This week marks the 71st anniversary of the Seige at Bastogne, a pivotal confrontation in Battle of the Bulge, which saw the Allied forces assert their most courageous and bloody defense against the last big push by Nazi forces in WWII.
The Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers was arguably the most emotionally intense and beautifully filmed of the series. It was like watching a dream sequence through a filter of constant snow, a bitter cold that you could almost feel in your bones as you’re watching. Or an opera of bodies, bent over, running for cover, crouching near trees, or frozen solid to the ground. You could watch all the action without sound and still feel it viscerally.
Because the attack came as a surprise to the exhausted and unarmored forces holding the line in the Belgian forest, Bastogne was grisly and slow and cold. The Allied forces were surrounded by a bulging front line of German forces on all sides.
Instead of miring us in an indulgent tale of gore, the Bastogne episode instead used the violence brilliantly as punctuation in the steps taken by a lone medic, Eugene Roe, trying to gather supplies: a dose of morphine here, a bandage there, scissors. The camera follows the medic and you see the action through his eyes and consequently feel the draw of those in his line of work must feel, to rush as quickly as he could to wherever he’s needed the most.
In this episode, Damian Lewis as Dick Winters figured as the calm still center trying desperately to get his men the support they needed to hold the line. Really, any course on leadership should, by all rights, feature a unit on how Dick Winters stood by his men. One for the books.
Something about a man shaving his face in the middle of bitter cold too: on the one hand it’s as if these men were automatons driven by the very basic impulse to survive. And on the other, they shaved and told each other to wear dry socks for pete’s sake, and used (or didn’t use) nicknames with each other, and talked deeply with each other and felt it all deeply, if not at the moment in battle, then certainly afterwards in their memories of it. I read somewhere that a lot of the men fighting in the Battle of the Bulge let their beards grow to stave off the cold. Not Dick Winters apparently.
Bastogne was also one of the few episodes in the series that featured a female character. Who can ever forget the Belgian nurse with the cornflower blue scarf who gave the New Orlean Eugene Roe an opportunity to hear and practice his French? True to the documentarian style of Band of Brothers, the nurse may have been modeled after a real-life Belgian nurse who served in Bastogne, Renee Lemaire…more here about the “Angel of Bastogne.”
What more can I say, really. Let’s let some beautifully rendered pictures of this episode speak for themselves. Thanks go to radleys for this set.
The blue scarf makes a reappearance at episode’s end…Just as we are told that even though history tells us that Patton’s army eventually rescued these men from the sure annihilation promised by the Nazi commander, “no member of the 101st has ever agreed the division needed to be rescued.”
Thank you so much for writing this! Beautiful. Moving. The “blue scarf” brings tears to my eyes. I have always thought of Winters’ shaving as a commitment to life. As if all is normal. Amazing. This is a heartfelt tribute to all these real-life heroes — all men and women that made it happen. And you make me want to do a Band of Brothers marathon, too!
I swear it draws me right back in every time I watch it. The hallmark of a perfect episode in a great series.
I am so glad that we can honor these men by being reminded of these anniversaries. These stories should never die or be brushed aside as just TV entertainment. I’m glad that I can be a part of this tribute by finding these amazing posts and helping to keep them alive .
Thank you Cindee!
Thanks so much, Cindee — comments like this keep us going and doing the best we can! Oh Band of Brothers is just so timeless and I know it’s part of the curriculum in some schools (I had the pleasure of watching a few episodes with a friend’s daughter – it was her homework! It’s good education. And I am also so glad you were able to hook up the Blue Ray and everything – enjoy!
Thank YOU!! How lost I would be without the BluRay. There were so many amazing quotes in every single part of that series. Just watching, without their words that first night, left me unfulfilled. It is so amazing that Mr. Lewis can bring such history to life and make it so interesting to watch. As I stated at an earlier time, it was Damian Lewis who made me love the history of the European Campaign of WWll. I would love to take that journey to Normandy.
I am so happy you have got the BluRay and it’s our absolute pleasure to help in any way we can! I am dying to go to Normandy, too; I can’t visit this year but it is a good year to visit since 2016 will also be 15th anniversary of Band of Brothers – just saying 😀
You know, I was wondering if they might do something for it. Imagine all those actors 15 years down the line trying to run currahee, again.
Don’t know about them but I was wondering if we could do something for it 😀 It would be fantastic to see them all running Currahee – I bet Damian still has it! 🙂
Amazing!! I wonder if they plan some type of Tribute to Band of Brothers? How I would LOVE to be there!!!!
Hi Cindee! As far as I know they — the cast — have reunions in Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day. They had a big one in 2014 because it was the 70th anniversary and Damian was there as well as most of the other cast members. If you are on FB, there is a great page Friends of Major Dick Winters run by Linda Cauteart — who is also a great Damian Lewis fan and has supported us big time. She is dedicated to WWII heroes and she always has information about everything BoB! But I am hoping for a re-run on TV or at least we can do our own re-reruns and marathons for the 15th anniversary. We’ll think of something good. Cheers!
You make me want to watch once again BOB! Bastogne is a very nice episode, but all episodes are beautiful,, naturally I prefer those where there Winters, as long as possible!!
And I will never forget that this company of soldiers were there, risking their lives to liberate my country, France!
Monique
Indeed! As President Obama recently said: “France is our oldest ally.” And it’s true, since pre-revolutionary days, since before this nation was a nation, when we fought together against the Brits (who of course we ALL now LOVE :D)
That’s the most amazing part for me, too, Monique! I understand how people defend their own countries. But going to a country an ocean away and getting ready to die for the mission — those people at the front of the boats on to Normandy shores and the paratroopers jumping into the unknown like Dick Winters & co — are just so incomprehensible to me. Those guys were regular men in small town, America and they just turned into those giants. I will be on a long flight tomorrow and now that I am thinking I have all episodes of BoB on my laptop. Maybe a marathon? 🙂
“….But going to a country an ocean away and getting ready to die for the mission — those people at the front of the boats on to Normandy shores and the paratroopers jumping into the unknown like Dick Winters & co….” – And I`m so thankfull for that! Those soldiers are my heros! They rescued us, Europeans, from Nazi occupation! Bastogne was real hell on earth for them. It was terribly cold and they didn`t have even winter clothes!!!!!
Exactly! Christmas at Bastogne without winter coats because the Allies thought war would be over then. I visited WWII museum in New Orleans and they built the forest there for you to feel it. Amazing. We are all thankful!
Oh, I wish I could visit this museum in New Orleans! But it`s too far away 🙁 I live in Poland. My brother went with his friends to Bastogne december last year. They spent one night in Bastogne forest to feel how it was. My brother is a member of The Big Red One Airsoft and Re-enactment Group. Interesting experience. I would like to do this as well.
WOW. No museum can ever beat the REAL forest. I would LOVE to do that! Much love to Poland!
In France I can’t hear a person, say evil of Americans, it’s rare, but there are always fools
! I brought my children on the beaches of Normandy, and at the American cemetery, I explained them, all allies have done for us!
My children loved BOB!
In the USA you have the chance to have a good President when I see; our president next to Obama, I am ashamed, what is the difference of class, intelligence!
The American President is loved by the French!!
Monique
beautifully said: ” It was like watching a dream sequence through a filter of constant snow, a bitter cold that you could almost feel in your bones as you’re watching.”