Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 47: A Glimpse

Although Bradley had been warning himself not to compare "The Pacific" with "Band of Brothers," even though the production crew was similar, these were two completely different works. However, as the series began to air, that kind of exhilarating feeling couldn't help but draw parallels to the acclaimed and classic masterpiece of the past.

"Oh wow! Oh wow!" Cheers and screams erupted in the theater as the interview footage of real veterans appeared on the big screen again. Similar to "Band of Brothers," each episode of "The Pacific" began with interviews of the veterans, guiding the audience back to that era.

The similar visual texture and framework awakened excitement in the audience. The anticipation for "The Pacific" was palpable in the air, with the long-lost excitement and joy overflowing unabashedly. Bradley couldn't help but smile, symbolically raising his fist along with the crowd.

However, Bradley soon discovered the differences between the two works, which were entirely distinct and thorough in their own right.

The first episode of "Band of Brothers" started with boot camp, intertwining over twenty characters, making it difficult for those with face blindness, yet each unnamed character became vivid through the arduous boot camp, conveying a palpable sense of war's urgency. The ensemble scene at the beginning showcased profound directing and control skills, quickly raising anticipation.

In contrast, "The Pacific" chose to begin with family life, depicting the direct societal response to the outbreak of the Pearl Harbor incident, the restlessness and anxiety hidden beneath the veneer of peace and prosperity.

The series started with an ordinary day before Robert Leckie and John Basilone joined the military, describing their lives with family. The seemingly mundane daily life stories didn't seem deliberately portrayed, but the details revealed the people's reactions to the war at the time—full of confidence and optimism, their anxiety about the war concealed under the confidence in victory, even the festive atmosphere had a touch of restlessness.

Without the hardship of "Band of Brothers" boot camp, it felt more realistic, truly connecting war with reality, adding a touch of realism to the series and awakening a resonance in the audience's hearts.

Bradley felt somewhat surprised; this kind of start was undoubtedly bold but also wise. As a journalist, he wasn't a professional critic, but he wasn't an ordinary viewer either. He knew such a choice would dampen the audience's expectations and might even receive negative reviews. However, such a drastic change was beneficial for "The Pacific," highlighting Steven Spielberg's determination to create a unique series, which made him subtly anticipate the subsequent story.

The opening of "Band of Brothers" was not earth-shattering or gripping, but it revealed true emotions amidst simplicity, establishing the camaraderie between soldiers, while also sharply contrasting the difficulties of boot camp with the horrors of the battlefield, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent episodes' brilliance.

The opening of "The Pacific" seemed ordinary and trivial, giving characters enough time to be fully and clearly presented to the audience, establishing a clear connection between the audience and the characters, which made Bradley curious about the purpose behind this.

Between the tranquility of family life and the cruelty of war, or perhaps delineating the pain and hardship of three characters on the battlefield through family bonds? Or is there another idea?

As Bradley pondered, something caught his attention - Eugene Sledge's appearance.

Like the other two main characters, Eugene's story also began with family life. As a doctor, his father announced the verdict: Eugene couldn't join the military due to a heart murmur, while Eugene's brother had already enlisted and was about to go to the battlefield. Seeing his father and brother, Eugene left home feeling lost and angry, heading to bid farewell to his friend Sid, who would also enlist tomorrow.

Bradley's eyes lit up slightly; indeed, Renly's performance brought out a slightly different flavor, which could be considered the first highlight in the first twenty minutes.

Exhaling deeply, Kyle Smith, a senior professional film critic at The Wall Street Journal, shook his head, releasing the accumulated heaviness in his chest. His thoughts were somewhat tangled, somewhat heavy. The first episode had ended, nearly an hour in duration, and he needed to organize his thoughts, his expectations, and excitement, then objectively judge the series.

Structurally, "The Pacific" abandoned the cinematic approach of "Band of Brothers" and opted for a more mini-series-like approach.

