The Pacific: A Valuable Tribute to a Dying Generation
The creative team behind HBO’s Band of Brothers is back to bring us another stirring ode to World War II-era warriors.
The Pacific follows the Marines who battled the Japanese army along the inhospitable terrains of the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
The change of setting from Europe to islands crisscrossing the Pacific is enough to justify the new miniseries’ existence. And while The Pacific isn’t always as dramatically compelling as the historical record, it’s a valuable tribute to a dying generation.
The 10-part miniseries debuts at 9 p.m. EST Sunday night (March 14) with action that begins shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese forces were pummeling U.S. troops for a spell, and it looked like the attack’s momentum would carry the Asian nation to even more military victories.
Each one-hour installment starts with a brief background on the action to follow. World War II veterans reminisce about their Pacific-based combat missions in interviews interconnected by The Pacific co-producer Tom Hanks’ stoic narration.
The series leans on a series of books for inspiration, including Helmet for My Pillow, With the Old Breed, Red Blood, Black Sand, and China Marine. But it’s clear the interviews with the aged Marines also impacted the finished product.
And each time we see those old soldiers on screen, still vital, still able to recall the minute details of their heroism, we marvel at the sacrifices they made on the country’s behalf.
If it’s a storytelling gimmick to kickstart each episode in documentary fashion, it’s a darn good one.
The connective thread involves three Marines — poet warrior Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), John Basilone (Jon Seda, one of the few “name” actors in the solid ensemble), and Eugene B. Sledge (Joe Mazzello).
The latter’s character proves to be the most involving, as he overcomes a heart murmur diagnosis to enlist against the wishes of his father. Once the bullets start flying, it’s hard to blame his dad for wishing his son were anywhere else but crawling through these nightmarish jungles.
Modern war movies don’t hold back on the bloodier aspects of combat, a trend unofficially cemented with Steven Spielberg‘s 1998 epic Saving Private Ryan.
The Pacific continues in that vein without feeling exploitative or cheap. The carnage underscores the constant danger Marines faced as they poured onto battlefields already teeming with enemy soldiers.
Hang on, aren’t we boycotting this due to Hanks?
Since Tom Hanks has shown himself to be a frothing, America-hating Communist lunatic, no good American should watch this.
In fact, no good American should watch the network that brings us that vile Communist POS Bill Mahr.
No, “we” were just wondering if what Hanks “said” in that interview was going to be a reflection on what was in the production. I was hoping it wouldn’t be, and it seems that it isn’t. So I am looking forward to seeing it myself!
Glad to hear it.
Sorry, dude, I’ve been burned too many times. I’m not going to spend my time watching what will likely turn out to be another “America Sucks” program, or read another “America Sucks” book made by people who were able to become unbelievably wealthy here, or were given a home here when no-one else wanted them.
WW2 is not a liberal or conservative thing. Regardless of what Mr. Hanks thinks about our current situation, he has done a good job with WW2. I will watch the Pacific.
We owe a debt to that generation that we cannot repay. Hershel “Woody” Walker said he fought in WW2 because he received something that he couldn’t repay…his freedom. He was born in the US. No one chooses where they are born, and we are given freedom as a birthright.
We talk about money bombs for candidates. How about a money bomb for a place that is trying to preserve their sacrifice for generations to come? I urge you to send a small donation to this link, and help preserve the history of the war. http://www.nationalww2museum.org/giving/
I’ll watch as a tribute to the troops. To hell with Hanks!
Rather than boycotting, it’s more effective to watch the series and write reviews that reflect mainstream America, thus contradicting and showing Hanks the error of his opinions.
Clever Mr. Hanks – Produce a series about the greatness of our soldiers in the Pacific during World War 2 and then use it to promote his own radical left wing lunacy. Nope, not falling for this for an instant. Hit em where it hurts – in his pocketbook. I will not watch it. It is time these people are made to suffer the consequences of their anti-american actions.
