Battling Demons: Inside Spielberg's Brutal Boot Camp that Birthed Band of Brothers

Summary

Band of Brothers' focus on historical accuracy led to a hellish two weeks of training for its main cast, but it paid off in the show's compelling chemistry.

Steven Spielberg put the actors through a grueling bootcamp, cutting them off from phones and modern books, to fully immerse them in the experience of a WWII soldier. The rigorous training fostered a genuine camaraderie similar to that of an actual military unit, resulting in an undeniable display of strength.

Band of Brothers' emphasis on historical accuracy contributes to its greatness, but it subjected the main cast to an intense two-week training period. This series, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, recounts the true story of Easy Company, a paratrooper regiment whose World War 2 journey took them from training in Atlanta, Georgia, all the way to Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Germany. Released in 2001, it was an unprecedented and ambitious undertaking.

Although Spielberg was already familiar with creating war epics, such as his acclaimed film Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers tackles a much larger narrative. While Saving Private Ryan focuses on a small group of soldiers and a specific mission, Band of Brothers follows an entire regiment throughout their European campaign. Nonetheless, Spielberg achieved success by employing a controversial tactic he initially used on the cast of Saving Private Ryan.

Band Of Brothers' Bootcamp Was Incredibly Tough On Its Actors

Steven Spielberg wanted the core cast of Band of Brothers to be familiar with the hardships faced by the real-life soldiers of Easy Company. To achieve this, he sent them to a ten-day intensive bootcamp in Hampshire, England. Led by Vietnam veteran Captain Dale Dye, the camp aimed to fully immerse the actors in the experience of a World War 2 soldier. They were cut off from modern communication and literature, and were required to address each other using their Easy Company names. Actor Rick Gomez captured the challenging nature of the bootcamp, expressing, "We are so f**ked" as they embarked on their first day.

Gomez's sentiment was not unfounded. The training regimen was grueling. The actors were dressed in authentic uniforms, including boots that were incredibly uncomfortable, described as feeling "like they were made out of corrugated tin." The days were long and demanding, stretching to 18 hours. Mornings began with a five-mile run at 6am, followed by a range of training activities such as orienteering, firearm drills, tactical maneuvers, and simulated battles. Nights were divided into brief intervals of sleep, with just two hours allocated, and an hour of guard duty. The barracks, which had an unpleasant odor resembling feet, proved challenging for some. Actor Scott Grimes recounts that on the first night, "Some guys cried themselves to sleep."

Band Of Brothers' Training Paid Off In The Show

The grueling training ended up being worth it for the actors of Easy Company. Not only did they gain a deeper understanding of their real-life soldier counterparts, but the rigorous bootcamp experience also helped them develop a genuine camaraderie reminiscent of a real military unit. While Major Dick Winters is technically the focus of Band of Brothers, the true main character is Easy Company itself. This is why it is crucial for the actors playing the titular Band of Brothers to convincingly portray a chemistry that is both believable and captivating. Spielberg's bootcamp was instrumental in achieving this.

This approach is not new for the filmmaker, as he previously implemented it on the set of his war epic, Saving Private Ryan. The bootcamp successfully bonded the core actors, although it did create a sense of exclusivity towards outsiders. Andrew Scott, an actor in Band of Brothers who played a paratrooper from a different company in one episode, recalls feeling unwelcome due to the tight-knit bond among the Easy Company actors. This deliberate exclusion aligns with Spielberg's intention, similar to the decision to exclude Matt Damon from the bootcamp in Saving Private Ryan in order to foster resentment. It may have been a harsh tactic, but the impressive outcome achieved with Band of Brothers cannot be denied.

Source: The Telegraph