|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
The Big Red One | Year: 1980 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Samuel Fuller Actors/Actresses: - Lee Marvin - Mark Hamill - Robert Carradine The Only Glory... Lee Marvin and his Easter Island visage star in this Samuel Fuller-directed World War II story about a 1st Infantry Division rifle squad, hence the title. Robert Carradine narrates the story (he's the writer of the bunch, so we see the squad from his point of view) and Mark Hamill plays a soldier who just can't bring himself to fire a shot in anger until the war's final day. The troops experience the war as a day-to-day series of small triumphs and losses. Their ultimate victory, as Carradine's narration makes clear, is surviving the whole hellish mess. And Fuller, through Carradine's voice, dedicates this movie to the guys who came back. Lee Marvin is like a stone idol; at times, his craggy face bears the scars and seams of one who's done it all before (his character fought in the First World War), but his eyes express weariness, sadness and even tender affection for the soldier-boys under his care. Especially well played is a scene where a North African girl garlands Marvin's helmet with flowers. He gives her the slightest of smiles, says nothing, puts on the helmet and makes himself look ridiculous to please her. Full of moments like this, this movie is intimate and ultimately very moving, in a manly, unsentimental, tough guy sort of way. Well worth the time. Awe Inspiring Title, Segmented Movie In World War Two the US 1st Infantry Division earned its colors in constant battle from North Africa, Sicily and Northern Europe. Because of its distictive shoulder patch the division became known as The Big Red One. Samuel Fuller's motion picture of the same name does not quite hit the mark with respect to conveying the battle scars endured by the division. Fuller focuses on a squad of soldiers, led by Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen), in a story told by one of the squad members, Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds). The picture has potential. Indeed there is information to suggest that there is a longer uncut version of the movie mouldering away someplace. The film currently available on VHS and DVD -- the same version that was projected in movie theaters -- seems more like a television movie than major motion picture. Granted, the special effects were good for their day, but you do not have to look too far to see the obvious shortcomings. For the most part the dialogue is contrived and somewhat phony. Lee Marvin, a magnificent actor, was too old to play the part of a junior noncommissioned officer. In two of the beach invasion landing scenes (North Africa and Normandy) and despite a downward camera angle there is a total absence of ships to be seen anywhere on the water except for one token landing craft lingering in the distance. The greatest shortcoming of the film is that it is composed of a series of disjointed vignettes sewn together into one story. The most powerful part of the movie are the last minutes of the film when the squad liberates a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. This scene alone could have been flushed out and served as the backdrop for a whole movie; or possibly been a vehicle for flashbacks of the what the squad had endured leading up to the end of the war. Filmed primarily in Israel THE BIG RED ONE reflects what appears to be a reflective personal journey designed to entertain the storyteller alone. With the exception of this film's stars, I found this movie very similar to A MIDNIGHT CLEAR. If you are a fan of war movies then this movie will probably find its way into your collection. Worst war film ever? This film is a disgrace, the combat is unrealistic and i'm sure the tanks in it are all the same for americans and germans alike. The narration is very annoying and quite pointless. I know the film is trying to put across an important message but it could have done it better; better actors for a start, Lee Marvin is not exactly my favourite. Overall leave this film alone, if you want to see a good war film watch Patton, A Bridge too Far or The Longest Day. Buy The Big Red One at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Big Red One Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Big Red One This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
