Why Band of Brothers is a Timeless Masterpiece - The Stories that Really Matter
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- The HBO mini-series Band of Brothers is my absolute favorite thing to ever be made with a camera. It's acting, writing, cinematography, and production quality are all top notch. More importantly, its emotional power, its heart, its ability to tell an impactful story about this incredible group of young men is simply beyond anything I've ever seen.
Here is my altogether insufficient tribute to this incredible work of art.
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I would love for the next video to be about Winters’ leadership, and Damien’s performance as him. He gave an absolute masterclass in portraying a leader on the small screen.
That almost certainly will be my next Band of Brothers video. First I have to actually read Winters' book though.
@@master_samwise It's a fantastic read; you'll enjoy it. Thank you for making this video essay!
@@master_samwise he is very understated regarding his contributions in it, so there’s some reading between the lines to be done for sure with that work.
@@master_samwiseBeyond Band of brothers and Biggest Brother are great reads to get an idea of who Winters was. My wife happened across a double first of his memoir and it's one of my cherished possessions.
Just as Henry V was Shakespeare's thesis on good leadership ('a little Harry in the night', et.al.) Band Of Brothers is very much a reflection of Winters as a leader.
Pause 0:49 this part made me cry the first time I watched it. “My endorsement sir, I request trial by court martial”
Sobel: 😟
Lieutenant/Captain/Major Winters is the perefect example of a good leader. Actually cares about his men you notice this especially when he calls his men by their first names. BoB and The Pacific have to be watched at least once each per year ❤️
Winters was just incredible. An unbelievable man and leader.
I watch both annually
That’s true, but he requested trial by court-martial because Sobel was trying to get him in trouble for his own mistakes. Anyone with a spine and sick of taking someone’s shit would do the same.
I'll never forget watching Band of Brothers Live on TV, little Irish kid sitting down to watch the first episode not knowing what was in store but I knew something special was going on. One episode a week, I watched it all and been obsessed with world war two since.
Used to play GI Joes or legos while watching the show as a kid. Great time.
The episode that primarily follows the medic (I think six? the second bastogne one) is probably one of my favorite pieces of film ever made. Just a nonstop blanket of dread, absolutely suffocating tonally, but ends with what I feel is one the most triumphant, uplifting payoffs I've ever seen. As I understand, it's the most "fictionalized" episode of the whole series but it's paced/ acted / filmed so expertly that it gets to another level than even the other episodes.
Also because you almost never heard a good Cajun accent on TV or movies
Sometimes on cold winter days I luke to watch the battle of the buldge episodes makes my situation paradise
Every time I re-watch this series, I applaud just about everything having to do with it, but *especially* everybody wearing their freaking helmets. I cannot tell you the amount of times other Hollywood movies or series show the actors' faces constantly in the heat of battle, when that would not have been the reality in an active warzone. BoB took the time to differentiate most of the characters from one another early on and in the slower scenes; then, when the pace and action pick up again, it doesn't matter who the characters are. They have their helmets on, and they're ready to fight, plain and simple. Love BoB so much, and thanks for your video!
I think one of the greatest moments of this series is how, in the end, they humanize the Germans whom they have fought against for over 2+ years.
That General's speech & how Winter's showed respect to the surrendering German officers was once what the German people were. Some still followed the honorable Prussian code in some of the German ranks despite how much the Nazi ideology had consumed most of the armed forces.
As a veteran I rewatch BoB every year on Veterans Day.
Band of Brothers is simply on another level of television, every time I re-watch it, it feels like I've seen it for the first time, props to everyone who worked on the tv series.
Just rewatch after 20 years . Honestly one of the best show of brotherhood and WW2 . The impact of every scene so powerful . Episode 9 made me cry when they got to the camp just so much emotion. From E company to the prisoners the way they present everything was powerful.
I learned from my dad, who is ex-military and big military history buff, that a lot of the combat maneuvers that EZ Company performed, while they did not win them a military awards for those who survived the war (because they weren't in the training books) were entered into the military training books for future soldiers to learn from.
