[Captain Scarlet]

I collect WWII movies on DVD and saw "The Big Red One" for $5.99 at the
store, is this movie pretty good? :cool:

[444]

Yes.
Not the best I have ever seen but well worth buying even at full price. I don't own a big movie collection, but I have The Big Red One.

[Sactown]

it was ok, cept the Krauts were driving Shermans painted grey.

[winstonsmith]

Imagine Saving Private Ryan. Now subtract 20 years and a few hundred million dollars, and some directing genius. And add the whole span of WWII.

Thats BRO.

All in all a fairly good film. Worth 6 bucks, although I got mine for 4 :neener:

[444]

"And add the whole span of WWII."

It actually starts in WW I.

[BluesBear]

VERY, very good movie.

Did I mention I liked it?

[Captain Scarlet]

Im getting the DVD I think I'll enjoy it! Im also looking for the "Devils Brigade" with William Holden but I dont think it's on DVD yet.

[Fed168]

The Devil's Brigade is out on DVD, I have a copy of it. Keeping this gun related, what's up with the American tanks in German garb?

[BluesBear]

Probably got the tanks from Alamo. (unlimited mileage)

Avis & Hertz were probably all out of Panzers.

You gotta reserve them BEFORE the weekend rush, ya know. :evil:

[Sleeping Dog]

I liked the movie. I never even noticed that the Germans were driving Shermans.

For a studio, Panzers would have been harder to obtain, Tigers even worse.

Shermans seem to be sitting on the front lawn of every veterans' organization building. It never occured to me that they would actually run.

I guess if the story is good, the details can be a little bit wrong without ruining the movie.

Regards.

[Devonai]

This is a classic movie, the only parts I didn't like were the scenes at Casserine Pass and when the Yank finds the German soldier hiding in the incinerator. I thought they could have done a better job with those particular scenes.

Beside those small complaints, I'd highly recommend this one.

Also check out To Hell and Back (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0048729/) with Audie Murphy.

[Dave Markowitz]

The Big Red One is an excellent movie, IMO.

[Ol' Badger]

Was the Kraut that was killed in the end the same one from the rest of the movie????

Bummed me out when the kid died thou. What did that kid ever do to anybody?

[MuzzleBlast]

It's pretty much a collection of war stories. If you like war movies, then yes, you will enjoy it. Just don't expect it to be art.

[DorGunR]

Just remember, if you're gonna be.........
Be a Big Red 1

Sorry I just had to do it.........knew several guys from the Big Red 1 in Nam.....great unit, a Division that can hold it's head high.......and this from a guy that was 25th Division.;)

[Chaz]

DorGunR,

My uncle was in the Big Red 1 there in 1968. Not sure exactly what he did but told me he prefered to carry a shotgun in the jungle.

[WT]

You can tell Marvin served by the way he handles his helmet. Brought back memories.

[DorGunR]

Chaz
Yeah, the pump shotgun was a very effective weapon in the jungle. Your Uncle must have walked point.....the point man almost always carried a shotgun.;)

[jsalcedo]

My uncle took me to see it when I was 10 or 11.

This film got me started on war movies.

Lee Marvin was great and made up for Mark Hamil.

[tetleyb]

The best part of the movie, when Lee Marvin throws a certain part of a young soldiers body, over his shoulder, after the soldier tripping a land mine....

"son that is why god gave you two of em..."

[Mike Irwin]

I'd certainly get it for $5.99.

Some decent battle scenes.

And hell, it has Lee Marvin.

[Captain Scarlet]

I heard Lee Marvin was a real life MARINE and fought on IWO JIMA and was wounded in action. :cool:

[DF357]

When the kid was shooting into the crematory furnace, I counted 18 shots without a reload. Then Marvin gave the guy one of his clips to continue shooting.

[Greg L]

For $5.99 you certainly can't go wrong.

[Keith]

There's some really silly situations and scenes in that movie!

The ambush where all the Germans play dead... uh yeah, sure! The insane asylum scene is about as dumb a plot device as anyone as has ever come up with.
It's like they took an actual WWII GI memoir and then stuck some really stupid Hollywood scenes in to "spice it up".

