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.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
20K
YOUR RATING
- 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.
- GoofsDuring the WW1 scene between the Sergeant and the officer in the dug-out, the Sergeant learns that the armistice had been signed 4 hours previously at 1100hrs, November 11, 1918. While talking with the officer, the sergeant is cutting a piece of red cloth in the shape of a number '1' which he says he will submit as a proposed insignia for the division. However the shoulder sleeve insignia for the 1st Division consisting of a red number "1" was already approved on 31 Oct 1918.
- 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
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.
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.
helpful•142
- grantss
- Oct 28, 2018
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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