Mini-series review: “Band of Brothers” (2001)
It took me long enough to get to Band of Brothers and it was well worth the wait.
Somehow I missed this mini-series despite watching it win awards all over the place and hearing people talk about how amazing it was. The fact that it premiered two days before September 11th, 2001, might have been a factor in why I wasn’t interested in seeing it at the time.
In reading some articles about it back then, HBO lost 26% of their viewers for the second episode even though they showed it without any commercials out of respect for the events on 9/11.
I think watching it at the time would have been difficult. Heck, watching it now was a solemn experience, one that evoked all kinds of emotions.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about the series, but I do want to make one thing clear about it:
This was the best mini-series I’ve ever seen period. It actually is probably one of the best productions I’ve ever seen, be it TV or cinema.
I’ve seen a lot of war movies, but being only 33, the recent films stick with me more than the old classics. But even though this isn’t a film, I rank it with Schnidler’s List and Saving Private Ryan as my top 3 favorite war movies/series (although The Pianist was unbelievably good) of all-time.
It might have even been better then both of those. It almost defies words to describe how brilliant it was.
Band of Brothers just felt so real, so raw, so THERE. You lived with these guys in every single moment, felt their pain as if you were right beside them.
I think my home theater system also helped, because the blasts of artillery and whizzing bullets sounding all around me totally set the mood.
The characters were awesome, the acting just damn good. So many guys were in this series that you’ve seen in many other places, but I’ll bet they will always remember Band of Brothers as the most important work they have ever done.
Damien Lewis was particularly great. I love the show Life, but if I’d had seen Brothers before seeing Life, I’d probably like it even more. He was just so good. Leadership oozed from him in every scene.
There were two things in the series that really stood out to me, besides Lewis’ performance.
The first was the interviews with the actual members of the 101st Airborne Division who are still alive to this day. What they lived through out there, and to be alive today to talk about it, is unbelievable to me.
Lastly, part 9 of the series shows us the first scenes of a Jewish concentration camp. I had gotten so sucked into the first 8 parts being solely about Easy Company and their battles and deaths, that I just didn’t see the Holocaust stuff coming. It snuck up on me and whacked me over the head.
Schindler’s List showed us that horrific part of Hitler’s regime in a way we’d never seen it before. Yet in Brothers, the way that it also “sneaks” up on Easy Company themselves casts a whole new light on it. It was devastating and sickening to see, but so very important.
This series was an amazing experience for me, I’m so very glad I got to finally see it and I’ll never forget it.
Mike’s Rating: 10 out of 10
LATEST STORIES
RECENT COMMENTS
Add New Comment
Viewing 14 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks