Band of Brothers – Nostalgia Central

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2 0 0 1 (USA)
10 x 60 minute episodes

Reportedly, the most expensive series ever mounted by any TV network at the time of production (with a budget in the region of $125 million), Tom Hanks and Erik Jendresen (with Steven Spielberg) developed Band of Brothers from Stephen E. Ambrose’s book of the same name.

Publicised almost as a sequel to Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998), the series was filmed with the same considerations of accuracy, the bleached-out vintage style of film stock, and brutal, unforgiving depictions of wartime violence.

A well-crafted and critically lauded miniseries, it depicted the final months of the Second World War through the eyes of a tight-knit unit of soldiers from the 506th Regiment of the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division, known as Easy Company.

From its formation and boot camp training, through the horrors of D-Day and beyond, the series – filmed in England and Switzerland – follows Easy Company through war-torn Europe, with fallen comrades being replaced without ceremony, until they find themselves in an eventual attack on Hitler’s fortress in Bavaria.

In the final analysis, as the surviving members of the company are shipped off home or to Japan, their experiences, the horrors these men have witnessed, only amount to a few lines on a service record.

Band of Brothers was highly praised for its visceral depiction of warfare, and its battle sequences were directed with a taught and realistic visual style.

The large ensemble cast effectively portrayed the full emotional range of men at war, their camaraderie forged through pre-filming boot camp training.

British actor Damian Lewis deserves special credit for his performance as Major Richard “Dick” Winters, the eventual commander of Easy Company.

His flawless American accent and calm manner gave a good account of the pressures a commanding officer faces.

Talking-head interviews with the real men of Easy Company – whose identities were not revealed until the final episode – added poignancy throughout.

Lt./Maj. Richard D. Winters
Damian Lewis
Donald G. Malarkey
Scott Grimes
Capt. Lewis Nixon
Ron Livingston
Floyd M. (Tab) Talbert
Matthew Leitch
Eugene G. Roe
Shane Taylor
C. Carwood Lipton
Donnie Wahlberg
Darrell C. (Shifty) Powers
Peter Youngblood Hills
Robert E. (Popeye) Wynn
Nicholas Aaron
Wayne A. (Skinny) Sisk
Philip Barantini
Denver (Bull) Randleman
Michael Cudlitz
John W. Martin
Dexter Fletcher
George Luz
Rick Gomez
Frank J. Perconte
James Madio
Joseph D. Liebgott
Ross McCall
Alton M. More
Doug Allen
James H. (Mo) Alley Jr
George Calil
Charles E. (Chuck) Grant
Nolan Hemmings
Edward J. (Babe) Heffron
Robin Laing
Lynn D. (Buck) Compton
Neal McDonough
Harry F. Welsh
Rick Warden
Col. Robert F. Sink
Dale Dye
Burton P. (Pat) Christenson
Michael Fassbender
William J. Guarnere
Frank John Hughes
Alex M. Penkala Jr.
Tim Matthews
Joseph Ramirez
Rene L. Moreno
Antonio C. Garcia
Douglas Spain
Warren H. (Skip) Muck
Richard Speight Jr.
Joseph D. Toye
Kirk Acevedo
David Kenyon Webster
Eion Bailey
Capt. Herbert M. Sobel
David Schwimmer
Roy W. Cobb
Craig Heaney
PFC John A. Janovec
Tom Hardy
Sgt. William S. Evans
Simon Pegg
Lt. George C. Rice
Jimmy Fallon
Donald B. Hoobler
Peter McCabe
Ronald C. Speirs
Matthew Settle
Sgt. Myron “Mike” Ranney
Stephen Graham