The Big Red One

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The Big Red One

PG,

1980,

1h 53m,

War/

Drama

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Watchlist

88%

48 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

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.

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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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

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

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Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

May 11, 2005

5/5

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.

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Kevin Crust

Los Angeles Times

Jan 20, 2005

5/5

'The Reconstruction,' which clocks in at 2 hours, 43 minutes, with not a single extraneous frame, elevates the work from a robust genre film to a full-blown epic.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 6, 2026

A well-meaning but ineffectual movie by a director in over his depth and way past his prime.

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Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

May 27, 2020

3.5/4

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

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Jesús Fernández Santos

El Pais (Spain)

Aug 15, 2019

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]

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Apr 10, 2019

Excellent journey through ww2 Europe

Jan 27, 2019

The best thrilling movie ever made!

Rey R

Apr 14, 2017

The most genuine portrayal of war ever made. This isn't Coppola's horrific portrait or Kubrick's clean message on dehumanization, but a film about a story above all. Yet, as it happens, the movie doesn't really have a story.

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Abraham S

Mar 13, 2017

Made a huge impact on how a movie should be specially war movie. To date it is one of the best ever.

Albus R

Dec 28, 2008

Mediocre. 1942. The green troops of a US infantry squad are about to get their first taste of war, hitting the shores of Vichy French-held Morocco as part of Operation Torch. The squad is lead by a tough, no-nonsense sergeant, a veteran of WW1. The squad ultimately is involved in several of the key battles of the European / North African theatre: Operation Torch, Kasserine Pass, Sicily, Omaha Beach and the Allies' invasion of Germany itself. The squad is a part of one of the most famous US combat units: the 1st Infantry Division - The Big Red One. Mediocre war drama. Plot involves moving from one engagement to the next with very little character engagement, linking of scenes, introspection or profundity. It's really just a montage of the 1st Infantry Division's battles, told through the eyes of a particular squad. Engagement with the squad's members is limited. You never get to know them, so never get too invested in their characters. Any character development is largely token. Not very accurate militarily, the war scenes being more of the made-for-teenage boys, gung ho Hollywood variety. Then there is the usual problem for war movies of the era: not enough surviving German tanks so we have US Shermans masquerading as Tigers, limiting the realism of the film. It's not all bad though. There are some poignant scenes - the flowers-on-helmet scene, the concentration camp - and some interesting observations on war. Overall: so-so.

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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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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
Producer: Gene Corman, Douglas Freeman, Richard Schickel
Screenwriter: Samuel Fuller
Production Co: United Artists, Lorimar Productions
Rating: PG (War Violence|Some Language)
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround

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