The Big Red One
Encyclopedia
The Big Red One is a World War II
war film
starring Lee Marvin
and Mark Hamill
. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
, it was produced by Lorimar
and released by United Artists
in the US on July 18, 1980. The film details the experiences of several US soldiers from The Big Red One (the nickname of the 1st Infantry Division), serving in an infantry squad as part of a rifle company and the effects of the war on them.
It was heavily cut on its original release, but a restored version was premièred at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
, seven years after Fuller's death. Fuller wrote a book, with the same title, which was more a companion novel than a novelization of the film, although it features many of the scenes that were originally cut.
Fuller saw a great deal of action in World War II
as a member of the US First Infantry Division, which was nicknamed The Big Red One for the red numeral "1" on the Division's shoulder patch. He received the Silver Star
Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart
Medal for his courageous actions and wounds received during his combat service in Europe. He was present at the liberation of Falkenau concentration camp.
The film starts at the end of the First World War
and is shown in black and white. A shell shocked black horse threatens the sergeant (Lee Marvin
), then a private, and damages his rifle. He then kills a German
soldier, with his trench knife
, who was approaching with his arms raised in surrender and muttering in German that the war is over. The camera moves away from the action and towards a life-size wooden crucifix in the background, the wood infested with termites.
When he returns to his company's deserted headquarters he is told that the war ended "about four hours ago." Killing versus murder is a theme that repeats throughout the film. The 1st Division patch is shown in color.
The film then transitions to the sergeant as he leads his squad of infantrymen through North Africa
, Sicily
, then on to the D-Day
landings, where they land on Omaha Beach
at the start of the Battle of Normandy.
The squad crosses the same field where the sergeant killed the surrendering German decades before, which now contains a memorial:
The squad then treks though Europe
, ending up at the liberation of Falkenau concentration camp
(a subcamp of Flossenbürg
) in Czechoslovakia
.
At the end of the film, the sergeant is in a forest, at night, having just buried a young boy he had befriended after liberating a concentration camp. A German soldier approaches, attempting to surrender, and the sergeant stabs him. His squad then arrives and informs him that the war ended "about four hours ago." This time, as the squad walks away, one of his men notices that the German is still alive; the sergeant and his men work frantically to save the life of the wounded German soldier as they return to their unit's encampment. While Private Zab (the film's narrator) notes that saving the life of that German soldier was one of the craziest and best things that they did in the war.
as a dry run for the film. When Fuller argued with Jack Warner
and his studio over cuts they made to Merrill's Marauders the plans to film The Big Red One were dropped. Ironically, the company that ended up producing the film, Lorimar Productions
, would be acquired by Warner Bros. and thus the latter studio owns the rights to the film today.
The film was shot on location in Israel
and Ireland
, with some snow scenes featuring Marvin shot in and around Big Bear and the National Park before the four horsemen were cast.
Trim Castle
in Trim
, County Meath
was used as the derelict castle where the adolescent sniper kills one of the GIs (Boyne) as he crosses the river. It was also used as the main location by Mel Gibson for the making of Braveheart
in 1994.
Originally, the film was to have been made with John Wayne
as The Sergeant but Fuller felt that he would not have been right for the role.
Originally rated PG
by the MPAA. When the film was reconstructed by Brian Jamieson
and Richard Schickel
in 2004, it was re-rated R for "war violence and some language" by the MPAA.
called it the greatest war movie of all time.
The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival
.
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
awarded the film three out of four stars, concluding his review by stating, "It's one of the most expensive B-pictures ever made, and I think that helps it fit the subject. "A" war movies are about War, but "B" war movies are about soldiers."
It is currently listed 'Certified Fresh' by the critical website Rottentomatoes.com with a 91% rating and aggregate score of 7.7 based on 44 reviews.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
starring Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
and Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.-Personal life:...
, it was produced by Lorimar
Lorimar Productions
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993...
and released by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
in the US on July 18, 1980. The film details the experiences of several US soldiers from The Big Red One (the nickname of the 1st Infantry Division), serving in an infantry squad as part of a rifle company and the effects of the war on them.
