This one will be short...it's really more of a thought. I'm currently watching 'Band of Brothers,' the incredible HBO miniseries about Easy Company--a platoon of men battling World War II in Europe. This show was an instant favorite of mine and I never missed an episode while it was on, and watch it every time it's on cable. The writing is exactly as it should be--smart, harsh when it demands it, and subtle or tender when necessary. These are characters that anyone who's had the pleasure of experiencing this miniseries will never forget. But I can't help but wonder...is 'Band of Brothers' just for dudes? Traditionally, men seem to love war. Not necessarily the real thing (not all the time, anyway), but movies or other forms of entertainment dealing with the theme. I myself have always had a deep interest in World War II history, so much so that I've visited three concentration camps and have taken the 8-hour walking tour of Berlin. But is this something women can get into? There's no doubt the piece is a work of art, but do they get it? Does the theme of fraternity cross no-man's-land over to estrogen territory? In contrast, there are incredible films that garner mostly a female (and gay) audience, for example, 'Pride & Prejudice.' It does fall neatly into the "chick-flick" milieu, but it is one of the greatest films I've ever seen (the Joe Wright version). Do men understand it's greatness? Not so sure about that. Anyway...I was just wondering. Ladies: does 'Band of Brothers' make you weep like a child as it does us men?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Band of Brothers: Just for dudes?
This one will be short...it's really more of a thought. I'm currently watching 'Band of Brothers,' the incredible HBO miniseries about Easy Company--a platoon of men battling World War II in Europe. This show was an instant favorite of mine and I never missed an episode while it was on, and watch it every time it's on cable. The writing is exactly as it should be--smart, harsh when it demands it, and subtle or tender when necessary. These are characters that anyone who's had the pleasure of experiencing this miniseries will never forget. But I can't help but wonder...is 'Band of Brothers' just for dudes? Traditionally, men seem to love war. Not necessarily the real thing (not all the time, anyway), but movies or other forms of entertainment dealing with the theme. I myself have always had a deep interest in World War II history, so much so that I've visited three concentration camps and have taken the 8-hour walking tour of Berlin. But is this something women can get into? There's no doubt the piece is a work of art, but do they get it? Does the theme of fraternity cross no-man's-land over to estrogen territory? In contrast, there are incredible films that garner mostly a female (and gay) audience, for example, 'Pride & Prejudice.' It does fall neatly into the "chick-flick" milieu, but it is one of the greatest films I've ever seen (the Joe Wright version). Do men understand it's greatness? Not so sure about that. Anyway...I was just wondering. Ladies: does 'Band of Brothers' make you weep like a child as it does us men?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Band of Brothers is simply an amazing piece of artwork. Beautifully told by the men in the interviews and recreated by the visionaries of Speilberg and Hanks. I would hope that women could enjoy Band of Brothers. Sure it is about World War II, but it was about so much more. It was about the human spirit and sacrifice during that moment in history.
ReplyDelete