The Big Red One (1980): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Big Red One is a 1980 action drama directed by Samuel Fuller, starring Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill and Stéphane Audran. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $7.2 million worldwide. Critics gave it 77 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- Samuel Fuller
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- United Artists
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Big Red One About?
The premise of The Big Red One without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During World War II, Sergeant Possum (Lee Marvin) guides a squad of American soldiers through intense combat across North Africa and Europe. Facing relentless enemy fire and unimaginable hardships, the men—Gruff, Zab, Vinci, and Johnson—struggle to survive. They learn to cope with the constant threat of loss and the brutal realities of war, forming a tight-knit unit bound by shared experience and the need for mutual protection.
The Big Red One Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- western front of world war ii
- nazi soldier
- u.s. army
- infantry
- year 1945
- year 1944
- year 1943
- year 1942
- sniper
- hospital
- u.s. soldier
- world war two
+38 more Show fewer
- spanking
- child with a gun
- military
- man carries a dead boy
- 1940s
- sergeant
- d day
- omaha beach
- asylum
- writer
- replacement
- insane asylum
- combat
- killed trying to surrender
- death camp
- reference to franklin d. roosevelt
- toasting with schnapps
- some scenes in black and white
- reference to benjamin franklin
- throat cut
- delivering a baby
- woman in labor
- stepping on a land mine
- beach landing
- tunis tunisia
- battle of kasserine pass
- reference to adolf hitler
- summary execution
- m1 rifle
- voice over narration
- first infantry division
- world war one
- narrated by character
- vignette
- saltpetre
- pretending to be dead
- normandy france
- grenade
The Big Red One Cast
Lee Marvin leads the cast, with Mark Hamill and Stéphane Audran. Directed by Samuel Fuller; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Samuel Fuller
Also Starring in The Big Red One
· 6 moreMore from Samuel Fuller
More films directed by Samuel Fuller, best-rated first: The Naked Kiss, House of Bamboo (1955), The Meanest Men in the West and Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street.
The Big Red One Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Big Red One 77 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 77 Metascore
User score 7.6
See on Metacritic
The Big Red One Plot Summary
What happens in The Big Red One from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the backdrop of World War I, a dramatic incident unfolds in November 1918. A United States Army private, driven by the heat of battle, kills a surrendering German soldier using his trench knife, convinced that the act of surrender is a cunning ploy. Little does he know, upon returning to his company’s headquarters, he learns the tragic news that the war had officially ended just four hours prior.
Full summary
The whole story of The Big Red One, scene by scene
The Big Red One Box Office
The Big Red One grossed $7.2 million worldwide. $7.2 million came from the US and Canada and $603 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$7.2M
- US & Canada
- $7.2M
- International
- $603
The Big Red One Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 2 trailers and 2 clips.
- Trailer The Big Red One
- Clip D-Day Landing at Omaha Beach
- Clip Meeting Rommel in the Kasserine Pass
How Well Do You Know The Big Red One?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What war serves as the backdrop for the protagonist's initial brutal act?
Cars in The Big Red One
8 cars on screen, including the Pressed Steel M-51 'Super Sherman' and the Bedford O-Type.
-
Pressed Steel M-51 'Super Sherman' Important role -
Bedford O-Type Minor role -
GAZ 63 Minor role -
1950 Mercedes-Benz 170 S Cabriolet W136.043 Minor role
The Big Red One Also Known As
26 alternative titles, including “Uno rojo división de choque” and “A nagy vörös egyes”.
- Also known as
-
- Uno rojo división de choque
- A nagy vörös egyes
- Au-delà de la gloire
- Velká červená jednička
- Más allá de la gloria
- The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
- 더 빅 레드 원
- Il grande uno rosso
- Big Red One - Attack-divisionen
- Uno Rojo, división de choque
- 红一纵队
- Agonia e Glória
+14 more Show fewer
- האדומה הגדולה
- 最前線物語
- Wielka czerwona jedynka
- Den barske elite
- Дивизията
- Οι 4 της Ηρωικής Ταξιαρχίας
- Большая красная единица
- 지옥의 영웅들
- 鐵血軍營
- El Escuadrón Gran Rojo
- กองหน้ามรณะ
- Велика червона одиниця
- Voittamaton ykkönen
- Mai presus decat gloria
Seen The Big Red One?
Movies Like The Big Red One
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Big Parade, The Thin Red Line and The Great War.
The Big Red One FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Big Red One, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Big Red One?
The Big Red One runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was The Big Red One released?
The Big Red One was released on July 18, 1980.
Who directed The Big Red One?
The Big Red One was directed by Samuel Fuller.
More films by Samuel Fuller Who is in the cast of The Big Red One?
The Big Red One stars Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill and Stéphane Audran, among 10 credited actors.
How much did The Big Red One make at the box office?
The Big Red One grossed $7.2 million worldwide ($7.2 million domestic, $603 international).
How is The Big Red One rated?
The Big Red One has 77 on Metacritic.
Does The Big Red One have a post-credit scene?
No. The Big Red One has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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