Yeah the show mentions that Easy Company's maneuver used to take the German artillery on D-Day is still (as of 2001) used as an example of how to assault a fixed position.
@@master_samwise That's so cool.
The feeling of brotherhood is why its so perfect and why I feel like The Pacific is nowhere near the same level, that and the interviews before every episode.
Agreed. Curious about how Masters of the Air will be. Very excited for it.
The Pacific is still great but its a different kind of story imo
The Pacific was meant to show the sheer brutality of the Pacific theater which was more in line with combat on the Eastern Front. These were soldiers fighting in brutal conditions for much longer than any of the ones in France. It showcased the mental toll that this specific kind of war took on them not to mention the raw, encompassing hatred that both sides felt for each other. It's a mistake to compare the two. Each showcased a different kind of war.
@@ashman8891I agree. I think they’re both masterpieces in their own right.
In Eugene's book "With the old breed" he puts a lot of emphasis on how crucial the brotherhood between the marines and their espirt de corps was in order to endure all the sheer terror of the pacific campaign, but the show downplays it and focuses on other things for the sake of the narrative they went for
By far the best miniseries or show I've ever seen and I've watched it 10 times all the way through
just came in Netflix, finished in two days. incredible series.
This show is now on my list. I'll be back in a couple weeks to hopefully thank you for introducing me.
Somebody just liked this which reminded me about this comment. I loved it, 10/10. I even ended up reading Major Winter's memoir, thank you
The fact that my video caused you to go watch this show brings me so much joy, you have no idea.
@@master_samwise I get it. It's like when one of your friends finally watches a recommendation that you know they'll like after asking them for so long lol. Seriously it was a phenomenal show, I watched 2 episodes a day till I finished and ended up reading and doing a lot of research on everybody. I think an avatar video of yours brought me here, good stuff.
The Bastogne Episodes are burned in my head...absolutely fantastic filmmaking... fun fact they did the recordings in a giant hall...mindblowing...
Just rewatched it. Damn, thats some serious film making.
I finally binged BoB and loved it! It’s nice to see ppl still watching it even 2 decades later.
This show helps you appreciate what the “greatest generation” went through. We take the peace and relative comfort of today for granted..it wasn’t always that way and this series helps the viewer understand why.
I just finished reading With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge, and it has changed my life completely. There is so much character for us to learn in the living memory of these men. If you want to relive again the feeling you got watching Band of Brothers the first time, pleeease read this book. I would love a video covering it and the Pacific in the future.
I just finished it two weeks ago. Phenomenal. There's a reason its considered one of the best memoirs of history.
Band of brothers will be one of the few remnants that will remain from that greatest generation. You are right, the series is about the "brothers" (not about the Allied forces).
I have loved this series every year . . . The cinematography, the script, the actors, the costume, (even the music of Michael Kamen) felt like it's always the first time.
I do not mind about the 🪖 making them look the same . . . For, like them, i definitely looked like my brother!
As a musician, the score is what drew me in originally. Just a beautiful soundtrack. I had to purchase the series so I could rewatch as a reminder of those who paid for our freedom.
*Sigh* Alright, I gotta rewatch it again now
Same.
Re-watched this again this week. It's probably the best single series of TV I've ever seen. Astounding stuff.
I implore you all to read the book the series was based on. It was beyond epic--it was legendary. I just hope I can operate at 10% of what the men of Easy Company performed if the call to serve my nation is issued.
could you tell me whats the name of the book? Im interested in reading it after I watched the series
@@davitavazneli3506 Here you go! Happy reading: www.amazon.com/Band-Brothers-Regiment-Airborne-Normandy/dp/074322454X
@@davitavazneli3506 It’s the same: Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose.
band of Brothers is one of my favorite shows ever.
My favorite one is about the blind guy and the battle of hill 13 that guy getting shot and crushed by the retreating tanks is both horrifying and realistic
I don't know why, but its a family tradition for us to watch this every Christmas time, its absolutely brilliant, out of all the ww2 media out there, hands down this is one of the best, if not the best thats outside of a documentary style series/film
Probably the peak of TV in my eyes, just so little to complain and all the things to praise
It's my favorite thing to ever be put on a screen. Just incredible in every aspect.
