johnny-burgundy
The Dirty Dozen (1967) This is a war action movie. Truly one of the first of its kind to concentrate on the action, with a sprinkling of comedy via the burgeoning brotherhood of the men. A prominent Major trains a small band of the Army's worst convicts to be sent on a virtual suicide mission. The cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Robert Webber, and Donald Sutherland. The film is based on the novel of the same name. It was inspired by a real- life group called the "Filthy Thirteen". On release, the film was picked apart for its level of violence, but was a massive commercial success. It presently holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for four Academy Awards. It spawned numerous sequels, copycats, and was the inspiration for many subsequent movies in the genre. This is a classic American film of the era, and a must watch for the action enthusiasts.
thejcowboy22
What surprised me the most about this movie is that my Liberal, forthright politically correct Mother loved this film. Then I realized the Lee Marvin Character's name in the story is Major John Reisman. That's my Mom's maiden name. Britain 1944 a few months before the D-Day Invasion, A.S.C.D.Advance Section Communication Zone a branch of the U.S. Army under the direction of Major General Sam Borden (Ernest Borgnine)who has special orders for Major Reisman. General Worden assigns Major Reisman a very unusual mission, Codename, "Amnesty", involving the Dregs of the military in a suicide mission somewhere in France. Reisman Has to train some of the worst convicts ever assembled selected especially for him. After Reisman Witnesses a hanging in a British prison he meets with the 12 convicts some have lengthy sentences with (hard labor) others by hanging. Reisman has the Dozen construct their own barracks and training facilities. Each man had a special characteristic as Franco John Casavetes was the loudest of the bunch complaining about lack of water during training as the group would be called the "Dirty" Dozen. Telly Savalas plays a twisted mentally unstable rapist named Maggott,The semi-cowardly Posey (Clint Walker), A tower of a man who killed a man with his bear hands is reluctant to fight Reisman in a training exercise but gets knocked down despite his size. Jefferson (Jim Brown) shows his athleticism as he displays his speed setting off hand grenades. Charles Bronson plays Wladislaw who ends up pairing with Reisman as German Officers during a the attempted raid on the Castle. The Training went on as Reisman whipped those malcontents into shape as they proved they could handle any mission thrown their way from War Games to actual war time the Dirty Dozen was prepped and ready for action. I loved the symbolism as the boys have their meal before their final mission which looks like the portrait of Jesus with all his apostles around. The catchy rhyme the 12 recite so things go right on that ominous night.HEY, THAT RHYMES!!One of the few times in American films you witness American soldiers committing war crimes against the German's. Just a macho movie for the guys to enjoy.
Uriah43
The Dirty Dozen (1967) [8] Lee Marvin stars as "Major Reisman" who has displeased his superiors so much that he is put in charge of a secret mission to parachute behind enemy lines to kill German officers vacationing at a château in France. If that wasn't bad enough, all of his soldiers are hardened criminals of the worst sort who are coerced by the chance that they may be given a parole. Now as implausible as this movie really is I must admit that it offers plenty of entertainment value due in large part to an all-star cast which includes Charles Bronson (as "Joseph Wladislaw"), Clint Walker ("Samson Posey"), Jim Brown ("Robert Jefferson"), Donald Sutherland ("Vernon Pinkley"), Ernest Borgnine ("General Worden"), George Kennedy ("Major Max Armbruster") along with the aforementioned Lee Marvin. Yet with all of these mentioned I thought Telly Savalas deserved special recognition for his performance as the psychotic pervert "Archer Maggott" which really stood out. In any case, this was a big movie back in the 60's and those who might be interested in this type of film should definitely check it out. I rate it as definitely above average.
bowmanblue
Well, maybe not 'dozens,' but here's a few at least...1. It's a war movie which doesn't really contain an awful lot of 'war' stuff, meaning that fans of the genre will appreciate it as much as those who aren't into the Second World War 2. The stellar cast. Okay, so some of the twelve prisoners conscripted into Lee Marvin's secret task force aren't that memorable, but there are plenty who are... Charles Bronson and Telly Savalis to name but two. 3. Naturally, a great cast produces great performances. There's no room for a 'weakest link' here. 4. Everyone roots for the 'antihero.' And here we not only have twelve convicted felons to cheer on, but also their leader – the allegedly pure Lee Marvin – is also as prone to 'rule-breaking' as his new charges 5. Black humour. Yes, there may be a war on, but there are a handful of light-hearted moments dotted about here and there that to lighten the tone enough. 6. It's epic. The two hours it runs for don't feel like it. 7. It doesn't pull any punches. As I said... there is a war on and you may find yourself grinning one minute before being completely horrified by the level of brutality that transpired during the historical period. 8. One hell of a tense finale – when the mission comes, it's worth the wait. You'll be on the edge of your seat as you cheer all your newfound antiheros on.Basically, 'The Dirty Dozen' is a war film that's more akin to simply being put in the 'action' bracket, rather than classed as a straight 'war film.' The mission never actually happened. This film is total fiction. But there's always that feeling at the back of your mind regarding how, although it never transpired, it probably very well nearly did.You don't have to be a war film fan to enjoy this, just enjoy a mismatched bunch of rag-tag antiheros, working together (and sometimes against each other!) on a mission to kill Nazis.
AD
