The Bloody Hundredth Documentary Tells The Story of Real Masters of the Air Heroes
The Bloody Hundredth is an hour long documentary honoring the real-life heroes of the 100th Bomb Group featured in Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air. This documentary is an homage and recounting of what was endured and achieved by young American soldiers when their country and the world needed them most. In an attempt to get viewers closer to the men behind the series, The Bloody Hundredth combines interviews, real life footage, and narration by the legendary Tom Hanks.
Masters of the Air catapulted into popularity the moment it aired due to its star-studded cast, next level effects, and raw human storytelling. The series is based on the book by Donald L. Miller and recounts real stories of these men and their experiences during the World War II. The brave men this show and this documentary focuses on are John Egan, Gale Cleven, Harry Crosby, Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, Frank Murphy, Alexander Jefferson, Richard Macon, and many others.
As amazing as Masters of the Air is as stand alone series, The Bloody Hundredth is the perfect accompanying piece of media. The creative decisions made in the series allowed the historical and political aspects to take a backseat to the more human and emotional storytelling. This documentary was able to provide more context into the higher level decision-making and strategy that went into winning WWII while also giving the real life soldiers a platform to share their stories and experiences. Viewers got to hear from real voices and see the faces of the brave people who fought for their freedom.
As amazing as modern day special effects and digitally made visuals is, it does not compare to the footage in this documentary. The non-manufactured images and videos add a new layer of reality to the series and documentary. Overall, The Bloody Hundredth is a perfect addition to the raging success of Masters of the Air and adds context and nuance that was omitted from the series.
Stream The Bloody Hundredth on Apple TV+.
