Cheap The Big Red One (DVD) (Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine) (Samuel Fuller) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Big Red One

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.

---

Big acting by Marvin; Red Normandy beaches; One good ending
Sarge (Lee Marvin), first saw combat near the end of WWI. Now, years later, in North Africa in WWII he is a grizzled, war weary, seen it all veteran. Nevertheless, he's still resolute in his duty and a proud wearer of the Red #1 arm patch insignia of the US 1st Infantry Division. He is leader, father, mother, coach and whatever else he needs to be to get his rifle squad through the war. The four principal characters of interest are Griff (Mark Hamill), an expert riflemen but one who can't shoot the enemy if he sees his eyes; he calls it murder, Sarge says otherwise. There is Zab (Robert Carradine) who's main purpose is narrator, his musings provide background and setting; the other two are Johnson and Vinci. We follow this group throughout the movie and the war from North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Belgium and finally to a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia for a series of emotionally powerful concluding scenes.

There is no glorification of war here; indeed the message is very clear - the only glory in war is surviving. The movie is very creative in introducing characters whose sole purpose, with their demise, is to underline this message. The short careers of both Lemchek and Kaiser are cases in point. The battle scenes are weak and unrealistic but that's not the emphasis. The action scenes that are memorable are the ones with a subtle message; the camera focusing in on the dead soldiers wristwatch in the surf of Normandy, the water turning red with the passing of time; the scene at the asylum in France and the concentration camp scene where Griff overcomes his compunction about shooting while seeing the whites of his enemies eyes.

It's a well crafted movie, with some strong acting from Lee Marvin and Mark Hamill and a movie which delivers it's message in a well thought out and strong ending.

---

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.