Summaries

A hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.

The story of a hardened army sergeant and four of his men, from their first fight at the Kasserine Pass after the invasion of North Africa through to the invasion of Sicily, D-Day, the Ardennes forest and the liberation of a concentration camp at the end of the war. As the five of them fight - and survive to fight yet again in the next battle - new recruits joining the squad are swatted down by the enemy on a regular basis. The four privates are naturally reluctant to get to know any of the new recruits joining the squad, who become just a series of nameless faces.—garykmcd

1942. The green troops of a US infantry squad are about to get their first taste of war, hitting the shores of Vichy French-held Morocco as part of Operation Torch. The squad is lead by a tough, no-nonsense sergeant, a veteran of WW1. The squad ultimately is involved in several of the key battles of the European / North African theatre: Operation Torch, Kasserine Pass, Sicily, Omaha Beach and the Allies' invasion of Germany itself. The squad is a part of one of the most famous US combat units: the 1st Infantry Division - The Big Red One.—grantss

Grim story of a WWII squad consisting of an anonymous sergeant and four long-time survivors who ignore the faceless replacements who continually arrive and die.—<[email protected]>

A veteran sergeant (Lee Marvin) of World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivors Pvt. Griff (Mark Hamill), the writer Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson (Kelly Ward) in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of the war.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Details

Keywords
  • nazi soldier
  • year 1945
  • u.s. army
  • infantry
  • western front of world war ii
Genres
  • Drama
  • War
Release date Jul 17, 1980
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) R
Countries of origin United States
Language English German Italian French
Filming locations King John's Castle, Trim, County Meath, Ireland
Production companies Lorimar Productions Lorac Productions

Box office

Budget $4500000
Gross US & Canada $7206220
Gross worldwide $7206823

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 53m
Color Color Black and White
Sound mix Dolby Stereo
Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Synopsis

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