The Liberator War Miniseries Arrives on Netflix
Written By Matthew Sadowski
Word War II media can get old. As much as I like the subject, the scene of a bunch of American GIs sprinting across a field or through a town under enemy fire has been done to death. Plus, post Saving Private Ryan, most war movies tend to look the same by employing heavy shaky-cam footage and gray, washed-out colors.
The new Netflix WW2 miniseries The Liberator attempts to bring a fresh perspective both artistically, its footage digitally rendered to look like a living comic book, and thematically, by portraying an integrated unit. While the literal comic book aesthetic makes the show stand out, it also makes each characters’ features flatter, and therefore less recognizable, largely blunting the impact of showcasing the actions of a diverse group. The visuals also do not help the scenery itself, creating barren, unconvincing battlefields for many scenes. The miniseries follows Felix Sparks (Bradley James) and the men he leads in the 157th Regiment of the “Thunderbird” 45th Infantry Division, composed of mostly Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and rural Whites. Sparks, though white, treats his diverse troops like equals and quickly earns their respect, particularly from Sgt. Coldfoot (Martin Sensmeir) and Cpl. Gomez (Jose Miguel Vasquez), who became his most trusted subordinates. From the muddy Italian hills to the bombed streets of Germany, the 157th goes on to see some of the most difficult fighting of the war, losing and gaining many men.
That, sadly, is really all there is to The Liberator. This need not necessarily be a bad thing, as a simple plot can be an effective way of presenting the struggles of a few against a huge, almost incomprehensible event like in Black Hawk Down, The Siege of Jadotville, or Dunkirk. Those stories, however, allowed their characters to grow around more or less one key
event. By keeping the action contained, the audience can more easily chart the actions and goals of the protagonists and feel the mission’s immediacy. The Liberator instead squeezes a handful of events out of about 3 years into 4 episodes, the shortest of which is 46 minutes; too much for a movie and not enough for a miniseries (a similar miniseries, Band of Brothers, had 10 parts). Unless you are a WW2 junkie, The Liberator, can be skipped. If you want a simple yet intense war story available on Netflix, watch The Outpost instead.
The Liberator
Created by: Jeb Stuart
Starring: Bradley James, Martin Sensmeier, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Billy Breed, Forrest Goodluck 2020
4 Episodes, 49 minute avg.
Streaming on: Netflix
We also provide red carpet hosting services as guests walk into your event one of our hosts will interview the guest. Photographyis one of our services feel free to contact at anytime 24 hours a day.
HustleTV we love our steaming services.