Band of Brothers & The Pacific

[Carjosse]

I finished watching Band of Brothers last week and I have 3 episodes of The Pacific remaining. I never watched either of them before as I was 5 when Band of Brothers first aired in 2001 and I am sure most people have never heard of The Pacific as it came out 10 years later as a companion to Band of Brothers.

I have to say that both series are some of the best television I have ever seen with incredible storytelling and action scenes. Though Band of Brothers is definitely better in the storytelling department as The Pacific focuses a lot more on individual soldiers rather than an entire unit, but this is due to the source material focusing on the individual soldiers rather than the entire unit like the book Band of Brothers. Both are still amazing though. I bought both on Blu-ray and I am very impressed at how both of them look and sound, the sound design is especially impressive if you have good stereo headphones or a surround sound setup. Both productions are incredibly immersive. The extra features on the Blu-ray are also nice if you want to learn more about the characters and historical events surrounding each show or the behind the scenes making of.

I highly recommenced watching or re-watching both.

 

[Beaudreaux]

They're both great. I highly recommend watching them, for anyone who hasn't seen them before.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Both are superb I agree, The Pacific suffers from a slightly more disjointed narrative and for your average viewer, there's stuff in the Pacific that's going to be a bit hard to watch and maybe even a little haunting which I think is why Band of Brothers was a much bigger success overall than the Pacific was but I would always recommend both be watched.

 

[OldFatGuy]

"HBO has confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks will reunite to produce a third miniseries set during World War II. The pair, who previously collaborated on the acclaimed Band of Brothers and The Pacific, will reportedly use Donald L. Miller's Masters of the Air as their source material, though the series is currently untitled. Miller's book is a narrative non-fiction work about American bombers in the air campaign against Nazi Germany, focusing on the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force. No date is set for when the series will air, but it'll be a big commitment for HBO — Band of Brothers' production budget ran to $125 million, and The Pacific topped that at $200 million." 2013

I wonder why this has been stalled, or has it been stalled?

If you haven't seen them, I also suggest the movies Letters from Iwo Jima and The Thin Red Line.

Both series, and these movies were based on books of history, the movies based on first hand accounts given to the authors. All worth reading.

 

[Carjosse]

"HBO has confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks will reunite to produce a third miniseries set during World War II. The pair, who previously collaborated on the acclaimed Band of Brothers and The Pacific, will reportedly use Donald L. Miller's Masters of the Air as their source material, though the series is currently untitled. Miller's book is a narrative non-fiction work about American bombers in the air campaign against Nazi Germany, focusing on the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force. No date is set for when the series will air, but it'll be a big commitment for HBO — Band of Brothers' production budget ran to $125 million, and The Pacific topped that at $200 million." 2013

I wonder why this has been stalled, or has it been stalled?

If you haven't seen them, I also suggest the movies Letters from Iwo Jima and The Thin Red Line.

Both series, and these movies were based on books of history, the movies based on first hand accounts given to the authors. All worth reading.

I would assume 2021 if they have set a precedence.

 

[Higgins86]

Both are superb I agree, The Pacific suffers from a slightly more disjointed narrative and for your average viewer, there's stuff in the Pacific that's going to be a bit hard to watch and maybe even a little haunting which I think is why Band of Brothers was a much bigger success overall than the Pacific was but I would always recommend both be watched.

Once heard someone complain that Pacific wasn’t as good because none of the cast made it through the war together. They completely failed to acknowledge that it essentially an entirely different war with extremely high casualties. I love BOB but the Pacific for me meant more because they were all chewed up and spat out one way or another. There was no eagles nest for them or a slow wind down to the War.
The scene where the Captain gets hit by a sniper and they all carry him down still gets me.

 

[OldFatGuy]

Both are superb I agree, The Pacific suffers from a slightly more disjointed narrative and for your average viewer, there's stuff in the Pacific that's going to be a bit hard to watch and maybe even a little haunting which I think is why Band of Brothers was a much bigger success overall than the Pacific was but I would always recommend both be watched.

Over the years I've given this question a bit of thought. There was something in The Pacific that wasn't in the Band of Brothers, a dirty war. Heat, hunger, suffering far greater than in the European theater, not to belittle that theater of the war, but anticipating what our men in uniform would encounter in Vietnam and Iraq. Guerrilla tactics, inability to distinguish civilians from military, tropical diseases, and the bigotry of racism was far more prevalent, perhaps making it as disjointed when connecting to the individuals portrayed. It is more difficult to connect with dedicated men who can't put away their doubts.

