It’s a Gut-Wrenching, Immersive WWII Experience
by Joanna Orland | Collider | May 23, 2024
It’s rare that a miniseries endures for decades after it initially airs, but Band of Brothers remains as relevant and as devastating as ever. Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book of the same name, Band of Brothers was originally broadcast in 2001 on HBO. Over the course of 10 episodes, it tells the story of “Easy Company,” a group of paratroopers in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, from their training in 1942 to their mission in Europe towards the end of World War II.
In addition to the creative talent behind the scenes, the miniseries features an array of young actors who went on to become rather famous, including Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, David Schwimmer, Donnie Wahlberg, Dexter Fletcher, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, and Andrew Scott. The star power behind the miniseries is one case for still talking about it today, but it also resonates for much deeper reasons. It not only changed our expectations of how high the quality bar could be for a miniseries, but it also told a story from WWII in a sophisticated and visceral way.
‘Band of Brothers’ Immerses the Viewer in the Battlefield Like Never Before—or After
Coming from co-creator and executive producer Steven Spielberg, Band of Brothers shares many of the same qualities as his 1998 WWII film, Saving Private Ryan, notably, the war visuals and sound design that help to immerse the audience in the epic battles of the war. Visual debris and blood hits the camera and clutters the scenes; the sound design creates a chaotic sense of scale, as if the enemy could be coming from any direction. Band of Brothers portrays the feeling of being in a war, rather than just telling the story of it. The battles in the episodes, “Day of Days,” “Carentan,” and “The Breaking Point”, depict prime examples of the techniques used to create this immersion.
The “Days of Days” battle, where Easy Company attacks a fortified German artillery position, uses cinematic methods to immerse the viewer in the fighting. There are no static shots, and battles are long and drawn out. The camerawork is key, as the use of a handheld camera gives movement to the visuals, allowing the cameraperson easy access to be in the scene with the actors. As Easy Company runs and takes cover, the camera is right there with them, following their every move rather than using edits to cut away to staged shots. The camera shakes with every cannon fire, and sometimes switches to a soldier’s viewpoint as they take cover. Debris of bullets hitting trees or grenades exploding shatter across the screen. Even gun muzzle flashes coming from offscreen shoot out in front of the camera’s field of view, as if the gun is being fired immediately next to the viewer.
From a sound perspective, much of the sound design follows the visual lead but uses emphasis to further the immersion. Every movement of the soldiers can be heard as the Foley design covers minute details from weapons and footsteps to the sound of clothing moving. Bullet whizzes are heard flying past the camera’s viewpoint, giving the viewer the perception that it has flown past their ear, even when there is no accompanying visual. “Carentan” uses the same techniques as “Day of Days” to immerse the viewer in the battle, but as the fighting becomes more significant, the chaos is heightened further. Debris flies at the camera, and this time often stays stuck on the lens. The edits are furious and quick, cutting from handheld shot to handheld shot, lending a sense of panic and lack of control. The faster pacing increases the pandemonium for this larger-scale fight, masterfully using sound and visuals.
‘Band of Brothers’ Highlights Stories of War From Veterans’ Experiences
Unlike many other war dramas, Band of Brothers includes interviews with WWII veterans as part of each episode. Adding another level of credibility, these war veterans are the specific surviving characters from Easy Company who are featured in the miniseries. The use of interviews in Band of Brothers adds perspective to the narrative, hammering home that this story is based on truth rather than fiction. This is especially poignant as we now have entered the period when there are almost no WWII veterans left to tell these stories.
Band of Brothers always feels grounded, not sensationalizing the war as much as other films or series have. This is particularly evident in the episode, “Why We Fight,” as Easy Company discovers a German concentration camp and realizes the extent of what this war is really about. The Holocaust has been depicted many times in cinema, and it’s always a harrowing subject, but Band of Brothers takes a different and serious approach when covering this part of the war.
The soldiers—who have no idea what they are about to find—stumble across the camp, and slowly unravel the truth about the horrors of WWII. It’s portrayed almost casually how they happen on the site, relaying their findings to their captain in a confused but matter-of-fact way. It feels realistic and isn’t portrayed in an over-exaggerated Hollywood style. The simple acts of the soldiers covering their noses from the smell, the trembling from what they see, and their shocked looks all say what needs to be said.
‘Band of Brothers’ Explores Fighting From Different Perspectives
Band of Brothers tells the story of fighting in WWII from different perspectives by focusing on a wide variety of characters, some from different socio-economic backgrounds, but mostly soldiers of different ranks. A ton of time is spent with Damian Lewis’s Richard “Dick” Winters, as throughout the series, he’s promoted up through the ranks to Major. Other characters of various ranks also get significant time spent on their experiences, but it’s one episode in particular that focuses on a medic that’s the real standout.
“Bastogne” shifts the point of view to medic, Eugene Roe (Shane Taylor), during the most gruesome, ongoing battle. Seeing the same type of battle events unfold from a totally different perspective, such as the medic’s, gives a well-rounded depiction of what it’s really like on the battlefield. While the medic is still a soldier, his role in battle is rather different from firing a gun or stalking the enemy. He scours the battlefield, giving the audience a tour of the wounded and dead. He escorts the wounded to a church that’s being used as a makeshift hospital, where he meets a nurse who he forms a friendship with as they discuss what it’s like to treat the wounded. He later returns to the church to find it in ruins, emphasizing the hopelessness, loneliness, and overwhelming desperation that he and the soldiers are feeling.
Band of Brothers stands the test of time as one of the greatest miniseries ever made, retaining its acclaim for more than two decades following its release. It originally felt like the first time a television series had the same quality of visuals, sound, and storytelling as a Hollywood film. These elements truly immerse the viewer in the battlefield, presenting a grounded and well-rounded story of a group of ordinary men who found themselves in extraordinary circ*mstances.
Band of Brothers is now streaming on Max, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and others. You can also catch the series on repeat on AMC and History channels during Memorial Day weekend. Check your local listings.
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