It was heavily cut on its original release, but a restored version was premièred at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
, seven years after Fuller's death. Fuller wrote a book, with the same title, which was more a companion novel than a novelization of the film, although it features many of the scenes that were originally cut.
Background
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a member of the US First Infantry Division, which was nicknamed The Big Red One for the red numeral "1" on the Division's shoulder patch. He received the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Medal for his courageous actions and wounds received during his combat service in Europe. He was present at the liberation of Falkenau concentration camp.
Plot
The story's focus is on four privates and their squad leader, a sergeant, serving in a rifle company, who survive the war from beginning to end. Thus becoming known as "The Sergeant's Four Horsemen" as early as North Africa and Sicily. The body of the movie consists of a series of episodes highlighting the insanity and grotesqueness of war.The film starts at the end of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and is shown in black and white. A shell shocked black horse threatens the sergeant (Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
), then a private, and damages his rifle. He then kills a German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
soldier, with his trench knife
Trench knife
A Trench knife is a combat knife designed to kill or gravely incapacitate an enemy soldier at close quarters, as might be encountered in a trenchline or other confined area. It was developed in response to a need for a close combat weapon for soldiers conducting assaults and raids on enemy...
, who was approaching with his arms raised in surrender and muttering in German that the war is over. The camera moves away from the action and towards a life-size wooden crucifix in the background, the wood infested with termites.
When he returns to his company's deserted headquarters he is told that the war ended "about four hours ago." Killing versus murder is a theme that repeats throughout the film. The 1st Division patch is shown in color.
The film then transitions to the sergeant as he leads his squad of infantrymen through North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, then on to the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings, where they land on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
at the start of the Battle of Normandy.
The squad crosses the same field where the sergeant killed the surrendering German decades before, which now contains a memorial:
- Johnson: Would you look at how fast they put the names of all our guys who got killed?
- The Sergeant: That's a World War One memorial.
- Johnson: But the names are the same.
- The Sergeant: They always are.
The squad then treks though Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, ending up at the liberation of Falkenau concentration camp
Sokolov (Sokolov District)
Sokolov , Falknov nad Ohří until 1948 is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, located to the north-east of Cheb. It has about 28,000 inhabitants....
(a subcamp of Flossenbürg
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
) in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
At the end of the film, the sergeant is in a forest, at night, having just buried a young boy he had befriended after liberating a concentration camp. A German soldier approaches, attempting to surrender, and the sergeant stabs him. His squad then arrives and informs him that the war ended "about four hours ago." This time, as the squad walks away, one of his men notices that the German is still alive; the sergeant and his men work frantically to save the life of the wounded German soldier as they return to their unit's encampment. While Private Zab (the film's narrator) notes that saving the life of that German soldier was one of the craziest and best things that they did in the war.
Cast
- Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
- The Sergeant - A First World War veteran, he leads the squad through World War II. - Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
- Pvt. Griff - A skilled marksman who refuses to "murder." - Robert CarradineRobert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
- Pvt. Zab - Author of "Dark Deadline" and the film's narrator. - Bobby Di CiccoBobby Di CiccoBobby Di Cicco is an American actor. He has starred in several films since the 1970s, but has mostly been involved in television work such as The A-Team. His early work includes the film 1941 by Steven Spielberg, in which he plays one of the main characters, 'Wally Stephens'...
- Pvt. Vinci - As a Sicilian, he proves an important asset to his squad in Sicily. - Kelly WardKelly WardKelly Ward is an American actor and voice director for TV animation. He is most famous for his role as T-Bird's Putzie in Grease.-Films and TV:...
- Pvt. Johnson - As a civilian, he was a farmer and a medic. - Siegfried RauchSiegfried RauchSiegfried Rauch is a German film and television actor. He has been an actor for over 40 years, in approximately 200 productions.-Career:...
- FeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
Schroeder - The German counterpart to "The Sergeant". - Stéphane AudranStéphane AudranStéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
- Underground Walloon fighter at asylum.
Restored scenes
- Extended scene after the beach landing in North Africa when the squad are resting and eating, more quirky scene involving an Arab boy.
- The Sarge and the 'Horsemen' are trapped in an ancient Roman colosseum, and are relieved by French SpahiSpahiSpahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the indigenous populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France...
