HBO's "The Pacific" Miniseries Discussion Thread

[FSTargetDrone]

HBO Official Site.

It's free, but you have to register. I have no idea if this will work outside of the USA.

[Thanas]

It does not work outside the US.

[FSTargetDrone]

I registered just before I posted that and I'm still waiting for my registration confirmation e-mail.

[Elfdart]

I watched it last night and it was awesome. It was exactly how my grandfather described it, as well as the pictures and things he brought back. All the way down to the fabric in the uniforms and the weapons (Springfields, water-cooled Brownings, Tommy guns with drum magazines).

They even got Chesty Puller's voice right, though Robert Patrick doesn't look like him at all.

[Flagg]

I watched it last night and it was awesome. It was exactly how my grandfather described it, as well as the pictures and things he brought back. All the way down to the fabric in the uniforms and the weapons (Springfields, water-cooled Brownings, Tommy guns with drum magazines).

They even got Chesty Puller's voice right, though Robert Patrick doesn't look like him at all.

That was William Sadler from 'Shawshank Redemption' and 'Die Hard 2' fame.

[Elfdart]

I watched it last night and it was awesome. It was exactly how my grandfather described it, as well as the pictures and things he brought back. All the way down to the fabric in the uniforms and the weapons (Springfields, water-cooled Brownings, Tommy guns with drum magazines).

They even got Chesty Puller's voice right, though Robert Patrick doesn't look like him at all.

That was William Sadler from 'Shawshank Redemption' and 'Die Hard 2' fame.

I always get the two confused, along with Anthony Heald.

[Civil War Man]

Fun Fact: My grandfather was John Basilone's platoon CO on Iwo Jima. We're all hoping that when the series gets there, he talks about this green lieutenant who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

[Lonestar]

Last Friday a coworker of mine had the day off. His facebook status was updated that evening with pictures of him, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and the cast at the WW2 Memorial in DC. He's a bigwig with a veteran's group that tries to get WW2 vets to the WW2 memorial before they die, so he was invited to the premeire.

Pretty neat, I thought.

I had three great uncles(Mom's Dad's brothers) who fought in WW2. One in Europe, one who ran the O Club in Pearl harbor("Fighting the Mai tai front") and one who was coastal arty in Alaska. A family of heroes, we are.

[weemadando]

I'm going to be playing "spot the Melbourne landmarks that have been substituted for other locations" and if watching with my brother in law "spot the reservists who played extras for some extra cash"

[aieeegrunt]

It does not work outside the US.

CURSE YOU SOCIALIST CANUCKISTAN! I guess I will have to console myself with health care and worker's rights grumble grumble.

[[R_H]]

It does not work outside the US.

CURSE YOU SOCIALIST CANUCKISTAN! I guess I will have to console myself with health care and worker's rights grumble grumble.

There are of course other ways of being able to watch it.


The surviving Japanese soldier blowing himself and 2 Marines up was pretty brutal, not to mention the subsequent tormenting of an other. He looked pretty frustrated/distraught before the guy put an end to it by shooting him.

[Admiral Valdemar]

There are of course other ways of being able to watch it.


The surviving Japanese soldier blowing himself and 2 Marines up was pretty brutal, not to mention the subsequent tormenting of an other. He looked pretty frustrated/distraught before the guy put an end to it by shooting him.

No kidding. Apparently Tojo's men wanted honourable deaths.

It's amazing the attention to detail that went into this, but also the expense (blows BoB's budget out of the water now). I had a grandfather who fought in Burma, so while this isn't quite the same, it at least gives you an idea of what the tropical campaign was like compared to that which you'd get in Europe. The landing craft storming the beach only to be confronted not with MG42 equivalents spewing hot lead, but marines relaxing was definitely different. Not all that much better for them, mind. I'd rather a straight up fight than dealing with hiding Japanese soldiers and booby traps.

[Elfdart]

My kid sister (apparently she was a blond in a previous life) called me up and said "I think that Sergeant was supposed to be Grandaddy!"

I pointed out that (a) there was more than one sergeant on Guadalcanal with a Tommy Gun (b) these shows usually go to the trouble of casting actors who look somewhat like the people they're playing, or can at least impersonate them, and the guy in the show neither looks nor sounds anything like my grandfather and (c) most telling, he is never shown with a cigar. Couldn't possibly be him.

[Elfdart]

Holy shit! I wasn't expecting them to show the jarheads actually stealing Army gear!

[Agent Fisher]

That gave me a good chuckle. And "So smoke any cigars you might not have."

[CaptHawkeye]

This show has done a wonderful job illustrating why human wall and rush tactics that were the staple of warfare for years, have no place in the world of the Machine Gun. I thought it was pretty telling when Basilone ran out to push over the mountain of Japanese corpses in front of their position, and they were chest high.

[Elfdart]

This show has done a wonderful job illustrating why human wall and rush tactics that were the staple of warfare for years, have no place in the world of the Machine Gun. I thought it was pretty telling when Basilone ran out to push over the mountain of Japanese corpses in front of their position, and they were chest high.

And those Marines were armed with bolt-actions and machineguns with a relatively low rate of fire -and both were short on ammo.

I see the next episode takes place in Australia. My grandfather and great uncle were Archie Bunker-types with low opinions of foreigners in general, but both were always very fond of Australians. Local businessmen paid out of their own pockets to let wounded and malaria-stricken Jarheads stay in a nearby hotel. Australians (civilians and military) were appalled at how the Marines were treated and left to wear their tattered uniforms for weeks, so they gave them spare uniforms and other clothes. My grandfather lucked out and was given a spare shirt and jacket by an Australian sergeant, which he kept until he died.

