

 

The 10 episodes tell the stories of Easy starting with their basic training prior to heading into action in Normandy and on to the village of Carentan. Episode four sees the introduction of replacements into Easy and highlights the troubles they have being accepted by Normandy veterans as Easy Company take part in Operation Market Garden.

 

The next two episodes deal with the run up and the action at Bastogne for the duration of the Battle of the Bulge. By now several of Easy Company are at breaking point and it is the subject of episode seven. As World War II nears the conclusion, there’s a final patrol for Easy Company. The horrors of war are highlighted as the men come across a concentration camp. The last episode sees Easy continue to Austria where they capture the Eagle’s Nest high in the mountains at Berchtesgaden.

 

The series concludes with interviews with veterans and eventually identifies the men that audiences have come to know all through the 10 episodes of Band of Brothers.