It was with excited squeals that I discovered last week that Sky premiered the first footage of one of its newest acquisitions and arguably one of the most highly anticipated television events of 2010, the epic HBO mini-series The Pacific.
From the creative team behind 2001’s Band of Brothers, this 10 part series follows the real life experiences of three US Marines across the vast expanse of the Pacific front during World War II. With such Hollywood royalty as Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks involved, the show’s pedigree is undeniable, evidenced further by the huge amount of buzz it is generating already, despite its premiere date being over two months away.
With a cast of relatively unknown actors occupying the lead roles such excitement may seem premature to the uninitiated. But for all of us who fell in love with the Easy Company of Band of Brothers this will seem entirely justified.
Where The Pacific diverges from its predecessor though, is its approach to narrative. The mini-series will focus primarily on the fates of three individuals, rather than the whole company. This seems to be a more personal style of story-telling, as the show follows the soldiers from enlistment to their triumphant, if somewhat uncomfortable, return home at the end of the war.
Taking a documentary style approach to the filming, in what director Tony To describes as “under-the-helmet” shooting, the early footage looks promising. The battle sequences that populate the trailers capture the harshness of war and the discombobulating effect it has on the ordinary soldier to dizzying effect.
Described by co-producer Hanks as “…some of the most vicious stuff I’ve ever seen on film…” the show appears to be pulling no punches when it comes to the action, with some critics drawing similarities between the beach scenes and those of Saving Private Ryan – high praise indeed.
Irish viewers however will be slightly disheartened to discover that Sky has decided to broadcast the mini-series exclusively on its movie channel, limiting access to the show considerably. Fans can only live in hope that RTÉ takes the plunge and purchases the Irish rights, even if it does mean we’ll have to wait a little while longer to see it. And believe me, if The Pacific proves to be even half as good as its predecessor, it will be worth the wait.
