THE BIG RED ONE

US, 1980, 108 minutes, Colour.
Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby di Cicco, Stephane Audran.
Directed by Samuel Fuller.

Samuel Fuller has made many 'B' action thrillers over 30 years and has become a cult director in Europe. Here he remembers and tells his own war story - the action and heroism of war as well as its violent futility and the ordinary soldiers' absorbing goal of survival. This film entertains on a realistic level. But the film is symbolic of a proud (not jingoistic) U.S. - for the sergeant (Lee Marvin expertly tough and gentle) and his four surviving youngsters are engaged in each major action the Americans were involved in: Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia. Episodes are telling; the cumulative effect is a picture of a personal war and that of America.

1. The importance of war films? Memories? Heritage? The tradition of war films from the '20s to the '40s? The memoirs of World War Two in the '50s and '60s? This film in that tradition? The '60s and the anti-war film?

2. The traditions of the war film: the presentation of battles and warfare, strategies, battles and death? Situations and people? War and violence? The repercussions of war on society, on individuals?

3. The war film tradition in focusing on the small group as representing involvement in the whole war? The small American group of this film as representing American involvement in World War Two, 1942-45? The effectiveness of this technique? Audiences identifying with characters? Appreciating their representing the broader involvement? The personalising of war?

4. The work of Samuel Fuller? The film as his memoir? The age at which he made the film? His experience of warfare, observing the war, writing, his subsequent literary and film career? His motivation for making the film in the late '70s? His technical expertise - difficulties of making the film, the quantity of film photographed, the difficulties in editing? Fuller's point of view, his creative interpretation of his memories? Strength of plot, characters? The impact of war, its destruction, survival?

5. The contribution of the cast - personalities and presence, especially Lee Marvin? The importance of the African and European locations? The editing and the special effects for war? The use of realism. symbols: seasons, close-ups of animals. e.g. lizards and rabbits etc.? The importance of the atmospheric score?

6. The structure of the film: the episodes and their cumulative effect? American involvement in the various theatres of World War Two? Growth through the involvement? The different kinds of battles, different atmospheres, the effects on the men and their going forward to the next theatre? The film making war experience credible?

7. The American tone of the film, its patriotism? The film being a presentation of war and a criticism of war - patriotic but not jingoistic? The American sergeant and his experience of World War One, his military pride, his representing Uncle Sam? His care for the boys and interest in them? Father figure? The American soldier as both tough and tender, protective and competent? The young soldiers - boys growing into manhood? Detachment, cynicism, innocence, fear? Innocence to experience? The picture of America after Pearl Harbor. and becoming the ally of the Europeans? Africa, Sicily, Italy, England, Normandy, France, Belgium, Germany. Czechoslovakia?

8. The importance of the prologue: the monochrome, the focus on the cross and the figure of Christ, the trench warfare? The death after the armistice-signing? The focus on the crucifix with Christ and death? The sergeant, his attitude towards the war, the encounter with the German? The slogans? The officer shaving and his telling of the war's end? The effect on the sergeant? The transition to World War Two and the importance of The Big Red One? The importance of the return to this setting in the middle of the film? The end of the film with a repetition of the opening? The sergeant confronting the German? His repeating his actions? Making the same mistake? His comment that while he didn't know the war was over, the German did? Trying to save the life of the German and redeeming? The religious overtones of Christ on the cross - especially in the middle of the film with the German hiding behind the cross? The shadow of the cross cast over the dead men? The insects in the eyes of the crucifix? War and its futility? Belief in God, Christianity, European wars?

9. The presentation of the Germans: their French allies on the beaches of Africa and the surrendering to the Americans? The Germans in the desert and the discussion about murder and killing? The sergeant killing the objecting soldier? The advances by Rommel? The fight in the hospital in Tunis? The Germans in France - their ploy in pretending to be dead? Under the shadow of the cross? The presentation of German soldiers at war and their similarity to the young Americans? In Africa, in the cave in Sicily. the Americans taking the gun in the house in Italy, the snipers? The Germans in the asylum? In the concentration camp and the final battle? The Germans as enemy?

