esrosedotblog

ONE AGAIN

Dear and constant readers will remember that I am a great fan of the work of Samuel Fuller, a mostly B-level, noir focused, director of film.

Fuller, who started writing commercially for the pulp press at 16, went to WWII and the experience of it stayed with him through his life and informed his work.

The greatest part of it was the unprecedented fact that he stayed together with the same platoon and squad throughout the entire war. The friendships he made and the experiences he had were, to his author-mind, a rich source for all his works. Themes of loyalty, honor, and the bond of comrades inform all of his work.

He put it all together in a big war film named for his division, the First; the shoulder patch is just the red number one. He made a four hour cut.

They didn't buy it. He thought he could get them to print two movies out of it. No dice.

He had to cut it to less than two hours for the B-houses and drive-ins. We have seen the result which is good enough in its truncated self but now they have recut it into a much longer cohesive version. See the Salon revue: THE BIG RED ONE.

It is a great short course on Fuller.

And then, go to see the picture, if you can. Maybe they will replace the present DVD with the new print. You will like it even if you do not like war pictures. The film is way low on war and very high on relationships. It is the ultimate 'buddy' movie. There are about seven buddies. And the interplay is just great.

The only sad thing about the whole enterprise is that Fuller is not around to see this rehabilited tribute to his friends.