what strikes me about Band of Brothers is that when I first watched it... I really struggled to know who was who, at least beyond Lewis (Winters), Schwimmer (Sobel) and Livingston (Nix). Took me maybe 2 or 3 (or 5) rewatches before I knew Guarnere, Bull, Liebgott etc etc from the get-go. And isn't that the point? Like, there's a heavy subtext here; it's hard to really have any individuality in a military context, and what better way to communicate that than by inundating the viewer with so many nameless faces, faceless names and random conversations being thrown around the mess hall, the barracks, and the hammocks.
There's more here in the pilot too, it's not just leaders who matter, but it's who you're going to be in a hole with. The focus is on how everyone relates to each other, and Spielberg makes a point not to shy away from American anti-semitism. In short, putting the viewer's attention squarely upon the interpersonal movement of Easy Company so early creates a solid foundation for episodes to come. You don't know for sure who is buddy-buddy with who, but there's a sense of camaraderie that pervades everything despite Sobel. It draws you in, and makes for great television.
Review by killip.seanBlockedParentSpoilers2023-09-07T13:37:55Z
what strikes me about Band of Brothers is that when I first watched it... I really struggled to know who was who, at least beyond Lewis (Winters), Schwimmer (Sobel) and Livingston (Nix). Took me maybe 2 or 3 (or 5) rewatches before I knew Guarnere, Bull, Liebgott etc etc from the get-go. And isn't that the point? Like, there's a heavy subtext here; it's hard to really have any individuality in a military context, and what better way to communicate that than by inundating the viewer with so many nameless faces, faceless names and random conversations being thrown around the mess hall, the barracks, and the hammocks.
There's more here in the pilot too, it's not just leaders who matter, but it's who you're going to be in a hole with. The focus is on how everyone relates to each other, and Spielberg makes a point not to shy away from American anti-semitism. In short, putting the viewer's attention squarely upon the interpersonal movement of Easy Company so early creates a solid foundation for episodes to come. You don't know for sure who is buddy-buddy with who, but there's a sense of camaraderie that pervades everything despite Sobel. It draws you in, and makes for great television.