10. Lee Marvin's portrayal of the sergeant - his personality, pride in infantry, leading his group? The many young men that served under him, the focus on the four? Their types and characters? The voice-over introduction to them? The explanation of their backgrounds? Their coping with crises, not coping? Changing - as others came and went? Bonds, fraternity? Mutual help?

11. The effect of the voice-over commentary? Inviting the audience to understand the men, the situations?

12. The focus of the title on the infantry, military prowess, loyalty?

13. World War Two in Africa: the Americans landing, the accidental battles on the coast, the French killing their officer and surrendering to the Americans? The harshness of desert warfare? Rommel and his advances? The Americans waiting in the wrong place? The digging of foxholes and the tanks going over the men? Fear and the running in the mountains? The sergeant and his injuries? Hospital in Tunisia? The battles in the hospital? The sergeant escaping as an Arab? The transition to the lyrical reunion on the beach, the boys swimming, writing, drawing cartoons? Their joy in seeing the sergeant?

14. The war in Sicily: the men in the ships waiting to land, the attack on the Wogs' - and the sequence with the gun in the mouth? The terrain of Sicily, the Sicilian villages contrasting with the deserts of Africa? The propaganda posters for Mussolini? The landing, the fighting, the way of life in the Sicilian towns? Liberation? The boy and his dead mother on the cart? The bargaining and his helping them? The dramatics of the taking of the large guns? The working women and their scything the dead Germans? The banquet? The burial of the mother? The helmet covered in flowers? Hiding in the cave, being isolated from the main force which hadn't landed? The Navy saving them? Their killing the Germans coming into the cave? The liberation of Sicily and its effect on them? The human element with the men meeting the Sicilians?

15. The transition to England and recuperation and preparation for D-Day? The boats going to Normandy? The drawing of lots? Omaha Beach and the invading troops pinned down, the massacre, the bombardment, the device of the bloodstained water and the watch showing the time? Their expectations? The importance of the device of getting the pipe through the barbed wire - the young boys going in numbers, so many dead? Griff and his freezing in fear? The sergeant willing to shoot him? The breakthrough? The progress through France and the return to the sergeant's crucifix? The Germans and the hiding? The tank? The change in war in 25 years? The ambush, the sergeant's bluff? The German walking off into the sunset? The transition from fighting to the birth sequence? Ironies of birth and death? Johnson and his achievement? The tenderness of the sergeant for the mother?

16. The advances into Belgium? The attack on the monastery? The irony of the insane and the sane? The points made about war madness? The Strauss waltz, the woman dancing and killing the Germans? The friars and their waiting on the tables? The slaughter of the Germans? The invasion of the monastery and the inmates taking no notice? The madman with the gun saying that he was sane? The refectory - and the presence of Christ in the da Vinci reproduction of the Last Supper?

17. The war in Germany: the fort, the attacks on the trees? The young American who had read the novel and his death, killing his attacker? The reversions of winter? The party and the splurge by the author? The pathos of the party - the drinking, the warmth of the presence of the women? The preparations for further fighting?

18. Czechoslovakia and the concentration camps, the battle, the opening of the ovens, the opening of the huts and the gaunt faces? Griff going berserk and continually firing on the German in the oven? The sergeant giving him more bullets? His purging himself of his fear and anger? The sergeant helping the little boy to eat, carrying him, the pathos of his death?

19. The sergeant wandering and the repetition of attacking the German after the peace was signed? Trying to save the German? The ironic comments about saving German lives after American deaths?

20. Lee Marvin's portrayal of the sergeant as tough and tender, leadership, his strategy, the decoys, for instance, in Sicily, willing to shoot Griff, allowing the party, the flowers on the helmet, his pride in zap's book, his working with Johnson for the birth? Griff and his cartoons?

21. The portrait of the group - American, young, creative, differing backgrounds, hopes? Griff and his cartoons as well as his fear? Zap and his novel - and its being sold to Hollywood? The Samuel Fuller figure?

22. The film as one of Time Magazine's ten best of 1980 - its merits, impact, success?