We Stand Alone Together

Excellent interviews that detail the 101st's European tour and lay the foundation for the marvelous miniseries.

Screenplay...................................... 8 / 10 Interviews........................................ 10 Visuals................................................ 9 Sound................................................... 7 Editing................................................ 7 Music....................................................... 5 Timeless Utility................................. 8 Total.................................................... 54 / 70 ~= 7.7 (which I rounded to 8) Verdict................................................. Recommended.

"We Stand Alone Together" serves as an epilogue of sorts for the nonpareil mini-series "Band of Brothers." While it is best appreciated having seen "BoB," this sublime piece of work also functions well as a stand-alone (no pun intended) documentary.

Watching "Together" captures the essence of being a young boy, listening at the knee of your grandfather as he relates war stories. If the doc consisted of nothing more than showing the men reminiscing, it would have been great. But overlaying the men's tales is remarkable archival footage of the events they describe, along with a few necessary slides that provide pertinent information. Add this to having watched the described events in "BoB," and one has a more vivid account of WWII than anything one's imagination might invent.

Seeing the former soldiers tell their stories provides a fuller appreciation for what they endured. As phenomenal as "BoB" is, hearing the words straight from the men makes the events more personal, because you know that they have survived both the war and life itself in the aftermath. Perhaps most enlightening of all was learning of the respect that the American soldiers had for the Germans. They understood that the Germans were humans too, just in drastically different circumstances.

The documentary further emphasizes a tagline from "BoB." These were ordinary men doing extraordinary things. Listening to them explain that they simply returned to 'normal' life following the war is almost stunning. The modern soldier is still human, but much more trained and honed, often a professional soldier, leading us to think of them as almost superhuman. Most World War II soldiers were common people, which makes their accomplishments all the more head-shaking.

The documentary is also superb technically. The pacing in particular stands out. Shunning the common modern choices of quick cuts or attention-grabbing music, the film proceeds deliberately with quiet undertones. Consistently using fades in and out of footage and interviews, director Mark Cowen allows time for the viewer to absorb the power of what is said and shown.

Bottom Line: Phenomenal stories of phenomenal people related in a exceptional way. 10 of 10.

This is a full-length DVD extra included with the giant "Band of Brothers" DVD set. It is about the men you see telling their stories at the beginning of each episode of "Band of Brothers". Here, instead of the usual brief snippets, the men all get to tell their stories about being a part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In addition, there are a lot of photos as well as video footage of the men having their reunion at the end. All in all, a very inspiring piece that simply allows the men to reminisce and discuss their experiences during the war. In many ways, it's like a condensed version of what you see in the film and because of that it's really best to first see all of the "Band of Brothers" mini-series and then this film of the real participants. Well worth seeing and exceptionally well made.

I loved this. I have read all the books of the main gentlemen that are focused throughout the series. And I am now currently ready we who are alive and remain. I am so thankful this documentary was made so I am able to put a face to the name of the other gentlemen I am reading about as they are all equally incredible men, with amazing stories. I appreciate how they are so raw with their emotions and I love how close they still remain to each other. This group of men never fails to amaze and fascinate me with their stories. They always seem to bring a tear to my eye wether I am reading about their lives, listening to them tell stories or watching them. These men honestly deserve to be remembered forever. They are humble hero's in my opinion and I am so glad I am able to learn so much about them as they lived incredible lives. So thank you gentlemen. I respect them all so much and I am forever thankful for all they have done.

This content added some welcome insight and information from people who actually lived the war. What I like less is that the content from the interview is picked and I think it would have been even more insightful to leave nothing out.