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Poster for The Big Red One

The Big Red One

Seen it?

1980 | 162 min | Drama, War

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (90% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for history buffs. If you loved Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Intense.
The pace
Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 42 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • It's long: 2 hr 42 min.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A veteran sergeant of World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivor Pvt. Griff, the writer Pvt. Zab, the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson, in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, and ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of war.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.7 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $7 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 96K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Samuel Fuller

  • Lee MarvinThe Sergeant
  • Mark HamillGriff
  • Robert CarradineZab
  • Bobby Di CiccoVinci
  • Kelly WardJohnson
  • Stéphane AudranWalloon
  • Siegfried RauchSchroeder
  • Serge MarquandRensonnet
  • Charles MacaulayGeneral / Captain
  • Alain DouteyBroban