(aka "Samuel Fuller and the Big Red One")
USA 1980
“When I enter his suite at the Plaza, he's finishing lunch, expressing his
regret about missing Godard in Cannes, remarking on the absurdity of prizes at
film festivals, asking me what Soho News and Soho are. (The one he knows about
is in London -- he fondly recalls a cigar store on Frith Street.)
"It isn't hard to figure out why Mark Hamill affectionately calls him Yosemite
Sam, or why Lee Marvin simply says he's D.W. Griffith. Bursting with the same
charismatic, comic book energy that skyrockets through most of his movies, old
crime reporter, novelist, war hero, writer-director and sometime producer Samuel
Fuller, almost 69, still moves and talks like his daffy action flicks -- like
the wild man from Borneo -- in quick, short, blocky punches, like two-fisted
slabs of socko headline type."
The purple prose was mine, the year was 1980. Fuller was promoting his
semiautobiographical war picture The Big Red One, even though the studio had
just cut half of it -- something he wasn't making any effort to hide. It had
also added an offscreen narration he didn't like, spoken by the character based
on him and written by (though not credited to) filmmaker Jim McBride. Fuller's
own two versions had no narration. His first cut was 260 minutes, his second two
hours. "Second cut they hated," he told me. "They wanted the elements of the
four hours and 20 minutes. Sizewise, impossible. In my cut I took out sequences
-- I don't circumcise or shorten scenes. That's when they hit the ceiling."
It was the first time I'd met him, and seven years would pass before our next
encounter. By then I was an academic preparing to move from the University of
California at Santa Barbara to Chicago to start writing for this paper. I was
running UCSB's summer school in film studies and invited Fuller to fly over from
Paris, where he was then living, to serve as our artist in residence. Every
course showed at least one of his films and received him as a visitor once
during his nine days on campus. Each night my colleagues and I took him to a
restaurant and listened to his stories until closing time. Then he and I flew to
Berkeley for a couple of days so I could interview him at the Pacific Film
Archive before he returned to Paris.
We stayed in touch over the remaining decade of his life -- he died in 1997 --
and I dedicated my book Movies as Politics to him. That's why I can't regard
dispassionately film critic Richard Schickel's effort to reassemble Fuller's
version of The Big Red One.
Schickel and producer Brian Jamieson recovered as much of Fuller's footage as
they could -- some of the cut footage had been lost -- and they had his script.
Their 163-minute film isn't so much a restoration of either of Fuller's versions
as a more thoughtful and nuanced reworking of the 113-minute release. Reading
the script, I suspected that "four hours and 20 minutes" was an exaggeration --
more a reflection of the ideal cut in Fuller's mind than what he'd edited the
work down to, which was probably closer to three hours. His novel of the same
title, which he wrote just before the script, provides another indication of his
intentions. We also have his posthumously published autobiography, A Third Face:
My Tale of Writing, Fighting, and Filmmaking (just out in paperback), which is
an account of the real experiences that inspired the novel and script.
In that book Fuller wrote, "I was driven to turn my wartime experiences into a
movie in order to convey the physical and mental upheaval of men at war. That's
how I ultimately came to grips with my experiences. Tactics, strategy, troop
movements on maps were for military historians. My screenplay reduced the war to
a small squad of First Division soldiers -- a veteran sergeant and four young
dogfaces -- and their emotions in wartime. Each fictional character was an
amalgam of real soldiers I'd known." One of the dogfaces, Zab, played by Robert
Carradine, is a transparent stand-in for Fuller.
out
of
Excerpt from Jonathan Rosenbaum's review at the Chicago Reader located HERE
Posters
 |
 |
 |
Theatrical Release: July 18th, 1980
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner 2-disc (Europe) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Warner (The Reconstruction 2-disc) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4 - NTSC
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4 - NTSC - RIGHT)
| DVD Box Covers |
|
|
|
| Distribution |
Warner (old edition) Region 1 - NTSC |
Warner (Europe) (the reconstruction) Region 2- PAL |
Warner
(the reconstruction) Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC |
 |
World War II Collection - European Warfare Includes The Battle of the Bulge / Battleground / The Big Red One Special Edition / The Dirty Dozen / Where Eagles Dare
|
||
| Runtime | 1:53:16 | 2:36:00 (4% PAL speedup) | 2:42:25 |
| Video |
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced |
|
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
|||
| Bitrate:
old edition
|
|
||
|
Bitrate:
Reconstruction PAL
|
|
||
| Bitrate:
Reconstruction NTSC |
|
||
| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | 5.1 Dolby Digital English, DUB: 5.1 Dolby Digital German |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 5.1) |
| Subtitles | English, French and none | English, German (for German edition), Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish (Scandinavian edition put out by Sandrew Metronome HERE), etc. suitable for region sold, None | English, Spanish, French and none |
|
Features |
Release Information:
Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 28
|
Release Information: Studio: Warner (Europe) (The Reconstruction) Aspect Ratio:
Edition
Details: Chapters 39
|
Release Information:
Edition Details:
• Commentary by reconstruction
producer Richard Schickel |
|
Comments |
Additional Material The Real Glory: Reconstructing ”The Big Red One” (47:24): A for this DVD made feature, divided in chapters (play all optional), where the cast, Fuller and Schickel talks about the film and where we get a look behind the restoration and the reconstruction of film, sound and score. The Man who made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (55:04): A portrait of Fuller made by TCM in 2000, based on Schickels interview with Fuller in Paris some years earlier. Not a full portrait, several of his films are missing, as it narrows his themes and motifs down to those important for "The Big Red One". Anatomy of a scene (18:19): Two scenes where we Fullers role as a director is explained and two additional scenes (Amphitheatre and Baby Tank), before and after the reconstruction. Commentated by Brian Hamblin (post production supervisor) and Bryan McKenzie (editor). Alternative scenes (31:35): 18 deleted and alternative scenes. Again commentated by Hamblin and McKenzie. The Fighting Fist (12:18): A propaganda film made by the Government in 1946 about fighting in the infantry. Original Promo Reel (29:57) Reconstruction Trailer (2:18) Stills Gallery The inclusion of the original edition is not really valid as these are two very different films, but we thought it would be interesting to see the differences. Mostly the problem with the old anamorphic edition was, like Columbia Tri-Star's "The Professionals" and Warner's own The Wild Bunch, everything has a brownish tinge to it. Colors have been washed out and replaced with a generic sepia. We can see much superior green levels in the new Reconstruction release and the skin tones are much less red and more true. There is negligible difference in sharpness but excellent contrast with the new release eclipsing the old edition. The subtitles in the Reconstruction are slightly smaller.
There are a few issues with the new double disc Reconstruction (both NTSC and PAL) that I would like to address - As the original theatrical projection ratio was 1.85 there was some leeway (4%) in anamorphic DVD transfer - this shows up in occasional cropping (see large capture #2) which I don't put down to different cuts (first frame was used for verification). See last captures samples for 1.85 vs. 178. vs. 35mm.
I don't see any real differences in the Reconstruction releases (PAL vs. NTSC). The PAL may have a minor edge in sharpness, but it is negligible. You will be getting PAL speedup with the European release if you are sensitive to that. The NTSC offers a French DUB and the European a German.
Audio on the Reconstructions was bumped to 5.1 in the new release that also boasts a similar French DUB. Obviously the 2-disc reconstruction with commentary has superior extra features that I am still viewing.
The only important difference from the original is the addition of almost 50 minutes originally absent from the initial theatrical release. In my opinion the new Reconstruction is an infinitely better motion picture because of its new inclusions ("a more thoughtful and nuanced reworking of the 113-minute release"). One of the areas that I noticed longer scenes was in the D-Day invasion segment. This is a must see film from an American pioneer director. Gary W. Tooze
NOTE: you can see the amount that is removed in the Full Screen release on the opposite side of the old edition (4th large capture). |
DVD Menus
(Warner
(old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - RIGHT)
NOTE: European Warner is very similar to NTSC
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Disc 2 of 'The Reconstruction'
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Screen Captures
Subtitle Sample
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - BOTTOM)
 |
 |
 |
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
 |
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
 |
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC Full Frame - Pan and Scan - TOP (Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - 2nd vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - 3rd vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4- NTSC - BOTTOM)
 |
 |
 |
(Warner (old edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner (Europe - the reconstruction) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner (the reconstruction) Region 1, 2 ,3 ,4 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
 |
(1:85 Theatrical - TOP vs. 1.78 (for DVD) MIDDLE vs. 35mm (Flat) - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
 |
| DVD Box Covers |
|
|
|
| Distribution |
Warner (old edition) Region 1 - NTSC |
Warner (Europe) (the reconstruction) Region 2 - PAL |
Warner
(the reconstruction) Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC |
|
|
World War II Collection - European Warfare Includes The Battle of the Bulge / Battleground / The Big Red One Special Edition / The Dirty Dozen / Where Eagles Dare
|
||
Report Card:
|
Image: |
The Reconstruction |
|
Sound: |
The Reconstruction |
| Extras: | The Reconstruction |
| Menu: | The Reconstruction |
DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive and advertisement free:
Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze 1775 Rowntree Court Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4V3 CANADA |
|
Many Thanks...
Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review The Reconstruction Lee Marvin Samuel Fuller The Big Red One DVD Review