Band of Brothers (2001)
Front Cover Actor Back Cover
Damian Lewis Maj. Richard D. Winters
Donnie Wahlberg 2nd Lt. C. Carwood Lipton
Ron Livingston Capt. Lewis Nixon
Matthew Settle Capt. Ronald Speirs
Rick Warden 1st Lt. Harry Welsh
Frank John Hughes SSgt. William 'Wild Bill' Guarnere
Scott Grimes TSgt. Donald Malarkey
Neal McDonough 1st Lt. Lynn 'Buck' Compton
Rick Gomez Sgt. George Luz
Eion Bailey Pvt. David Kenyon Webster
Damian D. Lewis
Movie Details
Genre War; Drama
Director David Frankel; Tom Hanks
Producer Mary Richards
Writer Stephen Ambrose; Erik Jendresen
Studio HBO / Rysher Ent.
Language English
Audience Rating NR (Not Rated)
Running Time 600 mins
Country USA
Color Color
Plot
An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 129
In Collection Yes
Product Details
Format DVD
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio Widescreen 1.85:1 Color (Anamorphic)
Layers Single side, Single layer
UPC 026359920523
Release Date 11/5/2002
Packaging Custom Case
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]
ENGLISH: DTS Surround [CC]
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Surround
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Surround
Nr of Disks/Tapes 6
Extra Features
Widescreen Box set Dolby DTS Surround Sound
Links
Internet Movie Database