Peleliu Hills

In Episode 7 of The Pacific, titled "Peleliu Hills," the harrowing journey through the Battle of Peleliu continues, this time focusing on Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello) and the emotional toll the battle takes on him and his fellow Marines. As the episode unfolds, the Marines are ordered to take on the treacherous hills of Peleliu, where entrenched Japanese forces await in caves and fortifications. The episode dives deeper into the psychological and physical strain experienced by the soldiers as they face constant danger, exhaustion, and gruesome casualties. Sledge, who started as an eager recruit, begins to witness the full horrors of war, with each new loss weighing heavily on him and his comrades.

Directed by Tim Van Patten, "Peleliu Hills" is an emotionally intense episode, bringing to the forefront the sheer brutality and futility of the battle. The direction here is sharp, focusing on both the larger battle sequences and the more intimate moments of the Marines' internal struggles. The episode manages to balance high-stakes combat with quieter, more reflective scenes that provide a break from the relentless action, allowing the audience to connect more deeply with the soldiers. The pacing is relentless during the battle scenes, but the occasional slower, introspective moments give weight to the toll war takes on the human spirit. The cinematography enhances this dynamic, contrasting the expansive, war-torn landscape with close-ups of the soldiers' worn and traumatized faces.

The performances in this episode are some of the most compelling in the series. Joseph Mazzello delivers a standout performance as Sledge, capturing the gradual hardening of his character as he becomes desensitized to the violence around him. His portrayal of a man who is losing his sense of self amidst the chaos of war is nuanced and heartbreaking. The camaraderie between Sledge and his fellow Marines, particularly "Snafu" Shelton (Rami Malek), is both complex and raw, as their dark humor becomes a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma they face. Malek's performance, in particular, stands out as he embodies the cynicism and emotional detachment of a soldier who has seen too much death.

One of the most gripping scenes in the episode is when Sledge witnesses the brutal death of a fellow Marine, and in the aftermath, he helps clear the remains with a sense of detached duty. This moment marks a turning point for Sledge's character, as he crosses the line from horror to numbness, a theme that reverberates throughout the episode. Another powerful scene occurs when the Marines stumble upon Japanese soldiers who have committed suicide rather than surrender. The stark, haunting imagery underscores the futility of the battle and the psychological toll on both sides of the conflict. The constant rain and muddy terrain add to the oppressive atmosphere, reflecting the soldiers' inner turmoil.

On the technical side, "Peleliu Hills" excels in its depiction of the brutal conditions of the battlefield. The sound design is particularly noteworthy, with the deafening roar of artillery, the persistent rain, and the chaos of the combat scenes creating an immersive experience. The episode's editing is tight, cutting between intense firefights and moments of eerie quiet, building tension and reflecting the unpredictability of combat. The visual effects, combined with the practical use of the set, effectively recreate the devastation of Peleliu's landscape, filled with craters, corpses, and debris, making the viewer feel as though they are in the midst of the battle themselves.

However, one criticism of the episode lies in its unrelenting bleakness. While the portrayal of the psychological toll of war is essential to the series, the unrelenting darkness of this episode can be overwhelming for viewers. The balance between action and character development feels slightly off, as the characters' emotional arcs are at times overshadowed by the sheer brutality of the combat sequences. The bleakness is undoubtedly part of the storytelling, but it can sometimes feel as though the episode is more focused on depicting the horrors of war than exploring the deeper emotional connections between the characters.

In conclusion, "Peleliu Hills" is a powerful and emotionally draining episode that excels in its portrayal of the horrors of war. The performances, particularly from Joseph Mazzello and Rami Malek, ground the episode in emotional truth, while the direction and technical aspects, from sound design to cinematography, create an immersive and visceral experience. While the unrelenting bleakness of the episode may be difficult for some viewers, it serves as a reminder of the dehumanizing effects of war and the lasting scars it leaves on those who survive. The episode is a pivotal moment in The Pacific, marking a profound shift in Eugene Sledge's character and setting the stage for the emotional fallout to come in the remaining episodes.

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.

The Pacific, where the sun never shines, and if it does, it's only to highlight the misery, up to 115°. Yes, WWII in the Pacific was undoubtedly a hellscape, but must the viewer be so relentlessly dragged through the mud, without even the courtesy of a scenic reprieve? Unfortunately, the show's commitment to bleakness is matched only by its insistence on a disjointed, choppy narrative that leaves us floundering between three stoic characters, none of whom seem overly concerned with engaging the audience.

The decision to split focus among this trio was... brave, I suppose. It's not every day that a show chooses to feature three near-identical, brooding, silent types who each take a turn at staring solemnly into the abyss. A variety of voices? Nah, better to triple down on monosyllabic soldiers and their tortured expressions.

Leckie, of course, wins the award for most unlikable, followed closely by Gene "Sledgehammer" - because nothing says battle-hardened soldier like a nickname you'd expect to find on a suburban garage band drummer. Sledge offers a touch more sympathy than Leckie, but he's also prone to dramatic pauses, which rival the silence of outer space. If only they'd given more screen time to Snafu. Sure, he's terrifying, but at least he's terrifying with flair!

In this particular episode, we remain mired in the hellscape of Peleliu, where Gene's comrades fall faster than the show's pacing. Naturally, the trauma is starting to get to him, which brings us back to Leckie and his prior breakdown. Not that anyone was particularly interested in it the first time.

Meanwhile, Basilone is off on his promotional tour in the U. S., looking miserable but, in keeping with the show's theme, saying very little about it. Silent suffering is, after all, the order of the day in The Pacific.