Yes, Weapons Deal 11 (aka WW11) a nice short weapons deal and sell lots of weapons led us directly to Korea weapons deal to Vietnam weapons deal…and now…”The Long War weapons deal”…KGB et al are marketing teams for weapons manufactureres…Yes I am correct, and you are brainwashed by Foxmsnbccbsabcnprcnn…who tell/report everything but what you need to know.
hanks made some ill-advised remarks in an interview, but according to this article, none of that has translated into The Pacific. Let’s watch the miniseries and then decide whether to storm his house with torches and pitchforks or not.
also- hanks is an official of AMPAS, so he has to talk the hollywood PC talk. Although… the guy has more money than Jesus, so you’d think he could say whatever he wants.
PS- I am curious how The Pacific will treat the use of The Bomb at the end of the war.
I’ll watch this program. Hanks is making the point that he is more moral than the rest of us. It makes him feel superior and of great worth. The vast amounts of wealth that came to him for standing around while teams of creative people prepared for his 2 minutes of acting skills repeated maybe 12 times a day have to be earned somehow. And, calling the little people Racist, Homophobeic, Nazis is his vehicle.
Hanks starred in Saving Private Ryan, which Spielberg directed. Famously historian Steven Ambrose told Spielberg (after the movie had been filmed) that Hanks was too old for the starring role. When the two men later collaborated as producers on Band of Brothers, they hired a then-unknown actor (British, of course) named Damian Lewis to carry the series as the lead. The series is good, though the connection between the various episodes is tough to follow sometimes. In spite of the difficulty engaging with the characters at times, the various battle scenes are compelling, and the interaction between the characters is at times electrifying. Hanks also directed one of the episodes, which I judged the best of the ten.
Now the two men have collaborated as producers again, and the result is The Pacific. This time, the cast is largely Australian. If I have a beef with Hanks and Spielberg, it’s that they seem to have a problem hiring American actors to play American characters in their productions. I’m waiting for it to be revealed that one of these individuals has been faking an English accent off camera, because the actor *really is* from Kansas. For those who aren’t aware, England at least has very restrictive laws. Americans who wish to be actors but aren’t already stars can’t go to England and get work; the country’s laws prohibit it. I assume that Australia has something similar.
Regardless, The Pacific looks like it’ll be similar to Band of Brothers. Since I enjoyed that series, I’ll be watching this too, hoping all those Aussies can cover their accents.
I will see for myself whether it is a worthy successor to Band of Brothers or not. I have some misgivings. But I would not have watched it just because of Hanks. And I´m not going to miss it just because of Hanks.
As a former 1/4 Marine myself, I would hope that the series doesn’t shortchange the role of the US Navy and Merchant Marine as well.
I am, (and was), one of “those Marines” who deeply appreciated the other members of “the Team”, (even if they do dress kinda funny and march like a pack of monkeys fornicating with watermelons).
From experience, I can tell you that a ship’s engine room isn’t a very good place to be when sh!t that goes “BOOM!” starts flying in your direction.(it’s not possible without oxy-acetylene, to dig a foxhole in a steel plate).
Hope the series shows the significant contributions of Australian regular and special forces in PNG and SE Asia.
But I doubt it. Once again, the US will likely win another war on their own as per Hollywood union rules.
I enjoy Tom Hanks the actor. I have several of his movies in my collection, Turner and Hooch, Splash, Saving Private Ryan…or at least I did until his latest diatribe showed that he’s finally drunk enough of the Hollywood left wing ideologue Kool-Aide to be officially considered a moron. I don’t need Hanks to explain his version of the history of WWII in the Pacific, I’ve read the books and studied the battles. I have more respect for a man like Tadamichi Kuribayashi then I do for Hanks who is simply parroting the leftist line. I’m hopeful that if more Americans boycott this production, and others like it, the Hollywood leftists will get the idea that we, the people, don’t like to watch or hear about how horrible our country is and change their tune. Until then I’ve put his movies in storage.
I’ll be watching, unlike a number here who are cutting off their nose to spite their face. Right now Hanks is the vehicle for an apparently good, or better, presentation on WWII in the Pacific, something I have been looking at in pictures from seventh grade on. The righty equivalent of vegans will boycott it. So it goes.
To #11, T.Johnson. I think you are right. I worked in that business for many years.
Feelings of guilt, of being a fraud and fear of the envy of others are common, the actors and other creatives especially.
I was one of them, for what it’s worth.
I’ll give it a chance. The producers very genuine gratitude to their fathers for what they did and who they were may cancel the self worship.