My father served in the African campaign, later the Italian campaign, followed by time in France, and across Europe to the end in Germany. Then he went back for Korea. He had been a career soldier, enlisting in the 30's well before the war started, so he could send money home to help feed his family. As a child, I recall being woken during the night by his weeping when he woke from his nightmares, and my mother trying to comfort him. He was a hard man, seemingly afraid of nothing to us as children, and I learned better. He was dedicated to his family, and I couldn't understand they why of his suffering. Nor could my siblings, and I and my three brothers all enlisted when the time came, without questions, and he was proud of us. He rarely spoke of his war experiences with us, and we learned more about his service from our uncles, his surviving brothers who had also served, but not with his excessive combat experiences. He lost his oldest two brother in combat during WWII, from a family with 18 siblings who survived to adulthood. His oldest surviving brother, came home twisted from combat, never regaining his moral compass, turning to a life of severe violent crime, dying in prison. Other men my father counted as extended family and friends had similar adjustment problems to civilian life. The horrors of SE Asia destroyed my oldest brother. He couldn't escape those horrors in his mind, eventually committing suicide with alcohol and heroin abuse as he attempted to escape himself. The physical and mental pain too much for him to live with. Looking back at my father, and men who served as he did, I know this was all more common than our civilian cultures were ever willing to accept.

These series and movies give us a glimpse of the realities all these men faced. War never makes sense to those who fight them. We don't fight for glory and country. We fight to stay alive and keep our buddies alive until it's over. There is no glory in combat, no courage, nothing but inescapable horror and later empty words from those who say "Thank you for your service" and enjoy the flag waving parades.

 

[trblmkr]

Over the years I've given this question a bit of thought. There was something in The Pacific that wasn't in the Band of Brothers, a dirty war. Heat, hunger, suffering far greater than in the European theater, not to belittle that theater of the war, but anticipating what our men in uniform would encounter in Vietnam and Iraq. Guerrilla tactics, inability to distinguish civilians from military, tropical diseases, and the bigotry of racism was far more prevalent, perhaps making it as disjointed when connecting to the individuals portrayed. It is more difficult to connect with dedicated men who can't put away their doubts.

My father served in the African campaign, later the Italian campaign, followed by time in France, and across Europe to the end in Germany. Then he went back for Korea. He had been a career soldier, enlisting in the 30's well before the war started, so he could send money home to help feed his family. As a child, I recall being woken during the night by his weeping when he woke from his nightmares, and my mother trying to comfort him. He was a hard man, seemingly afraid of nothing to us as children, and I learned better. He was dedicated to his family, and I couldn't understand they why of his suffering. Nor could my siblings, and I and my three brothers all enlisted when the time came, without questions, and he was proud of us. He rarely spoke of his war experiences with us, and we learned more about his service from our uncles, his surviving brothers who had also served, but not with his excessive combat experiences. He lost his oldest two brother in combat during WWII, from a family with 18 siblings who survived to adulthood. His oldest surviving brother, came home twisted from combat, never regaining his moral compass, turning to a life of severe violent crime, dying in prison. Other men my father counted as extended family and friends had similar adjustment problems to civilian life. The horrors of SE Asia destroyed my oldest brother. He couldn't escape those horrors in his mind, eventually committing suicide with alcohol and heroin abuse as he attempted to escape himself. The physical and mental pain too much for him to live with. Looking back at my father, and men who served as he did, I know this was all more common than our civilian cultures were ever willing to accept.

These series and movies give us a glimpse of the realities all these men faced. War never makes sense to those who fight them. We don't fight for glory and country. We fight to stay alive and keep our buddies alive until it's over. There is no glory in combat, no courage, nothing but inescapable horror and later empty words from those who say "Thank you for your service" and enjoy the flag waving parades.

We were mostly a Navy family. My grandfather on Mom's side in WWI. My father in WWII. My older brothers in Korea, although was stateside in the AF the whole time until he retired. I was a Vietnam era vet but a Sub sailor, so no combat, however I'm a blue nose 3 times over and any fast attack sailor has an idea of where I was. My little brother did a tour after me.
Even outside of combat, it's not a normal way of life. I was gone for at least 9 months a year for 4 years. My son was 6 months old before I saw him. If cost me my marriage.
Those who see ground combat, well, I cannot speak for them, but I am glad I was not them. I did have ranger friend who had a similar sentiment about submarines in that, "ain't no way I'm gettin' in that thing". "You are out of your mind."
It was a strange way to make a living and truthfully, I think I'd do it again.
But there is no glory for those in the thick of it. In the several times my shipmates and I thought we were about to die, all we could think of was how to get through the next ten seconds, and the ten seconds after that, and so on, till suddenly it was over and we were still alive. There was no glory, but there was joy in the knowledge we were coming home one more time.

 

[Redress]

I finished watching Band of Brothers last week and I have 3 episodes of The Pacific remaining. I never watched either of them before as I was 5 when Band of Brothers first aired in 2001 and I am sure most people have never heard of The Pacific as it came out 10 years later as a companion to Band of Brothers.

