The Pacific (HBO Miniseries)

More Pictures

The Pacific (HBO Miniseries) Product By HBO Home Video No customer reviews yet. Be the first Lowest Price : $42.77 Available From 20 Sellers

Product Description

The Pacific is an epic 10-part miniseries that delivers a realistic portrait of WWII’s Pacific Theatre as seen through the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain firests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. The viewer will be immersed in combat through the intimate perspective of this diverse, relatable group of men pushed to the limit in battle both physically and psychologically against a relentless enemy unlike any encountered before.

Amazon.com

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have long since shown that they can spin a good World War II yarn. But while their previous collaborations (Saving Private Ryan, which they starred in and directed, respectively, and Band of Brothers, for which they were part of the producing team) were set in Europe, The Pacific is their first look at the conflict with the Japanese on the other side of the world–and the two executive producers, along with an outstanding cast, an able crew, and a slew of top-notch writers and directors, have done a superb job. In making a 10-episode HBO miniseries (on five discs, with a sixth containing bonus material) that combines real events and participants with other dramatic elements newly created for the project, the filmmakers took a personal, experiential approach, focusing in particular on three marines, all of them real individuals: Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), an aspiring writer who sees his first action at Guadalcanal, falls in love while on leave in Australia, and later suffers serious war wounds; John Balisone (Jon Seda), who performs heroically at Guadalcanal, earns a Medal of Honor, and is then sent home to help sell war bonds, only to return to action at Iwo Jima; and Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), who enlists later than the others, but not too late to witness and take part in some unimaginable horrors (books written by Sledge and Leckie about their experiences were used as source material for the miniseries). Of course, no one who’s never been in combat can understand what it’s really like, but through these three, and other men as well, we get some idea of the debilitating effects of war, both physical and psychological, and how those who managed to survive it might cope. As Leckie would write, “There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square them with yourself.”

A number of episodes depict the characters at home, on leave, or otherwise away from the field of battle, but the greatest impact comes from the extraordinarily powerful fighting scenes in which the marines–exhausted, half-starving, riddled with malaria, and enduring the appalling conditions (from extreme heat to relentless, torrential downpours) of an impenetrable, unforgiving jungle–battle an implacable, fanatical foe who would much rather die than surrender or be taken prisoner. A sequence in Part Five, when we’re with Sledge as he lands at Peleliu for his first real action, is especially gripping; battles at night and in the rain at Cape Gloucester in Part Four, on Iwo Jima in Part Eight, and on Okinawa in Part Nine are also wrenching, but really, all the fighting sequences manage to convey the sheer, visceral terror the men experienced. To the filmmakers’ credit, a number of real WWII veterans are on hand to share their memories, both in a 49-minute featurette on disc 6 and during the short introductions to each episode narrated by Hanks. Other extras include a 22-minute “making of” piece and a brief but interesting description of the cultural differences that made the conflict between the Japanese and the Americans even more brutal than it might have been. Kudos also go to the packaging and design of the boxed set; the menus are easily navigable, offering a synopsis of each episode. –Sam Graham

Reviews

Outstanding! This is the Pacific and it stands on its own, April 18, 2010

For anyone interested in the Pacific theatre- this is an epic story of 3 marines, their comrades and their sacrifice against a fearless enemy. The level of detail and battle sequences are amazing. The amphibious landings and the hell thats thrown at these guys is unthinkable. The fact that the Pacific war isn’t covered enough, makes this educational for some and intriguing to everyone. Thanks to Clint Eastwoods great movies(Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers) and Speilberg/Hanks The Pacific, we are starting to get some great coverage in this area. Of more importance, the men who gave so much are getting the recognition they deserve.

I have read some of the other reviews here and I can’t understand the anti- reviews. This is not Band Of Brothers Part 2, its not trying to be that series. This series is much more personal. We get to see how bad the fighting was and how it changes these men. This series focuses on 3 marines, instead of a platoon of guys and their leaders. Band Of Brothers is awesome, everyone knows that. BOB was also 8 years ago and its had its day in the sun. We all have it on dvd and will enjoy it the rest of our lives. I think some people have let the past 8 years of BOB marinate in their minds. Instead of coming into this series with an open mind, people were ready to pick it apart, because they love BOB so much. I think once this set comes out on blu ray and you can spend a weekend enjoying what a great series it is, you will see that it stands on its own. I heard one guy after the first episode say ” its slow, I hope it will pick up” . The first episode of BOB was boot camp and getting ready for D-day- that was a slow episode, but very enjoyable- just like this episode one. But in this series the marines are already on Guadalcanal and the action has begun in earnest.Makes no sense.