It's just sliiightly historically inaccurate, but then, it's a drama, not a documentary
Just rewatching it after twenty years.
Very well said about Band of Brothers.
More love for this Beautiful Masterpiece 💚💚
Currently watching it's successor "The Pacific" 😌🧡
Can't wait for "Masters of the Air" coming later this year 🤞
God damn it, that ending. Every time. Every single time. It makes me tear up.
Flags of Our Fathers has something similar at its end, when the narrator says that, although the men may have fought for their country, but they _died_ for their brother besides them.
I’m thinking back, the only thing that comes close to match the interpersonal relationships I saw in Band of Brothers, other than Generation Kill, is The Lord of the Rings. I’m serious, I can barely think of anything that hit me that hard or anything done with that level of quality. I’m sure there are a few that come close or I would consider good, but for some reason BOB, GK, and LOTR stand out to me.
This is the best TV series or movie I have seen about WW2 and I am seeing it 20 years later
I can’t even make it past the intro without bawling my eyes out 😭
Requesting the Das Boot miniseries after The Pacific
The Pacific and Generation Kill ❤️ BoB is super good too
I JUST finished watching it for about the 4th time and I’m thinking about rewatching it already I love this show from A to B and every step in between its amazing
Men like easy have given much of the world a sense of peace they can live and show us that we can have the courage to fight for what is right when the need arises
Oof I just watched in on Netflix and it was Probably like my tenth time. It’s an absolute journey each time. Timeless
Greatest show of all time. Very right in saying I watch it once or twice yearly and still love it
Your excellent narration expounds on the theme of brotherhood beautifully. Thank you. Job well done. It has been hard for me to articulate all the facets of this stunning masterpiece.
For me the episode describing concentration camp was the most stunning and heartbreaking 😢
If this piece of cinema was shown in every school, to every year, once a year...
I genuinely think the world would be a better place!
It's inspiring and humbling...
It's the essence of humanity, it's flaws and it's awe, all at the same time, a warning and a beautiful lesson!
What's important and what's meaningless!
It's all of human life, emotion and mortality...
The scene where they showed the concentration camp broke me. It's just too much... 😢
Doc's episode during Bastogne was also hard to watch...
So many moments in that show are just heartbreaking. And they let you sit with them. They really dwell on the experience of these young men watching their friends die in their arms. As much as the show is about the incredible filial love of Easy Company, it acknowledges the very real pain that accompanies that brotherly bond.
BOB is timeless for a myriad of reasons: the effects aged well, it´s well written, no cheesy dialogue or forced drama beetween characters, and you get the feeling of a jorney, from Toccoa to the Eagle´s Nest and finally at the end knowing who the people in the prologues were, everything makes you feel close and care abouth the characters.
WWII is one of my favorite eras in history and ive watched band of brother's annually since i was a child and its just as amazing each time. Ive been meaning to do a rewatxh and i probably will start aftee work
I watched it with surround sound and at midnight... you can't beat it
What’s insane is.. these guys existed.. this isn’t fake.. and many lived very long lives.. and even went back into war after ww2. These are very special peple. Very selfless
1:40 if I'm not wrong Sobel was what inspired the american drill sargent. and a lot of Easy company men did say that his insane training did help keep them alive. He was not a leader but he managed to create a unit by giving them something to connect about... the hate of him
ive watched this show so many times and as tv shows go band of brothers and the pacific are both masterpieces and at 12 watching this. its what sadly but thankfully made me join the military not as a soldier but a medic. to help both sides and help and let people survive war and learn... maybe it was for nothing but im glad i could save so many for such stupid reasons. EDIT.. cant lie after the hell that is war coming back to this movie after 5 years in the middle east bullet holes scars and ptsd... all this show showed hit so fricking hard. i think the show was more to show vets at the time and people thinking of joining. war is literal hell and those bonds you make are everything but can be lost. after all. its the bullet you dont hear thats the last.... i seriously hope one day war is considered unhuman and we can all hold hands as the brothers and sister of a special place in the universe and make it better fore all.
