The Big Red One

1980

158 mins

Directed by Samuel Fuller
90%
78%
Action
Drama
War

Samuel Fuller's semi-autobiographical, 1980 war movie about a veteran Sergeant (Lee Marvin) from the first World War, who leads a... More

Samuel Fuller's semi-autobiographical, 1980 war movie about a veteran Sergeant (Lee Marvin) from the first World War, who leads a unit in World War II, including Mark Hamill as Private Griff. The story follows the men as they survive the war – in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of the war. The movie begins with the line: "This is fictional life based on factual death".

This was one of the Samuel Fuller's last movies, in a career spanning nearly 60 years. Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch have all listed Fuller's high energy approach as a major influence on their own work.

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Where to watch The Big Red One

The Big Red One is available to stream in New... More Zealand now on YouTube and Google TV and Apple TV Store.

There is no screening information for this title.

The Big Red One | Ratings & Reviews

90_%48 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
78_%9,090 reviews
Audience score rating

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

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Variety

"Sam Fuller's monumental and often loopy second world war epic from 1980 ... the film's superbly contrived images and sheer ingenuous passion make a strong claim for crazy-masterpiece status..."

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The Guardian

"In the ways that count, "The Big Red One" is still a B-movie -- hard-boiled, filled with action, held together by male camaraderie, directed with a lean economy of action. 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."

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Roger Ebert

"Marvin's performance, much enhanced by "The Reconstruction," is a marvel."

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Los Angeles Times

"Made for only $4 million, this is an episodic epic, slow-paced and dealing with inactivity as much as action. But the intimacy of Fuller's focus makes this one of the most truthful takes on the realities of combat."

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