By the turn of the century, audiences everywhere had already been treated to sublimely made war films and series. Between the likes of movies like Platoon, Apocalypse Now, and Saving Private Ryan, to be counted among this elite club, war projects had to be exceptionally made, feature unforgettable performances, vivid realism, and be as accurate as possible. While many great war films and series can check most of the key boxes, the accuracy part can often prove a challenge. However, in many ways, Band of Brothers seemed to have gotten this part right.
The 2001 miniseries was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and starred an epic cast that even included a barely 24-year-old Tom Hardy among its stellar supporting cast. The show was a massive hit and peaked at a 97% Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter (audience score), in addition to winning both the Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Miniseries. However, despite all its richly deserved acclaim, the show did feature a surprising number of historical inaccuracies. This is especially surprising, given that it’s often hailed for its accuracy as a WWII drama.
True Accuracy Wasn’t Possible According to Tom Hanks
Band of Brothers follows the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division’s exploits between 1942 and the end of the war. Known as the “Easy” Company, the show had plenty of great material to work with, given what these soldiers truly went through during those years — including starvation, freezing weather, and other miseries aside from the more common horrors of war. Tom Hardy played Private John Janovec, a member of the “Easy” Company who appeared in an episode titled “The Last Patrol”. Other notable names in the supporting cast included James McAvoy, Colin Hanks, Jimmy Fallon, and Simon Pegg.
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Despite all the real stories to draw from, it is commonplace to mix fiction with war stories, even when based on real-life events, and Band of Brothers was no exception. It followed the soldiers involved in this division as they went through a harrowing campaign. By brilliantly capturing both their immense emotional struggles and the intensity of the actual battles they fought in, the show was quickly recognized as one of the best depictions of war ever.
Among all the praise, the show was widely recognized for being very accurate in many respects. Despite this, war historians have pointed out that the show did have some glaring inaccuracies. Tom Hanks himself was quite candid about this part. In fact, when speaking to the real Major Richard Winters, whose story was prominent in the series, Hanks made it clear just how little accuracy he was willing to settle for.
Look, Major, this is Hollywood. At the end of the day we will be hailed as geniuses if we get this 12 percent right. We are going to shoot for 17 percent.
Some of the Most Glaring Inaccuracies in ‘Band of Brothers’
Among many of the inaccuracies contained in the personal stories of actual soldiers who fought in the war, some other macro inaccuracies were quite glaring, too. For example, the way the series dealt with the stories of African American soldiers has been criticized. This is because, in general, historians note that it tends to minimize how much of a role they played and their true impact on certain incidents. This is one of its most controversial inaccuracies, but it is far from the only one.
Others include technical inaccuracies, like the fact that Episode 3 of the series, which featured the battle of Carentan, portrayed the German counteroffensive as having used destroyer tanks known as Jagdpanthers. In reality, these were only used later on and weren’t available to the Germans during that period of the war. Another inaccuracy was how it sought to contain many battles into one seminal fight when, in reality, those events occurred over an extended period of time.
Personal Inaccuracies Were More Rife in ‘Band of Brothers’
While the historical and technical inaccuracies were apparent to those in the know, it was perhaps the personal inaccuracies that were more prominent. To those whose stories the characters were actually based on, it likely seemed like a whole different retelling of events to see their lives play out on screen.
Some of the most poignant inaccuracies in this sense came from particular things about particular characters. For instance, Lieutenant Dike is portrayed as incompetent and even cowardly. However, in reality, he is noted to have shown great courage and performed heroic deeds. Another example is how Captain Nixon’s previous military experience and significance to the unit weren’t given enough prominence.
When it came to personal inaccuracies and inconsistencies with reality, these were varied and many. In fact, they didn’t just have to do with aspects of the war or specific battles. In some cases, they were about the person specifically. In the case of Lieutenant Liebgott, he was portrayed as Jewish. In reality, because of his name and physical features, others in his unit assumed he was Jewish. In fact, he was actually Roman Catholic.
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Remembering Those Who Are Still on Active Duty Today
There were many other instances of inaccuracies between various characters and their counterparts. However, while many of these have been noted to prove that Band of Brothers wasn’t that accurate in many ways, this never dissuaded from its brilliance. The series itself is still noted for being one of the best of its kind ever made, which led to the companion series, The Pacific, and the more recent Masters of the Air, being released last year and more to come.
What is undeniable is that they often remain fitting testaments to the bravery and courage under fire that so many military veterans have shown around the world throughout the history of war. Sadly, for the thousands of soldiers on the front lines of the wars still raging on today, their stories are still being written, and the horrors they must face are still a daily and currently inescapable reality. Band of Brothers is currently streaming on Max and Netflix.
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