LOS ANGELES —
While many films have explored the European Theater of World War II, showing the tragedy and brutality of the Western Front, Occupied France, Nazi Germany or the Holocaust, the Pacific theater of operations has largely been overlooked, and has rarely been examined on screen in such detail.
Executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman, as well as a bevy of directors, writers, and actors, hope to remedy this inequity with ‘‘The Pacific.’‘
The monumental 10-part miniseries goes ‘‘under the helmet’’ to follow the intersecting experiences of three U.S. Marines as they fight against Japan in battles throughout the Pacific Ocean.
In a phone interview with Kyodo News, Hanks explained the intention of this epic undertaking, which was filmed in Australia and cost over $200 million to produce.
‘‘War in Japan takes second seat to the much more recognizable and much more accessible war in Europe,’’ he said. ‘‘I look at this era like I am unlocking a mystery. During this period of time, not just life but every aspect of society was up for grabs. That’s powerful storytelling.’‘
Based on the memoirs of Private First Class (PFC) Robert Leckie and PFC Eugene Sledge, the story traces their individual experiences, as well as the storied military career of Sergeant John Basilone, as all three Marines traverse the Pacific.
‘‘We ended up forging this very specific journey from the U.S. to Guadalcanal to Peleliu and back and forth with our characters in one,’’ explained Hanks. ‘‘We tried to do our due diligence in making sure the narratives of the characters were going to be true and authentic and recognizable within everybody’s experiences.’‘
Starring James Badge Dale, Joe Mazzello, and Jon Seda as Leckie, Sledge and Basilone, respectively, The Pacific takes a very graphic and raw look at war in the Pacific theater through the lens of these real-life figures.
‘‘You can’t talk about maps, you can’t talk about strategies, you can’t talk about the bigger stripes of history,’’ expressed Hanks. ‘‘You can only talk about what it was like for our guys and in that, we didn’t want to cut any corners.’‘
The Pacific is viewed as something of a companion piece to ‘‘Band of Brothers,’’ a similar series which focused on the European theater of operations and was created by the same production team.
While “Band of Brothers” aired nearly 10 years ago and was fairly successful in Japan, “The Pacific” obviously touches upon a more direct and sensitive part of World War II for the Japanese people.
Coincidentally, the series will also play through the 65th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in August of 1945.
While the series makes no claim to objectivity and focuses entirely on American soldiers, Hanks believes “The Pacific” can reach all audiences with a universality that transcends both time and borders.
‘‘You end up seeing the price that’s paid on both sides,’’ he remarked. ‘‘I think this is not a matter of healing; it’s just a matter of discussion. I think the important thing to come out of this is the memories.’‘
In Japan, “The Pacific” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. (subtitled version) on the WOWOW pay TV station, starting tonight.
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