Band of Brothers

2001

Director: Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg & various others

Distributor: HBO

Key Elements: Message, Visuals, Concept, Lines, Characters

My Review:

This dramatization of Stephen Ambrose’s book follows the 101st airborne Easy Company from it’s training at Curahee to the Normandy invasion to Bastogne to Hitler’s Mansion.
Each episode opens and closes with footage of interviews with surviving troops from Easy Company giving the story eerie realism.

With amazing visuals and a heartbreaking narrative, this is a tour du force of war drama. Excellent in every aspect.

Intro:



Quotes:

• “From this day to the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he who today sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”
• We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded
• "They got me." You believe that? You believe I said that?
• Once we get into combat, the only people you can trust is yourself and the fella next to you.
• That night, I thanked God for seeing me through that day of days and prayed I would make it through D plus 1. I also promised that if some way I could get home again, I would find a nice peaceful town and spend the rest of my life in peace.
• You know why they volunteered? Because they knew that the man in the foxhole next to them would be the best. Not some draftee who's going to get them killed.
• …What if you'd won? Don't ever put yourself in the position where you can take from these men.
• Remember boys, flies cause disease, so keep yours closed!
• It's called wounded, Peanut. Injured is when you fall out of a tree or something.
• Maybe that's because Tertius knew there was some value to the men thinking he was the meanest, toughest sonofabitch in the whole Roman Legion.
• We're all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. But Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends upon it.
• How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? Well I'd feel pretty peachy, except for one thing, we didn't fuckin' need to be rescued by Patton. Got that?
• Hey Janovek, what ya reading?
  -An article.
  No shit. What's it about?
  -It's about why we're fightin' the war.
  Why are we fighting the war, Janovek?
  - It appears the Germans are bad, very bad.
  You don't say. The Germans are bad, huh? …Hey Frank, this guy is reading and article, that says the Germans *are bad*.
• Hey this guy says he's not a Nazi. All of Germany and I haven't met one Nazi yet.
• Hey, you! That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards. That's right. Say hello to Ford, and General fuckin' Motors. You stupid fascist pigs. Look at you. You have horses. What were you thinking? Dragging our asses half way around the world, interrupting our lives. For what, you ignorant, servile scum. What the fuck are we doing here?
• I treasure my remark to a grandson who asked, "Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" "No", I answered, "But I served in a company of heroes".

Stills: