The Pacific
(2010)
Sledge finds the carnage and death of his companions on Peleilu increasingly difficult to bear as Basilone continues his bond drive in the States.
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Title: Peleliu Hills (25 Apr 2010)
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| Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| James Badge Dale | ... | PFC Robert Leckie (credit only) | |
| Joseph Mazzello | ... | PFC Eugene Sledge | |
| Jon Seda | ... | Sgt. John Basilone | |
| Brendan Fletcher | ... | PFC Bill Leyden | |
| Leon Ford | ... | 1st Lt. Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones (as Leon Willem Ford) | |
| Scott Gibson | ... | Capt. Andrew Haldane | |
| Josh Helman | ... | PFC Lew 'Chuckler' Juergens | |
| Rami Malek | ... | PFC Merriell 'Snafu' Shelton | |
| Martin McCann | ... | Cpl. R.V. Burgin | |
| William Sadler | ... | Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller | |
| Gary Sweet | ... | Sgt. Elmo 'Gunny' Haney | |
| Dylan Young | ... | PFC Jay De L'eau | |
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Sean Bunch | ... | Scavenging Marine |
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Alex Gowdie | ... | Red Cross Girl |
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Richard Healy | ... | Lodge Speaker |
Although they now control the airfield, the battle continues on Peleliu with the Marines trying to dislodge the Japanese from their hillside fortifications. The Japanese are well entrenched and are proving difficult to get at. Sledge continues to do his job well, but is profoundly shaken by the death and destruction all around him. All of the men are affected when one of their officers is killed. Back in the US, John Basilone is still making public appearances and selling war bonds. Written by garykmcd
The penultimate episode of the battle Peleliu is also its finest and is one of the most jarring and dark depictions of WW2 I've ever seen. All war movies are violent and while this is certainly no exception what stands out in this episode are the extremely horrible and demoralizing conditions the marines endured during this campaign.
The tone of the episode is set immediately through a montage depicting the horror the men experience as they make their way through the Peleliu hills. While the first 2 episodes of the invasion cover a couple days, this one covers weeks and the imagery we're shown illustrates how terrifying things were and the psychological effects it had on the men. Along with that when we see the 1st division passing their comrades to take the next shift into the Peleliu hills the men coming back look like zombies and shells of what they once were. It's an excellent and sad scene as you can see the brotherhood the marines shared during the war as they pass by each other.
It's no surprise HBO reliable Tim Vanpatten is at the helm for this episode and he once again demonstrates why he gets the call consistently to direct episodes that are profound to a series or need to drive home a point. The use of the musical piece Peleliu Hills is executed perfectly and if you're drawn into this series and the fate of the characters then it's a heartbreaking score to hear. It's used several times in the episode and each time you hear the wailing violin it draws at your emotions.
Most viewers have never been involved in an island assault and can only imagine the hell that the USMC endured in the Pacific fighting for every inch in deplorable conditions. "Peleliu Hills" does a remarkable job of expanding on this battle from the first 2 episodes and driving home the point that war changes people and eventually you will start to lose a piece of yourself and humanity. Modern warfare has never been depicted in such a dark manner as this. The closest contemporary I can compare this to is "Come and See". This chapter in the series is certainly not an uplifting hour of television but is one that will leave the viewer thinking about it long after it ends.