 (6-Disc Set) Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, Band Of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band Of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elite rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent causalities, and whose lives became legend. After Saving Private Ryan in a single mission, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks teamed up to produce a chronicle of the European theater of WWII from a soldier's eye view with a vast canvas. The resulting made-for-HBO 10 hour mini-series.... This special edition box set contains all 10 episodes of the acclaimed miniseries made for HBO. It also includes the 80 minute documentary entitled "WE STAND ALONE: THE MEN OF EASY COMPANY" as well as several other features exclusive to this special edition such as an interactive "field guide" which details the people, places and events as depicted in the film. Other added features include: Making of Band of Brothers featurette Ron Livingston’s Video Diaries The Premiere on the beaches of Normandy And other bonus weblinks and added features. Storyline: This is the story of "E" Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from their initial training starting in 1942 to the end of World War II. They parachuted behind enemy lines in the early hours of D-Day in support of the landings at Utah beach, participated in the liberation of Carentan and again parachuted into action during Operation Market Garden. They also liberated a concentration camp and were the first to enter Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgarten. A fascinating tale of comradeship that is, in the end, a tale of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Written by garykmcd Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, November 26, 2008 -- I did things, I didn't do them for medals, I didn't do them for accolades, I did them because that's what had to be done. "Band of Brothers," an ambitious, grandiose, and above all else moving World War II-based miniseries that debuted on HBO in 2001, remains the quintessential story of not only the Company portrayed therein, but perhaps of the War on the whole. The series showcases effortless character development, incredible action sequences in both scope and detail, and many of the War's most significant developments through the eyes of Easy Company, from their training regimen in the United States through the end of the conflict in the European theater, all over 10 episodes that together run more than 10 hours in length. Saving Private Ryan colleagues Tom Hanks (Cast Away) and Steven Spielberg (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) produced the series based on the text of the same title by noted historian Stephen Ambrose. "Band of Brothers" is a product forged from hands both capable and loving. The material offers not only incredible value from an entertainment and production perspective, but it makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of World War II in Europe. It is a series that serves as a tribute to those men who served the world in perhaps its greatest undertaking, and is a reminder to current and future generations as to the sacrifices, courage, and love of freedom and country that shaped history, and the world, forever. The aptly-titled "Band of Brothers" follows the progression of the Second World War through the experiences of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. From their Beginning at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, two years prior to the invasion of Normandy, to the capture of Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" compound at Berchtesgaden, Germany, and experiencing much of the War in between, Easy Company seemed the spearhead of the Allied War effort. Involved in several of the most memorable engagements of the War, Easy dropped in and fought behind enemy lines during the Allied invasion of France in June of 1944; the Company participated in the failed Allied attempt to win the War by Christmas of 1944, known as Operation Market Garden; Easy participated in the long, cold, hard battle of Bastogne in the winter of 1944-1945. Besides the fighting, Easy Company also experienced some of the most heart-wrenching moments of the War first-hand, including the public humiliation of Hollander Nazi sympathizers and their discovery of a concentration camp deep inside Germany. While each man's unique personality, outlook, and skill added to the makeup and effectiveness of the unit, it was nevertheless their collective bravery, dedication, and