The Big Red One
“Only chance could have thrown them together. Now, nothing can pull them apart.”
Synopsis
A veteran sergeant of World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivor Pvt. Griff, the writer Pvt. Zab, the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson, in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, and ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of war.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Big Red OneOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-21
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Lee Marvin
The Sergeant
Mark Hamill
Griff
Robert Carradine
Zab
Bobby Di Cicco
Vinci
Kelly Ward
Johnson
Stéphane Audran
Walloon
Siegfried Rauch
Schroeder
Serge Marquand
Rensonnet
Charles Macaulay
General / Captain
Alain Doutey
Broban
Maurice Marsac
Vichy Colonel
Colin Gilbert
Dog Face POW
Joseph Clark
Shep
Ken Campbell
Lemchek
Doug Werner
Switolski
Perry Lang
Kaiser
Howard Delman
Smitty
Marthe Villalonga
Madame Marbaise
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
July 18, 1980
Wide Cinema Exhibition
May 17, 2005
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$7.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.6x
+$2.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Samuel Fuller
- Screenplay & Story
- Samuel Fuller
- Original Score
- Dana Kaproff
- Original Title
- The Big Red One
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian, German, French
- Runtime
- 2h 42m
- Production Budget
- $4.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $7.2M
- Production Studios
- Lorimar Motion Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Dana Kaproff
Adam Greenberg
Morton Tubor
Gene Corman
Department Leadership Roster
Samuel Fuller
Director
Samuel Fuller
Writer
Adam Greenberg
Director of Photography
Gene Corman
Producer
Dana Kaproff
Original Music Composer
Morton Tubor
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Big Red One.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Big Red One.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:48 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:12 UTC+8)*
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
500 best 80's movies
Abstrusest 2
radarr_update
Similar Titles to The Big Red One
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
8.1
8.1
6.9
7.0
7.4
7.6
6.9
7.6
7.2
7.7
6.9
8.0
7.4
8.2
7.7
7.8
7.9
More Like The Big Red One
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Big Red One
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Big Red One about?
A veteran sergeant of World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivor Pvt. Griff, the writer Pvt. Zab, the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson, in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, and ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of war.
Who directed The Big Red One?
The Big Red One was directed by Samuel Fuller.
Who stars in The Big Red One?
The principal cast of The Big Red One includes Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco, Kelly Ward.
When was The Big Red One released and how long is it?
The Big Red One was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 2h 42m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Big Red One?
The Big Red One had a reported production budget of $4.5M and grossed $7.2M at the worldwide box office (1.6 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Big Red One?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Big Red One was composed by Dana Kaproff.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Big Red One?
The Big Red One holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); CA: 14A; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).