PACIFIC, THE: BASILONE {EPISODE 2} (TV)
Summary
The second episode in this ten-part historical miniseries, a companion piece to 2001's "Band of Brothers," depicting the Pacific Theatre of World War II as described in the memoirs of several United States Marine Corps veterans. The program opens with veterans commenting on feeling "expendable" on Guadalcanal, and narrator Tom Hanks explains how they were left without food and supplies after the Navy's defeat, also battling malaria and other woes in the jungle. In October 1942, Basilone struggles to maintain order and sanity as more of his men are killed, while elsewhere Leckie and his friends attempt to find edible rations. Tempers flare as food runs low, and Chesty provides updates on their duties. The Army shows up, and the Marines take advantage of their ignorance of the enemy's attack style to raid their belongings. Leckie snags a number of items for himself and his friends, though earns an unfortunate new nickname when he gorges himself on canned peaches. At night, the jungle is strafed yet again, and Basilone and Rodriguez are disturbed when several men are killed in a direct hit to their foxhole.
Chesty informs the men that they will be alone and forced to fight in the jungle as guerillas if they do not prevent the Japanese from retaking the island's airfield, and Lieutenant Corrigan tells Leckie and the others to set up along the tree line, though he admits that they have far too few men. Sergeant Briggs calls Chesty to warn him of an enemy approach, and sure enough, Basilone and the others soon come under heavy fire. Basilone mans a machine gun and fires continuously, assisting Morgan and carrying on despite a bad burn to his hand from the metal. He tangles with several enemy soldiers up close and personal, and even runs right out to the enemy line to clear away a heap of bodies to provide a clearer line of fire and find more ammunition. In the morning, Basilone seems unconcerned about his third-degree burns and about Chesty's comment that he intends to put him in for a medal for his heroic actions, distracted by Rodriguez's unknown whereabouts. Eventually he finds him dead in the jungle, and he and Morgan mourn the loss of their friend.
Back in Mobile, Sledge tells his father that he intends to enlist regardless of his heart murmur, though Dr. Sledge tells him that he is more fearful of the psychological damage that the war will take on him, having cared for traumatized soldiers after WWI. Leckie works on a poem about their experience, and Corrigan happily tells the men that they are finally leaving Guadalcanal. Basilone sadly ponders his and the others' seemingly random mortality, deciding that "if it happens, it happens." Leckie, Chuckler, Hoosier and Runner all board the transport ship, and are stunned to hear from the cook that their efforts on the island have not gone unnoticed and that they are "heroes back home."
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: March 21, 2010 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:52:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 110581
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; World War II - Pacific campaign; Miniseries
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2010
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steven Spielberg … Executive Producer
- Gary Goetzman … Executive Producer
- Tom Hanks … Executive Producer, Narrator
- Eugene Kelly … Co-Executive Producer
- Graham Yost … Co-Executive Producer
- Tony To … Co-Executive Producer
- Bruce C. McKenna … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Tim Van Patten … Supervising Producer
- Cherylanne Martin … Producer
- Todd London … Producer
- Steven Shareshian … Producer
- Robert Schenkkan … Co-Producer
- George Pelecanos … Co-Producer
- Miura Kite … Co-Producer
- Kirk Saduski … Co-Producer
- Jennifer Jackson … Associate Producer
- Jonathan Brytus … Associate Producer
- April Nocifora … Associate Producer
- David Taritero … Visual Effects Producer
- Emily Wallin … Visual Effects Producer
- Tom Clary … Visual Effects Producer
- David Nutter … Director
- Robert Leckie … Based on the book by
- Eugene B. Sledge … Based on the book by
- Chuck Tatum … Based on the book by
- Hans Zimmer … Music by
- Blake Neely … Music by
- Geoff Zanelli … Music by
- James Badge Dale … Cast, PFC Robert Leckie
- Joe Mazzello … Cast, Pvt. Eugene Sledge
- Jon Seda … Cast, Sgt. John Basilone
- Jon Bernthal … Cast, Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez
- Joshua Bitton … Cast, PFC Ronnie Gibson
- Tom Budge … Cast, PFC Ronnie Gibson
- Josh Helman … Cast, Cpl. Lew "Chuckler" Juergens
- Ashton Holmes … Cast, PFC Sidney Phillips
- Ian Meadows … Cast, Pvt. Cecil Evans
- Henry Nixon … Cast, 2nd Lt. Hugh Corrigan
- Keith Nobbs … Cast, PFC Wilbur "Runner" Conley
- Conor O'Farrell … Cast, Dr. Sledge
- Jacob Pitts … Cast, PFC Bill "Hoosier" Smith
- William Sadler … Cast, Lt Col. Lewis "Chesty" Puller
- Akos Armont … Cast, PFC Billie Joe Crumpton
- Adam Booth … Cast, Sgt. Ralph Briggs
- Benjamin Connolly … Cast, Marine
- Eamon Farren … Cast, Cpl. John Powell
- Andrew Garrett … Cast, Surgeon
- Neal Horton … Cast, 2nd Lt. Iseman
- Simon McLachlan … Cast, Captain
- Socratis Otto … Cast, Father Keough
- Samson Parsonson … Cast, Pvt. William LaPointe
- Mitch Ryan … Cast, PFC Edward Garland
- Martin Williams … Cast, Cook
- Mark Winter … Cast, Relief Cook
- Matt Young … Cast, Army Captain