The Pacific

The fight for Guadalcanal had me clenching my jaws even though I knew cameras , lights , etc. were all around. They did a great job scaring me. Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Basilone meets a movie star while on tour selling war bonds. The sex scene between movie star Virginia Grey and Basilone is a close-up of intimate, athletic contact from head to toe. Anna Trov played the movie star and the sex scene showed American producers she was " all in ".The other characters endured terrifying encounters with Japanese and a punishing climate with r and r in Melbourne the only break . A brief romance for Leckie and they return to their hell. These characters were based on real people and revealing how their lives turned out provided a realty check. Glad I bought the boxed set. It made me understand why recruits , my father included , prayed that they would not be sent to the Pacific.

****Spoiler Alert*****This program follows 3 Marine heroes, their comrades and their sacrifice against a fearless enemy. You will feel every emotion as you watch this epic series. There are several scenes that will never leave your mind. This is an accurate depiction of combat in the Pacific theatre. Its very inhumane at times and not always easy to watch. Having said that-its something everyone should see, regardless of your interest in World War 2. The level of detail and battle sequences are amazing. The amphibious landings and the hell thats thrown at these guys is unthinkable. The fact that the Pacific war isn't covered enough, makes this educational for some and intriguing to everyone. Thanks to Clint Eastwoods great movies(Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers) and Speilberg/Hanks -The Pacific, we are starting to get some great coverage in this area. Of more importance, the men who gave so much are getting the recognition they deserve.I have read some of the other reviews here and I can't understand the anti- reviews. This is not Band Of Brothers Part 2, its not trying to be that series. This series is much more personal. We get to see how bad the fighting was and how it changes these men. This series focuses on 3 marines, instead of a platoon of guys and their leaders. Band Of Brothers is awesome, everyone knows that. BOB was also 8 years ago and its had its day in the sun. We all have it on dvd and will enjoy it the rest of our lives. I think some people have let the past 8 years of BOB marinate in their minds. Instead of coming into this series with an open mind, people were ready to pick it apart, because they love BOB so much. I think once this set comes out on blu ray and you can spend a weekend enjoying what a great series it is, you will see that it stands on its own. I heard one guy after the first episode say " its slow, I hope it will pick up" . The first episode of BOB was boot camp and getting ready for D-day- that was a slow episode, but very enjoyable- just like this episode one. But in this series the marines are already on Guadalcanal and the action has begun in earnest.Makes no sense.One of many aspects I enjoy about The Pacific is the time the soldiers spend away from the battlefield. I think they do a great job showing whats on these guys minds, what they have to fight for and how their fate on the battlefield effects so many. Theres an episode where they are stationed in Australia and you can see how some Aussies can't wait for them to leave. While others fall in love with the soldiers or welcome them into their lives. Its a dynamic of war that is easier to cover in a series this long.The Marines weren't just fighting a fearless, well trained enemy- they were fighting the jungle as well. Which is also well covered in the series. I can't imagine living in these conditions, let alone fighting the Japanese. The diseases and lack of proper supplies killed thousands of soldiers(on both sides), who didn't have the chance to decide their fate on the field.The acting is well done by the 3 main performers portraying Basilone, Leckie and Sledge. The chemistry between Jon Seda(Basilone) and Annie Parrise(Lena) is hard to find. I thought the episode where they meet, fall in love , marry and seperate because of Basilone's Iwo Jima mission was one of the best in the series. It seemed like every episode was better than the previous. It kept getting better. There are many episodes and moments that make this great. The 3 episodes that encompass the Pelieu battle are intense, brutal and realistic for battle. I feel like the brutality and ruthless battle of the Pacific war is captured very well here. This warfare is much different from the European theatre. The Japanese won't surrender when the odds look grim like the Germans did countless times. It gives the viewer an idea of how savage the fighting in the Pacific would have been. There is a scene where the Marines are trying to cross an airfield- but the Japanese are waiting and ready. The following moments are above what we have seen in Saving Private Ryan for graphic war violence. For a good while its unrelenting. Another moment that will stay with you is when Sledge is on Okinawa- the last battle. He enters a small shelter to find a crying baby. When he looks around he finds a woman close to death. She wants him to kill her to end her pain, even putting his gun to her head. But he is done killing. Its a powerful moment. There are good hearted moments to find too. The episode where the Marines are in Australia is great. And the final episode finds the soldiers trying to make a life for themselves in post war America. Several find love and begin fresh. Leckie(James Dale)who earler in Australia lost love, finds love with the woman he had been writing too throughout the war. Although he never sends the letters- figuring he wouldn't survive the war! The people who made the Island sets should be given praise too. The battlefields are very realistic.The special features are definatley worth your time. The first section covers several marines with profiles lasting around 10 minutes per marine. Some of the interviews are from several years ago, when they were still alive. Its priceless archival footage of our countries heroes. There is a making of "The Pacific" feature that covers all the research that went into making th sets and recreating the battles. Extremely impressive! This is top shelf film making here. The final section covers the reasons for the savagery of both sides in this war. As well as helping some to understand the conflicts of cultures.I would recommend this series to anyone who has an interest in World War 2, film making, great story telling and those who like to feel the spectrum of emotions when watching something this good.

