Episode Guide
Currahee
Day Of Days
Carentan
Replacements
Crossroads
Bastogne
The Breaking Point
The Last Patrol
Why We Fight
Points
A ten part miniseries documenting the lives of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II, Band Of Brothers and the journey of Easy Company is quite simply a masterpiece. Everything from the special effects, to the acting and the direction is sublime. With a new Director taking the helm every episode, there’s enough continuity with the journey the men from Easy Company take, that it gives room for a unique emphasis each episode that make them distinct enough to stand out whilst also showing great artistic flair.
The series starts with the training of the men in America, making Easy Company the most prolific and capable outfit in the Airborne Division, to landing behind enemy lines on D-Day and their journey up to V-J Day. The series follows them as they battle on the front lines of some of the most intense battles in the War and deal with emotional and physical stress from the campaign. With each episode prefaced by an interview with each of the men in Easy Company, it works well to paint a picture that the men we see in the episodes are real people and not just an actor that makes it feel so much more realistic.
The characters are well-defined throughout too and with a stacked cast including Damian Lewis, Michael Fassbender and more, many of the men from this show have gone on to other projects following the incredible work done here. None of the characters feel like a two-dimensional cut out or disposable, despite some of the little screen time some of the minor characters get. Even if it’s a passing comment or a joke between the men, the feel of comradeship shown between them all hammer home the message that they truly are a band of brothers after some of the horrors they witness.
The episodes are well paced and the costume and set design are second to none. Some of the episodes are incredible intense and one particular episode sees Easy Company surrounded in Bastogne in the bitter cold as bombs reign down around them. Each episode feels as epic as some big blockbuster movies and its a show clearly made with love and attention to detail which shows in just about every aspect of the show. Originally, I wasn’t too keen on the post-war episodes as I felt these did drag, however having rewatched them, their inclusion and the length of time spent on it, is understandable given the stress the men had to endure in the war.
Band Of Brothers is quite simply an incredible series. The ten episodes are good enough to be blockbusters alone and the journey the men of Easy Company take, is told with enough cohesive flair that some of the more artistic episodes that focus on different aspects of the war, are still good enough to move the men and their story in World War II forward. Sublime acting, a great cast and an epic story combine for one of the best war series of all time and one that deserves its critical acclaim.
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Verdict - 10/10
10/10