The Pacific: HBO Mini-Series

[Turd Ferguson]

http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/index.html

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and from the creators of “Band of Brothers”, The Pacific is a a 10-part HBO mini-series which tells the intertwined stories of three Marines, Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda), during America’s battle with the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II.

Produced on a budget of more $150 million, and shot on location in Australia, the series follows (from an early press release) “The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.”

HBO really produces some of the best miniseries on war. Generation Kill was a masterpiece that didn't really get as much recognition as it should have. I have friends who were in Iraq that watched that show, and they said that the way it was represented on the show is as authentic a representation of Iraq that you're going to see. It got great reviews, but it seems to have gotten lost in the discussion of what a great HBO series is. I loved it. It was gripping, the action was incredible, and Spielberg had no involvement with it.

Band of Brothers set the standard. Not only was it amazing as far as the action went, but it did a tremendous job at telling the story, and it never seemed heavy handed. I think the only thing about Band of Brothers that kind of took me out of it was the acting. The cast didn't really take command of their characters, and those great men were for the most part generic pieces in the action. Spielberg oversaw the series, much like he did with The Pacific, and it follows in the footsteps of Saving Private Ryan. He considers The Pacific the "sequel" to Band of Brothers.

The Pacific is based on the books Helmet for my Pillow by Robery Leckie and With the Old Breed by Eugene B. Sledge, with additional material from Red Blood, Black Sand by Chuck Tatum and China Marine by Eugene B. Sledge, as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers.

It is based on John Basilone, who was without a doubt, a badass and a patriot for this country. He was the only enlisted Marine in WWII to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.

His Medal of Honor Citation:

For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines' defensive positions, Sgt. Basilone, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machine guns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. Basilone's sections, with its guncrews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

His Navy Cross Citation:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as a Leader of a Machine-Gun Section, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation shortly after landing when his company's advance was held up by the concentrated fire of a heavily fortified Japanese blockhouse, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone boldly defied the smashing bombardment of heavy caliber fire to work his way around the flank and up to a position directly on top of the blockhouse and then, attacking with grenades and demolitions, single handedly destroyed the entire hostile strong point and its defending garrison. Consistently daring and aggressive as he fought his way over the battle-torn beach and up the sloping, gun-studded terraces toward Airfield Number 1, he repeatedly exposed himself to the blasting fury of exploding shells and later in the day coolly proceeded to the aid of a friendly tank which had been trapped in an enemy mine field under intense mortar and artillery barrages, skillfully guiding the heavy vehicle over the hazardous terrain to safety, despite the overwhelming volume of hostile fire. In the forefront of the assault at all times, he pushed forward with dauntless courage and iron determination. Stouthearted and indomitable, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone, by his intrepid initiative, outstanding skill, and valiant spirit in the face of the fanatic opposition, contributed materially to the advance of his company during the early critical period of the assault, and his unwavering devotion to duty throughout the bitter conflict was an inspiration to his comrades and reflects the highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant Basilone and the United States Naval Service.

Trailers:
Trailer #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e99B80crU3E
Trailer #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smoNSbMs9Yo
Trailer #3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eznAl2QJooQ

Do NOT read this spoiler if you are unfamiliar with John Basilone:

Spoiler

In order to not spoil anything, I removed any possible mention of his death during Battle of Iwo Jima from his Navy Cross citation as I suspect it will be a critical/emotional moment during the series.

 

[X]

I cannot fucking wait for this show Guy, and I'm glad you started this thread to remind me of when it premieres. Band of Brothers remains one of the best Hollywood World War II ensemble pieces ever made, and I've always considered it a necessary counterpart to Saving Private Ryan. I went through the whole series in one day, and loved every minute of it. When I read that they were making another series, this time set in the Pacific Theater, I was even MORE excited. I've always enjoyed the World War 2 films set in the Pacific Theater as opposed to the European one, simply because we rarely get to see films or television series set in that part of the war. I mean, outside of The Thin Red Line (which is one of the greatest war films ever made and should have won Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan) there really aren't many films or shows documenting that stage of the war.

