The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

Director: Robert Aldrich

Year: 1967

Starring: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland 

     Badass. That's the only word that comes to mind when this film is mentioned. A World War II movie featuring some of the biggest movie star badasses at the time, we'll it's very hard to disappoint. If I can simply sum it up, imagine taking The Expendables, setting it during the War, and replace mercenaries with convicted felons, you've got the basic idea of The Dirty Dozen.

     Lee Marvin plays Major John Reisman, a man who is given a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. The catch, he has to train 12 prisoners, most of whom are sentenced to death or hard labor, for this mission. The film's entire plot is the execution of this mission, but surprisingly, it doesn't focus on that part very much. It spends it's time introducing each character. their experiences during the training, and how they get along during this entire time. Marvin is as badass as he ever is, and it only begs the question why he doesn't have some sort of cult following like Chuck Norris. He's not really remembered for much these days, and this film is one of many that reminds you how unstoppable the guy was. 

     The supporting cast is just as good as Marvin. Ernest Borgnine plays the General how assigns Reisman with the mission, and while he disapears for a while, he plays a larger role later in the film. Borgnine was a very talent actor, because while he doesn't really do much in the film, you always want to know what he's going to say next. His presence was that commanding. Rounding out the cast was Charles Bronson, who has earlier success in the previous war movie The Great Escape. This time, he's got balls of steel, and he almost matches Marvin's level of intensity. Telly Savalas, (who would appear with Clint Eastwood in Kelly's Heroes) plays a more lighthearted role. A lot of the humor comes from his character, who is constantly saying something sarcastic, and even a bit racist. The badassery is still a force to be reckoned with, as he finds a delicate balance between the two. Donald Sutherland is the real comic relief, playing a somewhat dimwitted character who doesn't intimidate at all. His standout scene is when Reisman has him  pretend to be a general, and he goes about inspecting a military unit, and is very funny in doing so. 

     The film is lengthy, but it's about the unit itself than the actual war. The cast of characters is very colourful and memorable, and their exchanges between themselves is the real star of the movie. You follow the characters from their first roll call in the prison, to them building their own barracks, to the war games and finally to the final mission, you really feel like you get to know these characters. The final act is the film's only flaw. It's small-scale, and while that's that it was supposed to be from the start, it can be a little underwhelming at times. The entire film builds up to the big epic climactic finale, and it just doesn't feel like it delivers. This is probably due to the fact the book the film was based on, only had the mission as a footnote, so to be fair the filmmakers didn't have very much to go on. 

     The Dirty Dozen is a badass, testosterone-filled war movie that will make you fall in love with Lee Marvin, and forget about Chuck Norris. There was a sequel produced (although for television) in 1985 called The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission which reunited Marvin and Borgnine, and there were several other sequels made after that, with Savalas and Borgnine returning. The Dirty Dozen is one that will satisfy every craving you have, and is best enjoyed with the guys and a case of beer.