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Trailer

The Big Red One

1980Movie1 h 53 minR

Drama
77
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.1Letterboxd3.6/5Metacritic777.6Rotten Tomatoes88%77%

A brutally violent, deeply moving drama movie about history and war, with standout world-building.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · graphic violence bothers you

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

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.

Feels like

  • World War II
  • Veteran Sergeant
  • Squad
  • Survival
  • Horror of War
  • Concentration Camp
  • Omaha Beach
  • Historical Drama
  • Gritty Realism

Cast

16 of 16

Crew

Directed by
Samuel Fuller
Written by
Samuel Fuller
Produced by
Gene Corman
Music by
Dana Kaproff

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

May 28, 1980 · 1 h 53 min · R

Released
May 28, 1980
Runtime
1 h 53 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, War
Original language
English
Also spoken
Italian, German, French
Made in
United States
Budget
$5 million
Box office
$7 million
Available in
74 countries

Tropes

Dirty Business, Friend to All Children, Evil Counterpart +9

  • Dirty Business
  • Friend to All Children
  • Evil Counterpart
  • Playing Possum
  • Bookends
  • Was It Really Worth It?
  • Badass Bystander
  • Based on a True Story
  • Team Killer
  • Real Life Writes the Plot
  • Blood Is Squicker in Water
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking

12 of 50 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Big Red One?"

Questions about The Big Red One

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Big Red One?

KanopyPlexHowdy

In the United States, The Big Red One streams on Howdy, and it is free with ads on Kanopy and Plex. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 2 other countries.

Is The Big Red One worth watching?

77
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 77 (IMDb 7.1, Letterboxd 3.6 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 88%, and Metacritic 77).

Will I feel good after watching The Big Red One?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Is The Big Red One plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on pathos (9 of 10) and character depth (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

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 tropes for it, including Dirty Business, Friend to All Children, and Evil Counterpart.