Two scenes I think would make good videos. When Lipton and the other NCO's give up their ranks, and Doc using the cloth as a bandage that belonged to the nurse. Both show what you're willing to give up for the man next to you.
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO THE BOB VIDEO, AFTER ALL THESE REFERENCES ITS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FORRRRRR
Hahaha I'm glad you're excited. I hope it didn't disappoint.
Popeye also apologised for being hit- that was his first instict, that he let his brothers down. Not the pain or uncertainty of a battle wound. Remarkable.
Hopefully Masters of the Air will be as good as Band of Brothers.
Is that still happening? I’ve been waiting forever.
It's not. Nothing will touch bob dude. Just gotta appreciate what we have. Writers and creativity have taken a huge fall.
It’s very good, but nowhere close to as good as Band of Brothers. Over 20 years later and Band of Brothers is still in a class of its own
@@Giannis_Antentokounmpo amen.
Probably the greatest WW2 TV production ever
IMO this is hands down the greatest miniseries ever made.
Ive never heard anyone say "yeah it was okay" when talking about BOB...such a claassic
An important document to show future generations
I was a kid when this show first aired, and I'm still watching this to this day.
I just wished there was less gore. It lessens the exceptional class of this show.
I was able to hold the Emmy won by Band of Brothers when I took the VIP tour at the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans. It was surprisingly flimsy, almost to the point of feeling cheap!
I have very few regrets about the way I have lived my life, and even fewer regrets for things I have done. Almost all of my regrets are for things I didn't do or failed to do. Even though GWOT was a stupid, wasteful thing that should have never happened in the first place, and shouldn't have been as badly mismanaged as it was; the one true regret that haunts me is that my friends went and I let them go without me.
A great analysis.
The best TV series ever made, there will never be another it's equal (though generation kill is a close second)
They are called the greatest generation for a reason
Speaking of which, time for my 900th rewatch
I gotta say I love "Band of Brothers". But I saw you haven't had anything to say about "the Pacific" on your channel. It's very similar if not more dark and I'm almost positive done by the same people. Everything you have said about the bond and connection between them I feel I saw more in The Pacific you saw the families and how people were connected through so much more than just a company. I agree BoB is one of the greats but The Pacific was the one that showed me how brutal and unforgivable war is. I hope you review that too you make great content subscribing just for even mentioning band of Brothers.
My wife and I actually just finished the Pacific last night. Her first time watching it, my second. Really, really incredible show but yeah, in a different way, largely since the fighting was so different on the two fronts. Definitely will be making more BoB and Pacific content in the future. It may not be super popular, but it's important to me.
@@master_samwise it's super important to me to thank you! I want to show my girlfriend but i think it might be a bit much. Can't wait to hear your take looking forward! Also your wife's take as a first time viewer!
Both The Pacific and Band of Brothers are amazing. I love them both. But I personally think they can’t be compared to each other because their both so different from each other. Apples and Oranges
@@wattsnottaken1 I agree different for sure but to me the emotions felt are very similar and that's the comparison I was trying to make. I agree different though completely glad to find some people that watched them both though!
My wife just said to me the other night "Band of Brothers is a show I can watch more than once a week." The Pacific is just so brutal (rightfully so) that we had to take significant breaks between episodes. She definitely liked it and appreciated both its high quality and its mostly unfiltered take on the combat, but yeah, it's a bit much.
Haven’t watched this since i was a young girl, i remember having my eyes held shut during the one sex scene in holland.
My dad had watched it before so he knew id not be scarred by it and would be fine and i was.
Now i really want to watch it again.
You should do a review on "The Pacific", which is an obvious ww2 classic and
"Assembly" this one is a very interesting and good moral and emotional story of the intangible sacrifices and values a soldier/person made for his country and future, would be interesting to see from your POV, fyi it's a Chinese film but i hope you are neutral while doing it's review
All I see when I look at Damien Lewis is his role in Your Highness 😂😂
It's a hero's journey with beginning, middle and an end. And character growth! It's also why The Pacific failed miserably to emulate BoB. Everything in The Pacific is kinda anti BoB.