Anyways, yeah, REALLY looking forward to this Guy, thanks for reminding me.

 

[Барбоса]

The trailers have already begun over here in the UK for this. I am really looking forward to it for as X says this is a forgotten theatre of the Second World War. The bloodiness of the island conflicts matches much of what occurred in Europe due to the Japanese willingness to die rather than surrender. This makes me want to dig out Band of Brothers for another viewing.

The only reservation I have is that I assume that it will likely focus solely on American operations when so many important operations had little or no American involvement such as Orde Wingate's Chindits in Burma or the exploits of the Australian 39th Battalion defending the Kokoda Trail on New Guinea (anyone seen the 2006 film Kokoda?).

However, the subject matter of the battle for the Pacific is far too extensive to go beyond the main theatre so I have no problem with it.

I await with baited breathe

 

[X]

So, last night the pilot aired and it was just as fantastic as I'm sure all of us were expecting it to be. From the beginning you could tell that thi was definitely going to be a different show then Band of Brothers, whereas Band of Brothers was prone to sentimentalism and tried to focus more on the war then the soldiers themselves, it appears that the Pacific will be doing the opposite trying to delve into the psyches of the soldiers and showcase the violence as more realistic than Band of Brothers.

Really good episode to kind of set up the three different story archs that will be taking place in this mini-series, the most interesting of which was definitely the Marines on Guadalcanal. There was a bit of combat towards the end of the episode and it was very, very well done just as you'd expect anything Spielberg and company are involved in to be.

It's only been one episode, and I'm already hooked. I'm a big WWII buff and one of the main things I studied/am studying is history, specifically the military history of the twentieth century, so I eat this stuff up like candy. I've always preferred studying the Pacific theater as opposed to the European one though, so I think I may end up liking this miniseries even more than the original Band of Brothers.

Either way, holy fuck, cannot wait for next week's episode. This show has already got me hooked.

 

[X]

Another solid episode of The Pacific this week, albeit one with a whole lot less combat than some might have been looking for. I'm not surprised though, since the beginning of this series it's been obvious that the one thing they really want to show alongside the history of the battlefront in the pacific theater is the toll that war takes on man mentally and not just physically. If I'm not mistaken I read an article in Time along the same vein a few months ago previewing the mini-series, and this week's episode made that very apparent. I'm glad they're going this route, because we really didn't need another paint by-the-numbers combat series with the same archetypes and cliches as a million shows before it.

If they can successfully mix trying to show the real horror of war with the stunning and epic combat scenes that draw the viewer in from a visceral, kick-in-the-gut level, then I think this show could in fact not only be great, but perhaps even be better than the original mini-series, Band of Brothers.

I'm sad not too many people on here watch the show, it's damn good.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Three very good episodes as I expected the series to be. I love the way they are focusing on the psychological aspects of not just combat, but the war in general took on men. I don't need constant combat to keep me interested so I don't mind a lull in action to give me a better look at everything else.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Great fourth episode, the best so far. Brilliant dialogue that pushes the character development and growth of the most interesting character IMO. It's the touching nuances in the acting that make the character progression great to watch.

Next week seems to be that kick you in the gut action some have been complaining is missing in this series.

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

The first two episodes premiered here in England tonight, and I have to say, they surpassed my expectations and then some. As with most follow ons of this ilk, you expect it to be good, but to have lost some of the magic captured by the previous series, however with The Pacific, this was simply not the case. Here are some of the things I most liked about the first two episodes:

-The way that the makers give the three main characters an angle with which the audience can connect with; something that I felt Band of Brothers lacked at times.
-That theme tune is fucking EPIC.
-Especially, I think that the way in which Hanks and Spielberg have kept some ideas from Band of Brothers (such as at the start, with the actual veterans talking about their experiences) while at the same time infusing it with different ideas (Tom Hanks voiceover giving an overview of what actually happened).
-To me, the action scenes feel more gritty than in Band of Brothers, I am thinking especially of the one in Episode 2.
-Also, the whole thing seems a lot more atmospheric and cinematic.

Overall, I was mightily impressed with every aspect of the first two episodes, and quite frankly I cannot wait for more.