But hey, for 6 bucks... why not?

Keith

[RustyHammer]

Worth the $6 bucks ... especially if you're an M1 Garand fan. Sort of a classic among WWII movies.

[Mike Irwin]

According to his biography on IMDB.com, Marvin was wounded in the buttocks by Japanese fire on Saipan in 1944. Severed his sciatic nerve. OUCH!

After he was invalided out, he was working as a plumber's helper and was repairing a toilet at a community theater when he was asked to replace another actor.

[Gabby Hayes]

Charles Whiting, England's most prolific military book author, made the statement in "The Battle of Hurtgen Forest" that the 1st Infantry Division is the only American division about whom a movie has been made. I don't know how many movies Mr. Whiting has seen in his time, but I remember liking this one when it came out.

[Selfdfenz]

Where can I get that movie for 5.99. I'd like a copy.
Lee Marvin was a good actor IMO.

S-

[BigG]

Here's my take:

Big Red One (http://www.epinions.com/content_59907804804)

[Captain Scarlet]

selfdfenz, I saw it at a store called: FRY's for $5.99 in California but you
can also easily get it on line from, ebayhalf.com for about the same price
plus a couple bucks for shipping. :cool:

[Ian Sean]

Read the BOOK! by Sam Fuller.

So much more in the book!

Why Shermans? The movie was filmed in Isreal. At the time The IDF was still using them, upgraded and upgunned.

[CZ-100]

Was the Kraut that was killed in the end the same one from the rest of the movie????

Bummed me out when the kid died thou. What did that kid ever do to anybody?

Kid
"Did I kill the guy that killed me?"

Marvin
"Yes to did"

[Spieler]

Grab it, you won't regret it! It's a WWII 'good guys' flick and it stars Lee Marvin. What else do you need?

[Trebor]

The Big Red One is also a book? Great! I'll have to find it. It's one of my favorite movies, German Shermans and all.

I'd love to see a director's cut of this, but since Fuller's passed on, I don't think it will happen.

[Pumpkinheaver]

The movie is Ok, nothing more. It's worth $6, I bought a copy.

[ETCss Phil McCrackin]

That crap with the tanks, they did the same thing in "Patton". All the so-called "Tigers" were really american tanks too. Come to think of it, most old WW2 movies don't get the armored vehicles even close. One of the first ones that does that I can think of is "Kelly's Heroes", the Tigers in that one looked pretty good.

[444]

You mean they arn't really German tanks ? Next you are going to tell me that they arn't really Nazis driving them. Whatever you do don't spoil it for me and tell me they arn't using live ammo.


IT IS A MOVIE

[jrhead75]

Yep, it's only a movie. But I'll bet if the German troops were armed with Garands or Winchester 94s, it would arouse some comment. :D

Personally, I'm into WWII armor, aviation, and other weaponry, and like to see enemy stuff portrayed as accurately as possible (Kelly's Heroes, Battle of Britain, Saving Pvt Ryan are some good examples).

All that aside...IMO, Big Red One is one of the better ones, Shermans and all.

Semper Fi and Rest In Peace Lee Marvin.

[444]

I also like authenticity, but there are limits. I don't know how easy it would be to get real tanks, battleships, aircraft etc. You gotta use your imagination to some extent. No matter what, the movie isn't going to be 100% real. I don't think this takes a whole lot away from the movie.

[jrhead75]

I agree. In fact, pointing out anachronisms or other inaccuracies can be fun.

[Captain Scarlet]

I thought it was a pretty good movie, the narration during the movie made
it interesting like somebody telling a story. I remember the scene when a
GI is shooting a German soldier hiding in a oven, he fired 18 rds non stop
out of his M1 Garand then Lee Marvin gives him another clip of ammo.

It was worth it for $5.99 , the DVD has both full screen or wide screen,
all you do to change it is flip it over to the other side. :cool:

[Ant Mod]

it was ok, cept the Krauts were driving Shermans painted grey.

You ever see Patton.