THE PACIFIC - Episodes 7 & 8

 

EPISODE 7 (Peleliu Hills)  -  Still on Peliliu, Sledge gets deeper into the Hell of the miserable island.  The Japanese are holed up in caves in a Hellish environment.  Flamethrowers make their first appearance.  Days pass in a montage using Sledge’s journal to mark the passing weeks.  Turns out being on a mortar crew is not that safe, especially when you “volunteer” for stretcher duty.  At one point, Sledge is helping carry a wounded friend when the friend is killed on the stretcher.  The big set piece is the taking of a bunker.  The use of a flamethrower results in the line “let the bastards burn” (where have I heard that before?).  The hardships are incredible and the men look totally exhausted.  How bad is it?  The Gunnery Sergeant cracks!  The men are developing a tight bond with and adulation of their leader (the “Skipper”).  Premonition alert.  We get the famous “pebbles in the Jap skull” incident from Sledge’s book.  That is just one of numerous gruesome dead bodies.  The smell must have been horrendous, but the men seem to be used to it.  In spite of all this, they still can laugh at a mate who is attacked when he is trying to take a shit.  Themes include the dehumanization of civilized men by combat and the strong bonds that develop in war.  Also, war corrupts even the most moral soldiers.  To show this, Sledge starts smoking and briefly contemplates taking gold teeth.   

 Grade = A+

 

Note:  The three episodes on Peliliu are unmatched for sustained combat.  But it is not combat porn and the narrative is just as strong as the combat.  They were an incredible filmmaking achievement with the most amazing sets ever seen in a war movie or miniseries.  I just shook my head throughout wondering why they were even on that accursed island!

 

EPISODE 8 (Iwo Jima)  -  Sledge’s unit is taken out of combat.  This episode will be Basilone-centric.  He is chafing on his bond tour and itching to get back into combat.  The Marines reluctantly grant his request and he begins to train a new machine gun crew.  In the meantime, he falls in love with a feisty, hard-to-get field cook.  They are married and deserve to live happily ever after.  Suddenly we are in the thick of the landing on Iwo Jima.  Basilone is doing his Rambo imitation in cinematography reminiscent of “Band of Brother”’ this time.  The action frenetic, violent, and graphic.  The scene on Iwo Jima is in the top 5 combat scenes in war movie history. Once again we have combat that makes you wonder how could men go through that without quiting.  And it makes me wonder if our current Army and Marines could do that. Basilone’s death is heart-breaking.  Especially because he selfishly put himself ahead of his marriage.  There was absolutely no reason for him to be there.  War movies sometimes make heroes of men who were in fact selfish towards the ones they loved. Themes include even the greatest warriors sometimes run up against the odds and warriors will be warriors.  Not to mention that true love can be ephemeral.   

Grade =  B