I wouldn't say that's why the Pacific failed, but rather was THE POINT of the Pacific. It showed an entirely different side of war, especially the war in the Pacific vs that in Europe.
I remember thinking omg Ross from Friends as a hard ass drill seargent? I dunno about this casting decision. Five minutes later, yep i hate him. Well played HBO and Ross from Friends
Please make more videos about the 101st airborne
Next is The Pacific series please. Tnx
The " Pacific"
Would you consider doing Chernobyl?
It sounds like you have a veterans perspective.
No, actually. I've read and watched many war stories and have thought quite a bit about war and violence, but have never actually served.
I started watching the pacific hoping it be as good, but at least 2 episodes so far are the most boring pointless episodes I’ve ever seen.
I thought the same. Band of Brothers is one of my favorites (if not the favorite) series. I've watched several times. But I coudn't get past the second episode of The Pacific. I could not care for any character
Yeah it was pretty weird to put in a love/lust story when you barely have a connection with any of the characters.
The stories are incredibly different. You can't go in to the Pacific expecting it to be Band of Brothers. I love them both, and BoB is the clear winner IMO, but the stories could hardly be more different despite their apparent similarities. The Pacific is far more focused on the horrors of war and the negative effects that enduring those horrors has on the men who fought their way across the Pacific islands than it is in on the brotherhood of the men involved.
It's a much less inspiring story and more of a caution or a jolt of reality. Some shows/movies, even Band of Brothers, could possibly cause people to glorify war because they see how it brought these young men together in a beautiful way. Band of Brothers certainly depicts the horrors of war, but not in an overwhelming fashion. The Pacific absolutely inundates you with horror after horror in a way that no one can ignore.
And that's not for everyone, and that's okay. You're not going to get as invested in the characters, but rather in the journey as a whole. It's a show to be watched slowly, letting it sink in and letting yourself get over the shock of what you just witnessed before diving back in. My wife and I only watched about 1 episode a week of the Pacific, while I could happily watch most Band of Brothers episodes back-to-back.
@@master_samwise Agree! I think many people went into the Pacific thinking it was going to be the same as BoB but in the Pacific. Both shows have their merits and are good shows but as you put it, in different ways.
My only complaint of the Pacific was the episode of Leckie in the mental hospital but I understand why they put it in there. Speaking of that, Episode 10 in the Pacific was powerful as compared to the last episode of BoB to show how difficult it was to adjust to being back home.
Thank you for the content!
where are all the feminists now
Band of Brothers is a great movie, and this is a pretty good analysis video. But as sommeone who served and trained soldiers for a european nation this just has such bizzar undertones of propaganda. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate both the movie and the video. However: "To volenteer for service is a richious choise, but not to do so is the act of a coward hoping to dodge the draft" is one hell of a thesis-statement.
That was the mentality at the time, though, some men would outright commit suicide if they were judged unfit to serve. Others were shamed for dodging service. Different times, different circumstances.
Pretty good, but...
As an American, I am tired of seeing limeys playing Americans - particularly as soldiers during WW2.
Also, a lot of drama for engagements with a few hundred people - whereas there were armies of MILLIONS fighting in Russia.
Imagine if they tried to make this show today. Everyone but Sobel would be an ethnic non-binary lesbian strong independent woman.
They do a good job of showing how much of an asshole a soldier can be to another. Experienced that in the military myself.
anti
A yearly watch. 🤌
Band of Brothers is a flawless masterpiece from start to finish. Even the show’s mundane flaws (like some historical inaccuracies) aren’t enough to deprive it of a 10/10 rating in my book.
Such an amazing mini series!!
Agreed 👍
Band of Brothers is a masterpiece. It is peak cable television (not The Sopranos). BoB would be literally impossible to create in 2023 given casting requirements, the passing of nearly all WW2 vets, and Gen X’s general disinterest in history.
No need to tear down The Sopranos just because Band of Brothers is really good. They're both masterpieces.
