I saw an interview with this movie's director, Samuel Fuller, and he poured his soul into this film. It was quasi auto-biographical for him. I have a soft spot in my heart for WWII vets. My 94 year old father, a WWII vet, gives me tales about three times a week when I see him.
Lee Marvin is the title role. The Big Red One is the First Infantry Division, which was a regular army establishment between the wars, and was in existence when WWII broke out. Marvin, the old regular army sergeant fought with the unit in both wars.
He gets a squad of kids and the movie is about the squad. Four of them survive through thick and thin and fight with Marvin. They start with the disaster at Kasserine Pass, into Sicily and Italy. They land a Omaha Beach and suffer through that agony. Finally into Germany and victory with a poignant ending.
Please be sure to check it out.
