Catching up with "Band of Brothers" 15 years after, I was completely enthralled with this harsh but rewarding episode in which the central character is an army medic, Eugene Roe (acted by Shane Taylor) who has his hands full.
Except for a lovely subplot of platonic romance with a local French nurse, necessary to relieve the otherwise unrelentingly grim atmosphere, this segment directed by British helmer David Leland is impressive in demonstrating not only the hardships of war but the near-breaking point of a protagonist who has to cope with unbelievable challenges. It's a small-scale drama, as Eugene rushes back and forth on the line, precariously held by a way-too-thin complement of troops against imminent German advances, seemingly abandoned outside the Belgian town of Bastogne with no supplies forthcoming, dwindling stocks of ammo and horrible winter conditions.
The brass seems indifferent to the soldiers' plight, consumed as they must be with "the big picture". Gerry cannot be allowed to break this line, and holding it, even without the resources to do so, is paramount in their strategy. Not knowing the particulars of this phase of WW II, I was frankly surprised at the end when our heroes' herculean efforts paid off.
Time to quibble with the series' credits format, a pet peeve of mine, amplified by IMDb's policies. This episode is dominated and made memorable by a single player, Shane Taylor as Roe, his chance to shine in the ensemble of the lengthy miniseries. You have to go to the most obscure part of the DVD menu (an option not available to TV watchers) to identify the actor's name, because he is completely lost in the shuffle of credits in strict Alphabetical Order. He has a forceful presence and acts, especially facially, with a subtlety and simplicity that is ideal for such an "everyman" role, putting to shame the Hollywood hams who win all the awards and through overstatement (no need to enumerate the culprits beyond say Nic Cage as chief transgressor over the years). It's too bad that Shane's career didn't take off (quite the contrary) after this memorable turn.
Similarly, Lucie Jeanne, briefly radiant in the small role of the nurse, is sloughed off in these credits, and has otherwise been relegated for the rest of her career to French TV assignments.
Except for a lovely subplot of platonic romance with a local French nurse, necessary to relieve the otherwise unrelentingly grim atmosphere, this segment directed by British helmer David Leland is impressive in demonstrating not only the hardships of war but the near-breaking point of a protagonist who has to cope with unbelievable challenges. It's a small-scale drama, as Eugene rushes back and forth on the line, precariously held by a way-too-thin complement of troops against imminent German advances, seemingly abandoned outside the Belgian town of Bastogne with no supplies forthcoming, dwindling stocks of ammo and horrible winter conditions.
The brass seems indifferent to the soldiers' plight, consumed as they must be with "the big picture". Gerry cannot be allowed to break this line, and holding it, even without the resources to do so, is paramount in their strategy. Not knowing the particulars of this phase of WW II, I was frankly surprised at the end when our heroes' herculean efforts paid off.
Time to quibble with the series' credits format, a pet peeve of mine, amplified by IMDb's policies. This episode is dominated and made memorable by a single player, Shane Taylor as Roe, his chance to shine in the ensemble of the lengthy miniseries. You have to go to the most obscure part of the DVD menu (an option not available to TV watchers) to identify the actor's name, because he is completely lost in the shuffle of credits in strict Alphabetical Order. He has a forceful presence and acts, especially facially, with a subtlety and simplicity that is ideal for such an "everyman" role, putting to shame the Hollywood hams who win all the awards and through overstatement (no need to enumerate the culprits beyond say Nic Cage as chief transgressor over the years). It's too bad that Shane's career didn't take off (quite the contrary) after this memorable turn.
Similarly, Lucie Jeanne, briefly radiant in the small role of the nurse, is sloughed off in these credits, and has otherwise been relegated for the rest of her career to French TV assignments.