IMDb > The Big Red One (1980)
The Big Red One
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The Big Red One (1980) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
The Big Red One (1980) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   6,132 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Samuel Fuller
Writer:
Samuel Fuller (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Big Red One on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 May 1980 (France) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | War more
Tagline:
The real glory of war is surviving. more
Plot:
The story of a sergeant and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Good personal story from Sam Fuller more (97 total)
US TV Schedule:
Mon. Nov. 166:00 AMAMC   

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Lee Marvin ... The Sergeant

Mark Hamill ... Pvt. Griff, 1st Squad

Robert Carradine ... Pvt. Zab, 1st Squad
Bobby Di Cicco ... Pvt. Vinci, 1st Squad
Kelly Ward ... Pvt. Johnson, 1st Squad
Stéphane Audran ... Underground Walloon fighter at asylum (as Stephane Audran)
Siegfried Rauch ... Schroeder (German sergeant)
Serge Marquand ... Rensonnet
Charles Macaulay ... General / captain
Alain Doutey ... Broban (Vichy sergeant)
Maurice Marsac ... Vichy colonel
Colin Gilbert ... Dog Face POW
Joseph Clark ... Pvt. Shep (soldier on troop transport)
Ken Campbell ... Pvt. Lemchek (#2 on Bangalore torpedo)
Doug Werner ... Switolski
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Big Red One - The Reconstuction (USA) (DVD box title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for war violence and some language. (2004 reconstruction)
Runtime:
113 min | 162 min (reconstructed version)
Country:
USA
Color:
Black and White | Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital (reconstruction) | Dolby (original release)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:14A | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1980) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG (original rating) | USA:R (2004 reconstruction) | Iceland:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the film commentary, Richard Schickel points out two incidents which really happened to Samuel Fuller while serving in the Big Red One and are given to Private Zab (Robert Carradine) in the film: When Zab is playing basketball and spots Keiser (Perry Lang) reading his novel. In real life, Fuller didn't know his novel was published until he spotted a soldier reading it. The other major incident is when Zab acts as runner during the D-Day Invasion and tells the Colonel that they've broken through. Fuller was awarded a medal for his actions. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: When the sergeant and his unit are in Sicily, they walk in front of a wall with the portrait of Mussolini and a sentence in big capital letters written in Italian. The writing is incorrect. It reads "Se avanzo, Se guitmi! Se indietreggio, uccidetemi! Se muoiu, vendicatemi! Mussolini". It should be "Se avanzo, Seguitemi! Se indietreggio, uccidetemi! Se muoio, vendicatemi! Mussolini". It means "If I move forward, follow me! If I move back, kill me! If I die, avenge me!" more
Quotes:
The Sergeant: [choking the German male nurse who kissed him on the mouth] I can understand you being horny and all, Fritz... but your breath stinks. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hellboy (2004) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
Good personal story from Sam Fuller, 18 April 2000
Author: JAM-31 from Los Angeles, CA

This film is really about the experiences that Sam Fuller had during WWII. It is a bit dated, and the low budget really shows, but SF clearly did the best with what he had, and it stands as a great monument on war from a director who was really there.

All of the characters are very likeable, and well acted by Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, and company. The movie is fiction but influenced by real events. Many of the scenes, especially one involving a group of older sicilian women who cook a big meal for the squad, ring very true, since a fiction writer would obviously try and spice them up--the film is very honest, and it is good that Fuller left this story for us. I also like how it ends on a positive, optimistic note.

"The real glory of war is surviving."

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Big Red One (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A detailed synopsis hanshotfirst1138
Just a buck sergeant after 24 years? shadow1234
The beach scene was stupid! purplerustling
Any Good? DM-DAAN
Tired of seeing all of these 'reality' critiques? moggio85
What song was the music box playing? mailalan-1
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