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Amazon.co.uk Review
A genuinely epic achievement, the 10-part World War II drama Band of Brothers is a television series that makes big-screen Hollywood war movies look small in comparison. Based on the book by historian Stephen Ambrose, the series follows the US 101st Airborne Division's "Easy" E-Company from initial training through D-Day and across Holland, Belgium, Germany and Austria until the end of the war. Coproduced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the series take its initial inspiration from Saving Private Ryan and borrows that film's visceral visual approach to combat scenes using hand-held camerawork and de-saturated photography. But where Band of Brothers excels is in its scrupulous attention to the realities of military life (retired US Marine Captain Dale Dye, who also co-stars, is the man to credit).
After the high drama of the parachute drop on D-Day, Easy's greatest trial comes during the Battle of the Bulge, when they are besieged at Bastogne in the depths of winter. In one of the most harrowing and credible depictions of war ever committed to film we see the men enduring the repeated artillery attacks of the German forces and experience, if only vicariously, some of the sheer terror of the assault, while being humbled by the soldiers' courage and determination. Such feelings are enhanced by the series' masterstroke--bookend interviews with the surviving members of Easy Company, who talk with barely suppressed emotion of the experiences we see recreated. The endorsement of these veterans elevates Band of Brothers beyond any mere "war film"--its extraordinary achievement is that it shows the horror and savagery of war without gloss or jingoism, and yet celebrates the fraternal bonds and dogged heroism of the men who fought.
On the DVD: Band of Brothers arrives handsomely packaged in a six-disc box set with two episodes on each of the first five discs. Sound (Dolby 5.1) and picture (1.78:1 widescreen) only enhance the series' epic credentials. Disc 6 contains all the extras, the meatiest of which is the marvellous 80-minute documentary "We Stand Alone Together" about the real men of Easy Company. There's also a first-rate, genuinely interesting 30-minute "making of" feature about actor boot camp, visual effects and blowing up fake trees among many other things. This is complemented by actor Ron Livingston's revealing Video Diaries of boot camp. Additionally there's a "Who's Who" section and footage of the HBO premiere at Utah Beach, plus a TV spot for car company Jeep. --Mark Walker
Product Description
"From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."
From Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, HBO presents the story of Easy Company - an elite team of U.S. paratroopers whose WWII exploits are as incredible as they are true.
Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band Of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army.
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band Of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elite rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered vast casualties, and whose lives became legend.
They were ordinary men, swept up in the most extraordinary conflict in history. With the eyes of the world upon them, they found their greatest source of strength in one another.
Episodes Comprise:
1. Currahee
2. Day Of Days
3. Carentan
4. Replacements
5. Crossroads
6. Bastogne
7. The Breaking Point
8. The Last Patrol
9. Why We Fight
10. Points
- Actors
Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Ron Livingston, Matthew Settle, Dale Dye, Scott Grimes, Neal McDonough, Kirk Acevedo, Dexter Fletcher, David Schwimmer, Colin Hanks, Simon Pegg & Marc Warren
- Certificate
15 years and over
- Year
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
258 of 265 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
'Band of Brothers' is the finest TV series I have ever seen. A bold statement maybe, but one that stands up to scrutiny in my opinion. Yes, 'The Sopranos' is a brilliant drama and '24' is a top-class thriller, but 'B.O.B' just has that epic feel, that you are watching something that might never be repeated or certainly bettered. The story of the men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne is one that deserves telling; these heavily-trained young soldiers suffered on the front line of the majority of the crucial battles during the American involvement in World War 2. They forged an unusually tight bond with each other and were led by some of the finest soldiers of the war. It could also be justifiably said that they, as a company, sacrificed more than the usual.
The ten-part series consists of hour-long forays in to the viewpoint of different soldier's experiences, from a major to a medic. The action is superbly visceral and realistic, using the same shaky, hand-held camera techniques seen in 'Saving Private Ryan,' to which B.O.B is a close relative, sharing the Spielberg/Hanks connection as well as the subject matter. Action aside however, it is the depth of characterisation that sets this series apart. Granted, the running time allows for this, but it is beautifully done nonetheless. We gain a real insight into many of the men's characters, from the joker George Luz to the bitter Sobel, the cynic Nixon to the dignified Winters. Indeed, these two characters are so finely crafted it is easy to forget that these actors are not in fact the real men. British star Damian Lewis is outstanding as Major Richard Winters, the glue that holds 'Easy' together. His portrayal of a man worshipped by his men due to his courage, discipline, loyalty and leadership skills is nothing short of perfection; real-life veterans suggest that Lewis was a close to capturing the spirit of Winters as is humanly possible. Ron Livingston, playing the smaller but crucial role of Winters' best friend Lewis Nixon, is also excellent, adding a touch of comedy through the hard-drinking, dry cynic Nixon. The acting is uniformly excellent, a mixture of British and American actors doing themselves proud.