I doubt that's the only reason he liked Australia so much, since he would immediately clam up about the place whenever my grandmother was in the vicinity.

LINK

[[R_H]]

"Peaches, your new name is peaches."

Jungle warfare didn't look like fun, that's for sure.

[Sea Skimmer]

This show has done a wonderful job illustrating why human wall and rush tactics that were the staple of warfare for years, have no place in the world of the Machine Gun. I thought it was pretty telling when Basilone ran out to push over the mountain of Japanese corpses in front of their position, and they were chest high.

In real life the Japanese did have tanks in the attack.

[CaptHawkeye]

Interesting. How did they stop them? From what I heard most Japanese Armour was so sub-par during the war that infantry rifles could pierce it in the right places. The Americans must have landed with at least a few ATGs though.

[Elfdart]

The Marines had 37mm AT guns.

[Mr Bean]

Interesting. How did they stop them? From what I heard most Japanese Armour was so sub-par during the war that infantry rifles could pierce it in the right places. The Americans must have landed with at least a few ATGs though.

Ha-go's and Chi-ha's to be exact. It's the Ha-go which your thinking of and that was only the BAR which could penetrate certain sections of the "tank"

Both tanks where shit but the Chi-ha was much more respectable a tank. However when an infantryman faces a tank be it a Ha-go or a Tiger he's still up shit creek unless he has a bazooka(Or his own tank or anti-tank gun) along. However Japanese tanks were shitty enough most WWI vintage tactics worked against them including satchel charges (Hard to get close enough to use them) and even HE shells from the 76mm and 105mm artillery pieces could render a Chi-ha much less a ha-go combat incapable.

The Ha-go was also the once famous if you got up close a Kbar(Or other knife like object) could be jammed into the turret ring to freeze the turret in place because the hand cracked turret had just enough assist to move a turret in peacetime conditions, mud and soil from nearby artillery explosions could acclimate and jam the turret as well.

[spaceviking]

I'm thinking the Pacific is making me numb to dead Japanese infantry. I enjoyed the BOB battles far more.

[Stravo]

I have been watching the series now for 4 episodes and I have to say it has not moved me like Band of Brothers did. This show certainly has the bigger budget and it shows but it doesn't seem to have the heart that BoB had and the battle scenes have been rather meh for my tastes. I don't dislike the show at all, it's been entertaining but the comparisons between the two shows cannot be avoided.

Some highlights I have enjoyed is the focus on how detrimental to morale just the climate alone was to these guys. The steady rain, jungle rot, the mud, the heat, the same clothes for months. Jesus christ when the Canadian soldier shot himself I could empathize. I can't help think (and I'm sure European front vets might disagree) but the Pacific theater was far more brutal in terms of climate.

The view of the homefront during the war is also cool and something that BoB lacked.

The depiction of what the soldiers were like at home right before they ship out. One scene that stayed with me was near the begining when Basalone is saying good bye to his family and the old Italian patriarch dad is sitting there looking at his son and he takes his hand and says nothing but the sheer emotion in his eyes speaks volumes then juxtapose that with the WASPY dad who can barely shake his son's hand when he's dropping him off mirrored many experiences I have had in interactions with my Italian friends (very similar in cultural outlook and traditions as hispanics) as opposed to my WASP friends.

My lack of knowledge of details and specifics about what happened in the Pacific I find helpful too because it helps increase the drama. I really don't know if they're going to be over run or if this battle will turn out to be a disaster or not unlike BoB where I pretty much knew how everything was going to play out.

The series also makes you think too - there's the kid hoping his heart murmur will go so he can serve and it makes me wonder whether we can ever be like that again. Is anyone hoping that his heart murmur will go away so they can go serve in Afghanistan? Will we have a generation like that again willing to make those sacrifices?

My main gripe though is the seeming lack of narrative focus. The shows jump from scene to scene and location to location but I don't feel like we're experiencing a single flowing narrative but more like some very interesting vignettes. To put it another way it's like someone is sitting down telling war stories off the top of his head and not laying out a single story.

What I have been looking out for since the series was first announced is how they will handle the Battle of Iwo Jima. I am looking forward to the brutality and sheer grit that will be on display.

One burning question has been bugging me since watching this. The Japanese so far have been displayed to be rather stupid in their fighting. Mass human wave charges, senseless attacks, acting almost like cartoon villains in terms of their fighting prowess. It makes one wonder either we're not getting an accurate depiction of the fighting with the Japanese or the Japanese must have had a cake walk in their initial invasions in the Pacific. How could they have become so dominant so quickly yet fight so shitty? Am I missing something?

[Thanas]

One burning question has been bugging me since watching this. The Japanese so far have been displayed to be rather stupid in their fighting. Mass human wave charges, senseless attacks, acting almost like cartoon villains in terms of their fighting prowess. It makes one wonder either we're not getting an accurate depiction of the fighting with the Japanese or the Japanese must have had a cake walk in their initial invasions in the Pacific. How could they have become so dominant so quickly yet fight so shitty? Am I missing something?

It is pretty accurate. They became so dominant through sheer sacrifice, cutting a lot of corners and having their enemies being completely surprised and demoralized.

Edit: This thread deals pretty much with those questions.