The Pacific (HBO)

About The Pacific (HBO)

The Pacific is an intense, harrowing, and emotive TV mini-series released in 2010 by HBO. It is primarily focused on the experiences of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Spread across ten episodes, the show accurately portrays the brutality of war, the bond of brotherhood amongst soldiers, and the psychological impacts experienced.

Making / Production

The Pacific is a Spielberg and Hanks production. It was developed as a companion piece to HBO’s successful Band of Brothers. This series offers an exhaustive and detailed view of World War II from the American perspective. The vision of the creators, the relentless research, and the experienced wardrobe and art departments brought authenticity in every frame. To recreate the war-torn Pacific arena, the production took place in Australia using various locations around Melbourne and Port Douglas.

Actors

• James Badge Dale: He portrays Robert Leckie, capturing his complex emotional journey – from the enthusiastic volunteer to the war-worn Marine.
• Jon Seda: Seda plays the heroic role of John Basilone, perfectly depicting the physicality and toughness needed for his character.
• Joe Mazzello: He plays Eugene Sledge and brilliantly captures the transformation from a naive young man to a hardened veteran.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The Pacific had a budget of over $200 million, making it one of the most expensive television series ever made at that time.
• Many of the extras in the miniseries are serving members of the Australian Defence Force.
• The series was almost entirely shot in Australia.

Awards

The Pacific was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film.

Quotes

• “You can't dwell on it. You can't dwell on any of it.” – Leckie
• “The worst thing about treating those combat boys from the Great War wasn't that they had their flesh torn, it was that they had their souls torn out.” – Dr. Sledge

Music, Soundtrack

• The score for The Pacific was composed by Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli and Blake Neely.
• The soundtrack was released in 2010 and it beautifully compliments the storytelling of the series.