One of many aspects I enjoy about The Pacific is the time the soldiers spend away from the battlefield. I think they do a great job showing whats on these guys minds, what they have to fight for and how their fate on the battlefield effects so many. Theres an episode where they are stationed in Australia and you can see how some Aussies can’t wait for them to leave. While others fall in love with the soldiers or welcome them into their lives. Its a dynamic of war that is easier to cover in a series this long.

The Marines weren’t just fighting a fearless, well trained enemy- they were fighting the jungle as well. Which is also well covered in the series. I can’t imagine living in these conditions, let alone fighting the Japanese. The diseases and lack of proper supplies killed thousands of soldiers(on both sides), who didn’t have the chance to decide their fate on the field.

The acting is well done by the 3 main performers portraying Basilone, Leckie and Sledge. The chemistry between Jon Seda(Basilone) and Annie Parrise(Lena) is hard to find. I thought the episode where they meet, fall in love , marry and seperate because of Basilone’s Iwo Jima mission was one of the best in the series. It seemed like every episode was better than the previous. It kept getting better. There are many episodes and moments that make this great. The 3 episodes that encompass the Pelieu battle are intense, brutal and realistic for battle. I feel like the brutality and ruthless battle of the Pacific war is captured very well here. This warfare is much different from the European theatre. The Japanese won’t surrender when the odds look grim like the Germans did countless times. It gives the viewer an idea of how savage the fighting in the Pacific would have been. There is a scene where the Marines are trying to cross an airfield- but the Japanese are waiting and ready. The following moments are above what we have seen in Saving Private Ryan for graphic war violence. For a good while its unrelenting. Another moment that will stay with you is when Sledge is on Okinawa- the last battle. He enters a small shelter to find a crying baby. When he looks around he finds a woman close to death. She wants him to kill her to end her pain, even putting his gun to her head. But he is done killing. Its a powerful moment. There are good hearted moments to find too. The episode where the Marines are in Australia is great. And the final episode finds the soldiers trying to make a life for themselves in post war America. Several find love and begin fresh. Leckie(James Dale)who earler in Australia lost love, finds love with the woman he had been writing too throughout the war. Although he never sends the letters- figuring he wouldn’t survive the war! The people who made the Island sets should be given praise too. The battlefields are very realistic.

The special features are definatley worth your time. The first section covers several marines with profiles lasting around 10 minutes per marine. Some of the interviews are from several years ago, when they were still alive. Its priceless archival footage of our countries heroes. There is a making of “The Pacific” feature that covers all the research that went into making th sets and recreating the battles. Extremely impressive! This is top shelf film making here. The final section covers the reasons for the savagery of both sides in this war. As well as helping some to understand the conflicts of cultures.

I highly recommend this series to those who want to see something great. Its not often we get a long historical series like this and to have one this well done is a treat.

It’s not Better!, May 17, 2010

First let me say that HBO, Steven Spielberg, and Tom Hanks deserve a standing ovation for making this epic piece of history. I just finished watching the last episode. Once I saw the first episode, I was mesmerized for the next 9 weeks! I scheduled everything on Sunday around watching “The Pacific”.
Outstanding acting, incredible cinematography, great music score, realism that is scary! I’m running out of superlatives to use! It’s not better, than BOB! It’s just as good and just as heart warming, and gut wrenching as BOB. Both of these historical mini-series deserve equal credit. Don’t let some of the reviews here influence your judgement not to watch it. Yes there are those that feel strongly about one or another, but I don’t believe that was anyone’s goal in making the Pacific. I believe, especially Tom Hanks, just has this compelling, passionate desire to put both theaters of WWII in the minds of both, those that served and those of us who have not. The mellow drama movies of post WWII lead many of us who did not serve, to think about WWII as a hero’s time in history. I would never discount any heroics which there are plenty to be seen, It’s just that both of these series, Band of Brothers, and The pacific, set the stage for us to all share in the reality of war. Some reviewers here have commented on how there feelings were evoked while watching, In a few words, I felt like I was there each week, and each week after watching an episode, I would look at there reality and think about my past week, good or bad and feel proud to be an American Citizen!