I have to say that both series are some of the best television I have ever seen with incredible storytelling and action scenes. Though Band of Brothers is definitely better in the storytelling department as The Pacific focuses a lot more on individual soldiers rather than an entire unit, but this is due to the source material focusing on the individual soldiers rather than the entire unit like the book Band of Brothers. Both are still amazing though. I bought both on Blu-ray and I am very impressed at how both of them look and sound, the sound design is especially impressive if you have good stereo headphones or a surround sound setup. Both productions are incredibly immersive. The extra features on the Blu-ray are also nice if you want to learn more about the characters and historical events surrounding each show or the behind the scenes making of.

I highly recommenced watching or re-watching both.

About the bolded: **** you for making me feel that old!!! :3oops:

I give both series a big thumbs up. You can nitpick(and I rarely leave a nit unpicked), but they do a decent job, moreso than most war shows. I wish they would do a naval focused sister show to The Pacific. The naval war in the Pacific was bloody, and brutal, and dramatic, and outside of a few big battles, underreported. For example, the navy did most of the fighting, turned the tide of, and did far and away most of the dying in the battle of Guadalcanal. But you never hear much about that.

 

[Higgins86]

About the bolded: **** you for making me feel that old!!! :3oops:

I give both series a big thumbs up. You can nitpick(and I rarely leave a nit unpicked), but they do a decent job, moreso than most war shows. I wish they would do a naval focused sister show to The Pacific. The naval war in the Pacific was bloody, and brutal, and dramatic, and outside of a few big battles, underreported. For example, the navy did most of the fighting, turned the tide of, and did far and away most of the dying in the battle of Guadalcanal. But you never hear much about that.

My only nitpick is that Hanks and Speilberg could show more of the allies. Always irritates us Brits lol.

 

[Redress]

My only nitpick is that Hanks and Speilberg could show more of the allies. Always irritates us Brits lol.

There where Brits in WW2?

 

[eohrnberger]

I have watched Band of Brothers, I'd recommend it. Not the typical WW II movie.

I just found The Pacific on one of my streaming services, and have ti marked as a favorite. Watched a few episodes, and plan to watch the entire series as well.

Another war movie that I think is worth watching is "We were Solders", the Mel Gibson Vietnam movie. Some powerful story telling there, and it's factual for greatest part.

 

[Higgins86]

There where Brits in WW2?

Yeh we found private Ryan before you lazy ****s. Said he was all good and we left him

 

[Higgins86]

I have watched Band of Brothers, I'd recommend it. Not the typical WW II movie.

I just found The Pacific on one of my streaming services, and have ti marked as a favorite. Watched a few episodes, and plan to watch the entire series as well.

Another war movie that I think is worth watching is "We were Solders", the Mel Gibson Vietnam movie. Some powerful story telling there, and it's factual for greatest part.

We were soldiers is a fantastic movie. Say what you want about Gibson but the man knows how to make/be part of great movies.

 

[Redress]

I have watched Band of Brothers, I'd recommend it. Not the typical WW II movie.

I just found The Pacific on one of my streaming services, and have ti marked as a favorite. Watched a few episodes, and plan to watch the entire series as well.

Another war movie that I think is worth watching is "We were Solders", the Mel Gibson Vietnam movie. Some powerful story telling there, and it's factual for greatest part.

I strongly recommend the book version, We Were Soldiers Once, And Young over the movie. Great book.

 

[eohrnberger]

I strongly recommend the book version, We Were Soldiers Once, And Young over the movie. Great book.

<Sigh> When I was younger, I would read an hour or two every night in bed, just before turning off the lights and going to sleep.

Unfortunately, all the projects at around the house seem to be keeping me from doing the same now a days.

I keep thinking that when I retire I'll have more time, but, talking to some who I know, who have, they tell me that it gets worse after your retire.

 

[Carjosse]

There where Brits in WW2?

If you go by American movies and TV shows it sure seems that way. Even if they are shown they make it seem like the Commonwealth contribution was minor at best.

I was watching a documentary, I think it was WWII in Color done by the American History Channel or something like that and according to that there was no war till Pearl Harbour. However WWII in HD Colour (with a U) is good and does not gloss over the Commonwealth.

 

[Redress]

<Sigh> When I was younger, I would read an hour or two every night in bed, just before turning off the lights and going to sleep.

Unfortunately, all the projects at around the house seem to be keeping me from doing the same now a days.

I keep thinking that when I retire I'll have more time, but, talking to some who I know, who have, they tell me that it gets worse after your retire.

I try and do some reading every day, both with a book next to the toilet, and some before bed every night. I am on a civil war kick right now, just finished a book on the Battle for Atlanta, next up is Sears' Chancellorsville, then Double Canister at 10 Yards(about the union artillery at Gettysburg), then The Battle of the Wilderness.

When you retire, if you are married your wife will have way too many projects for you, and your body will not let you stay awake if you lay down to read.