Hanks is ignorant of history. This is going to be an excellent portrayal of our Marines in the WWII Pacific Theater highlighting the specific experiences of several of them. God Bless the United States Marine Corp! America is proud of the millions of fighting men who fought and gave their lives for our country.
Of course, there are too many miseducated, uneducated ASSHATS like Hank and the anti-American Professors in our colleges and Universities who do their best to pass on their hatred of America to the students in their charge.
Mr. Toto,
I got to say that this sounded like your average everyday puff piece to push Hanks’ and Spielberg’s unquenchable desire to make a killing off WW2. If anybody out there wants to spend your time on a good war movie, check out, “A walk in the sun.” Spielberg and Hanks are squarely in the blame America first ZeroBama club. And I’m certain anti american crap is embedded in Pacific if someone cares to look for it. I smell some covert compensation for raising the cheerleading flag for Pacific and hoping that everybody salutes. Mr. Toto, after reading your piece, I have to say that your credibility has been severely compromised. Instead of contributing to Pajamas, I would respectfully suggest “Media Matters” is much more suited to your talent.
I am a man who served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. I am 88 years of age now, but the events of those years remain vivid in my mind today. My active duty in combat zones was from April 6, 1944 until the end of WWII. I am recipient of the Combat Action Ribbon and participant in several of the Pacific campaigns, notably Peleliu, the Philippines and Okinawa.
I should like to add that I was at Okinawa when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I and my comrades in arms were confident that those drops would end the war. We dreaded the idea of having to invade Japan. American casualties would have been enormous had the invasion occurred, to say nothing of Japanese casualties.
The self appointed experts who now write that Japan was already defeated and would have surrendered without the atomic bomb drops are uninformed and dishonest to say the least. If any one of them wishes to make such a statement to me or any other Pacific veteran, it would be well for him to maintain his distance.
Tom Hanks never said he hated America. He pointed out, quite accurately, that WWII was full of nationalism and xenophobia. He never said that it was a stupid, pointless war and America was wrong (though I don’t doubt Sean Penn will say that in the next few weeks!). He is just about as American as you can get. He had a huge hand in the creation of the National WWII Museum in Washington D.C., and created one of the most realistic representations of WWII, Band of Brothers, which was praised by both critics and WWII veterans, particularly those in Easy Company. Anyone who calls Tom Hanks anti-American is not the smartest person in the world.
This is from CNSNews.com
When asked about his statements on MSNBC that the World War II in the Pacific was a war of “racism and terror” which he compared to what is going on today, Hanks said: “Well, I said it’s familiar with what’s going on today. You can walk into the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, in the Pacific wing, and Stephen Ambrose himself has made that very point. It’s up in black and white, that after Pearl Harbor, these people that were very, very different from each other, the Americans and the Japanese, who had different heritages, who had different theologies and different ways of government, had a different sense of society went at it tooth and nail.
“It would be naïve,” said Hanks, “to assume that racism was not part of the quotient of World War II and it’s historical fact by way of just simply suicide bombers from the air and as well as the terror that was visited upon civilian populations throughout the Pacific that terrorism was not part of the equation as well.”
“World War II veterans reminisce about their Pacific-based combat missions in interviews interconnected by The Pacific co-producer Tom Hanks’ stoic narration.”
You mean we have to listen to Hanks’ voice during each episode? That makes it tough. It’s going to be a while before I can forget what he said. Maybe I’ll catch this on DVD.
The quote in the other article, titled “Is Tom Hanks Unhinged”, is actually inaccurate. Tom Hanks said:
“The Pacific, now, is coming out where it represents a war of racism and terror, and it would seem as though the only way to complete one of these battles in these small specks of rock in the middle of nowhere was to, I’m sorry, kill them all. Does that sound familiar to what we might be going through today? Is there anything new under the sun? It seems as though history keeps repeating itself.”
Shame on you, Pajamas Media, for tarnishing the reputation of a man who was trying to glorify the achievements of our veterans. And you call Tom Hanks anti-American.
The video can be found below.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62716
Also, Tom Hanks says that “What’s going on in Iraq is singular to Iraq and what’s going on in Afghanistan is singular to Afghanistan.” He also says in the video above that he “is not a politician”, and refused to comment on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Way to go Pajamas Media. Please don’t waste your readers’ time like this again. Don’t distort the truth.
