The Pacific (TV Show)

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Lifer

If they can keep Tom Hanks off the airways trying to draw a parallel between the Japanese and Islamic terrorists.  After his statement, I wonder a bit if they won't try to inject a political message into the story line.

If not political, then philisophical.

From "A Fight to the Death" by Hugh Ambrose -- son of the late Stephen Ambrose -- in this week's Parade:

Since they couldn't win, the Japanese "killed soley for the sake of killing, without hope or higher purpose," but by matching their fanaticism, the Marines were losing their own humanity and peace of mind.

"America would win, but what would that victory look like"?

Ambrose concluded that by rebuilding Japan, we had also won the peace, but then he added that the US was once again "at war with an implacable enemy willing to fight o the death ..."

So Hanks isn't the only one drawing parallels in "The Pacific".

[SuluSea]

I watched all the profiles and prevues they had on demand and the show looks like it will be super. I can hardly wait I've been looking forward to it since it was announced they were filming it.

[Lifer]

I just don't believe that the grunt on the ground during the fiercest of battles will wonder about his loss of humanity.  Reflection and what toll it took on his humanity comes during reflection and reliving of the horrors of combat.  My point, I guess, is that I wonder what message will try to be conveyed by the series in light of Hanks comments.  Trying to think back to Band of Brothers and I can't remember an underlying political message. 

Greg

[Misconduct]

Long as "The Pacific" doesn't turn out like that piece of crap movie Pearl Ha*bor was, then I will probably enjoy it.

/yes I know I added a star in there, not saying full name of that P.O.S movie.

[Grotius]

Documentary?

You're right, it's mostly a work of fiction, but apparently there's a mini-documentary at the start of every episode. I should've called it a "movie" or "film," I guess.

[Pascal_slith]

ORIGINAL: treespider

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

Excellent news.

A shame that it is about ground troopers again like in Band of Brother. It would have been really interesting with pilots or sailors. 

Wasn't there a series on TV in the 70's starring Robert Conrad?[:)]

Baa Baa Black Sheep. Conrad plays Marine ace Pappy Boyington. The book is very interesting. The show was good entertainment, especially the 4-6 real Corsair fighters they used.

Sorry, answered before I saw John D.'s answer

[rmielech]

ORIGINAL: Lifer

  Trying to think back to Band of Brothers and I can't remember an underlying political message. 

Greg

Every war movie I've ever seen has a political message. War is hell, especially on the guys and girls in the trenches and their loved ones. You don't spend time in hell without getting burned, so the horror continues for many as long as they live, even if it's in their own minds. That may be the worst of it in a lot of ways. We crunch numbers as wargamers, but it's a good idea to remember how abstracted it all is as we play. Grunts don't get to play at it.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Lifer

I just don't believe that the grunt on the ground during the fiercest of battles will wonder about his loss of humanity.  Reflection and what toll it took on his humanity comes during reflection and reliving of the horrors of combat.  My point, I guess, is that I wonder what message will try to be conveyed by the series in light of Hanks comments.  Trying to think back to Band of Brothers and I can't remember an underlying political message ...

It was there, esp. during a BoB episode that featured the discovery of a German concentration camp.

As for the Ambrose article on "The Pacific," you can read it for yourself on-line at:

http://www.parade.com/news/2010/03/14-a ... death.html

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

It also mentioned that the battle for Pelileu was a highlight of the series, with several episodes at least touching on it. That's not necessarily bad, but I'm not sure it's a focus I'd have chosen.

I think it's because of artist Tom Lea, and his iconic paintings and sketches from Peleliu. One of the TV promos shows a young marine stumbling along, and his face is the video equivalent of Lea's "Two Thousand Yard Stare":

http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/wp-co ... are-lg.jpg

[Lifer]

My screen name comes from the saying, "I'm no lifer, I'm going to do my four years and get the @#$% out." Being called a lifer was an insult my first enlistment. Retired in 2003 so the term became sort of a joke among those who were in for a career. My son and daughter (both grown btw) still have the postcards I sent written on the cardboard sleeves from the covers of MRE food from Iraq.

Maybe I'm just taking it the wrong way but don't assume that everyone here pushes around bits and bytes and pretends they know what war is like. Many of the posters here have - Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and sent the postcards.

Greg

[sfbaytf]

I have an idea why Pelileu may be the focus of the series. 30 years ago our family was close to someone who fought there. (eventually spent 30 years in the military and retired in the 70's after a distinguished career) I don't know a lot of the details - was never really discussed much and some of what I do know was told to me by my father and what I heard from the persons wife-she definately had an opinion about the battle and wasn't shy about saying what she thought.

Basically all were discusted on so many levels about the whole affair. That's the long and short of it. Many believed then and to this day that Pelileu should have never been fought and should have just been bypassed.

I agree 100% that combat never really does leave one. The memories will always remain.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

I have an idea why Pelileu may be the focus of the series. 30 years ago our family was close to someone who fought there. (eventually spent 30 years in the military and retired in the 70's after a distinguished career) I don't know a lot of the details - was never really discussed much and some of what I do know was told to me by my father and what I heard from the persons wife-she definately had an opinion about the battle and wasn't shy about saying what she thought.

