Basilone 

Outmanned and with supplies low, Basilone and other marines on Guadacanal rally to repel superior Japanese forces.

Director:

David Nutter

Writers:

Bruce C. McKenna, Robert Leckie (based in part on the book "Helmet for My Pillow")

Stars:

James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Badge Dale	...	PFC Robert Leckie
Joseph Mazzello	...	PFC Eugene Sledge (as Joe Mazzello)
Jon Seda	...	Sgt. John Basilone
Jon Bernthal	...	Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez
Joshua Bitton	...	Sgt. J.P. Morgan
Tom Budge	...	PFC Ronnie Gibson
Josh Helman	...	PFC Lew 'Chuckler' Juergens
Ashton Holmes	...	PFC Sidney Phillips
Ian Meadows	...	Pvt. Cecil Evans
Henry Nixon	...	2nd Lt. Hugh Corrigan
Keith Nobbs	...	PFC Wilbur 'Runner' Conley
Conor O'Farrell	...	Dr. Sledge
Jacob Pitts	...	PFC Bill 'Hoosier' Smith
William Sadler	...	Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller
Akos Armont	...	PFC Billie Joe Crumpton

Storyline

By October 1942, the Marines on Guadalcanal are fighting hunger and the jungle as well as the Japanese. The arrival of an Army unit helps somewhat but the Marines realize just how under-equipped they are by comparison. The Japanese are reinforcing their troops with ease and the men are facing nightly attacks at Henderson Field. Sgt. John Basilone takes charge during a particularly powerful Japanese attack and is recommended for a medal. He loses a close friend however. Back home Eugene Sledge, no longer needing his father's permission to sign up, announces he is going to enlist in the Marines.

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Plot Keywords:

pipe smoking | jungle | vomiting | liquor | climbing a ships rope ladder | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Basilone Medal of Honor citation, verbatim: The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

SERGEANT JOHN BASILONE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

Medal of Honour For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines' defensive positions, Sgt. BASILONE, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machine guns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. BASILONE'S sections, with its gun crews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. BASILONE, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.[11]

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

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Goofs

Around the 5:24 marker a soldier is shown with blood on his face, in the next shot a lot of the blood suddenly disappeared and one shot later it reappears.

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Quotes

Dr. Sledge: The worst part about treating those combat boys from the Great War wasn't that they'd had their flesh torn - it was that they had had their souls torn out. I couldn't bear to look into your eyes one day and see no love there no spark no... no life. That would break my heart.

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Connections

References Pride of the Marines (1945)

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Soundtracks

The Old Breed
(uncredited)
Written by Hans Zimmer, Blake Neely, and Geoff Zanelli

User Reviews

A crucial character developing episode failed.

The character development is atrocious so far. unfortunately a crucial episode that should have left the viewer with that -after the first battle feeling- a binding of individual personalities into a group of soldiers was just not there. This episode should have led the audience to sympathize and respect individuals they may not have felt commonality with. We would have felt the soldiers overcoming individual issues to band together as a cohesive unit to accomplish an impossible task leaving us with admiration and a desire to see them succeed.

Unfortunately, all I saw was cliche jocular humor before a battle in which I didn't even know who I was looking at most of the time or why I was supposed to care about them.

Still it had decent acting and cinematography.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Playtone, DreamWorks, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1