Review - Band of Brothers

We have just finished watching the DVD of the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. I definitely give this a 5 star recommendation.

I don't usually enjoy watching violent movies or movies about war. It seems very hard to find movies about war that don't end up glorifying war or making it overly heroic in some way.

But this mini-series is really well done. Directed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks it has the feel of a documentary. The cinematography is beautiful and serves the story telling. The character development is amazing and deep. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion. War is not glorified.

Band of Brothers is based on the real story of the 101st Airborne Division's Easy Company. It follows them from training camp through WWII. They fought in Normandy, Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, and finally took Hitler's Eagles Nest. They suffered a great number of casualties but continued to fight with courage and distinction. Every episode shows the bond that builds between the soldiers and brings to light various emotional and physical costs of war.

But the most moving and impactful part of this mini-series are the snippets of interviews that are shown of the actual men of Easy Company. The men recount their experiences with much emotion and are often moved to tears when speaking of their fellow soldiers. Their relationships are deep and last to this day. As I listened to their interviews I realized the emotional toll that fighting in WWII must have had on these men. They endured so much. For 2 years they fought almost constantly, saw the violent and random deaths and wounding of comrades, during the winter of the Battle of the Bulge they held the front lines dug into foxholes in the frozen ground without adequate clothing, food, or ammunition. Through all of it they continued to fight. I thought about what it must have been like for them to return back to the States in 1945. I am sure no one knew about post-traumatic stress disorder back then.

What makes this series so moving (and different from most war movies I have seen) is the fact that none of these men called themselves heroes. In their minds they were friends who depended on each other and who were just trying to survive. In fact the last word we are left with struck me. "My grandson asked me, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?' and I said, 'No son, but every man I fought with was."

Please take the time to rent and watch this mini-series. I was driven to think about the heavy cost of war (that I think we now take too lightly). I was moved to tears at the sacrifices made. I was inspired by the depth and constancy of friendships. This DVD is worth your time!