Band of Brothers

[Stokey_14]

I'm currently watching this film/ series for the 5-6 time (sad I know, but I have the box set… its to tempting) since seeing it on TV ages ago (would have been about 9-10 ish maybe) and re-enacting each episode as it went along with me best mate every weekend in a field, I've loved it.

Tis about a company (Easy company) of the 101st Air bourn, and there story through out the second world war. Has to be one of my favorite war "movies"

Cracking watch, anyone else have any views on it?

Also read the book after seeing it on TV... just like to know what you lot think about it?

my verdict...

Band of Brothers, the dogs nuts

Stokey

[Brian-]

It's absolutely brilliant!

I've also gone through it a fair number of times...

[davidemmerson]

I haven't had the pleasure of watching it all the way though, but I've seen quite a bit of it and it's brilliant! A really good war film. But compare it with the Thin Red Line- nah, not half as good!

[misterpurple]

Band of Brothers, the dogs nuts

It's 'mutt's nuts', Stokey, 'Band of Brothers, the mutt's nuts'

Oh well, you'll learn

[Stinky]

The best thing with Band of Brothers is you really got to know the soldiers, I know they are only actors, but the time you spend watching it you get to know them and learn their names. Being an American film I am not suprised that the only Englishman in the whole thing is an idiot but apart from that 10/10.

[SO19]

Being an American film I am not suprised that the only Englishman in the whole thing is an idiot but apart from that 10/10.

Stinky, Band of Brothers was a joint HBO/BBC production, and infact, most of the actors were British.

edit: Forget what I said Stinky, I now know what you meant.

[Starwon]

What I really like about it is that before each episode actually starts you have the real men who were there talking about their experiences.

[jammin87]

SO19, I think he was referring to the British officer in the tank during Market Garden.
I love Band of Brothers, the book and the series. Stinky, they chose actors that resembled the veteran they were playing where they could. I could talk on this for far too long actually.
One thing that might interest some of you, which I doubt few of you realised. In episode three, you see a lot of Blithe, who at the end takes a round to the neck when he gets the courage to go forward towards that house. At the end, it says how he didn't recover from his wounds and died (description for those who might have forgotten). This was what those in Easy Company thought when the author Stephen Ambrose interviewed them all, presumably never seeing him again. In actual fact, he recovered from his wounds and went on to stay in the army, serving in Korea! His family came forward when the series was released, but obviously it was too late to amend that information.

[Dangermouse]

Maybe Stinky, but don't forget a lot of the actors were British, and some of the Americans portrayed in the film were poor leaders/soldiers. I seriously doubt that the portrayal of a few Brits was a cheap shot at Britain in general.

I've just noticed too that they are working on another series, based upon a unit in the Pacific.

Maybe the BBC could do an independant one based upon the experiences of Brits in Korea, the Falklands, Iraq or Afghanistan for example. The only three I can think of are the Bravo Two Zero film, one about an armoured unit in the Balkans, and the recent one about a group of infantry in Iraq.

[davidemmerson]

My brother got me the DVD box set for Christmas and I really enjoyed it. I was surprised that there were English actors playing some of the Americans though but thought they played them pretty well. On the extras disc, the veterans seemed to think it was pretty good too so looks like Speilberg and Hanks did a pretty good job.

I thought the sction scenes were really good too, definitely my favourite war series/film, amazing.

David

[gleneagles]

I think it really hits home what the guys went through for us. Most realistic/horrifying capture of WW2 events I think. P.S, I don't think the British are portrayed as idiots, what about the scene were a whole troop emerge from the bushes. Makes us look professional!!!

Great series!

[topper_harley]

Yeah, mega series, very well researched and produced. I read the book quite a while before the series came out and it was good to see that the programme was very accurate. It is one of the only war series/films that I can sit through without DS'ing it!

The interviews with the real life guys makes the whole thing that much more poignant, it really brings home what they went through.

Stinky, I see your point about the architypical dumb Brit officer though, I thought that was a bit unjust too.

If it's true about the same team making a new series about the Pacific, I will very much look forward to it. Those fellas went through some severe shit.