I gotta read all these posts, but i have to say this is becoming a really great conversation about the movie!
OK first off big dick I don't think SPR or BoB are documentaries
In fact if you pulled off your ass hat you'd remember that I said band of brothers was my favorite war movie, and I knew they had hollywood exaggerations, but it didn't bother me because of how well the action was done. Band of Brothers made you feel like you were right there with them, and that's a pretty profound experience.
I agree. That series, while it did have it's hollywood esque elements, was profoundly entertaining and also, I think, enlightening. I felt like I was a part of that unit too, and I cared about it.
And even with that beign said, I also think the movie has relevence in a philosophical discussion about acurrately representing the dynamic of ww2.
I recall in particular the moment at the end of one of the later episodes, during the interview, where a veteren recalls "I didn't hate the German soldiers, he was just doin a job like I was. Some of them might have liked to hunt or fish like me, and I couldn't help but wonder if, in a different circumstance, we might have become good friends." (rough paraphrase).
I felt it was these little touches that allowed BoB to be more than just a propaganda film made by the victors. At the ground level for much of the war, it wasn't about politics or religion, it was about soldiers doing their duty. The movie recognized that, as I did not feel Inglorious Bastards did, and it made me love the series all the more.
As it stands, I like Riki hold BoB as one of the foremost examples of a fine piece of WW2-based entertainment. It offers all the fun and enjoyment of WW2 atmosphere and combat, without insulting sensibilities or intelligence. I also felt it didn't glorify violence, so much as hope to tell the story of the way combat influences and shapes those involved in it. The effect was stunning, and I can't wait to see The Pacific. Well said Riki.
-Wind
