A hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.A hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.A hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations
Stéphane Audran
- Underground Walloon Fighter at Asylum
- (as Stephane Audran)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe bulk of the picture was shot in Israel, and director Samuel Fuller remarked that it was unsettling after a scene was shot when the German soldiers and SS troops would take off their helmets and Fuller would see them wearing yarmulkes; also, between takes they would be sitting around the set in full Nazi uniform speaking Hebrew or reading the Torah.
- GoofsIn the crematorium scene Griff doesn't fire 18 rounds as often thought. He fires 8, then if you listen closely, the ninth noise is a clip ejected, and the tenth is the sound of a new clip being inserted. He then fires another 8, which is correct.
- Quotes
[the troop stops before 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 name's are the same.
The Sergeant: They always are.
- Alternate versionsIn 2004, film critic Richard Schickel restored this film to a new director's cut length of approximately 160 minutes. Using Samuel Fuller's production notes and the full-length, unexpurgated script, Schickel restored the footage that was forced to be cut by the studio upon its original 1980 release (which runs 116 minutes). The restored version's DVD release date is 3 May 2005. This longer, epic-length version is closer to Fuller's original vision for the film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in A tout coeur: Episode dated 7 May 1984 (1984)
- SoundtracksHorst-Wessel-Lied
Written by Horst Wessel
Featured review
A squad experiences every possible emotion fighting its way through WWII
This is an under-appreciated war film. You never see it on TV, I know of no widescreen version available on video, and no one talks about it in books, newspapers or on television, but it is worth renting. Made up of a number of short vignettes, the main characters experience everything from delivering a baby (in a tank!) to D-Day on Omaha Beach to liberating a death camp as they fight their way through Africa, Sicily, and Western Europe. I understand that it is semi-autobiographical, and boy, does it pack a wallop. From the opening scene to history repeating (almost) itself at the end, it is well-crafted, says a lot and leaves the viewer changed. When the voice-over at the end says that the only glory in war is surviving, you KNOW why. Watch in particular for how Lee Marvin leads his squad, in particular when he gives an extra clip of M-1 ammunition to one of his soldiers at the Death Camp to help the soldier process, in a unique way, the horror of what they have discovered. It is unforgettable.
helpful•7328
- Riharden
- Feb 2, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,206,220
- Gross worldwide
- $7,206,823
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Dolby(original release)
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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