"Band of Brothers" could be described as one story per episode, each interconnected yet independent, giving the series a cinematic feel, compact, concentrated, with highs and lows; while the first episode of "The Pacific" clearly showed a layered and progressive script structure. Clues planted today might only emerge in the subsequent episodes.

In the first third of the first episode, the three main characters each had a shining moment, but later, Robert Leckie became the leading character, while the other two characters disappeared.

The flaw of this approach was the loss of the unique cinematic feel of "Band of Brothers," but its advantage lay in the gradual accumulation of the series' core ideas. If it could eventually explode and sublimate, the depth, height, and thickness of the series would surpass the impact of "Band of Brothers."

This maintained the anticipation for "The Pacific," after all, only the first episode had aired today.

In terms of visual texture and special effects, the investment of 230 million dollars in "The Pacific" undoubtedly paid off. The special, arduous, and intense nature of island warfare was showcased; the war scenes were grand and breathtaking, but more importantly, the latter half of the first episode brought about a questioning of human nature.

When the US troops successfully ambushed and annihilated all attacking Japanese soldiers, leaving only one stubborn Japanese soldier resisting on the other side of the river, the soldiers began to use him as a target, playing games with his life, which deeply shook Robert, contrasting sharply with the mundane daily life at the beginning of the series, revealing the core idea of "The Pacific."

Unfortunately, the first episode was somewhat conservative, with the overall script structure and plot trajectory not showing much novelty, and the plot seemed somewhat fragmented, with some parts exerting too much force while others were slightly lacking.

As a mini-series, the first episode of "The Pacific" was enough to score eighty points. In Kyle's opinion, the first episode of "Band of Brothers" was eighty-five points, indicating a slight difference in overall quality between the two series. However, Kyle didn't seem to feel regretful because the first episode had brought an unexpected surprise!

Renly Hall.

Kyle had to admit that this newcomer actor who appeared on the screen for the first time had burst forth with unimaginable acting charm. Although Renly's character, Eugene, appeared for less than three minutes, the complex emotions erupted powerfully in his restrained performance.

The most impressive scene was undoubtedly Eugene standing at the doorway of the hall, watching his father and brother, a three-second pause that vividly conveyed the cruelty and pain of the sunlight lingering on his frail shoulders. The subtle changes in his muscles under the shadow cast by his profile revealed the struggle, contradiction, restraint, obedience, and sincerity deep within. He didn't even show his face, let alone his eyes. The expression in his body language was innate; when he appeared on the screen, the audience's attention was inevitably drawn to him.

A mere glimpse left an infinite resonance, making it unforgettable.

Kyle couldn't help but be curious about this actor, wondering how high his acting talent could reach, whether this was just a flash in the pan or would continue in all subsequent performances, and what stories he would give to Eugene's character. After all, this was only three minutes of content in the first episode, stunning but not explaining much.

But what couldn't be denied was that as an actor, Renly's debut had left a deep impression.

Recalling the praises and accolades from Tom and Steven at the premiere, Kyle originally thought it was just a publicity tactic. Compared to the other two main actors, Renly was younger, fresher, and more handsome, with greater potential for publicity and commercial value. The crew's praise should have been part of the promotional strategy; but now, Kyle felt that things might not be so simple. Perhaps this obscure newcomer really could be a surprise.

If we set aside Renly, the estimated score of the first episode would probably be seventy-five points, but because of Renly's brilliance, Kyle was filled with anticipation.

Moreover, this was only the first episode of "The Pacific," mainly laying the groundwork; the real essence would come in the following nine episodes.

If the sky-high praise for "Band of Brothers" before tonight's premiere had made people doubtful about "The Pacific," Kyle believed that after the premiere, at least the first episode had successfully completed its mission and maintained the anticipation.

Kyle was already a bit impatient. On the one hand, he looked forward to the quality trajectory, whether it could reach the level of "Band of Brothers"; on the other hand, he looked forward to... Kyle didn't want to admit it, but he was indeed looking forward to the performance of that newcomer.

He's not even twenty-one yet? This was truly astonishing!

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