THE PACIFIC DVD box set

The war in the Pacific is not as well documented on film as the war in Europe - I'm not entirely sure why this is. With the European War and the full details of Hitler's Final Solution there can be no doubt that the cause the allies fought for was good and just, but the war in the Pacific was a much more murky affair which started with Pearl Harbour and ended with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I must admit to not knowing as much about the Pacific theatre as I do the war in Europe and so I was pleased to get this DVD set, a follow up to the excellent Band of Brothers, as a Christmas box.

The mini series is every bit the equal of Band of Brothers though because it doesn't follow the fortunes of a particular infantry as was the case with BOB, but instead focuses on three individual soldiers who didn't serve together, it doesn't allow for the viewer to become involved as easily with the characters, but this is no criticism and in showing the horror of what the American soldiers, and indeed the Japanese, went through it does its job very well. At times it is uncomfortable viewing but then anything that shows war as realistically as this show does, is bound to be a little stomach churning on times.

The extra features on the DVD set are of a mixed bag - the best is a documentary that profiles the real characters depicted in the mini series. It's a very informative documentary and may help appreciation of the mini-series if it is viewed before the series. The rest of the special features are made up of a detailed look at the making of the series and then a brief overview of the actual Pacific conflict.

Overall an excellent slice of dramatised history.