Click to read the article
Comment
04/26/05
The Big Red One (1980)
91
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:43
Fresh:39
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: The reconstruction of Samuel Fuller’s epic account of his days in North Africa in World War II elevates the film into the pantheon of great war movies.
Runtime: 2 hrs 43 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Episodic retelling of the exploits of the American First Infantry Division during World War II, focusing on the squad's sergeant and four of the soldiers. They struggle to survive campaigns from... [More]
Starring: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Kelly Ward
Director: Samuel Fuller
Reviews for The Big Red One
Top CriticClick to read the article
06/24/06
Top CriticPersonal observation bleeds out of every scene, and somehow it feels like a true story in a way that most war movies can't achieve.
09/12/07
No review available.
08/08/02
No review available.
01/05/05
The director's gift for bare-knuckles lyricism rescues scene after scene.
12/03/04
Click to read the article
12/04/04
Top CriticFuller went a step further, baring not only his soul but the wartime scars inflicted upon it. For all its merits, the 1980 version of the film denied audiences that connection. The new version both restores and reaffirms it.
01/21/05
Click to read the article
12/08/04
Click to read the article
10/23/04
Top CriticFuller's only A-budget movie is still among the lesser works of this frequently brilliant filmmaker.
11/18/04
No review available.
10/22/06
An American masterpiece by one of the last great American directors.
01/01/00
A solid war movie with a great performance by Lee Marvin. If you're a war buff, give this one a shot.
09/27/02
The cast smartly underplays things, with Marvin being as charismatic as usual playing a man of few words. And Hamill, an actor given to over-the-top outbursts, reins it in here; this may be his best big-screen performance.
02/18/05
There's a reason Fuller found it hard to get gigs in the US through the 70's; his pulp fiction style just didn't play anymore.
05/13/03
No review available.
07/04/05
If you don't elect to watch The Big Red One through the lens of Sam Fuller's mystique ... you'll realize that it has been celebrated in ways that essentially make virtues of its flaws.
12/02/04
[Marvin's] understated authority and sincerity give the entire film a dignity it would otherwise lack.
12/02/04
meant to be the culmination of a life’s work... It didn’t come to pass.
05/10/05
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds