"The Big Red One" is a war film directed by Samuel Fuller, released in 1980. The movie follows the story of Sergeant Possum (played by Lee Marvin), a veteran of World War I who leads a squad of soldiers in World War II. He is always accompanied by Pvt. Griff (played by Mark Hamill), the only survivor of his previous squad.
The soldiers, including Pvt. Zab (played by Robert Carradine), Pvt. Vinci (played by Bobby Di Cicco), and Pvt. Johnson (played by Kelly Ward) fight through various battlefields together, including Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France. They form a tight bond as they navigate the bloody and brutal battles of the war.
Throughout the film, the soldiers witness the horrors of warfare and the devastation it causes, including the cruelty of the enemy, the death of their fellow soldiers, and the atrocities committed by both sides. The soldiers also develop personal relationships, with Possum serving as a father-figure for the young and inexperienced troops.
In the final act of the movie, the squad discovers a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, where they face the true horror of war. The soldiers are deeply affected by what they witness, and the film ends with the survivors moving on from the war, forever changed by their experiences.
"The Big Red One" is a poignant and powerful film that showcases the realities of war and the bonds that form between soldiers during the most trying of times.