Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: Twelve men convicted of terrible crimes are put together for a dangerous behind-the-lines mission during World War II.
Biased, pithy comments: Probably one of the all-time best-known post-war war films, this ranks up there as an amusing night at the movies, if not particularly plausible filming of war. This was an event movie, with elaborate sets, lots of vintage vehicles rolling around, and a cast of greats and soon-to-be-greats, with Telly Savalas as perhaps the most interesting if not entirely believeable. Although it's a fine actioner as these things go, it sort of forgets to mean anything by the end, turning simply into a shower of sparks and machine gun bullets. I'm all for loud noises and bright lights, but perhaps the sniggering, ill-kempt anti-establishment anti-heroes were really stand-ins for stoned hippies, and the straight-laced regular army types their fathers. I'm sure I'm reading too much into it, but don't forget to compare this film to its slightly older companion, ``MASH.'' Altman has a less juvenile take on the problems with army authority, but that doesn't stop this movie from being a lot of fun.
Other Notes: I can't stop thinking of Lee Marvin in ``Paint Your Wagon.'' DVD comes with truly hilarious making-of short, with this earnest narrator intoning ``Lee Marvin...action guy!'' and shots of these hip cats crusing London's ``Mod culture'', apparently over lunch. See if you can spot Aldrich's portly self shouting directions while wearing a spotted silk neckerchief. How 60s director cliche is that! Watch after movie is viewed, though---contains spoilers.
How many times I have seen it: x1.5
Starring: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Donald Sutherland, and others.
Directed by: Robert Aldrich