Major John Reisman: You know what to do, feed the French and shoot the Germans! "Train them! Excite them! Arm them!... Then turn them loose on the Nazis!"The Dirty Dozen is one of the more interesting war films I have seen. It's madly serious, while being wildly silly. I can't help but compare this to a later film
Robert Aldrich would direct, which wouldn't seem comparable; that being The Longest Yard. Both of these movies involve a leader having to train inadequate men to be great in order to beat the enemy. Here it is more serious, because it is a matter of life and death. But it is cool to see that Aldrich used basically the same formula for a football movie a little later in his career.The Dirty Dozen has a reputation as a guys film, and it is easy to see why. There's not a whole lot of femininity going on here. It's a lot of guns, tough talk, and fighting. It also has a reputation as being a fun film, which many war movies can't say. And this is a pretty fun movie. The characters, except for one notable exception, are easy to like. The cast shines. And most notably, you have to love the ironic way the Americans kill the Nazis. There is a long line of these kill the Nazi movies. Of all of them I have seen this is probably my favorite, but I haven't watched Inglorious Basterds in awhile. The story is about Major Reisman who is assigned a crap job. He must train convicted murderers, many of whom are going to be hanged, for a secret Nazi assassination mission. Most of the movie takes place in the training facility, where the Major must bring his men together. The film isn't all shoot em up, but the last 30 minutes or so are not lacking in suspense and action. I guess the performances in this film is what sets it apart from other films of this genre. Lee Marvin as Reisman exerts a tough and excellent performance. It helps when you're backed up by Donald Sutherland, Jim Brown, Charles Bronson, Telly Salvalas, and John Cassavetes. The other actors whom I don't recognize are pretty good at bringing out the most in their characters as well.The Dirty Dozen is one of those must see movies. It is deservedly classified as a landmark film and the fact that it has held up so well to this point is a testament to Aldrich's terrific direction. Joseph T. Wladislaw: Killin' generals could get to be a habit with me.
January 23, 2012
