‘Masterpiece’ war film starring Star Wars legend ‘more realistic than Saving Private Ryan’ | Films | Entertainment

A “masterpiece” war film starring one of the leads of the Star Wars trilogy is hailed as more realistic than Saving Private Ryan. The Big Red One (1980) is a gritty portrayal of a US infantry unit in World War 2, led by legendary gravelly-voiced Hollywood tough guy Lee Marvin as the Sergeant.

Marvin’s character is haunted by a devastating mistake he made as a private during World War 1 as he leads a group of troops taking part in campaigns across the world, including North Africa, France, and Sicily. The squad later take part in the liberation of the Falkenau concentration camp in Czechoslovakia ahead of the Nazis’ defeat, and the Sergeant has a climactic face-off with his German counterpart, Feldwebel Schroeder. Among the unit’s band of brothers is Private Griff, played by Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars film only three years before.

Hamill reprised his role alongside Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in the following two Star Wars sequels, establishing himself as a household name.

Written and directed by war correspondent Samuel Fuller, the film is thought to be a semi-autobiographical account of his war experience, and was made with a limited budget with much of it shot in Israel to save money.

The film was considered a commercial disappointment, reportedly grossing $7,206,220 worldwide with a $4.5million budget. But critics were more positive, and it remains something of a cult classic.

MovieWeb staffwriter Jake Dee argued that it has an edge on Steven Spielberg‘s 1998 D-Day epic Saving Private Ryan, which was made on a much bigger budget, and often held up as the gold-standard of immersive, and emotionally affecting war films.

Dee said despite the gulf in resources the directors had to work with, “because so much of [The Big Red One] was lifted directly from Fuller’s grueling battlefield experience” it is “more effective in its stark realism and visceral heroism”.

While the film is highly regarded, it’s lesser known than the standout classics of the genre. Ranker noted that the film found itself competing with Airplane!, Blue Lagoon, and the popular Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, which was released the same day, which may have dampened its impact at the box office.

However, it’s still highly rated, and “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes where it has a 88% score on the site’s Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given the film a positive review).

One audience reviewer hailed it as a “must-watch war film magnificently directed by World War II veteran Samuel Fuller, with a great performance by Lee Marvin”.

Another described it as an “overlooked classic from the war genre”, adding: “Before band of brothers and saving private Ryan came this epic which is actually as good as any in its scope and unsentimental plot. Deserves more recognition.”

A third wrote: “Powerful scenes marvelously acted by top notch casting. While I might defer to Saving Private Ryan now, this is an absolute masterpiece that should not be forgotten or ignored.”

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong violence, so viewer discretion is advised.

The Big Red One is available to buy or rent on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Sky Store.