Alight-heartedWWII

SavingPrivateRyan,BandofBrothers,ThinRedLine...justtonameafewofthemodernHollywooddepictionsoftheWWIImovieswithgraphiccontentsandbreath-on-your-neckrealities.ButtheBigRedOneisnoneofthat.Althoughsomegraphicdetails,suchasanArabcuttingoffadeadGermansear,didmakemywifecringe,themovieisoverallquitelight-hearted.Ienjoyedthedarkishhumorous,atsomepointsevenfunnywayofstorytellingbySamMuller.Itsgotthetypicalcharmofaclassicwartimemoviethatsucksyouintothestorywithfewspecialeffectoroverlydramaticacting.Thestorytakesusalongwith5soldiersofthe1stInfantryDivision,akatheBigRedOne,fromNorthAfricatoSicily,fromOmahaBeachallthewaytotheliberationoftheNazideathcamps.LeeMarvin,whoplayedthepoker-facedbutwarm-heartedsergeant,shinedinthemovie-hisroleshowssolittlefacialexpressionthatitactuallybecamethetrademarkofhiscomplexcharacter.Andasiftomakehimlookevencolder,SamMullerwouldmakehimwearaflower-decoratedhelmet(orshouldwesayaflowercrown?)madebyalittleSiciliangirl,whichreallykeepsitfromremindingusthenastinessofthewar.Aromanticizedandentertainingwarmoviebasedontrueexperiences,theBigRedOneisamust-seeforallyouWWIIbluffs.Oh,makesureyousitcomfortably,thismovieis2hours43minuteslong.