Review of The Big Red One (1980) by Ben J — 27 Oct 2010

Admittedly, I don't like war films. if pushed, i'd say I don't even like war. or the idea of war. there is no peace in war. and I like peace. and quiet (another thing of which there is little of in war). but I did like this film.

I didn't know anything about this film, its cast or director until I watched it and looked into it. which is hard for me to admit, what with claiming to be an amatuer cinephile. if there is one genre I know little of, it is war. I am a war philistine.

Anyway, onto the meat. fuller basically weaves his own memories of world war II into an almost stream of conciousness-esque diatribe. as soon as the north africa segment finishes, we're into the omaha beach sequence, and then onto belgium, and so on. it's almost set pieces tied together by the band of brothers we become accustomed to through the death, disorder, confusion and bravado.

As I like to keep these reviews short, i'll just mention how our director here apparently has his admirers, tarantino among them. spielberg obviously saw this film before making private ryan too. the beach sequence is almost a lesson in what you can do with technology between two points in time. very similar.

One last point, this film is fucking funny. very. fucking. funny. a woman gives birth in a tank. it could be an elaborate allegory for how we are all born into the machine except for the fact that it's being delivered by a guy with condoms on his fingers - makeshift gloves - and the woman's legs held up with bandoliers of bullets (pointed away from her head). not to mention that she is french and our motley crew decides that the french for 'push' is 'PUSS-AY'.

Of all the war films i've seen, this is the one to make a mark, even if it is only a flesh wound.