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on April 20, 2014
For the youth of today. Lee Marvin was one of the all time classiest actors of that generation not to mention a real class act. He was in the
Marines during WWII and played very memorable characters in all of his movies. The Dirty Dozen was just a fun movie with not a lot of
substance but enjoyable none the less. Having seen many interviews of Lee Marvin on YouTube I've come to have an even greater
appreciation for the man as an actor and a man's man. The Lee Marvins and Charles Bronsons are long gone from the acting world except in all their great and perhaps not so great movies. I for one however, really miss those guys. Robert DiNiro's the closest comparison to them
but that era is long gone.Today's generation will have a new list of hero types in the movies but I sure miss my group.
Marines during WWII and played very memorable characters in all of his movies. The Dirty Dozen was just a fun movie with not a lot of
substance but enjoyable none the less. Having seen many interviews of Lee Marvin on YouTube I've come to have an even greater
appreciation for the man as an actor and a man's man. The Lee Marvins and Charles Bronsons are long gone from the acting world except in all their great and perhaps not so great movies. I for one however, really miss those guys. Robert DiNiro's the closest comparison to them
but that era is long gone.Today's generation will have a new list of hero types in the movies but I sure miss my group.
on April 24, 2017
Robert Aldrich's famous WW2 movie gets a nice Bluray transfer. There has been much written about this movie, & little I can add.
The performances are all very good, & is a much bleaker movie than when I first remembered seeing it at the cinema.
It was rated as an X cert here in the UK, & I remembered thinking why? Its the final act of ruthlessness against the trapped German Officers, & Wives, that had the censor's reaching for their vapours.
A much copied movie, which probably was inspired by 'Seven Samurai', although the Author of the original novel EM Nathanson claimed he'd heard of a real life situation that inspired his story, but the series of events could not be confirmed to be true.(See the Filthy Fifteen, a real life event about scruffy demolition engineers whilst in training for the Normandy invasion). Sven Hassel's novels, also feature such scenario's.
A cornerstone, & seminal 60's war movie. Very enjoyable.
The performances are all very good, & is a much bleaker movie than when I first remembered seeing it at the cinema.
It was rated as an X cert here in the UK, & I remembered thinking why? Its the final act of ruthlessness against the trapped German Officers, & Wives, that had the censor's reaching for their vapours.
A much copied movie, which probably was inspired by 'Seven Samurai', although the Author of the original novel EM Nathanson claimed he'd heard of a real life situation that inspired his story, but the series of events could not be confirmed to be true.(See the Filthy Fifteen, a real life event about scruffy demolition engineers whilst in training for the Normandy invasion). Sven Hassel's novels, also feature such scenario's.
A cornerstone, & seminal 60's war movie. Very enjoyable.
on May 28, 2014
Lee Marvin portrays a tough as nails major who is forced to "volunteer". He has to command a squad of misfits on a suicide mission against Nazi big wigs. Some are convicts, psychos, lunkheads and losers. It is an all star cast, Ernist Borgnine, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Robert Ryan are army bosses. Some of the well known actors playing the jailbirds are Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clink Walker are among the 12 jairbirds who will earn their freedom if they survive. First part of the movie is trying to get them to work as a team. That is something to see. The other is who survives. Very good action movie, not like some war movies that is just killing, killing.
on July 28, 2012
This entertaining, tense, yet very cynical view of war is as subversive in it's own quiet way
as M*A*S*H is overtly.
To take a bunch of murderers, rapists, thieves, then make us root for them as war heroes, and
laugh at their antics, then get caught up in their mission but (if we catch it) feel an unease at how
that mission quietly echoes the gassing of Jews in concentration camps leads to high number of
levels at which to take the film leads to a very complicated movie experience masquerading as
`fun' entertainment.
And it IS fun, that's where Aldrich pulls you in.
Yet to admit even subtly (as he also did in `Attack') that even a war as `good' and just as WWII was
still an act of insanity on all sides may be even more brave than Altman's more overt
counter-culture skewering of the Korean War, in M*A*S*H --a war more `acceptable' to ask
moral questions about.
That said, as often happens with me and Aldrich, it lost something on second viewing. The humor
felt more juvenile, the ironies a bit easy. Still a cool, subversive film, but I'd hoped it would grow,
on revisiting, not fade.
as M*A*S*H is overtly.
To take a bunch of murderers, rapists, thieves, then make us root for them as war heroes, and
laugh at their antics, then get caught up in their mission but (if we catch it) feel an unease at how
that mission quietly echoes the gassing of Jews in concentration camps leads to high number of
levels at which to take the film leads to a very complicated movie experience masquerading as
`fun' entertainment.
And it IS fun, that's where Aldrich pulls you in.
Yet to admit even subtly (as he also did in `Attack') that even a war as `good' and just as WWII was
still an act of insanity on all sides may be even more brave than Altman's more overt
counter-culture skewering of the Korean War, in M*A*S*H --a war more `acceptable' to ask
moral questions about.
That said, as often happens with me and Aldrich, it lost something on second viewing. The humor
felt more juvenile, the ironies a bit easy. Still a cool, subversive film, but I'd hoped it would grow,
on revisiting, not fade.
on July 15, 2016
Lee Marvin is superb in this film, and the supporting performances by a long list of Hollywood's leading actors of the period were solid as well. Marvin plays an American officer during WWII who "volunteers" to take twelve military prisoners (the Dirty Dozen) and train them to perform actions against the Nazis behind enemy lines. It's a great story, it's told with plenty of humor, and there's never a dull moment.
on June 12, 2017
Does one have to say anything? It's a classic and I re-watch it every few years and enjoy it every time. Apparently, Lee Marvin wasn't the greatest fellow off screen, but I really did enjoy him in films and the whole cast just makes it enjoyable and a great story
on May 28, 2017
a classic war movie , great acting by all in the movie, reminds me some of boot camp--alot of yelling , as if men didn't understand what was wanted of them, but they are misfits that are used to creating trouble for those in charge until they become a unit
on August 23, 2017
No more actors like Marvin and cast. Why is Hollywood infested with cookie cutter actors who look and sound like they haven't lived a life?
on February 22, 2015
One of 2 great macho movies featuring the late Lee Marvin, who was always at his best when manning a firearm, rife or hand gun. This classic reunites him with the great director Robert Aldrich who also had him as a supporting player in an over-looked war film, "Attack". (1956). Also the "dozen" is filled with colorful actors like the 2 Greeks, Telly Savalas and John Cassavetes, who almost steal the show from Marvin. In fact Aldrich allowed John to improvise freely which netted him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. And Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan who worked with Marvin in "Bad Day At Black Rock" are also excellent too. This is definitely a keeper and also a bargain if you get it in HD DVD over Blu-ray which is a couple dollors more.
