The Triangle

Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Alex Udowenko James Badge Dale of "the Pacific" attended the screening for the HBO miniseries at the National Constitution Center.

The scene from the new HBO miniseries "The Pacific" will be instantly familiar to anyone who has seen executive producer Steven Spielberg's other war films, such as "Saving Private Ryan." As hundreds of grey landing craft crawl towards an enemy beach the camera remains focused on the scared faces of the young marines as they each prepare for battle in their own way, one muttering prayers as another throws up from seasickness. The waves crash against the front of the landing craft as dozens of soldiers run out into a hail of gunfire.

For viewers watching "The Pacific" who have also seen works like "Private Ryan," or the "Band of Brothers" series, these scenes are nothing new. But unlike so many other Hollywood formulas, copying the same artistic direction of these other programs helps "The Pacific" much more than hurt it.

The new miniseries, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the same team that made both "Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers," follows in the same vein as their previous films in being highly historical representations of the men who fought in World War II.

Instead of charging the beaches of Normandy though, the fresh-faced actors in "The Pacific" storm the tropical beaches of the pacific. The names of the battles are instantly recognizable from history class (Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Peleliu) but the stories behind the battles and the young age of the combatants really brings the war to life over what will be a ten part series.

The producer's attention to historical details is clear in that the characters are all modeled after actual Marines who fought on those islands 60-plus years ago and the script was adapted from two of the Marine's actual journals.

The Philadelphia premiere of the show was held March 10 at the National Constitution Center, a location perfectly chosen to frame such a show, as the birthplace of America, Independence Hall, was visible through the windows behind the red carpet.

The premiere was attended by actors James Mazzello and James Badge Dale who play two of the shows main characters and also dozens of veterans from WWII including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen, the 101st Airborne (the subject of "Band of Brothers"), and the Marine battalion that "The Pacific" focuses.

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