Review of The Big Red One (1980) by Ben K — 01 Jun 2008
The Big Red One has always been hailed as something of a lost masterpiece if only they hadn't hacked it to bits. Richard Schickel, the noted film critic and documenterian, decided to reedit the film guided by Fuller's Shooting Script.
This new version, which is 47 minutes longer than the released version, was hailed as the masterpiece everyone suspected it was. I never saw the truncated version but this one was pretty satisfying. It's an anti-war film in the sense that nobody does anything heroic except survive.
Makes an interesting companinon piece to Saving Private Ryan, although Ryan had a more brutal ending.
This review of The Big Red One (1980) was written by Ben K on 01 Jun 2008.
The Big Red One has generally received positive reviews.
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