sense of purpose that made them a Band of Brothers. "Band of Brothers" excels at many levels, both through its visual presentation and its stirring emotional overtones. As a War picture, or in this case series, the filmed action sequences offer viewers a spectacle like nothing before it, matching and arguably besting in scope, tension, and gritty realism, outings like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down. Most episodes showcase a major confrontation, each a unique entity with its own character, hardships, and challenges. The action never feels repetitive nor clumsy. If anything, the series' visual style places viewers in the middle of the action thanks to its complete sense of immersion through both its visuals and world-class sound design, both of which are improved on by this Blu-ray set. While the chaos of the sequences sometimes leaves viewers in a state of confusion, unsure of what is exactly happening to whom, that sense seems to capture the essence of combat perfectly. It is anything but an exact science, a calm, easily understood organism that is structured and precise. The fighting takes place at night, in daylight, in cities and towns, in fields and forests. "Band of Brothers" does all filmmaking can to recreate the dread and disorder of combat with striking realism. "Band of Brothers" is perhaps the most emotionally charged and positive series ever made. Even before the series begins to play, as images and the series' score loop over the main menu of the first disc, it is difficult not to become overwhelmed by the emotion conveyed by the visuals and the segments of the score that accompany them. Michael Kamen's score is an astounding tribute to the men, and a fitting theme for the series. It is both powerful and exiting, conveying the raw emotions of each and every scene it accompanies with amazing grace. The knowledge of what these men did for everyone then and now and tomorrow, the sacrifices they made, the hardships they endured, and the friends they lost, all in the name of freedom, often stirs the soul and brings a tear to the eye. Despite its power, it is not the reenacted series that offers the most dramatic and touching elements to the "Band of Brothers" experience. It is the interviews with the real-life veterans that precede each episode that provide the foundation for the series and set the tone for the emotional underpinnings of the episode to follow. The words, the eyes, and the souls of these veterans, as they briefly recount their tales, provide the real significance of the series. No actor, no camera, no set, no sound, no special effect can capture the essence of the experience better than these heroes who serve not only as the inspiration for the series but provided to their country and their world the freedom to tell their story through their actions as portrayed in the ten episodes of "Band of Brothers." Encapsulating the series, the War, and the men who fought in it is the series' third episode, "Carentan." The episode centers around the experiences of a mostly anonymous Easy Company rifleman named Albert Blithe. Blithe is certainly not a hero but is rather an everyman with real emotions, real problems, and an honest outlook on both life and death. He is neither excited nor depressed to be in the War. Lost in the shuffle, he simply is unsure of himself, of the world, and of the War exploding around him. His story focuses on his experience in combat, the terrors of War, and his coping with the realities of his situation. His is a story of becoming a true soldier as, through the episode, he runs the gamut of life as a combatant: contemplating the meaning of the War, dealing with fear, trying to earn the respect of others, killing an enemy solider, and himself receiving a wound. The themes of the episode are tied around the edelweiss flower that adorns many a German soldier's lapels, described to Blithe as "the mark of a true soldier." Indeed, Blithe, and his Company, see their emergence as "true soldiers" and "The Greatest Generation" as a result of their experiences fighting in World War II. "Band of Brothers" is a masterpiece of filmmaking, condensing years worth of material into ten manageable segments, each with a story, a meaning, and a history all their own, the series telling the story of arguably the most important events the world has ever seen. Easy Company, though many faces changed over the years, was at the forefront of it all; their actions and their courage forever altered the world, spearheading the fight for freedom from Fascism in Europe. "Band