The Big Red One

PG

Released Jul 18, 1980

1 hr. 53 min.

War

List

90%

49 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Having previously fought in World War I, an unnamed sergeant (Lee Marvin) now leads soldiers of the U.S. First Infantry Division through World War II. His men include conflicted marksman Pvt. Griff (Mark Hamill), pulp novel writer Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), Sicilian Pvt. Vinci (Bobby Di Cicco) and medic Pvt. Johnson (Kelly Ward). The soldiers adapt to the hardships of war as they see conflict in North Africa and Sicily, take part in the D-Day landings, and liberate a Nazi concentration camp.

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Critics Consensus

The reconstruction of Samuel Fuller's epic account of his days in North Africa in World War II elevates the film into the pantheon of great war movies.

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R H

Boring with minimal character development and almost no emotional content, or any real message or comment about either the characters' experience or the war in general, except occasionally (including the end.) Puts aside conventional story structure perhaps in order to reflect the actual locations and deployments of the 1st division (though the characters and specific events are fictionalized, as far as I know), resulting in just a sequence of events that have little connection to each other.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/16/23

Full Review

John A

A semi-comedic war film that juggles the contrasting tones to varying degrees while suffering some pacing issues.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/15/23

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dominique w

One of the greatest American war films ever made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

This is a really good movie about WWII. The ultimate case is made that war is costly on so many levels! This film is from the point of view of the infantry man fighting for his country, but truly fighting for the lives of his friends and his own. This was a movie of my youth and will always remind me about the true cost of war.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Perhaps the first red flag is the PG rating; when envisioning the terrible realities that actually characterize war, it should quickly become evident that a such a film with a rating suitable for children is likely pretty watered-down, superficial fare. The film is to be commended for the unpredictable, episodic structure which brings home the reality of war as an aimless affair from the standpoint of the soldier. There are also a number of memorable and worthwhile moments which I'll not deign to spoil here, yet the film is made with an overarching tone suggestive of pride and triumph. There is little emotional depth here and virtually nothing to reinforce the true devastation of war; indeed, it strikes me that the film feels more like a comic book version of World War II than an authentic depiction of it. Such shortcomings notwithstanding, "The Big Red One" is an accessible and generally entertaining experience, although the fun we have watching it is part and parcel of why a genuine veteran might criticize it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

s r

1001 movies to see before you die. This film takes a unique approach to WW2 story telling unlike any other war movie I have seen. It merely pieces together in a free narrative of the life and times of the Army's First Battalion. Allowing a former soldier to muse and depict his experiences serving. It seemed true to life. Despite its TV movie quality, it still had moments of beauty and sharp truth. Overall, it was too long and didn't make the cut as one I need to see again. It was a STG DVD.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Samuel Fuller

Director

Lee Marvin

The Sergeant

Mark Hamill

Pvt. Griff

Robert Carradine

Pvt. Zab

Bobby Di Cicco

Pvt. Vinci

Kelly Ward

Pvt. Johnson

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Variety Staff

Variety

It's a terrific war yarn, a picture of palpable raw power which manages both Intense intimacy and great scope at the same time.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Time Out

Visually and philosophically, it's Fuller's equivalent of Kurosawa's Kagemusha, although Fuller's film is more complex, more absurd and more haunted.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

Although these are the stock characters of war drama - the sage, grizzled Sarge, the farm boy, the street kid, the nice guy who doesn't want to kill anyone and the witness - Fuller's are particularly credible ordinary people.

Rated: 5/5

May 11, 2005

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Even if it isn’t a masterpiece, it’s certainly Sam Fuller’s biggest and best, a fine big screen curtain call for a reliable genre workhorse

Rated: 2.5/4

May 27, 2023

Full Review

Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

It's an adventure film as refreshing in content and style as The Deer Hunter was horrifyingly realistic and Apocalypse Now was terrifyingly philosophical.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 27, 2020

Full Review

Jesús Fernández Santos

El Pais (Spain)

But in the end, for a film that pretends to be anti-war, it comes across as ambiguous, which isn't anything new in the work of Samuel Fuller. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 15, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Having previously fought in World War I, an unnamed sergeant (Lee Marvin) now leads soldiers of the U.S. First Infantry Division through World War II. His men include conflicted marksman Pvt. Griff (Mark Hamill), pulp novel writer Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), Sicilian Pvt. Vinci (Bobby Di Cicco) and medic Pvt. Johnson (Kelly Ward). The soldiers adapt to the hardships of war as they see conflict in North Africa and Sicily, take part in the D-Day landings, and liberate a Nazi concentration camp.

Director: Samuel Fuller
Executive Producer: Brian Jamieson
Screenwriter: Samuel Fuller
Production Co: Lorimar Productions, United Artists
Rating: PG (War Violence|Some Language)
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Sound Mix: Surround

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