The Pacific

patrickredeyes

mca47 wrote:

intodeep wrote:

Steve Dunne wrote:

interesting how they just left snafu's character to wonder...no welcome home, no backround info on his life, and as his screen time increased, i was kind of hoping to see him develop a bit more instead of the train 'i'm gonna get that girl' scene. would have preferred that instead of basilone's widow scene with the parents/inlaws. but i understand they wanted to show the homefront heartbreak side of things. Leckie's character ending was cool...much different than Sledge's...very fitting. awesome series.

Over on the pacific fan site one person pointed out as the above poster does that he did just kind of disapear for the longest time until he read With the Old Breed.

Him slipping away in the night is kind of symbolic of that.

Yeah, I thought it was perfect. Snafu really seemed like the guy who didn't have a lot in his life. When we first met him, he was a bit of a dick, didn't really care about anyone or anything...
As we got to know his character more, you could start seeing emotion, you could see that he really cared for his friends in his squad.
I thought the scene of him getting off the train was great! You know Snafu wanted to wake up Sledge and say goodbye (and he hesitated at least once) to probably one of the people he's actually gotten close to.

Not going to lie...
I somewhat expected at the end where there were showing "what happened to everyone", that Snafu's would have read - "Snafu returned to Alabama, became a social outcast and then went on a killing spree"

The dude that played him is really talented!

I thought the same thing about Snafu coming back and going on a killing spree. LOL


Now that I think about it more Band of Brothers and the Pacific were just both AMAZING in so many ways. Can't wait to get the box set to go along with my Band of Brothers tin box.

gabers

mca47 wrote:

intodeep wrote:

Steve Dunne wrote:

interesting how they just left snafu's character to wonder...no welcome home, no backround info on his life, and as his screen time increased, i was kind of hoping to see him develop a bit more instead of the train 'i'm gonna get that girl' scene. would have preferred that instead of basilone's widow scene with the parents/inlaws. but i understand they wanted to show the homefront heartbreak side of things. Leckie's character ending was cool...much different than Sledge's...very fitting. awesome series.

Over on the pacific fan site one person pointed out as the above poster does that he did just kind of disapear for the longest time until he read With the Old Breed.

Him slipping away in the night is kind of symbolic of that.

Yeah, I thought it was perfect. Snafu really seemed like the guy who didn't have a lot in his life. When we first met him, he was a bit of a dick, didn't really care about anyone or anything...
As we got to know his character more, you could start seeing emotion, you could see that he really cared for his friends in his squad.
I thought the scene of him getting off the train was great! You know Snafu wanted to wake up Sledge and say goodbye (and he hesitated at least once) to probably one of the people he's actually gotten close to.

Not going to lie...
I somewhat expected at the end where there were showing "what happened to everyone", that Snafu's would have read - "Snafu returned to Alabama, became a social outcast and then went on a killing spree"

The dude that played him is really talented!

Kind of following what else was said, but obviously the director took artistic license with what Snafu did when he left the train considering the story came from Sledge and he was asleep.

I too wish the family of Snafu would come out and release a memoir or biography or magazine article or something kind of filling in the gaps and letting us know what became of him after the war.

intodeep

I found this interesting from someone who knew snafu:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/roddreher/2010/03/the-real-snafu-from-the-pacific.html
One thing I regret about not having cable TV is that I don't get to see programs like HBO's "The Pacific," which debuts on Sunday. It's a World War II Marine Corps series based in part on E.B. Sledge's classic memoir, "With the Old Breed." I noticed this excerpt from the Washington Post's favorable review today:

Another standout performance comes late in the game as well, from Rami Malek, who plays Sledge's resiliently loyal trench mate, Pvt. Merriell "Snafu" Shelton. A drawling and creepy angel-of-death figure, Snafu feels like he's been reassigned from a 'Nam flick -- a necessary antihero among fallen heroes.
In a Detroit News interview, Malek (shown during filming, above, on the left) says:

Malek's Shelton is a man turned inside out, one capable of committing unconscionable acts to both the living and the dead. And yet, at times, he becomes the conscience of his fellow marines. In his Big Easy accent, he warns those he sees heading down his own dark, well-worn path.
"He was dead inside by all he had seen, but if there was a spark of innocence in him, if he couldn't go back to that, he tried to save the innocence of others," Malek said.

When asked if the real-life Shelton really did the things unflinchingly captured in the miniseries, Malek explained, "Shelton is mentioned in the book 'With the Old Breed,' written by Eugene Sledge (who's played by Joe Mazzello in the series). The things that happen in the movie, we aren't 100 percent sure he did them."