I’m an aging baby boomer, 64, and my Father, who is 88, and still with us, was a ambulance driver on the front lines in Germany, France, and a few other countries. My father also suffered from some of the mental duress from his time served. With this Memorial Day Holiday upon us very soon, I would like to say a very sincere, Thank You, to ALL who have served in ALL the wars that have helped make the United States of America a country I’m still proud of.

Mr. Spielberg, and Mr. Hanks, Please do what ever you can to bring more of these fine mini-series covering the Korean War, the Viet-Nam War, and both Iraq, and Afghanistan Wars. They deserve your serious passion, commitment, and wonderful talents! My Mother was an English WWar II Bride, so let’s just say Hip, Hip, Hooray!

I’ve already ordered my Blue-Ray release of “The Pacific”

Outstanding!

Lack of Cohesion Hampers a Noble Effort, May 24, 2010

I enjoyed bits and pieces of this mini-series and from my readings of E.B. Sledge and historians of the Pacific battles I thought it accurately portrayed the combat experiences of the Marines in that theater. I found the brief strategic overviews narrarated by Hanks before each episode to be helpful, and I thought the combat scenes and the portrayal of the Marines’ misery was well done, but on the whole I found the mini-series unsettling in a number of ways and I don’t think I’d watch it again.

Most importantly, I feel the format of the series was disconnected. In attempting to weave together the stories of three Marines who weren’t necessarily fighting shoulder-to-shoulder, we get glimpses of each Marine and are then moved on to the next one. The effect this had on me was such that I’d begin to care about one of them but would then be quickly shifted away to the next one. So I found I really didn’t care about any of the characters until E.B. Sledge heads off to combat, which is several episodes in. Since I’d read his excellent book I’d already had an interest in seeing his story played out on screen, but when the story moved from Sledge and back to the States for a Basilone episode I found myself a little annoyed. (To be fair the creators were moving through episodes chronologically so by default something like this is bound to happen, but in my opinion it did more to hurt the flow than help it.)

Compounding this I felt a number of the episodes really slowed the tempo of the series down (e.g., the leave in Australia episode, the Leckie convalescing episode, and most of the Basilone falling in love episode). Here again we’d be thrust into one situation (intense combat) then rapidly shifted to an entirely different one (frolicking with Australian women), or vice versa. I understand that the creators wanted to portray the experiences of these specific men, but just as I started to really feel cohesion amongst the fighting men in the jungles or beaches, we’d be thrown back into these individualized stories, which, again, I had trouble caring about. Additionally, I think this format led to stilted dialogue since the characters themselves could never really find their groove within the series. I often found myself tuning out of conversations because I just wasn’t invested.

If one were to insist on comparing this series with ‘Band of Brothers’ I would say that ‘The Pacific’ lacked the cohesion of that series – mainly for the reason that in ‘Band of Brothers’ we followed one unit from the beginning of their war to the end of their war, which was geographically confined to a relatively small Europe; whereas in ‘The Pacific’ we more followed individual men across locations which were often separated by thousands of miles of ocean. This geographic separation coupled with the constantly shifting protagonists/backdrops really threw me for a loop.

Finally, I am no wilting flower but parts of the series were about as grim as war movies get. This is by no means a knock on the series – as I believe these scenes were accurately portrayed as the men wrote them – but it added to my general sense of discomfort. I have only sympathy for the men who were asked to fight in those horrendous conditions, and to see this fighting portrayed on screen was powerful indeed. I’m glad the creators undertook this effort to honor these men, and I’m glad I watched the series once to gain an appreciation of the veterans who fought in the Pacific; but mostly because of the cohesion issues mentioned above I’m not sure I’d want to view the series again.

Related posts

• No related posts.