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The Big Red One

1980·Movie
1h 53min·R
77
GreatGoodWatch score

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The Big Red One fingerprint

High energy, strong craft, light on feelings.

Energy

Brutally violent and tense

Fast from start to finish.

  • Violence9
  • Tension8
  • Spectacle8

Heart

Deeply moving and melancholic

  • Pathos9
  • Melancholy8
  • Catharsis7

Humor

A little humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Dark Humor4
  • Wit & Wordplay2
  • Satire & Parody2

World

History, war, and society

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion9
  • Dialogue Centrality7
  • Rewatchability7

Craft

Standout direction, performances, and characters

  • Direction8
  • Acting8
  • Character Depth8

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Editing7
  • Music Composition7

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchSolo WatchThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You need an uplifting moodGraphic violence bothers you

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Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

Only chance could have thrown them together. Now, nothing can pull them apart.

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.
World War IIVeteran SergeantSquadSurvivalHorror of WarConcentration CampOmaha BeachHistorical DramaGritty Realism

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about The Big Red One

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Big Red One legally?

You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is The Big Red One worth watching?

77
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly. It's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 78/100 (IMDb 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes 88%, and Metacritic 77). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is The Big Red One rated?

RViolenceStrong languageDisturbing imagery

It's rated R in the United States. Content advisories: violence, strong language, and disturbing imagery.

How long is The Big Red One?

1 h 53 min

The Big Red One runs 1 h 53 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on The Big Red One?

Critics83
Audiences75

Not quite. Critics rate The Big Red One higher (83) than audiences (75). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

Was The Big Red One a box office hit?

Budget$5 million
Box office$7 million

Roughly broke even. It cost about $5 million to make and earned $7 million worldwide, 1.6 times its budget.

What language is The Big Red One in?

EnglishItalianGermanFrench

It was made in English, with some Italian, German, French. Produced in United States.

In how many countries can I watch The Big Red One?

74AOARATAUAZBEBFBGBOBRBYBZCACH+60

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for The Big Red One in 74 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does The Big Red One use?

Dirty BusinessFriend to All ChildrenEvil CounterpartPlaying PossumBookendsWas It Really Worth It?Badass BystanderBased on a True StoryTeam KillerReal Life Writes the PlotBlood Is Squicker in WaterArson, Murder, and Jaywalkingand 38 more

TV Tropes lists 50 storytelling tropes for The Big Red One, including Dirty Business, Friend to All Children, Evil Counterpart.