The ten-part series consists of hour-long forays in to the viewpoint of different soldier's experiences, from a major to a medic. The action is superbly visceral and realistic, using the same shaky, hand-held camera techniques seen in 'Saving Private Ryan,' to which B.O.B is a close relative, sharing the Spielberg/Hanks connection as well as the subject matter. Action aside however, it is the depth of characterisation that sets this series apart. Granted, the running time allows for this, but it is beautifully done nonetheless. We gain a real insight into many of the men's characters, from the joker George Luz to the bitter Sobel, the cynic Nixon to the dignified Winters. Indeed, these two characters are so finely crafted it is easy to forget that these actors are not in fact the real men. British star Damian Lewis is outstanding as Major Richard Winters, the glue that holds 'Easy' together. His portrayal of a man worshipped by his men due to his courage, discipline, loyalty and leadership skills is nothing short of perfection; real-life veterans suggest that Lewis was a close to capturing the spirit of Winters as is humanly possible. Ron Livingston, playing the smaller but crucial role of Winters' best friend Lewis Nixon, is also excellent, adding a touch of comedy through the hard-drinking, dry cynic Nixon. The acting is uniformly excellent, a mixture of British and American actors doing themselves proud.
For me, the series highlights include the Bastogne sequence, the capture of Foy, and the jubiliant scenes following the taking of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest.' At no point is the momentum lost, with fierce battle scenes piercing the poignant character moments like loud machine-gun fire.
If you are like me, you will not want it to end. Watching it all in a short period of time on DVD is certainly the way to watch this, as the immediacy adds to the effect.
Overall, a scintillating piece of television, almost perfect. If you don't like war, its maybe not for you, but equally B.O.B should not be dismissed just as a 'war' series. There is far too much depth and character for that...
If the men of Easy Company were in a class of their own, then this series is fittingly superior in its own field and is a worthy testament to them.
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Perfectly written, cast and filmed there really is no television series that can rival Band of Brothers. The Blu Ray release only adds to the experience, the 1080p picture is perfection but perhaps more importantly the DTS-HD sound is simply stunning if run through a home cinema surround sound system, the battle scenes are awesome and the explosions will have ornaments falling off your wall. The sound also brings to life the superb score by Michael Kamen, there is not a finer movie or TV soundtrack around, a true masterpiece. Full credit to Hanks, Spielberg, the BBC and HBO for giving us this classic and absolute respect to the real men of Easy Company, totally inspiring.
70 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I was forced into watching this by a friend and only really agreed because i'm a Damian Lewis fan but i now have to admit that it was absolutely superb! I cannot criticise any aspect of this programme. I genuinely felt like I knew the characters and, as the end was approaching and casualties were amassing, I desperately wanted the 'brothers' to make it through. The scenery was so realistic that it could easily have been war-torn Europe in the 1940's.
As someone who doesn't generally like war films I can honestly say that this isn't typical of the genre as it is character based rather than just a stream of special effects laden scenes (although there are some amazing special effects). A particularly unique feature is that the surviving members of 'Easy Company' introduce each episode, as the entire story is based on real events. Spielburg even had the forethoughht to not inform the audience of the identity of the veterans until the end so that we wouldn't know who lived or died.
This programme reminds us of what normal men did for their countries and the world and I think 'B.o.B' shows us that we should never forget what those heroes endured for us all.
'Band of Brothers' is truly poignant and moving, a credit to the excellent cast and crew (and not forgetting the real men of 'Easy Company'), and I cannot recommend this highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent
I would recommend band of brothers to anyone excellent production, extreme detail and a cracking story line. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Samuel A. Allen
Band of Brothers
I loved the HBO series when it was originally broadcast, so had to get this. Seeing Damian Lewis in the current hit programme 'Homeland' reminded me of the series, and that was the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. E. Kadow
Band Of Brothers - HBO Complete Bluray
thanks i can buy this edition with cheap deal. i enjoy this blu than dvd. Picture Shrap and Audio is more agresive. US version more expensive than UK version. I love this movie .. Read more
Published 2 months ago by young guns
Band of Brothers Blu-Ray
I recently purchased this set after having seen the series several times on dvd. Both the video and audio quality on display on these discs are just spectacular. Read more
Published 3 months ago by james
Best TV series ever.
There isn't a lot to say about this other than its the best TV series ever. If you haven't seen it, buy this. If you have seen it, buy this.
Published 3 months ago by M. Walker
It works in Canada
There is not much to say about the content. It is great. I purchased this set here because it was less expensive than in Canada. About half the price. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Perkan
Simplesmente uma obra-prima imperdível !
Esta edição em blu-ray de Band Of Brothers é indispensável na coleção de qualquer um que goste de bons filmes e séries . Read more
Published 3 months ago by Hercules BR
Honestly the best series I have ever seen
I don't really need to say this as every praise has been sung, however I urge everybody to watch this series; it really is absolutely fantastic! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Harry24
Simply Brilliant.
Simply amazing series! I think everything that could be said about this series has already been said :) so yea simply buy this series!!!
Published 4 months ago by Mike
Muito bom. Sem legendas Pt
Muito boa qualidade. Vale a pena comprar. Série / documentário imperdível.
Pena não ter legendas em Português mas tirando isso, é 5*
Pena não ter legendas em Português mas tirando isso, é 5*
Published 6 months ago by mariuuu
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