Just finished up the last episode of Band of Brothers the other day. Bought them on DVD over the summer in Ireland, in a nice tin box. Quite nifty. Friends and people in teh intraweb had been on about how cool this show was, and since I'd only seen segments here and there on TV etc. (watched a bit on the History Channel when they had a marathon going), I decided I should watch the whole shebang now. So I started up, watching an ep or two at night before going to bed. Ten shows later, it was over and I sat with that weird feeling of being a little sad there was no more.
I mean, usually when you watch a show (in my case, mostly humorous stuff like sitcoms or something similar), you just watch that episode, you laugh, you cry, you throw up.. whatever. But when it's over, that's it. A few shows, however, have left that special kind of impression on you, the kind that stays with you for a while. Band of Brothers did that. For starters, the friendship and brotherhood of the REAL Band of Brothers it portrays is beyond amazing. I mean, the guys who actually fought... I feel the deepest respect for them. Secondly, the guys who played them portrayed them really really well, and everybody played their roles to perfection. There wasn't a moment when you were thinking "yeah right" or something like that. With only 10 one hour episodes, of course it's not as if they are playing their roles of a lifetime. But most of these people were fairly unknown, which I think did them credit. They conveyed that sense of brotherhood perfectly, and made the viewer (ie. me) feel like I was part of it as well. It was very cool. Of course the authenticity is second to none. AND furthermore, I think the show managed to convey what many warmovies and series often fail to; the Germans soldiers aren't necessarily bad guys. They're soldiers... with a job to do. That might not make them easier to like, but it makes them easier to understand. And I respect the show for doing that. It's a mistake all too often made.
I'm glad I own the show. It's surely one you can enjoy again and again. I think I'll watch it with a friend next time. Perhaps not a girl tho. In my experience, they aren't prone to liking war-stuff (I remember a specific occassion where I was watching Saving Private Ryan with a girlfriend of mine, and she was literally crying during the opening scene, and refused to watch anymore. Sure that movie is particularly gory, but hey... even with this in mind, I think she overreacted). I guess the sense of brotherhood doesn't come as natural to girls (It's in the word brotherhood, innit). I dunno. Perhaps I've just not come across any girls that quite grasped what it meant.
