Average Rating: 
Rating: - Historic Project
Thank God for HBO. In recent years, they have successfully delivered series after series of adult comedy and drama that networks would never touch. A prime example of this quality adult entertainment is Band of Brothers, quite possibly the finest TV mini-series ever produced. I say TV miniseries with hesitation, as that often holds a negative connotation. No, Band of Brothers is more like a series of ten mini-movies, each expertly crafted with real meaning and brilliant and emotional acting. It will serve as a testament to all involved in the project, but especially the soldiers themselves. Through the graphic and powerful imagery, any viewer learns to have an amazing amount of respect for the real life heroes the actors portray.The series is based on the book by Stephen Ambrose, which followed a company of airborne soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. The company is tracked from their training days, through D-Day, Bastogne, and into Germany itself. The characters change as many are killed or wounded, but some, the lucky few, manage to make it all the way through the war more or less intact. Each episode is just beautifully crafted, with a gritty kind of darkness many viewers will recognize from Saving Private Ryan. The environments are amazing, with well crafted European architecture. I was really shocked at how much attention to detail they had, as the viewer really feels like they are looking back in time. Even more brutal and shocking are the action scenes. They are absolutely brutal and realistic, with some gory results. However, it is not done for the sake of sensation, it is what war is. The series does not flinch from portraying reality. Not all the soldiers were heroes, nor were they all good men. Some of the performances are really special. Probably the best one throughout the whole series was Damian Lewis, who plays Captain Winters, an amazingly strong, sober man who is so dedicated to his men and their mission. He is really the rock of the series, as he is steadily promoted. His compatriot and the other series standout was Office Space veteran Ron Livingston as Lewis Nixon, a good-natured officer who steadily descends into depression and alcoholism. One of the special aspects of the series is how they splice in real life testimonials from the veterans themselves, it lends a real somber attitude to the stories. The episodes that stood out to me include the one centering on the night jump into France on D-Day, the battle of Bastogne, and, probably the best of them all, the ninth episode in which the unit comes upon a concentration camp. Horrible stuff. A historic series that will be treasured for years to come.
Rating: - The Way It Was
I rated this series 5 stars. If I could, I'd give another 5 stars.I can't recommend this collection highly enough. It should be shown in schools to let the kids of today really understand WWII and the men who fought it. Everything about this production is first class; writing, directing, cinematography and acting. Saving Private Ryan was the training ground for Spielberg and Hanks to make this tribute to not only E Company but everyone who has been to war. I had dropped HBO years before, but got a subscription long enough to tape all 10 episodes and the documentary "We Stand Alone Together" where you get to meet some of the real men from Easy Company depicted in the series. After you see the entire series, you will know the men and understand how and why they react as they did in certain situations. You also learn how arbitrary, painful, and senseless war is. This should win all 19 Emmey Awards it's been nominated for. The book "Band of Brothers" by Stephen Ambrose (the basis for the series) is a great read as well and the series follows the text almost to the letter. A tribute to Ambrose for writing a book that could translate to the screen completely intact. This is a must for any DVD collection.
Rating: - Absolutely wonderful portrayal of brothers in arms
I watched "Band of Brothers" on HBO and knew I had to have the DVD set when it came out. I paid the list price for this without hesitation and have now seen it three times.This miniseries is absolutely outstanding. It has been meticulously researched and from what I understand, the actors who played the soldiers in Easy Company spent time with their real-life counterparts. This really shows -- these guys are all real. I was hooked on this series from the beginning and it is one that really is worth watching multiple times. I find that I'm catching lots of details and dialogue that I missed the first time I watched it. Plus, the battle sequences are so realistic, it's hard to catch everything that happens during them without going back and watching again. This story is mainly told through the eyes of Captain Winters, who is brilliantly portrayed by Damian Lewis. Other great performances include Captain Sopel by David Schwimmer (even though he is extremely unlikeable), Captain Nixon by Ron Livingston, Sergeant Lipton by Donny Wahlberg, and the actor who played Bill Guarnere (I can't remember his name, but I think the real Bill Guarnere must have been just like him). The story follows Easy Company's exploits through their grueling training in Georgia to their D-Day jump into occupied France, their battles in France and Holland, and finally culminates in the capture of Hitler's Eagles Nest. For anyone who wants to know what combat during World War II was like, I don't think they can go far wrong by watching this series. It doesn't pull any punches in its violence, but this was war, after all. This is a first-rate series in every sense of the word!
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