We Stand Alone Together (Band Of Brothers - The Complete Series (6 DVDs))

Member Name: thespurs

Product:	Band Of Brothers - The Complete Series (6 DVDs)
Date:	07/12/04 (481 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Storyline, Fantastic Directing, Emotional

Disadvantages: Graphic Nature of Injuries

~Introduction~

I recently borrowed the entire Band of Brothers collection from a friend at school. There was a big party at his house and I stumbled across the DVD set whilst ‘nosing around’. I instantly exclaimed: ‘Band of Bruvva’s!’ I had remembered seeing bits and pieces of it on the television a few years back and immediately asked if I could borrow it. So borrow it I did and I have sat and watched through the whole thing in the past few days.


The Second World War is something that has always interested me in many ways, although I have had rather limited exposure to the events that took place. I have never really come across an enjoyable, if you can out it that way, form of learning about what happened some 60 years ago. This series has really allowed me to learn of the events that took place, who shaped them and also how the soldiers and others were feeling at the time. It is a very realistic impression of how things really were and to view the images is very special.


~Band of Brothers~

The film or series, is based on the efforts of Easy Company in World War Two. They were part of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division that parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. The men were an elite rifle company of paratroopers, trained for tough frontline warfare. They played a vital part in securing the beaches for the allied landings by sea. They would begin an epic journey across Europe in an attempt to turn the tide of the war. They would lose many of their friends along the way and gain many victories over the enemy. They would experience terror and pain along with jubilance and joy. It would be a campaign of ups and downs, with doubt as to when the end of the war would come. The complete series is based on the book by Stephen E. Ambrose, who has sadly passed away since.


~Storyline~

Easy Company is followed from the very start of the war right to where they end up when it eventually finishes. The start of the film shows their training camp, first in America and then when they fly to England in preparation for the big D-Day assault on Northern France. They train for eight tough months and wait for the call for the mission that they are working towards.


The ‘Day of Days’ arrives. The entire battalion is given the go ahead to drop into France and support the seaborne landings of the allied troops. They suffer heavy casualties on the landing attempt and they are scattered around, far from their designated landing spots. They have to regroup quickly and scavenge for fighting equipment. The hard work then really begins as Easy Company are thrust onto the frontline and push back the might of the German army.

The company works tirelessly through the following months repelling Germans and suffering heavy casualties. They enter vital battles, with responsibility firmly on their shoulders as to the success of certain missions. The job of Easy, was to lead the attacks and secure certain areas for supporting troops to move in. They would fight many battles and encounter many unexpected situations. This film is the story of Easy Company and their struggle through the war.


~Titles~

The opening titles to each episode have some still and some moving images of scenes from within the series that are very poignant in their own way. They give a reflection of what to expect when you watch it and it does get your brain working a bit trying to imagine things. The names of the cast also appear on the screen, followed by those who played a major role in the production. The music plays over the top, which I will mention in the next section. The closing titles are simply the credits of those who worked on production and again the classical music plays over the top.


~Music~

The music throughout the series is, in my opinion, very moving and sombre in its way. The opening and closing titles have some very thoughtful tones and you do feel very sad when you are listening to it. I think that it reflects the mood of the soldiers and the people at the time. It is classical music that I would normally tend not to enjoy, but in this case it is very fitting and many people will probably like it.

There is an official soundtrack that accompanies the series, with all of the music collated on it. The music is composed by Michael Kamen and is available on the Sony record label for £10.99 over at amazon.co.uk.


~The Soldiers Today~

The final part of the final episode, tells you about the lives of the soldiers that survived to the end of the war. It is a very moving part of the whole thing, as you discover what happened to them in later life. The majority of them live a very peaceful life, away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities. Towards the end of the film, a German general addresses German troops that have surrendered. The sort of things that he said were very true and thoughtful, he spoke of the togetherness and bonds that soldiers serving together form and that they are all entitled to long and peaceful lives after the terror of the past few years.


~Positives~

The films are an absolute thrill to watch in many ways. It is the sort of thing that you will really never tire of watching over and over again. There never seems to be a part of the film that is insignificant or lacking any real meaning in the context of the events. The events are catalogued perfectly and re-lived as accurately as possible.


The special effects used in the making of the film are quite remarkable. The explosions of shells, grenades and missiles are superbly re-enacted and it looks very real. The buildings, land and other objects that are hit spectacularly explode and look very dramatic. The injuries that soldiers receive are made to look as realistic as possible using a number of different techniques. Although some of the images may be a little hard to view, they seem pretty accurate. The dead, dying or those who had just been hit acted superbly well and the special effects made everything seem incredibly realistic. The scenes that were shot in the Austrian Alps were particularly spectacular, with some quite stunning back drops.


The directorship, if that’s what you call it, of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks really did show through. The sheer quality of the screenplay was just sensational and you can see why Band of Brothers is so highly regarded. The whole series is such a pleasure from beginning to end, it is thoroughly gripping and slightly addictive too. The majority of what goes on looks and seems very real, not much appears ‘put on’ by the actors so do get that feeling that everything is realistic.


The best part overall is of course the story line and trying to understand all of the different emotions that the soldiers of Easy Company experienced. The film really involves you and after a time you think that you can feel what they once felt. It is an emotional rollercoaster, the number of high and lows that they felt and the quick succession of which the general mood changed.


~Negatives~

I am really struggling to find fault with any part of this series and there is nothing that immediately springs to mind. The only thing that may be a drawback is some of the fighting where people get badly injured or killed. The images can be very shocking and it may be difficult for some people to view. The thing that you always have to bear in mind, is that the images that you are viewing are largely what actually happened so it does make you think a little. The sacrifice that each man made for his country, the danger that they put themselves in is all there to see.


~DVD Extras~

The final DVD in the case, is an extras DVD that is actually worth watching. The majority of bonus discs that you get in DVD packages, tend to be a load of rubbish with just a few behind the scenes bits and pieces. This has that, but it also includes a documentary featuring the war veterans who describe the war as they experienced it. There is also a feature about the 57th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy where the series was premiered.


~Subtitles~

The whole of the series is subtitled for those who require them when watching programmes. I only have a very slight hearing problem, but I do like to put the subtitles on from time to time so that I don’t miss vital parts of information. The speech in English is subtitled, but the foreign language isn’t. The subtitles can be in a variety of European languages if for any reason you wish to change it from English. The actual subtitles themselves are very good, they don’t miss out many words and they do very little rephrasing of the characters speech.


~Conclusion~

I would strongly recommend that you try and view this at some point in the next few years, even if you have done before try watching it again. If nothing else, it will make you realise how lucky we are to live in the world that we do today. The work that some of those men did all those years ago, means that we live in the relatively safe and secure society that we do.


The series itself is superbly produced and directed, there seems to be nothing lacking. There is drama, lots of action and an element of surprise. These are accompanied by the problems that soldiers suffer whilst serving, including the mental damage, physical injuries and the loss of friends. There is a good blend of emotions that did in many ways have an effect on me. I now have much more respect for those who served in the war and appreciate the immense hardship that they went through and that some still have to cope with.

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