On June 6, I posted about the anniversary of D-Day and recommended that you watch the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. I decided to take my own advise and watch the series again. So from June 23 - July 11, I watched all ten episodes and the documentary (first time since 2001). The series was produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and has the look and feel of their movie Saving Private Ryan (realism, desaturated colors, hand-held camera, grainy film).
Inspired by Stephen Ambrose's book of the same name, the series follows the true story of E Company, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division from boot camp in Toccoa, Ga to Hitler's personal alpine retreat The Eagle's Nest. We watch as these men bond together into a fighting unit that jumps into Normandy and fights it way across Europe, but we also see devastating toll the war takes on the unit and its men as they stand against the Germans, the weather, and their own human foibles. This is not just another war movie. It is good drama and a great example of history in film done right. You come to admire these guys. They become a band of heroes before your eyes.
One cool aspect of the series is the introductory interviews with the actual Easy Company veterans and the documentary that is included in the DVD set. A quick Google search also yields menofeasycompany.com where you can learn more about these guys (sadly many of them have passed away in the last six years since the series was filmed).