Can I be forgiven for writing the third time about a 10-part mini-series? It was the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbour that brought the Americans officially into a war that the rest of the world had been waging for over two years and they would not be ready to engage until nearly a year later but yet guess who thinks they won the war? Guess it’s obvious I’m not an American. This is not to denigrate the sacrifices made by those who went into battle and never came home again or did so maimed in body and spirit.This series is unique in making the war experience personal. The depiction of war is brutal and the enemy fanatical but it is the personal details that bring the horror of war home to us. Eugene Sledge would not be the first doctor’s son whose Father tried to keep him away from a war. Their ongoing relationship begins and ends the series. The startling normalcy of life back home is in stark contrast to the experience of the Marines on those small pieces of coral in the vast Pacific. There the jungle, the insects, the critters, and endemic diseases were every bit as much a danger as the enemy. Wars are won and lost on the stomachs of the men who fight them, an army marches on its stomach and cannot survive long without clean water.The first landing contrasts arriving to find troops resting on the beach with the suspenseful march through an eerie and unknown jungle environment. Finding the abandoned enemy camp ups the ante then comes the rain.Several themes seem to be common to all war movies. Inept West Point Educated Lieutenants whose book larnin’ ill equips them for the rigors of battle. Command decisions that squander hundreds and thousands of lives on meaningless objectives. Friendly fire incidents often involving aerial or ship to shore bombardment. Soldiers killed by their comrades because they did something stupid at night. The various manifestations of battle fatigue. The nightmares that last a lifetime after the war.Had I been a veteran don’t know as I could have sat through this series. Not sure that like is quite the appropriate word for it.Fourth kick at the catWhat still strikes me most is the utter futility of War. The wasted human effort, the lives lost and ruined, the devastation, the environmental damage. The only true winners are those who own the factories that manufacture the engines of war. Survival is a matter of sheer randomness though some are better at keeping their heads down than others. That same randomness determines whether or not an award for valour is awarded posthumously. The first casualty was shot by his buddies when he snuck off to answer a call of nature and his wasn’t the last such death. Life is never so precious as when one is threatened with losing it. The rush of battle and the euphoria that follows it becomes addictive and one aspect of PTSD is the feeling of futility that follows the loss of that high. Some handle battle conditions better than others and war isn’t kind to philosophers, thinkers and the sensitive. Some have more luck than others including generals whose decisions can fate the death of thousands for a useless objective. Taking the initiative and advancing unannounced can get you hit by your own artillery.As Basilone discovers fame is a fickle friend. Being rewarded for heroism often involves being lionized for acts of stupidity that one managed to survive and someone took the time to recognize. Survivor’s guilt and the knowledge that others were equally as brave but were not recognized rapidly sets in. There is a distinct irony in being rewarded for the taking of life. The experience of battle too often leaves soldiers unable to feel fulfilled outside the field of battle and there seems to be a fine line between battle heroics and suicide by enemy.The dropping of the first atomic bombs targeted civilians rather than military objectives but civilians and their livelihoods are always the collateral damage of war. However morally reprehensible the dropping of those bombs may have been there is no question that they saved the lives of untold thousands on both sides. War is state-sanctioned murder. It is frightening to think that some enjoy it. Does labelling someone the enemy any more justification for killing than execution for capital crime. Is deserting an insane field of battle an act of cowardice or a sane act of self-preservation.The most poignant and compassionate moment in the entire series comes at the end when Sledge’s father expresses understanding for his son’s unwillingness to take the life of another living creature. This is the same man who refused to give his under-age son his permission to enlist and stated the troubled feelings he had at witnessing the lack of life in the eyes of the men he treated in WW#1.

Was presented in great chrological order of the battles. I would have liked to learned more about the Battle of Tawara in the series though. For one to have survived these battles, you had to extremly lucky.

I love this show! I watched Band of Brothers about a year ago and enjoyed it a lot. I love war shows/movies, especially WW2. Band of Brothers was missing a bit for me though. It was a little too hollywood in my opinion. But....The Pacific on the other hand....definitely not! They showed all the bad and terrible. They didn't try to make it all seem like a glorious victory. The true side of many awful soldiers and the pain and suffering of others was shown throughout the series. There was a lot more action in this as well. I definitely enjoyed this more than Band of Brothers. It is on my shelf with the rest of my all time favourites now.

This is one of the best accounts of the Pacific War I have ever seen. It is hard to watch in many places as it depicts war as accurately as is possible in a movie. I have read Helmet for My Pillow, the book this is based on and it follows that very well. If you appreciate this type of movie I highly recommend it. The other thing is all the characters in the movie are based on real people, using their real names. At the end, there is a very interesting summary of all the main characters involved.

Even though I'm not quite done it yet, I find the Pacific extremely heavy--it's not as entertaining as Band of Brothers, the characters are not quite as lovable, and the themes seem considerably darker. Notwithstanding, the acting, cinematography, and budget all seem a step up. Overall, these factors combine to make it feel more realistic and less "hollywood" than BoB.In summary: an excellent series, especially if you want to know more about the American Pacific Assault, but very emotionally intense.

I bought this set of CDs for my husband for Christmas. We have now viewed about 5 of the CDs. He is really enjoying them - particularly because of the very realistic war scenes & storyline. I don't usually like war shows but must admit that I have viewed & enjoyed, as well. Although most of the actors are unknown to us they play their parts so very well. Most enjoyable.

The actual copy of The Pacific was in excellent shape upon arrival. Thanks to Amazon for a speedy delivery as well.I have to say that The Pacific was not at good as The Band of Brothers. Perhaps the reason being, in my opinion, the careful character study of the men in Band of Brothers was absent in The Pacific. It did, however, display the terrible brutality of the Pacific war. What was also missing was any real mention of the men who suffered the Japanese prisoner of war camps. So, in my opinion, The Pacific is still worth watching to get a glimpse of what occurred in the Pacific.