"Band of Brothers" DVD Box Set

By Jonathan Berohn

2004 marks the 60th anniversary of D-Day. For me, that's more then enough reason to revisit the "Band of Brothers" DVD Box Set-especially as Christmas is drawing near. When you also consider the prominence that military service - or lack thereof - has assumed in the presidential election, a return to the days when every American served - and served willingly - is a refreshing and illuminating experience.

The Premise

If you missed "Band of Brothers" on HBO, you missed one of the best mini-series in TV history. The series, based on Stephen Ambrose's non-fiction book of the same name, recounts the experience of one company of American soldiers throughout WWII. This particular company - Easy Company, 506th Parachute Regiment - is a company of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne division - a unit that happened to see action in just about every important battle from D-Day to the end of the war. The series traces Easy Company's steps from boot camp, through combat, to the end of the war.

The Execution

To take on such an epic task, HBO turned to two of Hollywood's biggest starts - Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Hanks and Spielberg oversaw a truly outstanding production. The writing, scenery, and production values set the perfect stage for the action. The cast of relatively unknown actors is up to the task. They bring the men of Easy to life while at the same time letting the audience in on just a small taste of the horror of war. And just to bring the point home, the series makes excellent use of commentary from the real Easy Company soldiers.

Extras

As with most DVDs these days, "Band of Brothers" comes with plenty of extras. Unlike most DVDs, though, some of these extras are worth having just for their own sake. The highlight is an 80 minute documentary on the real soldiers. To see the bonds that these men still share after 60 years is astonishing.