Films that share their titles with names of military units are rare, mostly because they presumably deal with glorious and spectacular battles and, as such, require high budgets. An interesting exception to this rule can be found in The Big Red One, 1980 war film written and directed by Samuel Fuller.
The script is inspired by Fuller’s experiences in Second World War, when he served as corporal in US Army 1st Infantry Division, also known under official nickname “Big Red One”. The film begins in November 1918, when one of its soldiers named Possum (played by Lee Marvin) kills a German soldier before finding out that the Great War ended few hours earlier. Twenty four years later, during the next war, Possum is a Sergeant leading a squad of young soldiers that includes aspiring novelist Zab (played by Robert Carradine), unsophisticated country bumpkin Johnson (played by Kelly Ward), sensitive cartoonist Griff (played by Mark Hamill) and Italian American youth Vinci (played by Bobby Di Cicco). Sergeant’s squad lands as part of invasion force in North Africa and fights first of many battles that would be fought in Tunisia, Sicily, France, Belgium and, finally, Czechoslovakia where they liberate Nazi concentration camp at the very end of the war.
Fuller was trying to make this film for thirty years, with his maverick nature and unwillingness to compromise with big studio heads being the greatest impediment. In the end film was produced by Roger Corman’s younger brother Gene with budget of 4 million US$ and extensive use of Israeli locations. The low budget, in a way, worked in film’s favour because Fuller tried to portray the war from the perspective of common soldier and rather small and tight group of his comrades. Although The Big Red One has its share of combat scenes and pyrotechnics, the action is relatively small-scale, even in the scene depicting bloody D-Day landings at Omaha Beach. But the action is also more intimate, with large amount of killings done by knives and bayonets. Protagonists don’t know nor they care about grand strategy or bigger picture; their only goal is mere survival, which they pursue knowing that they might achieve with as much blind luck as with skills and experience, gained usually at the expense of their less fortunate comrades whose names they don’t bother to remember. This realistic approach to war is also seen in episodic structure of the plot, made of sometimes humorous and sometimes bizarre vignettes that are connected mainly through Zab’s narration.
Fuller claimed that his film wasn’t “pro-war” no “anti-war” and that he wanted nothing but for the viewers to make their own conclusion. This was supposed to be reflected in character of Sergeant Possum, who was perfectly embodied by Lee Marvin, decorated WW2 veteran. For most of the film the man is typical of no-nonsense sergeants you would like to have on your side when you are in combat, and the script doesn’t bother with unnecessary details like his background or private life. His very pragmatic attitude, both to killing and to saving lives (best seen in almost surreal scene of woman giving birth inside abandoned tank) and lack emotion changes only at the very beginning and at the very end of the film. Marvin is well-matched with the rest of the cast, which includes Mark Hamill in probably his best role outside Star Wars series; he very convincingly portrays young man who would be changed by his wartime experiences more than any other character.
The Big Red One is very good film, but far from perfection. Some of it can be explain with budget limitations and Israel locations not being that convincing substitute for battlefields of Western and Central Europe (unlike North Africa and Sicily). Many of the episodes and subplots aren’t resolved properly and film at times look chaotic, which could be partially explained by studio editing out more than half of Fuller’s original cut. Some problems can be attributed to Fuller, though. This is especially case with character of German Sergeant Schroeder (played by Siegfried Rauch) who is introduced as some kind of protagonist’s nemesis who almost always appears as his opponent at his battlefield only to provide rather unconvincing symbolic catharsis at the end. Despite those flaws, The Big Red One should be recommended to everyone interested to see what the war really looks like. After all, it was made by people who experienced it first hand.
RATING: 7/10 (++)
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