The Big Red One

The Big Red One is a 1980 American epic war film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and starring Lee Marvin alongside an ensemble supporting cast, including Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco, Kelly Ward, Siegfried Rauch and Stéphane Audran. The film was based on Fuller's own experiences as a U.S. Army soldier during World War II. The title refers to the nickname of the 1st Infantry Division, Fuller's wartime unit. A longtime passion project of Fuller's, development of The Big Red One began in the late 1950s. The film was produced independently on a low budget, and shot on-location in Israel and Ireland as a cost-saving measure. During post-production, distributor United Artists recut the film without Fuller's input, significantly shortening the runtime.