I'm beginning to think you're right. If this really is the focus of the whole show, it fits right into the current Hollywood War Movie ethos. And that's a not a good thing.

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

Excellent news.

A shame that it is about ground troopers again like in Band of Brother. It would have been really interesting with pilots or sailors. 

Oh please don't encourage them.... (Sorry Elf). [;)]

There are heaps of films out there on featuring pilots and ships (Baa Baa Black sheep, Flying Leathernecks, Midway, etc, etc) though swabbies are usually strangely absent. There have been precious few films made on the ground pounders who had to sleep in the mud and could not retire back to the crew room and the bar at the end of the day. Please let them have heir moment of glory (/recognition?).

[sfbaytf]

I really can't say. For the longest time Hollywood tended to glorify war and made very unrealistic movies. My fathers and others could barely stand to watch them-besides they had other things they'd rather do. I don't know what he thinks about the newer crop of movies that are far more realistic-if he's bother to even watch them. I don't ask and we'd rather talk about other things like fishing.

Most of the others in his generation who I knew including the Major have long since passed away. All I have is the memories and the medals and other stuff they were kind enough to leave me. The one thing I did take away from their war experiences was overwhelming fear and discust at the killing and destruction. Those days war movies were hardly as gritty and realistic as today so I had no idea of what it was really like, so it was good to get a counter balancing perspective.

I don't think they wanted to dwell on what they did in the war once they got back home. For the longest time my fathers attitude towards the military and war was ambivalent. He certainly was not the type of person who wanted to solve everything by fighting and he was never was very political either. He thought politics was a bunch of b.s. and politicians were idiots who couldn't make a living doing something useful.

I'm just going to watch "The Pacific" and take it for what it is.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

I'm just going to watch "The Pacific" and take it for what it is.

One of the many things that made Band of Brothers so interesting is how it followed a single unit of the 101st Airborne through all their battles. So it gave you a good mixture of successes and failures, and I felt it to be rather balanced on that basis. In this case we have the 1st Marine division, so one might expect to follow one of its units through the whole Pacific Campaign, which includes Guadalcanal, Peleliu, and finally Okinawa. But if the focus is only the middle battle (and at this stage we don't have anything more than a review to indicate that might be the case), than it raises the question of "why only that one"?

I guess we'll soon find out.

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: Kull

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

I'm just going to watch "The Pacific" and take it for what it is.

One of the many things that made Band of Brothers so interesting is how it followed a single unit of the 101st Airborne through all their battles. So it gave you a good mixture of successes and failures, and I felt it to be rather balanced on that basis. In this case we have the 1st Marine division, so one might expect to follow one of its units through the whole Pacific Campaign, which includes Guadalcanal, Peleliu, and finally Okinawa. But if the focus is only the middle battle (and at this stage we don't have anything more than a review to indicate that might be the case), than it raises the question of "why only that one"?

I guess we'll soon find out.

I believe from what has already been said that the producers wanted to cover a greater scope of the course of the war.

No single unit was everywhere so they made the decision to base the screenplay upon three novels that together covered most of the material they wanted to present.

[jb123]

ORIGINAL: Kull

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

I'm just going to watch "The Pacific" and take it for what it is.

One of the many things that made Band of Brothers so interesting is how it followed a single unit of the 101st Airborne through all their battles. So it gave you a good mixture of successes and failures, and I felt it to be rather balanced on that basis. In this case we have the 1st Marine division, so one might expect to follow one of its units through the whole Pacific Campaign, which includes Guadalcanal, Peleliu, and finally Okinawa. But if the focus is only the middle battle (and at this stage we don't have anything more than a review to indicate that might be the case), than it raises the question of "why only that one"?

I guess we'll soon find out.

The series is based on two authors, loosely. In his book one of the authors, Sledge, bemoaned the fact that most Americans never heard of peleliu. We (grognards, and history enthusiasts) may find this strange. But it was and continues to be true. It was a terrible battle that got little press, probably because it was terrible.

[sfbaytf]

The last Japanese soldiers holding out on Peleiu finally surrendered in 1947. 

In the 70's another die hard Japanese soldier was convinced the war was over and finally surrendered.

I can only imagine his culture shock when he returned to Japan.

[Misconduct]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

The last Japanese soldiers holding out on Peleiu finally surrendered in 1947. 

In the 70's another die hard Japanese soldier was convinced the war was over and finally surrendered.

I can only imagine his culture shock when he returned to Japan.

Yeah they are busy getting married to cushion pillows.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/vie ... s-cushion/

/how does one go from Kamakazi to this I have no clue?

[mike scholl 1]

ORIGINAL: jb123
The series is based on two authors, loosely. In his book one of the authors, Sledge, bemoaned the fact that most Americans never heard of peleliu. We (grognards, and history enthusiasts) may find this strange. But it was and continues to be true. It was a terrible battle that got little press, probably because it was terrible.

And I imagine even more ignored because it turned out to be totally unnecessary. Decisions that wind up being embarrassing for the High Command tend to get swept under the rug. The only worthwhile thing captured during this campaign turned out to be the undefended Ulithi Atoll...