Horrifyingly Real. (Band Of Brothers)

Member Name: mqueen

Product:	Band Of Brothers
Date:	16/10/01 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Totally realistic.

Disadvantages: Very harrowing in places.

One of the best war dramas on television for some time is showing on friday evenings on BBC2. As the title suggests, it's about a troop of soldiers, Easy company, who take part in the invasion of France in 1944, and who live, fight and die together.

Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, and a supposed sequel to Private Ryan, this series has already shown some superb television. Filmed in a kind of washed out sepia, it gives a realism seldom seen in war films. The actors, some familiar faces, take the parts seriously, and convey the fear and sorrow of war very well indeed.

Of course, now having seen the action from Private Ryan, we are all used to totally realistic fighting scenes, and this series delivers also. Forget the war films of the 50's, although some were admirable for their time, Paths of Glory being the best, and those atrocious 70's war fests with the likes of Roger Moore and Michael Caine hamming about, this is quality.

Instead of a constant, testosterone laden shoot 'em up, or sentimental drivel, or even gum chewing yanks larking about stealing Nazi gold, Band of Brothers, attempts to tell the true story of a group of ordinary men going about the harrowing business of war. And, it is harrowing. I think people now have some idea of just how terrible that war was. The fierce hand to hand combat from street to street was horrifying. The bullet and blast injuries, the extreme mental anguish of preparing, fearing, fighting and then dying are so well portrayed that you almost become one of the soldiers while you are watching. I found myself feeling very frightened and tense in places, as the fighting heated up.

And, the absolute insanity of it all. The series also lets you get to know the characters, to build an affinity with them, to go through what they are going through. If anyone wants to see what the invasion of France was like, then this series has to be the last word. Of course, even this won&#
39;t completely convey it. Nothing can. You had to be there. But, the attention to detail, along with the real soldiers relating their thoughts throughout the drama, give a realism and integrity seldom seen in movies.

This is an important piece of film, and should be watched and learnt from. The lessons of war should never be forgotten.

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