Dwight #17: Apparently if I choose to do something with my time other than watch television I’m a “righty equivalent of a vegan”. So be it.
Adrian is correct. Take five minutes and watch this interview with Hanks:
http://www.cnsnews.com/cnsnewstv/v/Xd8zkU8zIr
Then read my post – if you care to (curse me out if needed) but we need to give Hanks a bit of break. He has a fine body of work. And he is no Sean Penn.
We may not agree with his POV but Hanks is not ignorant of history.
Toto – how does ‘The Pacific’ address the atomic bombs?
Actors can hold any moronic opinions they wish to hold – it’s the end product I’m interested in, not the political views of the players. Spielberg has stupid ideas about Cuba – that doesn’t mean “Schindler’s List” and “Band of Brothers” were not worth watching. Other conservative commenters besides Toto have praised “The Pacific” and I’m especially interested in watching it because it features E.B. Sledge as a character. Sledge wrote one of the greatest war memoirs of the 20th century, “With the Old Breed,” a harrowing account of his experiences fighting in the Pacific. I read it about a year ago and I highly recommend it.
Any series which brings Sledge’s story to the attention of millions is a good and worthy thing, nevermind what Hanks and Spielberg might believe or not believe.
I am not going to apply litmus tests to my entertainment based on whether the actors/producers/director subscribe to my politics. That would leave me with precious little to watch or enjoy. Jon Voight isn’t making a lot of movies these days
Again, it’s the end product that matters.
In war the enemy is always dehumanized since most have to be killed for survival. America was not racist against Asians because we fought for many Asians and quickly helped rebuild the Island nation. However, China still has racist feelings about Japan due to the carnage they have inflicted. Hanks make an incredibly stupid statement, possible to inflame opinion and gain more viewers.
Either way, shame on him.
I killed HBO after Generation Kill and watching maher during the Iraq war. So no Pacific for me. Have read about it extensively and do not need the hollyweird treatment.
But we do need a viral boycott of all things damon, penn, clooney, glover, other commies. Who is funding these anti-American movies ussr? china? venezuela????
Not much press about how the shia in Iraq are happy to be free.
To PaulM (#21): Thank you, sir, for your service to our country.
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment regarding use of nuclear weapons against the Japanese. Most top-level military commanders put the estimated number of casualties in an invasion of Japan at 1,000,000. The revisionist historians who like to distort the facts in order to serve their agenda conveniently overlook this fact. They also overlook the fact that even after having two of their cities wiped from the face of the earth, there were still a tremendous number of high-ranking Japanese government officials who stubbornly refused to consider surrender as an option. It was what was known as the Code of Bushido, in which Japanese military personnel were trained from day one to consider surrender as completely unacceptable. Anyone who has studied WWII (as I have for over 40 years) is aware of the extremely small number of Japanese POWs, because most of them preferred to commit suicide rather than surrender.
As far as the HBO series goes, I will not watch it for two reasons: (1) I do not subscribe to HBO, and (2) I will not support a network that is a mouthpiece for that useless idiot Bill Maher. I have over 200 books about WWII that I inherited from my parents, most of them about the Pacific campaign. I have already read many of them, and will continue to get my history from them rather than from HBO.
Incidentally, I own two of the books cited in the article as being the basis for the series – “Helmet For My Pillow” and “With The Old Breed.”
Why blame Pajamas Media for Hanks’ comments? It was Time Magazine who provided the original quote and did not bother to ask for clarification. It was a simplistic comment and it was they who let it pass.
Sounds more like Time was trying to push a certain political line.
“viewers will feel the concussive force of every mortar shell and sniper round, a visceral torrent nearly unmatched in modern war pictures.”
And rightly so…we WILL…WE WILL…react forcefully and finally to the 21st century threat of Islamist scum that threatens us….watch out you Islamist sheetheads….we’ll come after you…by God.
Sean Penn…I hope Hanks dies of rectal cancer!
Why wouldn’t Penn wish that? After all……Hanks…somehow…pays tribute to those brave men…who fought against Fascists like Penn…for our lives.
I’ve seen the first episode twice now, and I have to say my suspicions were confirmed. The U.S. is portrayed as racist, but in a realistic way. It’s not as if we weren’t racist during the era; the Japanese were also, of course, and actually much worse in some instances. Those instances will probably be outside the focus of the story however, as the series seems focused on the Marines during the island war.
