The Dirty Dozen | | Cast : | Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas | | Director : | Robert Aldrich | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color | | Released Date : | June 15, 1967 | | DVD Released Date : | February 08, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | Unrated | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 03, 2005 | | Summary | A classic of war movies. | Content
 | Once agin I enjoyed this classic movie of the II World War, I received it very soon after my purchase. An excellent film and an excellent service of Amazon |
| Rating | | | Date | June 27, 2005 | | Summary | Whipped Into Shape | Content
| The DIRTY DOZEN is one of those magical films which gave birth to the idea of "high concept," the prototypical Hollywood film whose plot can be conveyed in one sentence of phrase. Robert Aldrich made a lot of these, he must have been a genius at pitching ideas to the marketing departments at studios, because he got a lot of movies greenlighted. He's often thought of as an action director pure and simple, and THE DIRTY DOZEN is so not about women it's almost funny, but he did indeed work wonderfully with women and some of his best features had excellent female parts (AUTUMN LEAVES, SISTER GEORGE, BABY JANE, LYLAN CLARE and the bizarrely neglected LAST SUNSET). But he's just as good at pitted men against each other, and the gloves are off as never before in 1967's THE DIRTY DOZEN.
Lee Marvin is excellent in one of his signature roles, that of Major Reisman, the only man in the army who could have whipped this desperate battalion into shape. His confrontations with John Cassavetes rebel character fascinated the contemporary audience, who read into them all kinds of issues about 60s counterculture vs. the accepted values of society. Aldrich makes us care about who wins the debate, and who loses it; it's not just a piece of empty action entertainment, THE DIRTY DOZEN is a meditation on society and the greater good versus the price of an individual soul. What a cast, the kind that discerning filmgoers laughed at (Trini Lopez! Telly Savalas! Jim Brown!) because it seemed to try to sweep in many different niche audiences. But today this spread looks much more attractive.
The ambition of Marvin is undeniable, and we see him doing his damnedest to make this mission succeed. In some ways this film is akin to another 1967 hit, TO SIR WITH LOVE which also featured a teacher intent on shaping up a gang of rebellious at risk youth. It would have been a great Celebrity Death Match-Lee Marvin versus Sidney Poitier. I had a boyfriend who used to say that, in film history, this movie fits in quite nicely between its spiritual godfather, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, and its kid brother equivalent, THE BAD NEWS BEARS. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 27, 2005 | | Summary | a marvin classic one for the true believers. | Content
| As notable for being some of Marvins best work as it was for the above average casting. Casavetes and Borgnine give stellar performances ably backed up by Sutherland in an early landmark role which set him up for the great career that followed. It tells the story of a hard nosed gung ho Major Reisman with a record of disdain for backroom generals and a reputation for uncompromising action. He is instructed to train 12 convicted soldiers in the art of special warfare with the mission designed to wipe out a clutch of German high ranking officers housed in a French chateau. Some of the best parts of the plot centre around the training aspects of the participants building to perhaps the most amusing scenes of the movie which take place at the parachute school commanded by one Col Everitt Dasher Breed. It is safe to say that Reisman and Breed are from opposite sides of the track and the ongoing animosity between the two provide some of the more memorable moments of the film.Sutherland gives one of the best performances of the movie in his comical imitation of a General cameo when the group first arrives at the parachute school. The remainder of the film plays out to a logical ending at the chateau where the mission is successfully accomplished and the chateau destroyed. Only three of the soldiers get to make the trip home. Althought the mission never took place in reality it well could have such was the realism portrayed. A classic for Marvin fans and a better than average war movie of that era to boot. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 07, 2005 | | Summary | A Masterpiese in entertaining-war movies! | Content
| This movie is the best world war movie I've ever seen. It's not a boring historical movies like "The Longest Day". it's a timeless action movie.
The DVD release is very good too. very good picture and sound quality and a bunch of special features that you'll difinitly want to watch them after watching the movie. But beware, there is two release of this DVD which both available on amazon.com, the other release has a same cover as this one but has only a trailer and 9 min featurette. the problem is, it has approximately same price with this one which could be mistaken and unwittingly be choosen.
me, myself will gonna order delux edition of this movie cause i think it's worth it. if you are a collector, it would be good if you view that page and product too. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 06, 2005 | | Summary | Dirtiest dozen | Content
| this had an all star cast and the first movie that had Donald Sutherland in it that was actually a hit. This film won the award for best sound and won four academy awards. Jim Brown is a former runningback and the second best runningback to Emmitt Smith. I was amazing how good he was at acting. I guess if your famous and retire from football you better do some acting. Lee Marvin is in a lot of action films and this time he gets to be a major during world war 2. This is not a big action movie unless you watch the last thirty-five minutes of it. It's one of those war movies where you get to know the characters a little bit more just like in the movie The Great Escape. Some people complain that this movie is to long but to me it seemed to go by pretty quickly for a two hour and thirty minute movie. Charles Bronson is one of the least worst prisoners in this film and so is the character Posey. Donald Sutherlamd sure did look strange in this movie but it was funny when he pretended to be the general to inspect the soldiers. Telly Saveles played a very different part then what he usually plays. He usually plays the funny tough guy but in this movie he plays a sort of a sad guy and acts weird. It is pretty sad how only one member of the dirty dozen survives and that is Charles Bronson. The only reason I took one star off this movie was because I felt there could have been a tiny bit more action in this movie. For 1967, it was a little surprising that they blew everybody up underneath that mansion. Jim Brown had do do some quick running to put all those bombs down those chimneys before it all exploded but then when he ran to the getaway jeep he got shot. Wow was that cool when the whole mansion exploded. What great sound and effects. Amazingly on this dvd there was a special feature on the making of the Dirty Dozen. It also has a theatrical trailer. Excellent movie for any war movie fan. God bless you and you have a wonderful day. |
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