This ten-part HBO mini-series tells the story of three US Marines during America’s battle with the Japanese in The Pacific during World War Two. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s beloved ‘Band of Brothers’.
BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL
Each episode opens in a documentary style. Veterans Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge, played by James Badge Dale, Jon Seda and Joseph Mazzello, offer up their experiences in a short, yet emotive interview which is accompanied by real life footage of the time.
The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first confrontation with the Japanese in the jungles of Guadalcanal, through the rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the 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 Pacific’ is the second war mini-series from HBO and producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Hanks and Speilberg first joined forces to produce ‘Band of Brothers’ in 2001 after their successful collaboration on the World War Two film ‘Saving Private Ryan’. However, don’t expect ‘The Pacific’ to be like a sequel of ‘Band of Brothers’.
It illustrates infamous battles involving the 1st Marine Division. It is visually astounding as it never shies away from the harrowing brutality of war. There are intense scenes of chaotic battle however, and it is driven more by its impressive narrative. It explores the physical and psychological impact on the marines and follows men who aren’t best buddies, but who are complex combinations of heroes, innocents, cynics, and damaged goods.
It doesn’t exactly have an all star cast, but there are some recognizable faces such as Joseph Mazzello (the kid from Jurassic Park) and William Sadler (Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.)
It is reported to have a $200 million budget which, if correct, would make it the most expensive TV project of all time. ‘The Pacific’ is expected to make box office history, however it is only in its third part so it remains to be seen whether it will be as epic as ‘Band of Brothers’. It is, however, off to an excellent start.