The Big Red One (1980)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Big Red One (1980) – S. Fuller

Although it lacks the intense socio-political message(s) that director Sam Fuller crammed into his earlier war picture The Steel Helmet (1951), the Big Red One instead succeeds on the basis of its sheer epic nature (at least in this 160 minute reconstruction).  Across a number of different theatres of WWII, Lee Marvin and his squad try to stay alive while Germans try to kill them.  Robert Carradine stands in for Fuller himself (these are his personal anecdotes), a cigar chomping fledgling author.  Mostly the film feels alive rather than grim or horrifying (although there is that) – maybe we become numb to all the dead bodies because the characters themselves are numb?  Marvin is tough but also warm and the affection Fuller feels/felt for this sergeant comes through loud and clear.  The rest of the characters (including Mark Hamil) are somewhat less defined (and all a bit juvenile, as they probably were).  Relentlessly, the war keeps coming and coming and coming, yet somehow the movie never feels long.  We are alive and focused on the moment of action.