I noticed yesterday that the local library has movies that can be checked out. While perusing through the many crummy titles, I found a couple of war movies. One I hadn’t seen since I was a kid, and another I had never even heard of. The one I remember from my youth is The Big Red One. Not too long ago, I watched a good biography of Lee Marvin and it was mentioned that it was a fine movie to end an exceptional career. Man, I don’t believe it for a second. This is one of the crappiest war movies I’ve ever seen. It stars, of course, Lee Marvin. Two other bigger names include Mark Hamill and Robert Carradine.
The catch phrase for the movie is, “The real glory of war is surviving”. That’s how if felt while watching it. The story is about the 1st Infantry, which is shown as being started by Marvin at the end of WWI. Later, after WWII starts, he is a grizzled Sgt. who commands a platoon of crack riflemen. They originally begin action in Africa then move to Italy, Omaha Beach, and eventually become a part of the push into Germany. The story is told through Carradine’s perspective and revolves around the differences between Hamill and Marvin who both have differing viewpoints about war. I don’t have much of a problem with the story so much, but it is really difficult believing Hamill and Carradine, as well as some other men, who are supposed to be battle hardened soldiers. There was a lack of believability with all concerned, and the battle sequences were pathetic. There were segments where I could readily see what was about to happen next and other things during battle’s that were distracting. For instance, I’ve never heard bullets ricochet on sand and water, but in this movie it happened all the time. I can only give this movie one star.
The movie I had never heard of before is called It Happened Here.
It’s the story of Hitler’s England, and what it would have been like if the battle of Dunkirk went the other way, and Germany actually won and occupied England. It is an independent film made in England and released in 1964. It was shot on B&W 35mm and took nearly eight years to make. According to history, the two who wrote and directed this movie first conceived it when they were sixteen and eighteen years old, and had many obstacles while trying to make it. Eventually, Stanley Kubrik, Tony Richardson, and 100s of volunteers helped with finishing it.
The story centers around a nurse who lives in Southern England and was born in Ireland. The Germans push the local civilians towards London, where the Germans have created the English Division of the SS. It is seen through capitalist Englander’s eyes, and show what a nightmare socialism in England would be. The nurse (Pauline Murray) wants to practice medicine but not to be involved with any political party at all, but when she gets to London, she finds out that she either serves in the party, or she starves. I won’t spoil the plot by telling you what all happens, but rather that it is about her eyes being opened about what this occupation really means, and what the English Partisan’s are really fighting for. I liked this movie quite a bit, I don’t know if it can be considered a classic, but it’s certainly worth a look.
The catch phrase for the movie is, “The real glory of war is surviving”. That’s how if felt while watching it. The story is about the 1st Infantry, which is shown as being started by Marvin at the end of WWI. Later, after WWII starts, he is a grizzled Sgt. who commands a platoon of crack riflemen. They originally begin action in Africa then move to Italy, Omaha Beach, and eventually become a part of the push into Germany. The story is told through Carradine’s perspective and revolves around the differences between Hamill and Marvin who both have differing viewpoints about war. I don’t have much of a problem with the story so much, but it is really difficult believing Hamill and Carradine, as well as some other men, who are supposed to be battle hardened soldiers. There was a lack of believability with all concerned, and the battle sequences were pathetic. There were segments where I could readily see what was about to happen next and other things during battle’s that were distracting. For instance, I’ve never heard bullets ricochet on sand and water, but in this movie it happened all the time. I can only give this movie one star.
The movie I had never heard of before is called It Happened Here.

It’s the story of Hitler’s England, and what it would have been like if the battle of Dunkirk went the other way, and Germany actually won and occupied England. It is an independent film made in England and released in 1964. It was shot on B&W 35mm and took nearly eight years to make. According to history, the two who wrote and directed this movie first conceived it when they were sixteen and eighteen years old, and had many obstacles while trying to make it. Eventually, Stanley Kubrik, Tony Richardson, and 100s of volunteers helped with finishing it.
The story centers around a nurse who lives in Southern England and was born in Ireland. The Germans push the local civilians towards London, where the Germans have created the English Division of the SS. It is seen through capitalist Englander’s eyes, and show what a nightmare socialism in England would be. The nurse (Pauline Murray) wants to practice medicine but not to be involved with any political party at all, but when she gets to London, she finds out that she either serves in the party, or she starves. I won’t spoil the plot by telling you what all happens, but rather that it is about her eyes being opened about what this occupation really means, and what the English Partisan’s are really fighting for. I liked this movie quite a bit, I don’t know if it can be considered a classic, but it’s certainly worth a look.
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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."
"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."