Moroccan cavalry. The scene ends with the Moroccan Goums cutting off the ears of dead Germans. - Extended Sicilian landings where the squad engage a machine-gun nest.
- Omaha BeachOmaha BeachOmaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
, D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, extended scene that includes the whole of the company including Zab encountering casualties (this was how director Fuller earned his Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
on D-Day). - Schroeder receives a massage from a French woman, whose husband has been killed by German soldiers.
- Aftermath of the attack on the lunatic asylum, where Griff has sex with a Walloon.
- Belgian innkeeper uncovers a German infiltrator as the squad eat a meal.
- Scene showing the general giving an interview to a war correspondent (played by Sam Fuller).
- Tree shelling scene extended to include the German artillery piece being destroyed by a BazookaBazookaBazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
. - The squad approach a derelict castle, losing one man to a sniper. They capture the sniper to discover him to be an adolescent boy.
- The squad encounter a protest march of old Germans, who refuse to let the squad pass until the Sarge threatens to shoot the leader.
- Schroeder removing his equipment and thus ending his responsibility to fight.
Production
Warner Brothers was strongly interested in filming The Big Red One in the late 1950s to early 1960s sending Fuller on a trip to Europe to scout locations and also had him film Merrill's MaraudersMerrill's Marauders (film)
Merrill's Marauders is a 1962 Cinemascope war film directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller based on the exploits of the jungle warfare unit of the same name in the Burma Campaign. The source is the non-fiction book The Marauders, written by Charlton Ogburn Jr., a communications officer who served...
as a dry run for the film. When Fuller argued with Jack Warner
Jack Warner
Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
and his studio over cuts they made to Merrill's Marauders the plans to film The Big Red One were dropped. Ironically, the company that ended up producing the film, Lorimar Productions
Lorimar Productions
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993...
, would be acquired by Warner Bros. and thus the latter studio owns the rights to the film today.
The film was shot on location in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, with some snow scenes featuring Marvin shot in and around Big Bear and the National Park before the four horsemen were cast.
Trim Castle
Trim Castle
Trim Castle , Trim, County Meath, Ireland, on the shores of the Boyne has an area of 30,000 m². It is the remains of Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle...
in Trim
Trim, County Meath
Trim is the traditional county town of County Meath in Ireland, although the county town is now Navan. The town was recorded in the 2006 census to have a population of 6,870....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
was used as the derelict castle where the adolescent sniper kills one of the GIs (Boyne) as he crosses the river. It was also used as the main location by Mel Gibson for the making of Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
in 1994.
Originally, the film was to have been made with John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
as The Sergeant but Fuller felt that he would not have been right for the role.
Originally rated PG
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
by the MPAA. When the film was reconstructed by Brian Jamieson
Brian Jamieson (director)
-Career:Jamieson is from New Zealand.Jamieson first entered the film industry with the New Zealand branch of Warner Bros. in 1977. He was later transferred to the United Kingdom. After his success publicizing Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Peter Yates' The Deep, he was...
and Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
Richard Warren Schickel is an American author, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. He is a film critic for Time magazine, having also written for Life magazine and the Los Angeles Times Book Review....
in 2004, it was re-rated R for "war violence and some language" by the MPAA.
Reception
The Big Red One ranks 483rd on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time. Terry Lawson of the Detroit Free PressDetroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
called it the greatest war movie of all time.
The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival
1980 Cannes Film Festival
The 33rd Cannes Film Festival was held on May 9-23. The showing of Andrei Tarkovsky's film Stalker is interrupted by an electricians strike.- Jury :*Kirk Douglas *Ken Adam *Robert Benayoun *Veljko Bulajić...
.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
awarded the film three out of four stars, concluding his review by stating, "It's one of the most expensive B-pictures ever made, and I think that helps it fit the subject. "A" war movies are about War, but "B" war movies are about soldiers."
It is currently listed 'Certified Fresh' by the critical website Rottentomatoes.com with a 91% rating and aggregate score of 7.7 based on 44 reviews.
External links
- Review of the Reconstruction
- D-Day 67 Years On by Robert Farley on Lawyers, Guns and Money" - June 6, 2011 Video Interview of Mark Hamill on his meeting with director Sam Fuller