Lee Marvin, playing the gruff Major Reisman, leads a rough and ready group of convicted soldiers hoping for the possibility of exoneration through an intense training program in preparation for a behind-the-lines, suicide-style mission. Serving as the primary inspiration for the recent Inglorious Basterds, The Dirty Dozen serves as a tamer, more realistic, and at times, more heartfelt original rendition. Acted by popular cinematic figures such as Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Jim Brown, and legendary director John Cassavetes, this film provides a broad mixture of styles, resulting in one of the earliest 'misfit team' films I've seen. Each providing their own piece to the puzzle, the characters incite much more of a connection than the modern Tarantino ride, resulting in a more realistic, intentional conclusion. The various pieces of this film fit together very well, the end result, however, resulting in nothing more than a 1960's version of the summer blockbuster. It achieved serious financial success in its day, but suffered from the same accusations of over-the-top violence and unnecessary war-like simulations that popular action films of today often receive. The Dirty Dozen sparked a series of made-for-TV sequels and served to jumpstart many of the above-mentioned actors' careers. The film, as viewed today, can be seen as having made a significant impact on WW2 films, and though it wouldn't hold up to today's cinematic standards, it is certainly a fantastic example of a mainstream film adopting many aspects of the Hollywood Renaissance movement. I enjoyed this film, and though it wasn't much more than a rough action flick, it left me thinking back to it for days afterwards.
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2/1/2010
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