Well, Snafu Shelton is more than mentioned in Sledge's (terrific, brutal) book; he's woven throughout it. When I read "With the Old Breed" a few years back, it was difficult to wrap my mind around the idea that the Marine who committed and endured the savagery of the Pacific campaign was our neighbor, Mr. Merriell. But he was. He lived with his sweet wife, Miss Gladys, and his two sons in a little brick house on Highway 61, a mile or so away. He was an air conditioner repairman and installer; you can see a scar on the ceiling of my mom and dad's living room ceiling where Snafu accidentally put his foot through the sheetrock when he was putting in the ducts in our place. His younger son and I played baseball together in the summer leagues. We'd see Snafu at the games, but he kept to himself. He was short and stocky, and had a hard, hard face. He smoked filterless cigarettes, I remember that, and that he loved to gamble. But mostly, he was this distant, mysterious man.

I remember my Dad telling me once that Mr. Merriell had seen some hellacious fighting in the Second World War, but I don't think any of us really knew what that meant until Sledge's book came out. My uncle took a role in bringing Sledge and Snafu together for a reunion, which took place around his table.

It was a revelation to me to read in Sledge's book what, exactly, the quiet, hard man who lived in the little brick house down the road had done early in his life. He was a ruthless killer, which is only to say that he was a brave, effective soldier in a terrible war that he didn't choose. Reading the Sledge memoir, I wondered how in the world a man can come through that kind of hell, and have anything like a normal life. I guess Snafu did, but I really don't know. He was our neighbor, but a loner. You never know about people, do you?

He died a long time ago, as did Miss Gladys, and his older son Floyd, a talented teenage ballplayer who'd gotten mixed up in drugs. His younger son Allen -- my old playmate -- survives, I think, but I don't know where he moved off to. In a dark and bizarre coda to the tale, Snafu's old house on Highway 61 was later inhabited by the infamous Derrick Todd Lee, who was living there while he was carrying out his serial murders. (We're pretty certain that he stalked my sister, his former classmate, for a time -- that story is here
the link was orginally posted on the pacific fan website a great source for conversation about the show

Flagg

Thanks for posting that. Incredibly interesting.

Byrnzie

Just download episodes 1-5. I'll check 'em out.

mca47

Thanks for the post intodeep!

That was a good read.

Byrnzie

I've just watched the first 5 episodes and I must say I've found the series to be a bit naff. One thing that stands out is how every battle scene involves the Japanese storming the Americans positions on these islands, when of course it was the Americans that needed to recapture the Pacific islands held by the Japanese, who were usually heavily entrenched in fortified bunkers, cliffs and caves. All I've seen in this series so far are the Japanese making full frontal attacks against American positions, when in reality this probably hardly ever happened.

The series just seems a bit lame and repetitive.

mca47

Byrnzie wrote:

I've just watched the first 5 episodes and I must say I've found the series to be a bit naff. One thing that stands out is how every battle scene involves the Japanese storming the Americans positions on these islands, when of course it was the Americans that needed to recapture the Pacific islands held by the Japanese, who were usually heavily entrenched in fortified bunkers, cliffs and caves. All I've seen in this series so far are the Japanese making full frontal attacks against American positions, when in reality this probably hardly ever happened.

The series just seems a bit lame and repetitive.

In the early part of the war that is exactly what happened. It wasn't until they started losing islands/territory that they implemented the strategy of fortified entrenchment, hiding in caves, etc.

Flagg

Byrnzie wrote:

I've just watched the first 5 episodes and I must say I've found the series to be a bit naff. One thing that stands out is how every battle scene involves the Japanese storming the Americans positions on these islands, when of course it was the Americans that needed to recapture the Pacific islands held by the Japanese, who were usually heavily entrenched in fortified bunkers, cliffs and caves. All I've seen in this series so far are the Japanese making full frontal attacks against American positions, when in reality this probably hardly ever happened.

The series just seems a bit lame and repetitive.

Actually that was the standard Japanese procedure up until Peleliu. The battle of Peleliu was the first time the Japanese employed the "defense in depth" strategy in an attempt to win by attrition. Up until that point, banzai charges were pretty much the norm.


Edit: Oh, sorry. Not piling on. Didn't see mca47 answered.

intodeep

I would say the second half starting with episode 5 is when it really started getting good for me.

