By Douglas Helm
| Published
It’s safe to say that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks know what it takes to make a gripping and heart-breaking war dramatization after collaborating on Saving Private Ryan. That film is, of course, an absolute classic, but their HBO miniseries Band of Brothers is just as good. If you haven’t seen it or haven’t seen it in a while, you can check out all ten episodes of the series on Netflix now.
Band Of Brothers
Band of Brothers is based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s nonfiction book of the same name and was created by Spielberg and Hanks, who both serve as executive producers on the project. The series dramatizes the events experienced by real-life paratrooper regiment “Easy” Company, with each episode beginning with an interview with some of Easy Company’s living members.
The interviews with these World War II veterans add some additional depth and gravity to the events portrayed on screen, which can be as harrowing as you’d expect a World War II show to be.
An Incredible Show
But just because Band of Brothers is appropriately violent and thought-provoking in its depictions of war, it doesn’t mean the show isn’t enjoyable.
We are talking about Spielberg here, and the show keeps you engaged in every episode with fleshed-out characters, gripping events, and a story that takes you from Easy Company’s training days to the eventual end of the war.
Plus, the show assembled an incredible cast with some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances from actors who went on to be stars.
The Cast
Damian Lewis anchors the ensemble cast as Major Richard “Dick” Winters, while the other main cast members include Ron Livingston, Neil McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, Dexter Fletcher, Richard Speight Jr, David Schwimmer, Scott Grimes, and many more.
In some recurring and minor roles, you’ll see the likes of Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Simon Pegg, Andrew Scott, James McAvoy, and others who will make you do the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing-at-the-TV meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Of course, everyone in the cast gives their A-game, helping to set the show apart from other war shows.
A Critical Darling
Band of Brothers got as much acclaim as you would expect when it was released, nabbing the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best miniseries.
It also had the budget to ensure the show at least looked amazing, with 125 million, or an average of $12.5 million per episode, making it the most expensive TV series ever made at the time. While the series was made in 2001, it still holds up and looks as great as any modern miniseries.
Final Band Of Brothers Review Score
As far as accuracy goes, Band of Brothers gets credit for being more accurate than most World War II retellings, but it’s still Hollywood, and the story has to be told in a Hollywood way.
The show also valiantly attempted to recreate props and costumes from the era accurately. Many of the actors also spoke to their real-life counterparts.
By Tom Hanks’ admission, things had to be condensed, characters’ stories had to be mashed together, and timelines may have shifted to make the story flow. But honestly, it’s fun to investigate the differences from real life after watching. So, do yourself a favor and go check out Band of Brothers on Netflix.
