Band of Brothers

Probably the best war series or film I've ever seen. Except for minor details, it has absolutely realistic combat scenes, weaponry and equipment, a well-written script, and well-cast characters. I would never have expected to see anything like this made by the Americans. They never seem to bother with historical accuracy of combat equipment. Those who've seen Battle of the Bulge know what I'm talking about. Their strategy is the following: a tank’s a tank, and as long as it has tracks, who can tell the difference? This series shows that with a little effort they can achieve greatness. Plus, the show doesn’t just focus on combat action, it also portrays the characters very well, which makes it even better and more interesting. The only disappointment came when the final episode was over. (21/07/2016)

Our heroes deserve the best possible tribute. And that’s just what HBO did. That’s right, it’s that easy... On the other hand, it’s true that not every episode is complete genius. Some of them are “only" highly above-average, but who cares when the rest of the series is jam packed full of unforgettable moments. And not just battle moments, but primarily the human moments. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (19/01/2005)

Amazingly shot series with the best take on the WWII that you can see. From the moment I met the cast of characters in Episode 1, I cared about all of them, and it stayed that way until the end. And on top of that a wonderful soundtrack, set design, effects, sound. This is how you properly use a generous budget. (01/03/2012)

I'm probably damaging the series by giving only four stars because it features excellent craftsmanship and is one of the peaks of the genre. It is a realistically presented war drama, brilliantly cast with well-drawn characters, without cheap pathos, and at the same time with a sufficiently large budget to create a visually attractive series. I only mind the distorted American view of World War II, which only a good history expert fully realizes. Although Band of Brothers is essentially civil, it lacks the traditional infamous patriotism, and the viewer naturally does not find out while watching the series how low the combat morale of the American units was on the Western Front, and how low the support for the war was in Europe among the American public. The United States had long been drawn into isolationist policies, partly due to its bad experience in its involvement in World War I. The European war was not popular, and actually, only the drastic shots from concentration camps and the depiction of German atrocities at the end of the war subsequently justified entry into the war and wartime losses in the public eye. That's why the anti-Jewish pogroms also attracted such strong attention. The American command wanted to minimize losses and conducted the war campaign very cautiously with regard to public opinion at home. The usual tactic was to decimate the enemy through intensive bombing and artillery shelling to avoid any resistance if possible. Even in the last months of the war, when American units faced a demoralized enemy running out of fuel and supplies, they advanced only an average of 3-5 km per day, despite their overwhelming superiority. Viewers of the series simply won't learn about many of these things or at least won't learn about them to the full extent. Although there was dying and suffering on the Western Front too, it is incomparable to the dramas that took place on the Eastern Front or during partisan warfare. Overall impression: 90%. (11/05/2007)

Some of the episodes are “only” brilliant and some are downright masterpieces, especially episodes six, seven and nine: Bastogne, The Breaking Point, and Why We Fight, the last one of which took my breath away. By the way, the fifth episode, Crossroads, was directed by Tom Hanks himself and with his use of interesting cuts between two time planes and unusual camera angles he proves that he is not only a great actor but also a great director. Overall, I bow in deep respect to the people behind this ten-part work of genius, for the impeccable filmmaking, for the absence of annoying jingoism, and for the deep humanity that permeates all the episodes. Ladies and gentlemen, 5 stars is not enough in this case! (01/07/2003)