5,6,7 on peleliu were my favs i think. The transformation of Sledge is far more interesting then Leckie even though i loved Leckie's character

Byrnzie

intodeep wrote:

I would say the second half starting with episode 5 is when it really started getting good for me.

5,6,7 on peleliu were my favs i think. The transformation of Sledge is far more interesting then Leckie even though i loved Leckie's character

Thanks, I'll finish watching them all.

Flagg

intodeep wrote:

I would say the second half starting with episode 5 is when it really started getting good for me.

5,6,7 on peleliu were my favs i think. The transformation of Sledge is far more interesting then Leckie even though i loved Leckie's character

Agree. And 9 was the best I thought.

I don't know what it is about Leckie that bugged me.

Byrnzie

Just finished watching all 9 episodes. Can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a load of of clichéd, overly-sentimental bollocks to me. Some pretty good battle scenes, but overall I thought it was just a load of pointless chest thumping.

A documentary would have been a better idea IMO.

patrickredeyes

Byrnzie wrote:

Just finished watching all 9 episodes. Can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a load of of clichéd, overly-sentimental bollocks to me. Some pretty good battle scenes, but overall I thought it was just a load of pointless chest thumping.

A documentary would have been a better idea IMO.

Nice comments and btw there were 10 episodes not 9.

Byrnzie

patrickredeyes wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

Just finished watching all 9 episodes. Can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a load of of clichéd, overly-sentimental bollocks to me. Some pretty good battle scenes, but overall I thought it was just a load of pointless chest thumping.

A documentary would have been a better idea IMO.

Nice comments and btw there were 10 episodes not 9.

Ah well, It looked to be about over by the end of episode 9. I don't think I could sit through another episode.

Jearlpam0925

Byrnzie wrote:

patrickredeyes wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

Just finished watching all 9 episodes. Can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a load of of clichéd, overly-sentimental bollocks to me. Some pretty good battle scenes, but overall I thought it was just a load of pointless chest thumping.

A documentary would have been a better idea IMO.

Nice comments and btw there were 10 episodes not 9.

Ah well, It looked to be about over by the end of episode 9. I don't think I get sit through another episode.

Like I said - poor man's Band Of Brothers.

patrickredeyes

Byrnzie wrote:

patrickredeyes wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

Just finished watching all 9 episodes. Can't say I was impressed. Seemed like a load of of clichéd, overly-sentimental bollocks to me. Some pretty good battle scenes, but overall I thought it was just a load of pointless chest thumping.

A documentary would have been a better idea IMO.

Nice comments and btw there were 10 episodes not 9.

Ah well, It looked to be about over by the end of episode 9. I don't think I could sit through another episode.

Don't watch it then cause your comments are disgraceful and full of crap.

patrickredeyes

Flagg wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

I've just watched the first 5 episodes and I must say I've found the series to be a bit naff. One thing that stands out is how every battle scene involves the Japanese storming the Americans positions on these islands, when of course it was the Americans that needed to recapture the Pacific islands held by the Japanese, who were usually heavily entrenched in fortified bunkers, cliffs and caves. All I've seen in this series so far are the Japanese making full frontal attacks against American positions, when in reality this probably hardly ever happened.

The series just seems a bit lame and repetitive.

Actually that was the standard Japanese procedure up until Peleliu. The battle of Peleliu was the first time the Japanese employed the "defense in depth" strategy in an attempt to win by attrition. Up until that point, banzai charges were pretty much the norm.


Edit: Oh, sorry. Not piling on. Didn't see mca47 answered.

Pile it on cause from his posts he has never read a book about WWII and doesn't have a clue.

Byrnzie

patrickredeyes wrote:

Don't watch it then cause your comments are disgraceful and full of crap.

I won't watch it. It's a load of overly dramatic, overly sentimental, self-serving and predictable Hollywood rubbish. The only convincing parts of it were the documentary segments at the beginning. I kept thinking when watching it how juvenile it seemed. I figured a 16 year old would get off on it, but I don't understand how anyone older could. It was like they'd made a movie of the Playstation game 'Medal of Honour'.

Byrnzie

patrickredeyes wrote:

Pile it on cause from his posts he has never read a book about WWII and doesn't have a clue.

Sure, tough guy. I bet I'd already read more books than you ever will by the time I was eighteen.

Seems like you think that because I'm rubbishing this Hollywood t.v series that I'm therefore disrespecting the servicemen who fought in the Pacific war? I think someone here needs to grow up and learn to separate fantasy from reality.