of Brothers" combines intense action with harrowing and often heartbreaking drama, the series a highly emotional experience viewed as a tribute to those men depicted therein. This spectacular and significant series arrives on Blu-ray in a first-class package. Featuring a video quality that is true to the source, an incredibly detailed and lifelike soundtrack, and some impressive supplements, "Band of Brothers" on Blu-ray is a set that is a must-own, and it receives my highest recommendation. Cast Notes: Damian Lewis [I] (Maj. Richard D. Winters), Donnie Wahlberg (2nd Lt. C. Carwood Lipton), Ron Livingston (Capt. Lewis Nixon), Matthew Settle (Capt. Ronald Speirs), Rick Warden [I] (1st Lt. Harry Welsh), Frank John Hughes (S/Sgt. William 'Wild Bill' Guarnere), Scott Grimes (T/Sgt. Donald Malarkey), Neal McDonough (1st Lt. Lynn 'Buck' Compton), Rick Gomez [II] (Sgt. George Luz), Eion Bailey (Pvt. David Kenyon Webster), James Madio (Sgt. Frank Perconte), Kirk Acevedo (S/Sgt. Joseph Toye), Michael Cudlitz (Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman), Richard Speight Jr. (Sgt. Warren 'Skip' Muck), Dexter Fletcher (S/Sgt. John Martin), Ross McCall (Cpl. Joseph Liebgott), Shane Taylor (Cpl. Eugene Roe, Medic), Peter McCabe [IV] (Cpl. Donald Hoobler), Robin Laing [II] (Pvt. Edward 'Babe' Heffron), Matthew Leitch (S/Sgt. Floyd 'Tab' Talbert), David Schwimmer (Capt. Herbert Sobel), Marc Warren [I] (Pvt. Albert Blithe), Peter Youngblood Hills (S/Sgt. Darrell 'Shifty' Powers), Mark Huberman (Pvt. Lester 'Leo' Hashey), Dale Dye (Col. Robert Sink), Nicholas Aaron (Pvt. Robert 'Popeye' Wynn), Ben Caplan (Cpl. Walter 'Smokey' Gordon), Mark Lawrence [IV] (Cpl. William Dukeman), Tim Matthews (Cpl. Alex Penkala), Douglas Spain (Pvt. Antonio Garcia), Michael Fassbender (Sgt. Burton 'Pat' Christenson), Craig Heaney (Pvt. Roy Cobb), Colin Hanks (2nd Lieutenant Henry Jones [Episode 8]), Nolan Hemmings (Sgt. Charles 'Chuck' Grant), Doug Allen [II] (Sgt. Alton More), Bart Ruspoli (Pvt. Edward Tipper), Matt Hickey [I] (Pvt. Patrick O'Keefe), Simon Schatzberger (Pvt. Joseph Lesniewski), Rocky Marshall (Cpl. Earl 'One Lung' McLung), Andrew Scott [I] (Private John "Cowboy" Hall [Episode 2]), George Calil (Pvt. James 'Moe' Alley), Phil Barantini (Sgt. Wayne 'Skinny' Sisk), Tom Hardy [I] (Private 1st Class John Janovec), Andrew Lee-Potts (Pvt. Eugene Jackson), David Nicolle (2nd Lt. Thomas Peacock), James McAvoy (Pvt. James Miller), Phil McKee (Lt. Col. Robert L. Strayer), Adam James [II] (Pvt. Cleveland Petty), Stephen Graham [I] (Sgt. Myron 'Mike' Ranney), Dave Power (Pvt. Dietrich), Tony Devlin [II] (Pvt. Ralph Spina, Medic), Stephen McCole (1st Lt. Frederick T. 'Moose' Heyliger), Simon Pegg (1st Sgt. William Evans), Peter O'Meara (1st Lt. Norman Dike), Jamie Bamber (2nd Lt. Jack Foley), Rene L. Moreno (Pvt. Joseph Ramirez), Simon Fenton (Pvt. Gerald Lorraine), Jimmy Fallon (2nd Lieutenant George Rice, 10th Armored), [Episode 5]), Jason O'Mara (1st Lt. Thomas Meehan), Doug Cockle (Father John Maloney), Nigel Hoyle (Pvt. Leo Boyle), Alex Sabga (Cpl. Francis 'Frank' Mellet), Kieran O'Brien (Private Allen Vest), Ezra Godden (Pvt. Robert van Klinken), Iain Robertson (Pvt. George Smith), Luke Griffin (Sgt. Terence 'Salty' Harris), Matthew Duquenoy (C-47 Pilot [Episode 2]), Michael Edmiston (Training Jumpmaster [Episode 1]), Diana Kent [I] (Mrs. Lamb, English Laundress [Episode 3]), Stephen Walters [I] (John McGrath), Matthew Faber), Josefien Hendriks (Dutch girl in farm [as Josefine Hendriks]), Wil Röttgen (General Rommel), Ben Peyton (Wt. Off. Andrew Hill), William Tapley (Captain Paige, British Tank Commander [Episode 4]), Ian Virgo (Soldier), Jack Wouterse (Dutch farmer), Dan van Husen (Alleged Commandant), David Crow (Cpl. Nicksons), Ben Montague (Pvt. Matt McDowell), Stephen Milton [I]), Laird Macintosh (Jeep Driver [Episode 6]), Corey Johnson [I] (Maj. Kent), Andrew Howard [I] (Capt. Clarence Hester), Jamie Harding (French boy in Paris subway), Isabella Seibert (German girl w/Janovec), Lucie Jeanne (Renee Lemaire [Episode 6]), Wolf Kahler (German General), Marcos D'Cruze (Joseph P. Domingus), Luke Roberts (Herbert J. Suerth), Tom Hanks (British Officer), Kristina Brändén (Gertrud), Sam Carlson (Maj. Ripps), Alexis Conran (Lt. Lavenson), Jonathan Edwards Young (Lt. John Kelly [episodes 1 & 2]), Freddie Joe Farnsworth (Trooper on horse), Jordan Frieda), Billy Hill [II] (Dutch Boy), Hugo Metsers III (John van Kooijk [Episode 4]), Matthew Casey (German Soldier [extra] [uncredited]).
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