I enjoyed the episode, however, and after reading the further quotes I think Hanks has cleared up whatever misconceptions his original comments led people to make. The show makes it clear that while Americans were racist, they weren’t evil, and they were fighting for a just cause. And it was a very well-done episode.
DavidN #17, you don’t have to worry about Aussies covering American accents. We’ve done it for years – it’s surprisingly easy. Linguists say the American accent is one of the easiest to adopt and one of the hardest to lose.
What I find horrendous is an American trying to do an Aussie accent. They have no clue and end up sounding like constipated South Africans whose mother was a cockney.
(All in fun of course, but honestly accents would be the last of my worries about this series!)
I watched the first episode with some degree of trepidation. So far so good. The moment that changes I’m out.
I served in L/3/1 in Vietnam where I was admitted to the Purple Heart Club. During several decades as an active member of MOPH it was my honor and pleasure to get to know a large number of Marines who served in these island campaigns. Many are gone now but I still hold them in awe for their fortitude and dedication to the Corps.
It rankles me that Hanks and Spielberg make money by exploiting an American patriotism that they don’t share but I will watch it as a tribute to all of those brave souls who saw their duty and accepted it, regardless of the cost.
Semper Fi, Marines!
J. Getty hits a sour note and should save his spleen for Nobel inventing dynamite. Seper Fi to Marines from one dogface who honors all of them. The first installment was choppy with little background and lots of creepy narration by Hanks. (dark and lonely work) Hoping we gets some improvement going forward.
DavidN, whats with the anti-british thing? There are loads of U.S actors over here, some of them can even act! Why would you pick a brit to play a Yank except that they could play the part.
Hanks has said some ill advised things but compared with some of those Hollywood Space Cadets he is not a bad chap!
Th
wont subscribe to HBO…won’t watch it.
What I WILL do is buy the DVD package after its released like I did Band of Brothers.
and eliminate HBO from the mix.
and all its liberal hogwash
I’m less concerned about what Tom Hanks things than the fact that all someone has to do is yell “Tom Hanks is a no-good Commee” and half you guys are frothing at the mouth and competing to see who’s gonna boycott him harder. Don’t be silly, Tom Hanks is not a Com’nist. Furthermore, when I read his comments — as reported in Time as as clarified later by one of the posters above — I think he’s primarily talking about Japanese racism and terror.
Bottom line: it’s too bad Hanks had to be involved in this. It definitely casts suspicion on the production.
But will Hanks say it was over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
To bad this isn’t the European Theater, if it was Tom Hanks would already be in character for a Nazi. If I had HBO I would watch this series, It is a tribute and the real story of our soldiers in the pacific theater.
To heck with Hanks because saying what he did just makes people not watch the series and further Liberal mindsets of the war, he is trying to project the dislike for him onto the show to tank it(and not with M4 Shermans).
Listen to all opinions even that of your enemy so as to know their motive.
Somebody should tell Hanks that the very good work he has done in “The Pacific” is undermined by the kind of stupid, ignorant pre-show comments that he made, which he made as a matter of obligatory and quite idiotic Hollywood left wing talk. Pre-show comments should have focused on the story of the courage and heroism of our troops. Hanks has no excuse.
Rachel Peepers # 20:
My father slugged his way across Europe with the 12th Armored Division from Sept. 44 to May 45 and always said that a Walk in the Sun was the best, and most realistic depiction of the European Theatre that he ever saw. Glad you and he have the same taste.
Are you kidding me?! The Pacific painted most of these people as rabid racists at every turn – Hanks let it “slip” in an interview that he believes we entered into a war with Japan because we were (and still are) a bunch of racists
I was with the 1st Marine Division in the Gulf War. So far so good with the series.
When Chesty Puller, John Basilone and the 7th Marines march past Lekie in the first episodes, I got chills.
Chesty is the most decorated and most beloved Marine Officer in history. Basilone’s bravery is beyond description.
It rankles me that Hanks and Spielberg make money by exploiting an American patriotism that they don’t share but I will watch it as a tribute to all of those brave souls who saw their duty and accepted it, regardless of the cost.