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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
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Most helpful customer reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying Series Worth Watching,
By
This review is from: The Pacific (DVD)
Overall this series offers an excellent recreation of war in the Pacific theatre.Acting is uniformly good throughout and, as is to be expected from Spielberg, the production values are high. There are a few slow moments but these are easily overshadowed by the battle sequences. If you enjoy this series, read the books by E. B. Sledge and Robert Leckie from which it is based. They retell in vivid detail the true horror of this war in all its inhumanity and filth in a way that motion pictures cannot quite reach.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Entertaining and Educational Overall.,
By
This review is from: The Pacific (DVD)
The series follows a group of young men throughout WWII from just after Pearl Harbour to after VJ Day. Our heroes start at Guadalcanal, sojourn in Melbourne, then to Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and the sad tail of civilian strife on Okinawa. The series was very good...but not great. The actors and producers were just not able to produce that final level of 'grit' makes it truly realistic. The incessant insects, the lack of water, being constantly soaked to the skin for days... not quite there. Same with the actors, good overall, but nobody was excellent. You are always watching a good show but never taken to that visceral emotional level that a truly great movie or series does. (For example, Season 1 of ROME)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent!,
By Murray Pura "scribbling beneath jupiter" (waterton-glacier international peace park, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Pacific (DVD)
Far better than Band of Brothers - more action, more realism, as well as stunning cinematography and an astonishing script that manages to give you the sense of touching on the lion's share of the island campaign. Extremely moving music score which I now have on CD. I have watched this series through twice and will watch it through several more times. (One time through with Band of Brothers was enough for me so that's the difference.) Beach landing sequences easily equal or surpass the famous Omaha footage from Private Ryan (Iwo Jima is particularly powerful). They have the tunnel vision feeling down to an art and the night assault scenes from Guadalcanal were actually frightening and disorienting to watch. The difficulty of soldiers coming home after living to kill is also painfully well done. An honest war story on film yet the whole series has a power and dignity despite that hellish honesty. We never lose sight of the humanity, even when it is broken. A masterpiece.
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