@@KyleOfTheNorth The Sopranos is often described as “the best of cable and HBO” while disregarding Band of Brothers.
We'll see with Masters Of The Air if Hanks-Spielberg can pull it off again. The book by Miller gives them plenty of fine source material to work with.
The wire>>
I think you mean Gen Z nd Millennials disinterest in history, not GEN X. GEN X is the last patriotic Americans (as a generation, not individuals).
Truly brilliant video. Don't think I've seen a more profoundly simple yet accurate explanation of just what makes Band of Brothers so special.
Couldn’t agree more. Greater love hath no man than this, to lay down his life for a friend…
I saw this when it first completed it's whole set of episodes, as a teenager back when it was still new. I forgot about it for years and now that I'm 35 and rewatching it, I still find it just as captivating and emotional as I did back then! Which I can't say for many films and TV series I watched earlier in my life. That fact alone, just cements how incredibly well this was made! Band of Brothers is exactly a timeless masterpiece! And I don't throw that out there lightly.
That ending quote never fails to make me tear up. It's so straight forward in what he says, but its impact is boundless in how much history it conveys in a single phrase.
I hope you can compare and contrast "The Pacific" with "Band of Brothers" because it would be nice to have a very decent review in appreciating both on their similarities (which I think are few) and the vast differences that still makes both series appealing in their own right.
It is the GREATEST WWII miniseries ever made. And the fact that it was based on a true story, and real people makes it that much more intriguing. The screenplay, casting, and acting was a cinematic masterpiece. This production is now an immortal classic.
This is also, what was missing from "The Pacific". While it was still a very good show, you never got the feeling of this brotherly bond.
All you need to know is that to this day, BoB is still a Top 5 highest rated piece of media on IMDB (9.4/10)
holy shit what a great video. Makes me want to rewatch this show. Hell it even makes me want to get back in the Army....nah jk it's not that good lol
Greatest show of all time.
The BEST show/movie I've ever seen. I rarely ever watch a show/movie multiple times, but the BoB is an exception - I've watched the entire series multiple times, about every 2 years.
The Pacific spent way too much time on sex scenes and not enough on the battles. Band of Brothers didn't waste time with the former and the only battle they did poorly on was Operation Market Garden (Episode 4).
Agree on the overuse of sex scenes, disagree on the not enough battles. Combat in the Pacific absolutely SUCKED to a level that I could hardly stomach watching it. I wish they had instead spent more time developing side characters.
Yeah when you read the book, Market Garden happens quite differently. In the show you don't really get a sense of what Easy is trying to accomplish other than capture a town for some reason. There's no added context, that that town is an essential link along the highway which is the only line of supply for the whole operation.
@@master_samwise The combat in the Pacific was so brutal, it should have gotten more attention. The famous "thousand yard stare" was the image of a man in the Pacific Theater for a reason, even though the phenomenon was found everywhere.
We already know about battles. Battles weren't the point of BoB either but the men. The Pacific is about the men but in other aspects that are important to understand.
@@kevinzhang6623 The men in BoB were all from the same company going through similar experiences. The Pacific covered men whose paths never crossed, and so the smooth continuity of story wasn't there.
A Bridge Too Far did a better job with the 101st and they had very little screen time in that movie!
They don’t call these men The Greatest Generation for nothin. When the people called upon them, they answered valiantly. They refused to surrender, refused to quit.
Well said sir. Every aspect of this series is top notch. There are moments when the editors made very astute choices. The cut in episode 8 when Winters orders his men NOT to go on patrol and they cut to young Lieutenant Jones (Colin Hanks) as he absorbs the lesson in leadership is very profound in its own way.
2:50 I actually have the opposite complaint. The series is about Easy Company which had 140 men in it. The way it's portrayed you'd think they had maybe 50 at most.
Yeah I get that. Obviously there are serious limits of filmmaking that required a smaller cast, but also the sober fact that of those 140 men not very many were still with Easy Company by the end of the war comes into play. Even some who were there from beginning to end (Christensen, for example) are hardly featured at all in the series.