 

[Higgins86]

If you go by American movies and TV shows it sure seems that way. Even if they are shown they make it seem like the Commonwealth contribution was minor at best.

I was watching a documentary, I think it was WWII in Color done by the American History Channel or something like that and according to that there was no war till Pearl Harbour. However WWII in HD Colour (with a U) is good and does not gloss over the Commonwealth.

DDay is the one that has always irritated me. It’s become a battle solely focused on one beach that the Americans
Bravely attacked. All the other beach landings have become mere footnotes not to mention the British Navy which provided the majority of support that day.

 

[Carjosse]

DDay is the one that has always irritated me. It’s become a battle solely focused on one beach that the Americans
Bravely attacked. All the other beach landings have become mere footnotes not to mention the British Navy which provided the majority of support that day.

Even the Americans at Utah get shafted there. Omaha was apparently the only beach that mattered. Just because it was the hardest fought does not mean all the others can be glossed over. The Canadians on Juno had the least interesting experience on the beach but when they got inland they ran into the 1st SS which is probably the most interesting thing to happen.

 

[PoS]

DDay is the one that has always irritated me. It’s become a battle solely focused on one beach that the Americans
Bravely attacked. All the other beach landings have become mere footnotes not to mention the British Navy which provided the majority of support that day.

Tom Hanks lost a lot of men on the beach because of your "support", thanks for nothing, Brits!

 

[OldFatGuy]

It was a strange way to make a living and truthfully, I think I'd do it again.
But there is no glory for those in the thick of it. In the several times my shipmates and I thought we were about to die, all we could think of was how to get through the next ten seconds, and the ten seconds after that, and so on, till suddenly it was over and we were still alive. There was no glory, but there was joy in the knowledge we were coming home one more time.

Yes. That's how it is. And I'd also do it again were I capable of covering those I'd be fighting beside.

 

[OldFatGuy]

My only nitpick is that Hanks and Speilberg could show more of the allies. Always irritates us Brits lol.

Make your own shows and movies. :8)

 

[Rexedgar]

DDay is the one that has always irritated me. It’s become a battle solely focused on one beach that the Americans
Bravely attacked. All the other beach landings have become mere footnotes not to mention the British Navy which provided the majority of support that day.

We did our part! In 2009, we flew to Paris and rented a Peugeot, drove to Bayeaux. The following morning 6JUN09, I got up early and headed, yes, to OMAHA Beach. Standing on the bluff at sunrise was chilling. We continued to all the beaches. GOLD or SWORD, I forget which, I marveled at the same style houses just off the beach as seen in film reels of the invasion. There are still a few ‘mulberries” in the natural harbor @ Avoranches(sp?). There is in Normandy the biggest concentration of authentic and well maintained US Army equipment and uniforms. My largest complaint was the fact that there is a mock up to PVT Steele in St. Mere-Eglise. The church/cathedral has four spires and on the night of the parachute drop, Pvt Steele got himself hung on one of the spires. Later in a souvenir shop, there were postcards that show the effigy on different corners of the church. I preferred BOB. My family fought in the ETO. My best friend’s father was in the ‘tin can navy’ in the PTO. I had read the Ambrose books years before,(there was a family connection), and was able to read a few books re: Eugene Sledge and John Basilone. Both very well produced, but I am partial to the ETO and identified with the Saving cast more than The Pacific.

 

[Port & Starboard]

We were mostly a Navy family. My grandfather on Mom's side in WWI. My father in WWII. My older brothers in Korea, although was stateside in the AF the whole time until he retired. I was a Vietnam era vet but a Sub sailor, so no combat, however I'm a blue nose 3 times over and any fast attack sailor has an idea of where I was. My little brother did a tour after me.
Even outside of combat, it's not a normal way of life. I was gone for at least 9 months a year for 4 years. My son was 6 months old before I saw him. If cost me my marriage.
Those who see ground combat, well, I cannot speak for them, but I am glad I was not them. I did have ranger friend who had a similar sentiment about submarines in that, "ain't no way I'm gettin' in that thing". "You are out of your mind."
It was a strange way to make a living and truthfully, I think I'd do it again.
But there is no glory for those in the thick of it. In the several times my shipmates and I thought we were about to die, all we could think of was how to get through the next ten seconds, and the ten seconds after that, and so on, till suddenly it was over and we were still alive. There was no glory, but there was joy in the knowledge we were coming home one more time.

As a 6'3" retired sailor who worked on many of the "Subron 10" subs alongside the USS Fulton from 79-81, I have the utmost respect for the sub crews. I worked on the Fairbanks Morse 5 1/4 emergency diesel generators on the....... Trepang, Pargo, Dace, Billfish, Greenling, and the Pargo.

Those were by far the tightest spaces I had ever experienced in 20 years, and I have numerous little burn scars to show for it.