Product Description

Damian Lewis, David Schwimmer, Robin Laing, Dexter Fletcher, James MadioDirectors: David Nutter, Tom Hanks, Phil Alden Robinson

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Drama
• Released on: 2008-11-10
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
• Format: Box set
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: 1.31 pounds
• Running time: 598 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A richly-acclaimed World War II drama, and one that deserved the many plaudits it garnered, Band Of Brothers remains as compelling, gripping and moving as it was when it first appeared over half a decade ago. And now it makes a very welcome debut in high definition.

Across ten haunting episodes, Band Of Brothers follows the real-life story of the American army?s Easy Company, an elite paratrooper regiment, from their initial training through to the very end of the war. Along the way, not only do Easy Company take part in some of the most infamous battles and events of the War, but they also suffer many, often brutal losses. And Band Of Brothers pulls no punches in putting those moments across on screen.

But that?s not, ultimately, what Band Of Brothers is about. At it's heart, this is the tale of a group of men relying on one another to get them through unthinkable situations. And this camaraderie is brilliantly put across by the generally unknown cast of actors, many of whom turn in outstanding performances here.

The quality production values are sustained behind the camera, as Band Of Brothers? episodes are directed by the likes of Tom Hanks, Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) and David Leland (The Devil Wears Prada). The show gives all the impression that little expense was spared in depicting the right visual look, and the results are on screen to be admired.

In short, Band of Brothers remains a vital, brilliant piece of television drama, and one that will stick in your mind long after the credits have rolled on the final episode. --Jon Foster

DVD Description
From Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, HBO presents the story of Easy Company--an elite team of U.S. paratroopers whose WWII exploits are as incredible as they are true. Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries 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 vast casualties, and whose lives became legend. They were ordinary men, swept up in the most extraordinary conflict in history. With the eyes of the world upon them, they found their greatest source of strength in one another.

Special Features
Includes all new, never-before-seen Blu-ray bonus features:
- Interactive Field Guide including Soldier Bios, Historical Timeline, Map, Chain of Command and Glossary
- Picture-in-Picture Video Commentary for all 10 episodes
- We Stand Alone Together in the Company of Men (80 minute documentary)
- Behind the Scenes: The Making of Band of Brothers (Ron Livingston's video diaries)
- Who's Who: The Men of Easy Company
- Premiere in Normandy and menu-based photo gallery

Customer Reviews

TV doesn't get any better than this.....
'Band of Brothers' is the finest TV series I have ever seen. A bold statement maybe, but one that stands up to scrutiny in my opinion. Yes, 'The Sopranos' is a brilliant drama and '24' is a top-class thriller, but 'B.O.B' just has that epic feel, that you are watching something that might never be repeated or certainly bettered. The story of the men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne is one that deserves telling; these heavily-trained young soldiers suffered on the front line of the majority of the crucial battles during the American involvement in World War 2. They forged an unusually tight bond with each other and were led by some of the finest soldiers of the war. It could also be justifiably said that they, as a company, sacrificed more than the usual.
The ten-part series consists of hour-long forays in to the viewpoint of different soldier's experiences, from a major to a medic. The action is superbly visceral and realistic, using the same shaky, hand-held camera techniques seen in 'Saving Private Ryan,' to which B.O.B is a close relative, sharing the Spielberg/Hanks connection as well as the subject matter. Action aside however, it is the depth of characterisation that sets this series apart. Granted, the running time allows for this, but it is beautifully done nonetheless. We gain a real insight into many of the men's characters, from the joker George Luz to the bitter Sobel, the cynic Nixon to the dignified Winters. Indeed, these two characters are so finely crafted it is easy to forget that these actors are not in fact the real men. British star Damian Lewis is outstanding as Major Richard Winters, the glue that holds 'Easy' together. His portrayal of a man worshipped by his men due to his courage, discipline, loyalty and leadership skills is nothing short of perfection; real-life veterans suggest that Lewis was a close to capturing the spirit of Winters as is humanly possible. Ron Livingston, playing the smaller but crucial role of Winters' best friend Lewis Nixon, is also excellent, adding a touch of comedy through the hard-drinking, dry cynic Nixon. The acting is uniformly excellent, a mixture of British and American actors doing themselves proud.

For me, the series highlights include the Bastogne sequence, the capture of Foy, and the jubiliant scenes following the taking of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest.' At no point is the momentum lost, with fierce battle scenes piercing the poignant character moments like loud machine-gun fire.
If you are like me, you will not want it to end. Watching it all in a short period of time on DVD is certainly the way to watch this, as the immediacy adds to the effect.

Overall, a scintillating piece of television, almost perfect. If you don't like war, its maybe not for you, but equally B.O.B should not be dismissed just as a 'war' series. There is far too much depth and character for that...

If the men of Easy Company were in a class of their own, then this series is fittingly superior in its own field and is a worthy testament to them.

A must-see
I was forced into watching this by a friend and only really agreed because i'm a Damian Lewis fan but i now have to admit that it was absolutely superb! I cannot criticise any aspect of this programme. I genuinely felt like I knew the characters and, as the end was approaching and casualties were amassing, I desperately wanted the 'brothers' to make it through. The scenery was so realistic that it could easily have been war-torn Europe in the 1940's.

As someone who doesn't generally like war films I can honestly say that this isn't typical of the genre as it is character based rather than just a stream of special effects laden scenes (although there are some amazing special effects). A particularly unique feature is that the surviving members of 'Easy Company' introduce each episode, as the entire story is based on real events. Spielburg even had the forethoughht to not inform the audience of the identity of the veterans until the end so that we wouldn't know who lived or died.

This programme reminds us of what normal men did for their countries and the world and I think 'B.o.B' shows us that we should never forget what those heroes endured for us all.

'Band of Brothers' is truly poignant and moving, a credit to the excellent cast and crew (and not forgetting the real men of 'Easy Company'), and I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Touching, Stunning, Superb
Very rarely does a film/series get the complete approval of the critics and public. Even Lord of the Rings, probably the most critically acclaimed films of all time, have received numerous ratings of 1/5 on Amazon and similar sites for various reasons.

It is testimony to the brilliance of Band of Brothers that this is now the 143rd review and the lowest is 4 stars - and there are only 5 of them, one because the DVD didn't work first time!

And there is a reason for this. 10 hours is enough to get, well, emotionally attached to the characters, and when some of them inevitably die it's incredibly moving. The series is extremely clever, and doesn't just portray Easy Company, it makes YOU into another member. That is the realism of the content and shows the excellent character building that has been done.

The music is beautiful, get the soundtrack as well! It's brilliantly cued and for the most part is kept in the box, but when it is used it just heightens the power of each scene.

In conclusion, there are parts that will make you stare long and hard at the floor, not wanting to look (Doc Roe at the end of his episode - I won't say any more, it gives it away), and parts that make you smile - and sometimes even laugh at the heroics. One part that comes to mind is Captain Speirs's suicidal run back and forth to connect with I company.

Buy it, you won't regret it, and my copy will get endless re-views.